Page 106 of Forbidden Need

“I didn’t see nothing. No one. I didn’t see no one.”

“No one? Okay, take me through that night. My grandfather must’ve been at home when you arrived because the shift change is on the access log after my grandfather got home.”

“You’ve… got the access logs?”

Her smile broadened again. “There’s very little I can’t get my hands on, Mr. Sneddon.”

“Then what’d you need me for?” he asked, finding a little backbone. “You’re not a cop, I don’t have to say nothing.”

“Seen the news, asshole?” Hock asked.

In fairness, he didn’t seem like the type to even get close to the news channels.

“Do you know who she is?” was Snuff’s question.

“I know him,” he said, nodding at Hock. “And that guy.”

The guy to his left got a nod too.

Daly stepped up. “You know who we work for?”

“I don’t know nothing about that,” he said, waving both hands in front of him. “No way I’m going there.”

Maybe he was smart after all.

“Their boss wants you to answer my questions,” she said because it was true. “If you answer them to my satisfaction, we will leave, no problems.”

“Don’t answer them…?” Daly said. “That’s a big problem. Big. One Ire’ll take personally.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know shit. She’s a McLeod, not a McDade. I’m not saying nothing to a cop’s kid.”

“Do we look like a cop’s family?” Hock asked.

The familiar side guy kicked the chair. Ah! That was where she knew him from. Pietro.

“She could’ve just paid you off the street.”

Daly was incredulous. “Freelance? You don’t believe she’s a McDade?” He laughed, Hock and Snuff joined in, setting Sneddon off balance. “Please make me call the boss for confirmation. Please, man, ‘cause then you’ll really get to see us work.”

“You can get Ire McDade on the phone?” Sneddon scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“She can get him on his back.”

Snuff’s joke maybe wasn’t well timed, but the statement was true.

“Why would McDades care about the alderman? Not like they gotta worry about him talking. Guy’s dead, what’s he gonna say?”

Now that was interesting.

“Why would we be worried about that?” she asked. “Who was he talking to?”

“No one, he’s dead.”

Stranger Side Guy smacked the back of Sneddon’s head.

“What did he know?” Daly demanded.

Another smack.

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