"The Road Back"        Part XIV        The final chapter...

He sat back and closed his eyes. This had to be a nightmare. He shook his head and looked at Sam.

“How in the hell do you figure that? You were at my house killing Deidre.” He looked at the extra drink Sam had ordered. He wanted it badly now.

“Go ahead,” Sam said. “I know you need it.” He lit a cigarette. “Don’t worry, “he smiled, “I didn’t put anything in it this time.”

He took a long drink from the glass. It calmed him, and he looked at Sam. “Ok, tell me how I’m supposed to help you.”

Sam held up two more fingers at the bartender. “I forgot to mention that there are more than my fingerprints at my house,” he paused, “especially on the knife.” He looked at him, grinning. “Of course, since you’ve never been fingerprinted they won’t have any idea who it is.” Sam was enjoying this, he knew. “However, if you don’t go along with this game then they might have to fingerprint you and they will find out it’s you who killed my wife.”

He stopped for a moment, and looked deep in thought. Finally he said, “Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention there’s also some of your blood on the knife. When they compare that with your DNA they will definitely know it’s you.”

He shook his head. “Why would they even suspect me?”

“That’s up to you, buddy boy,” Sam said. “Like I said before, if you don’t play along then I’ll suddenly remember that you and my wife might have been having an affair.”

Unbelievable, he thought. “What did you do with Deidre’s body?”

“That’s for me to know, and for you to find out.” Sam paused. “She could be buried in the back yard.” 

“What!” 

Sam held up his hands again. “Don’t worry; she’s not.” He took another drink, grinning. “But you’ll never know. Just don’t drink any water from that pond behind your house.”

He wanted another drink, but this had to end. “So now what happens?”

“You’ll make up with your wife and her and the kids will come back home.” He looked at my empty glass. “And this time I don’t think you’ll backslide this time. There’s too much at stake.” 

He finished his drink. “Once the sensationalism of my wife’s murder dies down, and the police have no clue as to who did it, then I’ll quietly leave the country with my wife’s money. Find a place in the islands to live, and spend every night toasting your health at a tiki bar.”

He looked at Sam hard. “Since you haven’t used me as an alibi yet, then what’s your alibi now?”

“Don’t you remember?” Sam laughed. “I was at an AA meeting at the time. You know there are always a lot of people there, and the counselor’s memory is getting bad.”

Sam got up. He leaned over to him and said, “And let’s keep it that way.” As he put on his jacket and started to head for the door, he said, “I know you’re too smart to try anything else.” He patted him on the shoulder. “See you in the funny papers.” And then he was gone.

He sat there for a while. When the bartender asked him if wanted another drink, he just smiled and waved him off.  He reached into his pocket and took out the digital recorder. Next he removed the tiny microphone from the button on his shirt.

“Yes, I am pretty smart.”