Dead Soldiers Read Online Free Page B

here.“
    “What’s going on is that Matthew Hart is dead,“ Napier said.
    Burns was getting uneasy. “He was getting up in years. It happens.“
    “Not the way it happened to Hart.“
    Uh-oh, Burns thought. Here it comes.
    “How did it happen?“ he asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
    “Somebody shot him, that’s how.“
    “Was it an accident?“ Burns asked, hoping that Napier would say yes . “Who shot him?“
    “I don’t know who shot him,“ Napier said. “Not yet, anyway. And it wasn’t an accident. It was murder.“
    Burns felt his stomach go hollow. It wasn’t just the murder; it was the fact that Napier was telling him about it. Napier would never do that if he didn’t think that Burns were somehow connected to the crime.
    “What does it have to do with me?“ he asked.
    “What have I been telling you, Burns?   Details. It’s all in the details.“
    “I don’t know what details you’re talking about.“
    “Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t.“
    “What’s that supposed to mean?“ Burns asked.
    Napier leaned back in the desk chair and crossed his hands over his belt buckle. It was silver and shiny and about the size of a full-grown armadillo. In fact, it was shaped like an armadillo, with little beady silver eyes.
    “It just means that every single time somebody in this town dies under suspicious circumstances, your name comes into it, one way or the other. I’m getting real tired of that, Burns.“
    “Not as tired as I am,“ Burns said.
    “Well, I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?“
    “Maybe. But right now, let’s assume that I don’t know about those details you keep talking about. Why don’t you enlighten me?“
    “ Enlighten . Now there’s a word you don’t hear very often. You English teachers really do have fine vocabularies.“
    Burns sighed. “Just give me the details, all right?   You can leave off the sarcasm.“
    “Sorry about that. I tend to get touchy when somebody gets murdered.“
    “I don’t blame you. But if you’re going to tell me anything else, go ahead and do it before a student comes by for a conference.“
    “You have a lot of conferences, do you?“
    The truth was that Burns had hardly any conferences. He encouraged students to come by his office any time they needed help, but no one ever seemed to come. Not until about a day before final exams. Then one or two would come by wanting to know what they had to make on the final in order to make an “A“ in the class. Considering that the averages of the people who generally asked that question were usually   “D’s“ or lower, Burns would just as soon that they’d never come by at all.
    “I don’t really have many conferences,“ he said. “But I do have a student secretary. She’ll be here soon.“
    “Okay, then,“ Napier said. “I’ll tell you the details. There’s just one of them really.“
    “Just one?“
    “Yeah, but it’s a good one.“
    “What is it, then?“
    Napier stood up and stretched. He seemed to Burns to have lost a bit of weight, but Burns thought that this probably wasn’t the time to mention it.
    Napier looked at Burns and smiled. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
    “You’re gonna love this detail,“ he said. “I guarantee it.“
    “I’m sure I will, but I can’t love it unless you tell me what it is.“
    Napier stopped smiling. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his suit and stared out the window. Then he turned back to Burns as if hoping to catch him looking guilty.
    “It’s a toy soldier,“ he said.

Chapter Five
     
    B urns didn’t just look guilty. He practically jumped out of Bunni’s chair.
    “Got you that time, Burns,“ Napier said with satisfaction. “Now why is it that the mention of a little toy soldier has you so shook up?“
    “I, ummm , I, well . . .“ Burns’s voice trailed off. He couldn’t think of anything to say. Lying had never come easily to him.
    Napier brushed back his coat and stuck his thumbs in his