Goddard knew he had pushed a button. "Look at me, Sonny. What about Tammy?"

Barner turned his head away and cleared his throat, "Miss Jerrold is a good customer."

"You ever do her?"

Barner stared sharply at him. His face flushed red.

"Her apartment...you do her apartment?"

Barner's jaw was clenched. He nodded. "Miss Jerrold and me are closer than people think. We're friends, in a way, she likes me."

"Towson was a real lucky bastard to have a young piece like that around whenever he wanted it. You can't blame her. A girl has to do what a girl has to do. Know what I mean? She didn't have any choice. That's what money will do for you. You can take advantage of people, of girls. God knows he was loaded, had more than any one man needed. Well, he won't be putting his hands on her again."

Barner was slowly opening and closing his bony fists. His voice was now noticeably shaky, "She wouldn't be like that with him. She had to put up with him. She's better off now."

"Yes, I understand, Sonny, too good for him. He probably didn't even appreciate her, like some guys would. Someone did her a big favor. She's free now. She can spend time with who she really wants. Look at me, Sonny, did you think you'd get lucky?"

Barner was rubbing his hands over his knees and didn't say anything. The detective kept staring at him. He didn't answer at first, just sat there frowning as though he was lost. "What?"

"In Vegas...get lucky? How did you pay for the plane ticket? How did you pay for your room in Vegas? Where'd you get the gambling money? We're going to find out everything."

"You're trying to confuse me. I didn't rip him off and I didn't kill him."

"You spotted some money he had around, and you knew a rich guy must have plenty more around the place. You left as you said, went home and got your gun. Someone else buzzed you back in. You shot him and beat it out of town at seven. We're going to put it all together, Sonny. Now's the time to tell us about it."

Barner put his hands in his lap and stared down at the floor. "You twisted it all around. I wasn't thinking all that, and I didn't shoot him. Can I go?"

Goddard thought that was enough. He still had some control and didn't want to force Barner into asking for a lawyer.

"I want the job tickets on the two jobs you said you did after Towson."




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