"Doherty, Jim - Death And Taxes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doherty Jim)

the touch. The left side, still resting on the pillow, seemed to be one large
purplish/reddish bruise. I pulled up the covers and saw that the bruise-like
mark continued down his whole left side. Post-mortem lividity. When the heart
stops pumping all the blood still in the body starts to settle to whatever
part of the body is closest to the pull of gravity. ItТs what they call a
Уpositive sign of death.Ф It means you donТt have to go through the motions of
administering first aid. You can consider the subject irredeemably deceased.
УGuess heТs made his final audit,Ф I said softly.
УWhat do we do?Ф asked the desk clerk.
УCall the police.Ф
УI thought you were a policeman.Ф
УNot unless the GovernmentТs bought the Inn.Ф
УItТs not my jurisdiction!Ф I shouted into the phone.
УWhy not?Ф asked Douglas Cody, Sheriff of Sac Prairie County, and top-ranking
peace officer around these here parts.
IТd been a little surprised, but not dismayed, to find that the Red Barn was
part of Greenspring only for postal purposes. The inn was actually situated a
bit beyond GreenspringТs city limits, which put it outside the jurisdiction of
the Greenspring PD. I hadnТt thought that would be a problem. It was just a
question of calling the SheriffТs Office instead. However, fifteen minutes of
buck-passing over the phone had finally gotten me put through to the top man,
who was trying to pass it right back to me.
УIsnТt he a federal employee?Ф Cody went on. УArenТt you a federal officer?Ф
УItТs beyond the scope of my responsibility,Ф I said firmly. УAnd thereТs no
proof that he was killed because of anything arising from his employment.
Until there is, itТs a local case.Ф
УFair enough,Ф he said. УBut this is a small department, and right now weТve
got all we can do handling the emergencies this blizzardТs generating. I donТt
know when me or any of my deputiesТll be able to get out to you. In the
meantime, youТre right there, and youТre a trained law enforcement officer.Ф
УThis is a homicide!Ф
УThatТs right. And that means the victimТs already dead, so thereТs nothing I
can do for him. IТve got people in this county who are still alive needing
whatever service I can give Сem. Until the blizzard stops theyТve got to be my
main priority.Ф УWhat about the Greenspring Police?Ф
УSon, you and I both know the reason youТre calling me is Сcause youТre a
hundred feet outside of GreenspringТs municipal boundaries, and IТm here to
tell you no Greenspring cop is going to set one toe over that boundary to get
himself mixed up in a murder case thatТs not his business. Just hold the fort
Сtil we can get somebody out there. The weather reports say the storm should
start tapering off around midnight. You wonТt be able to leave Сtil then
anyway. YТmight as well make yourself useful.
УSheriff, I am not the constabulary giant you seem to think. I donТt know
anything about processing a homicide scene. IТm just a uniformed beat cop, and
my beatТs nothing but a bunch of office buildings. IТm not too much more than
a glorified security guard.Ф
УWell, IТm just a hick sheriff in a farming community, and I donТt get lot of
murder cases, either. Just do the best you can. ThatТs all IТm asking, one cop
to another.
Finally, after I reluctantly agreed, Sheriff Cody officially authorized me to