Free Prey by James Carol Page B

your father is that you’ve managed to find a way to kill and get away with it. If the kills are righteous then that makes everything okay, right?’
    ‘That’s bullshit.’
    ‘Probably, but since you’re not giving me anything else to work with, what am I supposed to think?’
    Winter didn’t say anything straightaway. The silence between them stretched longer, growing more uncomfortable with each passing second. ‘It’s complicated,’ he said finally.
    ‘And that’s yet another deflection.’

13
    ‘So what now?’ asked Mendoza when they got back to the car.
    ‘Now, it’s lunchtime.’
    ‘It’s just after eleven.’
    ‘I know, but my body clock’s telling me it’s lunchtime. I’m starving and my blood sugar’s about to crash. I vote we head back to Main Street. I’m sure I remember seeing a diner there.’
    Mendoza pulled away from the kerb and a short while later they were cruising along Main. There was only one diner, which made the decision about where to eat an easy one. They parked as close as they could and got out.
    The diner had dirty windows and ancient paintwork. On the basis of that alone, it was the sort of place Winter would normally avoid. He didn’t want to be a Petri dish for whatever bugs were growing in the kitchen. If the outside looked this shabby it didn’t give much hope for the interior. He opened the door and got another surprise. The outside might have looked rundown, but inside it was a different matter. The tiled floor shone bright enough to see your reflection, and each of the tables had a small vase of freshly cut flowers on top of it. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.
    Mendoza moved her sunglasses up on to the top of her head and pushed past him. Winter followed her inside. There were a dozen people sitting at the tables, five pairs and a couple of singletons, all of them staring. He felt like he’d walked into the saloon scene from every John Ford Western he’d ever watched.
    ‘Take a seat and I’ll be with you in a second.’
    Winter tracked the voice to the waitress behind the counter. She was well into her fifties, with a square face that was all hard angles and suspicion. The stone in her engagement ring was larger than he would have expected from someone working in a diner. It was probably an heirloom. She smiled, but there was no warmth there.
    The window seat was already taken, so he made his way to an empty table at the rear, Mendoza following him this time. The eyes of the other customers watched his progress and he did his best to ignore them. He removed his jacket, unzipped his hoodie and sat down with his back to the wall. Mendoza sat opposite him with her back to the other customers. One by one everybody went back to their coffees and breakfasts. The last person to turn away was the old guy who’d claimed the window seat.
    The waitress came over and poured two coffees. Winter added two sugars to his, paused a moment, then spooned in a third. It would be too sweet, but he figured he was going to need all the extra energy he could get today. Sleep deprivation was a bitch.
    ‘What can I get you?’
    ‘I’d like an egg-white omelette and as much coffee as you can spare,’ said Mendoza.
    ‘And I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, and a large piece of cherry pie, please,’ Winter added. ‘The same goes for me with regards the coffee.’
    ‘Cheeseburger, an omelette and a piece of pie coming right up.’
    The waitress wrote their order down on her pad then headed back to the counter.
    ‘So what do we know?’ Mendoza took a sip of coffee, then started counting off on her fingers. ‘One, our mystery woman wants you to prove that she didn’t commit a crime that she says she’s accused of committing, even though the cops say different.’ She held up a second finger. ‘Two, the Reeds’ case file is missing.’
    ‘Maybe it’s been stolen.’
    ‘That’s one way of looking at it. Another explanation is that the file was out back but Birch