Page 22 of Sting
Joe noted the jukebox’s proximity to the ell of the bar where he’d been told Jordie Bennett was sitting. He went back to the young man. “While standing there at the jukebox, did those two show any interest in Ms. Bennett?”
“Not that I saw. But, like I said, I wasn’t paying them no mind, and I was pretty wasted.”
Morrow approached and asked if he could have a word with Hickam. He left the booth so they could confer in private.
Royce Sherman sat back against the vinyl, rubbed his eye sockets, and whined, “Can I go now?”
“You got somewhere else to be?” Joe asked.
“I’m gonna catch hell from my old lady for not coming home when I said I would.”
“You’re married?”
“No, but you’d think so the way she stays on my ass. The first cop that questioned me took my phone, so I can’t even call her.”
Hick slid back into the booth. “Mr. Sherman, you have a problem.”
He regarded Hick sullenly. “Whut?”
Rather than addressing him, Hick turned to Joe. “A witness says he saw Mr. Sherman placing something in Ms. Bennett’s pocket.”
Joe leaned against the back of the booth, folded his arms over his middle, and fixed an accusing frown on the young man, who’d suddenly grown nervous.
“Oh. That. Yeah. See…” He ran his tongue over his lips. He cracked his knuckles. “I forgot about that.”
Joe said, “He must think we’re stupid, Agent Hickam.”
“Guess so.”
“I swear!” he squeaked. “I forgot.”
“You told me you didn’t know her.”
“I didn’t. Don’t!”
“That you hadn’t laid a hand on her.”
“I didn’t, except for…for that.”
“What did you pass her?”
“My digits.”
“Your what?”
“My phone number. B-before I went over to her, I tore off a piece of my cheeseburger wrapper and wrote my phone number on it. I poked it down into the pocket of her jeans.”
“What did she do?”
“Told me to get my hand off her ass. Not in those words, but I—”
“You have a gun?”
“Whut?”
“I’m not stuttering, Royce. Answer the question.”
It was clear that he contemplated lying, but then nodded with reluctance. “A deer rifle out in my truck, ’less it’s been stole while I’ve been in here for so damn long.”
