Edgar Poe - The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories

"When the Kabalyeros began harassing you a month ago, you saw that as the perfect excuse not to take the stand. But you didn't foresee that Dragon's lawyer would convince the gang to stop the harassment. When that happened, you and Isabel, and probably Alex, too, manufactured incidents-the shot-out window, the dead dog on the doorstep, the men with the guns-to make it look as if the harassment was still going on."

"Why would I? They're going to put me in jail."

"But at the time you didn't know they could do that-or that your employer would hire me. My investigating poses yet another danger to you and your family."

"This is… why would I do all that?"

"Because basically you're an honest woman, a good woman. You didn't want to testify because you knew Dragon didn't shoot Dawson. It's my guess you gave the police his name because it was the first one that came to mind."

"I had no reason to-"

"You had the best reason in the world: a mother's desire to protect her child."

She was silent, sunken eyes registering despair and defeat.

I kept on, even though I hated to inflict further pain on her. "The day he died, Dawson had let the word out that he was going to desecrate Benny's space. The person who shot him knew there would be fighting and confusion, counted on that as a cover. The killer hated Dawson-"

"Lots of people did."

"But only one person you'd want to protect so badly that you'd accuse an innocent man."

"Leave my mother alone. She's suffered enough on account of what I did."

I turned. Alex had come into the room so quietly I hadn't noticed. Now he moved midway between Amor and me, a Saturday night special clutched in his right hand.

The missing murder weapon.

I tensed, but one look at his face told me he didn't intend to use it. Instead he raised his arm and extended the gun, grip first.

"Take this," he said. "I never should of bought it. Never should of used it. I hated Dawson on account of what he did to my sister. But killing him wasn't worth what we've all gone through since."

I glanced at Amor; tears were trickling down her face.

Alex said, "Mama, don't cry. I'm not worth it."

When she spoke, it was to me. "What will happen to him?"

"Nothing like what might have happened to Dragon; Alex is a juvenile. You, however-"

"I don't care about myself, only my children."

Maybe that was the trouble. She was the archetypal selfless mother: living only for her children, sheltering them from the consequences of their actions-and in the end doing them irreparable harm.

There were times when I felt thankful that I had no children. And there were times when I was thankful that Jack Stuart was a very good criminal lawyer. This was a time when I was thankful on both counts. I went to the phone, called Jack, and asked him to come over here. At least I could leave the Angeles family in good legal hands.

After he arrived, I went out into the gathering dusk. An old yellow VW was pulling out of Benny's space. I walked down there and stood on the curb. Nothing remained of the shrine to Benny Crespo. Nothing remained to show that blood had boiled and been shed here. It was merely a stretch of cracked asphalt, splotched with oil drippings, littered with the detritus of urban life. I stared at it for close to a minute, then turned away from the bleak landscape of Omega Street.

Barnes, Linda: «Lucky Penny» by Linda Barnes first appeared in «The New Black Mask,» no.3, 1985. Copyright © 1985 by Linda Barnes. Reprinted by permission of Gina Maccoby Literary Agency.

Boucher, Anthony: «Crime Must Have a Stop» by Anthony Boucher first appeared in «Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine,» February 1951. Copyright © 1950 Mercury Publications, Inc. Copyright © 1978 Davis Publications, Inc. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.

Carr, John Dickson: «A Footprint in the Sky» from «The Department of Queer Complaints» by John Dickson Carr. Copyright 1940 by William Morrow & Co., Inc. Copyright renewed 1968 by John Dickson Carr. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated.

Chandler, Raymond: «I'll Be Waiting» by Raymond Chandler first appeared in the «Saturday Evening Post,» October 14, 1939. Reprinted from «The Simple Art of Murder» by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. All rights reserved. Copyright 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1944, 1950 by Raymond Chandler. Copyright © renewed 1978 by Helga Greene. Published in the British Commonwealth, excluding Canada, by Hamish Hamilton Ltd. (Penguin Books 1950) in the collection «Trouble Is My Business» (pp.125-143). Copyright © 1944 by Raymond Chandler. Reproduced by permission of Hamish Hamilton Ltd.

Daly, Carroll John: «The False Burton Combs» by Carroll John Daly first appeared in «The Black Mask,» December 1922. Copyright © 1922 by Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc. Copyright renewed © 1950 by Popular Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by arrangement with Argosy Communications, Inc., representing Mary A. Daly, heir of Carroll John Daly.

Davis, Dorothy Salisbury: «A Matter of Public Notice» by Dorothy Salisbury Davis first appeared in «Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine,» July 1957. Copyright © 1957 by Dorothy Salisbury Davis. Copyright renewed 1985 by Dorothy Salisbury Davis. Reprinted by permission of Mclntosh and Otis, Inc.

Eberhart, Mignon: «Spider» from «The Cases of Susan Dare» by Mignon Eberhart. Copyright 1934 by Mignon Eberhart. Copyright renewed © 1962 by Mignon Eberhart. Reprinted by permission of Brandt & Brandt Literary Agents, Inc.

Faulkner, William: «An Error in Chemistry» from «Knight's Gambit» by William Faulkner. Copyright © 1946 by William Faulkner. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.

Gardner, Erie Stanley: «Leg Man» by Erie Stanley Gardner first appeared in «The Black Mask,» February 1938. Copyright © 1938, 1966 by Erie Stanley Gardner. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.

Gault, William Campbell: «See No Evil» by William Campbell Gault first appeared in «New Detective» as «See No Murder. «Copyright 1950, renewed 1978 by William Campbell Gault. Reprinted by permission of Don Congdon Associates, Inc.

Glaspell, Susan: «A Jury of Her Peers» by Susan Glaspell first appeared in «Everyweek,» March 5, 1917. Copyright © 1917 by Susan Glaspell. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.

Grafton, Sue: «The Parker Shotgun» by Sue Grafton first appeared in the anthology «Mean Streets.» Copyright © 1986 by Sue Grafton. Reprinted by permission of The Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency, Inc.

Hillerman, Tony: «Chee's Witch» by Tony Hillerman first appeared in «The New Black Mask.» Copyright © 1986 by Anthony Hillerman. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd.

Hoch, Edward D.: «Christmas Is for Cops» by Edward D. Hoch first appeared in «Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.» Copyright © 1970 by Edward D. Hoch. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Macdonald, Ross: «Guilt-Edged Blonde» by Ross Macdonald first appeared in «Manhunt,» January 1954. Copyright 1953 by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc. Copyright renewed 1981 by The Margaret Millar's Survivor's Trust u/a 4/12/82. Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated.

McBain, Ed: «Small Homicide» from «The McBain Brief» by Ed McBain. Copyright © 1982 by Hui Corporation. Reprinted by permission of the William Morris Agency, Inc., on behalf of the author.

Muller, Marcia: «Benny's Space» by Marcia Muller first appeared in the anthology «A Woman's Eye,» edited by Sara Paretsky and published by Delacorte Press. Copyright © 1991 by Marcia Muller. Reprinted by permission of the author.

Pronzini, Bill: «Words Do Not a Book Make» by Bill Pronzini first appeared in «Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.» Copyright © 1968 by H.S.D. Publications, Inc.; revised version copyright © 1988 by Bill Pronzini. Reprinted by permission of the author.