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By Root 735 0

just went over the whole car. If Christine had hit that Welch kid that many times and that hard, it would be all busted up. I know that much just from watching TV. And when I was taking Auto Shop II two years ago, Mr Smolnack said that the two best ways he knew to totally destroy a car's front end was to either hit a deer or a person. He was joking a little, but he wasn't kidding if you know what I mean.' Arnie swallowed and heard a click in his throat, which was very dry.

'Sure,' Junkins said. 'Your car looks all right. But you don't, kid. You look like a sleepwalker. You look absolutely fucked over. Pardon my French.' He flicked his cigarette away. 'You know something, Arnie?'

'What?'

'I think you're lying faster than a horse can trot.' He slapped Christine's hood. 'Or maybe I should say faster than a Plymouth can run.'

Arnie looked at him, his hand on the outside mirror on the passenger side. He said nothing.

'I don't think you're lying about killing the Welch boy. But I think you're lying about what they did to your car; your girl said they mashed the crap out of it, and she's a hell of a lot more convincing than you are. She cried while she told me. She said there was broken glass everywhere Where did you buy replacement glass, by the way?'

'McConnell's,' Arnie said promptly. 'In the Burg.'

'Still got the receipt?'

'Tossed it out.'

'But they'll remember you. Big order like that.'

'They might,' Arnie said, 'but I wouldn't count on it, Rudy. They're the biggest auto-glass specialists west of New York and east of Chicago. That covers a lot of ground. They do yea business, and a lot of it's old cars.'

'Still, they'll have the paperwork.'

'I paid cash.'

'But your name will be on the invoice.'

'No,' Arnie said, and smiled a wintry smile. 'Darnell's Do-It-Yourself Garage. That way I got a ten per cent discount.'

'You got it all covered, don't you?'

'Lieutenant Junkins - '

'You're lying about the glass too, although I'll be goddamned if I know why.'

'You'd think Christ was lying on Calvary, that's what I think,' Arnie said angrily. 'Since when is it a crime to buy replacement glass if someone busts up your windows? Or pay cash? Or get a discount?'

'Since never,' Junkins said.

'Then leave me be.'

'More important, I think you're lying about not knowing anything about what happened to the Welch boy. You know something. I want to know what.'

'I don't know anything,' Arnie said.

'What about - '

'I don't have anything more to say to you,' Arnie said. 'I'm sorry.'

'All right,' Junkins said, giving up so quickly that Arnie was immediately suspicious. He rummaged around in the sportcoat he was wearing under his topcoat and took out his wallet. Arnie saw that Junkins was carrying a gun in a shoulder holster and suspected Junkins had wanted him to see it. He produced a card and gave it to Arnie. 'I can be reached at either of those numbers, If you want to talk about anything. Anything at all.'

Arnie put the card in his breast pocket.

Junkins took one more leisurely stroll around Christine. 'Hell of a restoration job,' he repeated. He looked squarely at Arnie. 'Why didn't you report it?'

Arnie let out a low shuddering sigh. 'Because I thought that would be the end,' he said. 'I thought they'd let off.'

'Yeah,' Junkins said. 'I thought that might be it. Good night, son.'

'Good night.'

Junkins started away, turned, came back. 'Think it over,' he said. 'You really do look like hell, you know what I mean? You have a nice girl there. She's worried about you, and she feels bad about what happened to your car. Your dad's worried about you, too. I could get that even over the phone. Think it over and then give me a call, son. You'll sleep better.'

Arnie felt something trembling behind his lips, something small and tearful, something that hurt. Junkins's brown eyes were kind. He opened his mouth - God alone knew what might have spilled out - and then a monstrous jab of pain walloped him in the back, making him straighten suddenly. It also had the effect of a slap on a hysteric. He felt calmer, clear-headed again.