Page 32 of Nightshade
“Not a problem.”
“So, have you sold any anchors of late?”
“That would make your day, huh?”
“It would.”
“Well, sorry. I don’t move a lot of anchors. Most boats come out here equipped.”
“I kind of thought it would be a long shot.”
“Just so you know, somebody already asked me about anchors today.”
“Who was that?”
“A sheriff’s detective from overtown called, a guy named Ahearn. I told him just what I told you. We don’t sell a lot of anchors.
We have ’em. We just don’t move ’em.”
Stilwell was surprised that Ahearn had taken such initiative so early in the investigation.
“Did he ask you about anything else?” he asked.
“Uh, no,” Browning said. “Just the anchor.”
“Okay, then. Did Ahearn ask you to call him if anybody comes in to buy a twelve-pound Hold Fast plow anchor?”
“No, he didn’t ask that.”
“Then you can call me if that happens.”
“You got it.”
Stilwell headed out, but as he was walking back through the store to the door, he thought of something and turned around. Browning was still where he had left him.
“Ned, you sell handsaws here?” he asked.
“Sure,” Browning said. “What kind you need?”
“Like for cutting through PVC, fiberglass. Like that?”
“Aisle four.”
Stilwell went back and found the saw section. It took him only a few seconds to see a package that included a saw with a handle like the one he had seized. The package came with two extra blades. He looped the package off the hanging peg and returned to the back room to talk to Browning a third time.
“Do you know who Oscar Terranova is, Ned?” he asked.
“Sure, I know him,” Browning said. “Everybody knows him.”
“Does he have an account here?”
“An account? No, we don’t have accounts. Customers want something, they have to buy it. No credit. That’s a deal with the devil, having to chase people to pay their bills.”
“Is there any way of checking to see if he bought a package like this recently?”
“If he paid cash, no. If he used a credit card, we could go through the charges, but it would take a while.”
“Would you search by customer name or product?”
