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.Then it passed and his face was expressionless.'Get out of here,' he said.'Get one of your reporter friends to give you a ride home.You can hold a pressconference on your way.But I swear to God, I swear to holy God that if you mention Frank Dodd'sname, I'll come for you and I'll break your back.Understood?''Sure, my buddies from the press!' Johnny shouted at him suddenly.'That's right! Didn't you see meanswering all their questions? Posing for their pictures and making sure they got my good side?.Makingsure they spelled my name right?'Bannerman looked startled, then hard again.'Lower your voice.''No, I'll be goddamned if I will!' Johnny said, and his voice rose even higher in pitch and volume.'I thinkyou forgot who called who! I'll refresh your recollection for you.It was you, calling me.That's howeager I was to get over here!''That doesn't mean you.Johnny walked over to Bannerman, pointing his index finger like a pistol.He was several inches shorterand probably eighty pounds lighter, but Bannerman backed up a step - as he had done on the common.Johnny's cheeks had flushed a dull red.His lips were drawn back slightly from his teeth.'No, you're right, you calling me doesn't mean shit in a tin bucket,' he said.'But you don't want it to beDodd, do you? It can be somebody else, then we'll at least look into it, but it can't be good old Frankfile:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste.20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20deadzone.htm (230 of 370)7/28/2005 9:23:00 PM Stephen King: The Dead ZoneDodd.Because Frank's upstanding, Frank takes care of his mother, Frank looks up to good old SheriffGeorge Bannerman, oh, Frank's bloody Christ down from the cross except when he's raping andstrangling old ladies and little girls, and it could have been your daughter, Bannerman, don't youunderstand it could have been your ownBannerman hit him.At the last moment he pulled the punch, but it was still hard enough to knockJohnny backward; he stumbled over the leg of a chair and then sprawled on the floor.Blood trickledfrom his cheek where Bannerman's Police Academy ring had grazed him.'You had that coming,' Bannerman said, but there was no real conviction in his voice.It occurred to himthat for the first time in his life he had hit a cripple - or the next thing to a cripple.Johnny's head felt light and full of bells.His voice seemed to belong to someone else, a radio announceror a B-movie actor.'You ought to get down on your knees and thank God that he really didn't leave anyclues, because you would have overlooked them, feeling like you do about Dodd.And then you couldhave held yourself responsible in Mary Kate Hendrasen's death, as an accessory.'That is nothing but a damnable lie,' Bannerman said slowly and clearly.'I'd arrest my own brother if hewas the guy doing this.Get up off the floor.I'm sorry I hit you.He helped Johnny to his feet and looked at the scrape on his cheek.'I'll get the first-aid kit and put some iodine on that.''Forget it,' Johnny said.The anger had left his voice.'I guess I kind of sprang it on you, didn't I?''I'm telling you, it can't be Frank.You're not a publicity hound, okay.I was wrong about that.Heat of themoment, okay? But your vibes or your astral plane or whatever it is sure gave you a bum steer this time.''Then check,' Johnny said.He caught Bannerman's eyes with his own and held them.'Check it out.Showme I got it wrong.' He swallowed.'Check the times and dates against Frank's work schedule.Can you dothat?'Grudgingly, Bannerman said, 'The time cards in the back closet there go back fourteen or fifteen years.Iguess I could check it.''Then do it.''Mister.' He paused.'Johnny, if you knew Frank, you'd laugh at yourself.I mean it.It's not just me, youask anybody.'file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste.20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20deadzone.htm (231 of 370)7/28/2005 9:23:01 PM Stephen King: The Dead Zone'If I'm wrong, I'll be glad to admit it.''This is crazy,' Bannerman muttered, but he went to the storage closet where the old time cards were keptand opened the door.11.Two hours passed.It was now nearly one o'clock in the morning.Johnny had called his father and toldhim he would find a place to sleep in Castle Rock; the storm had leveled off at a single furious pitch, anddriving back would be next to impossible.'What's going on over there?' Herb asked.'Can you tell me?''I better not over the phone, Dad.''All right, Johnny.Don't exhaust yourself.''No.'But he was exhausted.He was more tired than he could remember being since those early days inphysical therapy with Eileen Magown.A nice woman, he thought randomly.A nice friendly woman, atleast until I told her that her house was burning down.After that she had become distant and awkward.She had thanked him, sure, but - had she ever touched him after that? Actually touched him? Johnnydidn't think so.And it would be the same with Bannerman when this thing was over.Too bad.LikeEileen, he was a fine man.But people get very nervous around people who can just touch things andknow all about them.'It doesn't prove a thing,' Bannerman was saying now.There was a sulky, little-boy rebelliousness in hisvoice that made Johnny want to grab him and shake him until he rattled.But he was too tired.They were looking down at a rough chart Johnny had made on the back of a circular for used state policeinterceptors
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