Free Beer Money (A Burr Ashland Mystery) by Dani Amore Page A

Philip Krahn. There were at least a half-dozen PIs in town who would salivate over the prospect of taking a meeting with Krahn.
    "I think I have someone leaking insider information to the press,” he said. He placed a huge stack of papers on his desk. “This is all of the research we've done so far. I'd like you to look it all over, and come back in say, two weeks, and give me your assessment."
    I hefted the papers. This was a serious assignment. But not as serious to me as finding out who killed Tim. Perhaps Krahn hadn’t heard me.
    "It's all in there," he said, gesturing to the papers, and letting me know he didn't want to talk specifics.
    "Like I said, I can refer you to some good people…”
    "I’ll pay you a retainer of fifty thousand a month.”
    I tried to remain still, the number was shocking. Not unreasonable perhaps for a company of this size, but to simply be handed that amount was unheard of.
    “Would you throw in a lifetime supply of free beer?”
    He smiled, not sure if I was kidding. “Of course,” he finally said.
    I pushed the stack of papers back toward him. “No, thanks.”
    He looked at the packet on his desk then switched gears. "I wanted to ask you about something else, if you don't mind. There was a story in the papers about a history professor who was murdered. I understand he was a friend of yours."
    "Yes, he was, as a matter of fact."
    He looked at me, hoping I would continue. I decided not to.
    "I don't know how to ask this, but I guess I'm wondering if you're...involved?"
    "Involved?" I asked. "What do you mean?"
    He held his hands out, palms up. "Like I said, I was just wondering."
    I shook my head. "No, I'm not involved."
    "Okay, I figured you wouldn't be, I was just wondering because...well like I said, Milwaukee's a small town. You hear all kinds of things."
    "What kinds of things have you been hearing, Philip?"
    "To be honest," he said and leaned forward. "I've heard nothing about it. I just wondered if this project would help take your mind off things.”
    “Well, that’s very thoughtful of you,” I said. “But no.”
    Before I could answer, his phone rang. He snatched it up listened, then covered the mouthpiece with his hand. Spoke to me.
    "Think it over. It’s a lot of money to piss away.”
    "I’ll do that," I answered. "Think it over, I mean."
    I stood and we shook hands. He still had the phone pressed against his shoulder.
    "Good luck," he said, and I wondered to what he was referring.

Twenty-Two
     
    There were only a few cars in the parking lot of the Soup Kitchen Saloon, which was fine with me. I went inside. A few people sat at tables. A few more lost souls at the bar.
    I sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. I swiveled around, took a closer look at the crowd.
    "I don't know about you," I said to the bartender, a slim Hispanic guy I hadn’t seen before. "But this atmosphere simply screams auld lang syne to me.”
    He smiled and moved down the bar.
    The first beer came and went like a stranger passing through. The second stayed a little longer.
    A few more people came in and before long, the place was nearly half-full. For the Soup Kitchen Saloon, this was an extraordinary feat. It was the kind of out-of-way place that had only a few regulars and it looked like we were all there. The rest of the crowd was probably made up of people lost and looking for the great end of the year party that they definitely wouldn't find here. I got the feeling that most people were having one drink and leaving. A fact I didn't mind so much.
    A blues song, something from Muddy Waters I believed, churned from the speakers overhead. A fog of thick smoke hung over the place, casting a filter on the framed photographs of blues legends. A man and woman were playing pool at the far end of the bar, others stood near the window that fronted Port Washington Road.
    The Muddy Waters song ended and it was replaced by Robert Johnson singing “Love in Vain.”
    I listened as the words resonated in