Page 12 of Bad Medicine

I leaned forward and tried tolook earnest and harmless. Thankfully, Tammy had wandered off, probably to theback yard to stare down at the piece of ground that hid her body. “Oh, no,ma’am. He did nothing wrong. Someone mentioned his name in an investigationwe’re doing on one of your neighbors.”

“Neighbors?” Relieved, she puton a sly smile. “Is it Vera Smith? I bet it’s Vera. She has men in and out ofthat house all night long. I know what she’s up to.” She lowered her voice.“Drugs and sex. And you’re right to ask Robby about her. I know he’s visitedher. He doesn’t know I know, but grandmaknows.”

I leaned back and grinned.“Well, I can’t say who it is, but…”

She winked. “Gotcha, honey.Gotcha.”

“So if there’s a way I canspeak to your grandson, that’d be very helpful.”

“Oh sure, sure.” She got upslowly, then gestured. “Come on, then.”

“Ma’am?”

“Robby’s in the back. He’s…nothimself, but maybe he can answer your questions.”

My wolf sat up. Tammy’s killerwas in the back yard at the scene of the murder. This was too easy. I would’vecalled Rick but contented myself with a quick text to Joe.

Killer in the back yard.

He’d know what to do.

After leading me down a skinnyhallway and through the kitchen, the old woman pushed open the back door.“Robby? You want a sandwich, hon?” Then she looked back over her shoulder atme. “He’s not hungry. Told you. Not himself.”

“Just…” I nudged her gently outof the way. “I’ll go talk to him.”

I wasn’t afraid of a human, butif he had a gun…well, I was afraid of guns. Chances were it wouldn’t kill me,but it could disable me long enough for him to finish the job. I stood in thedoorway watching him for a minute or two before I stepped out onto the stoop.

He was a big man, tall andbeefy, thirty-five years old or so. His hair was dark and shaggy, and he wore agreen t-shirt that sported a faded image of a hedgehog. His jeans were looseand tucked into worn work boots. I didn’t see a weapon.

He stared sightlessly down atone of the newly planted shrubs, unmoving, his hands loose at his sides, asthough he’d gotten lost somewhere in his mind and couldn’t find his way out ofhis own thoughts.

Tammy sat at his feet, watchingme. She was silent, for once.

“What’s his last name?” I askedthe grandmother, who stood on the other side of the screen door.

“Albert,” she murmured. “What’swrong with him?”

I walked down the two steps tothe yard. “Mr. Albert,” I called. “My name is Kait Silver. I’d like to talk toyou.”

He looked up at me, his eyesgoing from slightly blank to confused. “I didn’t plant these, though,” he said.“I wasn’t here.”

“Camera shows you coming inthrough the gate with a wheelbarrow and the bushes,” Grandma called. “Clear asa bell, Robby. I don’t know why you can’t remember. You need to get to a doctor.”

“I wasn’there,”hesaid. His dazed stare found the laminated badge hanging from my neck. “You acop or something? She call you?”

I held up my hands. “You’re notin trouble. We just need to make sure you’re okay.” I was wishing Grandma hadtold me about the camera first. Obviously he was having some mental problems,but the camera wouldn’t lie.

I eased closer. “What do youremember, Mr. Albert?”

“Ask him does he rememberstabbing me to death,” Tammy said. “Ask him does he remember giving me aconcussion and tying my wrists and ankles with zip ties, throwing me into histrunk, then putting me in the ground. Ask him that.”

I closed my eyes for a second.“I’m sorry,” I told her.

“What for?” Robby asked.

I shrugged. “What do youremember?”

He frowned, then glanced downat the shrub. “I had a day off. I was playing video games and eating pizza witha couple of friends all day. I didn’t come here and do any work. She didn’tneed these ugly bushes.”