Eric Fullmeyer knocked on my door early the next morning. The weather was cool and foggy, so we stayed inside and talked in the kitchen.
“How did it go with Detective Eccles?” he asked.
“It went tensely,” I said.
“How so?”
“I think he likes Bricklin or me for the shooting of Burton, the thug who invaded my parents’ home.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Why?”
“The evidence doesn’t fit what he’s used to seeing at crime scenes. He doesn’t think an accomplice killed Burton. In his mind, that leaves me or my brother.”
“Your brother was away when it happened. Eccles knows that, right?”
I didn’t say anything.
Eric looked at the floor. “Seems justifiable, if true,” he said.
“Seems so.”
“Worthy of a trophy, even,” Fullmeyer said. “From my point of view.”
I didn’t say anything. I looked at the floor.
“If he does think you did it, why would he want to come after you for it? What’s the point?”
“He’s a very methodical guy. I think he wants to tie up loose ends. He doesn’t like that it was kept a secret all this time since it could have helped solve my parents’ murders.”
“Do you think he can prove anything?” Eric asked.
“I think he was just testing the water to see what I’d tell him.”
“He’s going to talk to Peck, right?”
“He said that he would.”
“Any chance he’ll share his theory about you killing Burton with Peck?”
I shrugged. “He’s a very bright guy, and I think he likes to shake the cage and watch how the animals react. It’s possible.”
“Your world just got more complicated,” Eric said.
“Or simpler.”
“How so?” Eric asked.
“If Peck comes after me after Eccles talks to him, then I’ll know for certain that Peck sent Burton to my parents’ house that day.”
“And?”
“And I’ll get closure.”
“Or he will. You’re not invincible, Delorean. I’m going to call Sandy and ask her to come up here for a while. You need someone watching your back until this gets sorted out.”
Sandy was an ex-police officer who’d helped me prove that a sheriff in Alamogordo, New Mexico was responsible for my brother’s death. She’d also rescued me from a drug factory on the Mexican border when I’d gone to war with a drug cartel. However, the last time I’d seen her, Sandy was addicted to psychoactive drugs and had impulse control problems surpassing my own. I wasn’t sure that her presence would be a plus.
“You think I’m in over my head.”
“I’m certain that you are. What’s left of the M.T. cartel still wants revenge for what you did in El Paso, and Anthony Peck might want revenge, too, if he finds out that you smoked Burton. Eccles could potentially charge you with a felony for concealing evidence if he can find a way to prove that you killed Burton and kept quiet about it.”
“I appreciate your friendship, Eric. I honestly do. But I’m not worried about the cartel or Peck or Eccles. They want to come after me, so be it.”
“You should be concerned,” Eric said. “Off the record, I think you should put a ‘go bag’ together in case things get worse. Do you need money?”
“I’m through running,” I said. “If they want to come after me, they know where to find me.”
“I’m going to get Sandy up here,” he said. “That’s the end of it.”
“Fine.”
“Heed my words,” he said. “You need to get your head in the game, or you’re going to get it handed to you. Asking for help when you need it isn’t a sign of weakness. Have you noticed that the U.S. Army has more than one soldier? There’s a reason for that. Sometimes one person isn’t enough.”
“I get it, Eric,” I said.
Eric pinched the bridge of his nose like he was trying to prevent a migraine headache.
“I hope that you do,” he said.
“I’ve heard you, Eric. I promise. Let’s talk about Emily French.”
“Okay.”
“I went to where she works yesterday after I talked to Eccles. I didn’t introduce myself to her. I just talked to her briefly, small talk. She didn’t seem stressed. Nobody bothered her while I was there. Then I followed her car when she drove home and I watched her walk her dog. She didn’t seem worried then, either. She didn’t look over her shoulder while she was outside, and she didn’t close the drapes that night while she was watching television. You sure that this is the same person who’s convinced they’re being watched?”
“I’m sure,” Eric said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“I’ll introduce myself after she gets off work today. See if I can figure out what’s going on.”
“I hope you can make more sense out of it than I’ve been able to.”