Page 38 of Nothing Ever Happens Here

“I’m certain that when Winny Thorgard told you she suspected foul play in Otis’s death you did a full investigation, so you probably already saw this,” I continue, thrusting the hospital clipboard toward him. “So I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on Leo Connolly’s name on the visitor log for the night before Otis passed.” I see Riley’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallows down a sip of his drink, pressing his lips together in a tight smile.

“Well, as you know, some things are confidential. But we are looking into all leads,” he says. And of course I know he’s never seen this, and I also can’t blame him for not taking Winny seriously when she announced out of nowhere that she suspected something was very wrong surrounding the circumstances of her husband’s death. Otis was quite ill, and who would think anyone on planet earth would have a beef with the dear man?I don’t hate Riley, and I don’t fault him entirely, because every clue does seem to lead to a dead end. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to back his ass firmly into a corner on a viral podcast so the whole world is watching how he handles things, and what he does next. My intent is to force him into action, but I hope it doesn’t backfire.

“If you’ll excuse me for just a moment,” Riley says. “I hear Mr. Ruffins whining. I’ll just pop upstairs and let him out.” We all watch Riley turn the corner and disappear up the stairs.

“I didn’t hear Mr. Ruffins,” Millie says, and it’s clear she’s getting tipsy. “That’s a cute name, though,” she giggles. “Ruffins.” Everyone else is staring squarely at me.

“What?” I say, hand to heart.

“What the hell?” Herb yells, and I put my finger over my lips to shush him. Millie tugs on his sleeve and he sits back down.

“Don’t worry,” I whisper.

“So it was never your intention to get his actual perspective. You just wanted to…” Herb says, and then stops to come up with a word.

“Screw him!” Millie says, and we all shush her.

“I wouldn’t say that. Winny brought her suspicions to the police. He ignored her. Now it’s our turn…”

“This is not a good interview,” Herb interrupts.

“Well,” Mort says.

“Well what?” Herb says. “You’re railroading him. He’s not giving us anything.”

“Except perhaps soaring ratings when we edit this,” Bernie says, quietly plucking a stray thread from his afghan and eating a handful of the caramel corn Herb passed around, and understanding exactly what I’m doing.

“Well, let the man talk at least,” Herb grumbles.

“Of course,” I agree. Another statement from Riley saying that he is “looking into all leads” for the thousandth time on the record is all we’ll get out of this, but sure.

When Riley returns he pours himself another drink and asks if there is anything else we’d like to ask about, so Evan nicely asks him a few roundabout questions, making him feel important, which is all he really wants out of this. How many years have you been on the force? How are you handling tips that are coming in? And Riley gets to brag and talk about himself a bit even though he’s giving equally roundabout answers, but I already got what I came here for, so I’m ready to go anyway.

And then a very strange expression spreads across Herb’s face, and his eyes widen. For a moment I think he’s passing gas and trying to do so discreetly, but then he stands and says, “We gotta go!” so abruptly, and I still think that might be the reason. But then the look on his face morphs into something like fear, or panic if I’m reading him correctly, and we all begin standing and gathering our things.

“Matlockstarts at nine,” Millie says, and Riley says he understands completely and that it was a pleasure and genuinely thinks he came off well, which is fine by me. Evan helps Mort with his pear box of audio equipment and takes Bernie’s arm, carrying his afghan to the van.

We all sit in the freezing van and wait for it to warm up as it puffs smoke out of the tailpipe while Evan searches for a radio station to land on that will make everyone happy. I turn around in my seat and look at Herb, but before I can ask him why he wanted to run out of there so quickly I catch the deer in headlights look that’s still plastered across his face.

“You okay, Herb?” I ask gently, and Evan turns the radio down and looks back at us in the rearview mirror.

“Everyone okay?” he asks.

“What if he’s lying?” Herb asks.

“Who? Riley?” Mort says.

“About what?” Evan adds.

“What if he’s lying about all the supposed leads they’re tracking down and evidence they are looking at and…”

“Why? What the hell are you talking about?” I ask.

“Yeah, why would he do that?” Mort asks.

“Because…maybe he’s involved,” Herb says pulling a familiar-looking object from his coat pocket.

“What the hell is that?” Millie asks, squinting at it.

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