Free Flashback by Ted Wood Page A

questions to him.
    'What was that nonsense at Murphy's Harbour yesterday? You're not a gang member.'
    'Didn't convince you, huh?'
    'Not really. What were you doing?'
    'Research.' He tried to smile.
    'How much research did you do?'
    'Look, are you charging me over that?'
    'I don't have to.' A nice neutral answer.
    'I'll compensate the Frenchman at the baitstore. I didn't mean them to make a mess like they did.'
    So he had done the swarming. 'Compensation should end that problem,' I told him. 'But there are a couple of other things I want to know about?'  
    'Like what?' He was wary.
    'Like who loaded you up with PCP?'
    'I don't know.'
    'You didn't recognize the guy? Or you didn't see him?'
    'I don't know anything about it.' He was firm now. 'Drugs aren't my thing. The odd joint at a party but nothing else.'
    'Right now you're charged with possession of around four ounces of angel dust that I found in your room. Are you aware of that?'  
    He nodded. 'Yes. The cop who was here before you told me. He read me a whole song and dance about rights.'
    'Did he mention anything else to you?'
    'Isn't that enough?' It sounded like he'd been rehearsing that line. It came out perfectly.
    'Did you go and your gang do anything else in your research project? Now's the time to tell me.'
    'We swarmed the grocery at Pointe au Baril.' His pronunciation was perfect although the natives usually say Point-oh-Barrel.
    'I know about that. What about the car?'
    He frowned fleetingly. 'Car? You mean the Ford? I borrowed that from a friend of mine in Toronto.'
    'What about the Accord you borrowed from Parry Sound?'
    He was puzzled, or acting convincingly puzzled. 'Parry Sound? I didn't get up to anything in Parry Sound. The other stuff was research for a part I'm after. If I'd have come into Parry Sound it might have gotten ugly. I didn't need that.'  
    'Well, where did you get the Accord?'
    'What Accord?' He tried to sit up, raising his shoulders as high as he could with the belt around his chest. 'I don't know what in Hell you're talking about.'  
    'Tell me about these other kids who were with you.' I kept my voice conversational. A nurse who was passing the open door paused to look in and I acknowledged her with a little wave. She nodded and went on.  
    'I picked them up in Wasaga Beach. Saw them bumming around together and turned them into a gang.'
    'Where are they now?'
    He shrugged. 'I split hours ago.'
    'Did any of the others get into the angel dust?'
    It was hard to tell whether he was giving me a performance but he looked anguished and close to tears. 'I was alone and I don't know anything about any drugs and that's the truth.'  
    'OK then. I'll just ask you one more question. Answer that and I'm through with you. Deal?'
    I knew he was lying by his answer. 'I don't care how many questions you ask. I don't know anything about any drugs.'
    It was all I was going to get out of him but I put my question anyway. 'Who joined you, at the motel, when you were kicking back, drinking your beer?'  
    'Nobody did. I was on my own.'
    'One last thing, then. What are the names of the other kids?'
    He relaxed, lying back and giving a little sigh. 'Let me see. The big one's name is Chuck. I don't know any last names but the other guys were Fred and Glenn and Phil.'  
    I took my notebook out of my shirt pocket and copied down all the names and the descriptions he gave me, then thanked him as if he'd been a help and went out to the door to wave the Parry Sound cop back in. 'Watch him. He's acting innocent but he figures he's smarter than we are. Don't let him out of your sight.'  
    The cop was young and handsome with a little moustache. He didn't like my suggesting he might goof. He just nodded and went back in to sit with the kid. I left, hoping he would stay alert. Hanson was tricky.  
    Sam jumped out of the car window and bounded to greet me, wagging his tail. He was none the worse for his virgil but I fussed him and told him he was an