Corey cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re still in the process of our investigation.”
“And you have no other suspects.”
“I really can’t discuss that right now. You understand...”
“Oh, believe me, I do,” Perkins said. “I understand completely.”
Corey waited for some kind of elaboration on that, but Perkins wasn’t giving him any. It was an embarrassing and tense little moment out there in the sun. I was standing there trying not to be embarrassed and tense.
“I’ll be heading back to the station now,” Corey said, and then he turned on his heel and left us. Perkins watched him lumber all the way back to his police car, visibly sweating in the hot sun.
I looked over and saw that filming had stopped for a moment, and the crew was setting up the next shot. Clete was still in the same spot, with the same girl. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked Perkins.
“Of course.”
“Why haven’t you talked to Clete Williams yet?”
“Because I didn’t want to make the same mistake that Chief Corey made.”
“What mistake is that?”
He looked at me like he was a little disappointed I had to ask. “Clete had a big fight with McDougall, and then McDougall ends up being killed just a few hours later. That made Williams the one and only suspect. Corey never even considered anyone else. The big problem with that is the fight is literally theonlything that implicates Williams. Beyond that, what do you have? There’s no evidence at all. That’s why he never charged him. And never will.”
“But what doyouthink? Evidence or no evidence, do you think Clete could have killed him?”
“I think it’s time to find out,” Perkins said, and then he walked over,at last, to talk to Clete Williams. Perkins sat down in a director’s chair, and the girl took off.
“I was wondering when you’d get around to me,” Clete said.
“Mr. Williams. If you have a moment?—”
“I know what everybody is saying.”
“What’s that?”
“That I killed McDougall.”
“You haven’t heardmesay it, have you?”
“I hated the little shit,” Clete said, “but I never hurt him.”
“You had a fight earlier in the evening...”
“I hit him once. That’s all. Didn’t even cut him.”
“He was drinking?” Perkins asked.
“Yeah.”
“And you?”
“Yeah. Some.”
“And afterward, you escorted him back to his room.”
“Yeah,” Clete said. “I found him in Brenda’s room screaming at her. I told him to move it. But I didn’t lay a finger on him then. I swear.”
“But then when you were out in the hall...”
