Free Flashpoint by Ed Gorman Page B

‘You’re not another reporter, are you?’
    From the back of a room packed with faxes and computers and two different phone banks a voice said, ‘Hi, Dev.’
    Connie Taylor had been recommended to me by another client. She’d run his hometown campaign office without a hitch, he’d said, and so I’d hired her for here. She was an African-American woman of thirty-two who was finishing her dissertation on the subject of unions in American politics. She was an attractive woman with a smile that was a boon no matter what kind of mood you were in. But there was no smile tonight. She couldn’t summon it, and it wouldn’t have helped me anyway.
    She wore a russet-brown dress with a wide, dark brown belt and sensible heels. Running a campaign office for a senatorial election is a bitch. If you factored in sex and murder, the job got many times worse.
    She had a dry, businesslike shake and signaled with a nod for us to walk to the back. Behind us, Wendy said, ‘Sorry, I didn’t know who you were.’
    â€˜No problem.’
    â€˜They’re hard workers. Or were until about four hours ago. As soon as the news came on TV all the volunteers started drifting away. I imagine a lot of them are drunk by now.’
    â€˜I don’t blame them, Connie.’
    â€˜Neither do I.’
    There was a refreshment table with several kinds of nuts and candies and popcorn. A bubbling coffeepot and a Coke machine stood to the left of the table. She had coffee; I had a Diet Coke.
    â€˜Is there anything new, Dev?’
    I’d been prepared to address as many as twenty or thirty people. Reassure them as much as I could. But I was glad I didn’t have to do it. It would have all been bullshit and they would have known by the time I’d finished my second sentence.
    â€˜I’m waiting to hear from Jane Tyler. She’s with the senator at the police station.’
    â€˜Jane’s a good woman. She spends a lot of time working with us on the campaign.’
    Maybe Connie knew. ‘I was at the cabin talking to a Detective Hammell when she pulled up. They have some strange kind of animosity toward each other. She tries to be civil but he can’t quite make himself be decent. You have any idea what that’s all about?’
    She had small hands. She made one into a brown fist and shook it. ‘She was married to his son for three years. A very angry and jealous guy, as it turned out. He threatened her quite a bit and twice he beat her up. To his credit, Hammell tried to help her – his son’s a cop, too, and he’s warned him that he’ll kick him off the force if he breaks the restraining order Jane got. But it’s put a strain on his relationship with Jane and sometimes he takes it out on her.’ Then, ‘I need your advice, Dev. I don’t know what to tell our volunteers. Should we be out on the street handing out information?’
    They’d be facing at best curious citizens; at worst, hostility and angry humor. ‘Just freeze everything until mid-morning tomorrow. This is too crazy right now.’
    My cell phone chimed. ‘Excuse me, Connie. I’d better take this.’
    â€˜I need to go back to my office anyway.’ She nodded to a stairway leading to the second floor. ‘There are a few people I should call to tell them what you said. They can help me spread the word to the other volunteers.’
    Jane Tyler was the name on the display.
    â€˜Hello.’
    â€˜I’m sitting in the parking lot of the police station. James has just picked up his brother and they’re headed back home. I’m going out there, too. James’ orders.’
    â€˜I take it you’re not a fan?’
    â€˜Is anybody? James has given his brother bad advice for years and unfortunately Robert has taken some of it. He’s jealous of Robert even though he’s let him fund three failed businesses for him. He’s into him for