by Greg Iles
Caitlin steps closer and speaks with all the sincerity she can muster. Sir, my only concern is the safety of Linda Church. Shes a material witness to a major crime, and I believe her life is in danger.
Well, whats that got to do with us?
I believe you helped Linda. I think you got Darla to carry a note from Linda to Penn Cage.
What makes you think that?
The mayor and I are very close friends.
Simpson snorts. Livin in sin is what you mean, aint it?
Mr. Simpson, I believe you acted as a Good Samaritan to Linda, just as your faith teaches, but Im not sure you understand how dangerous the people who are looking for her are. If you really want to help Linda, youll tell me how to find her. Ill make sure she receives around-the-clock protection.
Simpson stares at Caitlin for a long time, as though about to come clean. Then he says, Its hard to stay protected when youre on the front page of a newspaper. I tell you what, missy. If Linda Church had asked me for helpand Im not saying she didI woulda got her straight outta town where no slimy sons-of-bitches could hurt her. Okay? Now, thats all youre gonna get from me without the sheriff.
Caitlin turns to Darla, but before she can speak, Simpson interposes himself between them. You leave this girl here alone too, or Ill have some law on you. We dont take kindly to harassment on this side of the river, especially by the likes of you. Now, get off my lot.
Caitlin tries to step around Simpson to address Darla directly, but he steps in front of her and shoves her backward.
Thats assault, Caitlin says quietly.
You dont get your ass off my property, Simpson snarls, his eyes blazing, Ill show you some battery too. Git!
Caitlin holds her ground for a face-saving moment, then turns and walks back to her car.
CHAPTER
42
Walt Garrity blinks in surprise as hes ushered into Jonathan Sandss office. He expected the antebellum decor to be uniform throughout the boat, but this room could be the office of a European investment banker. The play that brought him here is simple: Hes told the pit boss that he needs to speak to the manager about a special group event, one the standard event planner wont be able to okay without the managers approval, and since thats the case, hed rather talk directly to the man with the power to answer his questions.
Sands looks bigger than he did walking the casino floor. He has an imposing density that Walt has seen in natural fighters, and he has a fighters eyes as well, always probing for vulnerability. Yet when he rises from his desk, the watchfulness recedes, and he offers his hand with a smile. Walt takes it, gauging the power in it. Its the hand of a laborer or an infantry soldier.
Hello, Mr. Gilchrist, Sands says in a cultured English accent. Its good to have a real gambler aboard.
Aw, you must see my type all the time.
Youd be surprised. The average player on a Mississippi boat loses about fifty dollars. Our average is higher, because we have a higher percentage of table games, and we draw the affluent clientele that does exist. But still. Its good to have a real player aboard.
Winning, losing, hell, its all the same after a while. Its the risk that keeps you going. Just like the oil business. I hate a duster, but, goddamn, it just makes it all the sweeter when you hit that pay sand on the next one. You know?
A man after my own heart, Sands says. A man who can live out Kiplings famous advice about victory and defeatto treat those two impostors as the same.
Walt laughs. You Brits sure have a way with words. Ill bet the ladies just fall over and beg for it when they hear that accent, dont they?
Sands smiles and takes his seat. What business are you in?
Oil.
Not too much of it left around here, is there?
More than youd think. And with the price through the roof, the numbers on old wells look a lot better than they used to. Course, youre right. In the fifties and sixties, they found some fifty-million-barrel fields over here. Most of them are still producing. But Im rambling. Times have changed, thats for sure.
You mentioned a group event in the future.
Right. But its not your standard-type junket.
Sands smiles expansively. I always have time for a man with an interesting proposition.
Im the same way myself. You never know whatll come your way if you keep your ears open.
What sort of event do you have in mind?
Walt hesitates as he once did when asking a pharmacist for a condom, but inside hes feeling a too-long-absent thrill. He loves nothing more than facing his mark and winging it, which is what hes always done best. If you look a criminal in the eye and come right at himtempt him toward a crime as though its your ideahe frequently forgets to doubt you. Of course that can get into entrapment issues, these days. But in the heyday of the Rangers, thered been a lot of latitude when it came to that kind of thing, and not much concern about procedure. Case notes tended to be spare, running a line or two every couple of days. Drove from Austin to Dallas. Located suspect in barn. Killed him at dawn. Returned to Austin was one Walt remembered fondly. Times have changed of course, but this meeting has some of the flavor of the old days.
Mr. Sands, he says, when you get to my age, like me and my friends, theres not much you havent seen. It tends to take a lot to get the old ticker racing.
A sympathetic smile from Sands. All pleasures grow stale, dont they?
Indeed. But in about a month, Im bringing over a bunch of boys for a visit. Weve been looking for a place to blow off some steam without the wives, and we got to talking about Natchez. We used to come over here for a golf tournament they had every year, the local oilmen. Man, after that thing was over, wed go back to the hotel, and theyd have the girls waiting. There were lines out the doors of some rooms, and local guys charging admission just to watch.
Thats the kind of action youre looking for?
Some of that would be appreciated. With enough to go around, of course.
Oh, thats never a problem here.
Not just girls, though. Im talking about the gambling too.
Well, youve seen the boat.
And a fine one she is too, as far as she goes.
Sands cocks one eyebrow. Meaning?
Legal gamblings all right, in its place. But its kind of restrictive, if you get my meaning. Its like sex in a medical clinic with all the lights on. Takes the zing out of it. Half the funs the sneaking around, the mystery of it. Thats what gets the blood pumpingthe forbidden. You with me?
Oh, yes.
When I was a boy, before I went into the army, I used to work in a gambling joint down in Galveston. Illegal, of course, like all the best places. Man, there was nothing they didnt have. Im talking sport, now. Bare-knuckles boxing, strictly for interested parties. Cockfighting. Shooting contests. Thats the kind of action Im talking about.
Sands mulls this over, watching Walt with unblinking eyes. I see. You ever put money on dogs?
Dog racing?
Dog fighting, says Sands, his eyes as insinuating as those of a pimp offering a young boy to a tourist.
Oh, I get you. Twenty, twenty-five years ago we had a good bit of that in my neck of the woods, but the governor got a bug up his ass and the state troopers started cracking down. The Rangers too. I saw old Red fight in Taos. She was bred out of Arkansas Blackie. Hell of a leg dog. Went for the foreleg every time, but she could really break em down. A real champion. That was years ago, though. Ive heard they do a lot of hogs-and-dogs-type stuff out at the hunting camps, and Ive seen a little of that. But straight fighting? Pit fighting? Not in a while.
Well, we have a variety of activities available to players accustomed to more intense games. Ill
give it a think and see what I come up with. As for ladies, do you have any preference?
I gotta tell you, I like those oriental girls. You seem to have a surplus too.
Sandss eyes flicker with light.
When I first got to town, I was thinking about a colored girl, but these young ladies you got remind me of some I spent time with in Korea.
Recently?
Hell, no. Im talking 195253.
For the first time, Sands looks truly interested. You fought there?
All along that godforsaken thirty-eighth parallel, with those hookers granddaddies launching human-wave attacks every night. Only one out of two of those bastards even had a rifle in his hands when they started, but soon as one man would fall, the unarmed fella would pick up his gun and keep acomin.
A very effective tactic, Sands says, if you can find personnel fanatical enough to carry it out.
Walt laughs. Thats your basic Chink soldier right there. Fanatical. Ill bet you couldnt find a hundred Americans on the East Coast who would do that.
Quite right. If one American dies in Iraq, its national news.
You look like a man whos spent some time in uniform.
Sands shrugs. When I was young and stupid, I confess. But the real fighting isnt always done in uniform.
I imagine youre right, there. Anyway, it goes without saying that anybody who can help us out with extracurricular activities would be handsomely compensated.
Sands dismisses this with a flick of his hand. I have no worries on that score, Mr. Gilchrist.
J.B., please.
You know, of course, that the type of action were discussing is illegal, both in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Aint just about everything worth doing illegal? Thats the way this country works. Pure hypocrisy, from Plymouth Rock on down.
Sands sniffs and leans forward, subtly signaling that the meeting is over. Which hotel are you staying at?
The Eola.
If youll call ahead on your next trip, well comp you a suite at our hotel.
I appreciate it, but Ive got a soft spot for those grand old dames. The downtowns may be dying, but the great hotels soldier on, in the good towns anyway. Course, I dont mind putting the boys up in your hotel. Well make that part of the deal if it makes things easier.
It does simplify issues like transport.
Its a deal, then.
Walt gets up, not wanting to press, but Sands comes around his desk and says, Are you interested in any special action during this visit? A test-drive, say?
A girl, you mean? Or the blood sport?
You seem quite able to manage the ladies on your own. I was thinking of sport.
Well, I wouldnt be against it. I got three, four more days here. I was planning on getting to know one of those little China girls better. But Im open to anything. You get something good going, Im in.
Sands shakes Walts hand and leads him to the door with a smile. Im sure we can accommodate you.
Walt has shaken a lot of hands in his life, and he knows the feel of great strength under restraint. The manager of the Magnolia Queen could tear a deck of cards in half.
CHAPTER
43
Kelly and Major McDavitt flew Annie and my mother back from Houston this afternoon, arriving at my house just after seven. My mother insisted on cooking for us. We tried to make Kelly eat, but he privately told me that he wanted to go down to the Magnolia Queen and make sure that Sands appeared to be keeping his part of the deal. I like to know where my enemies are was how he put it. Kelly expressed visible relief when Dad informed him that Sandss guard dog had tested negative for rabies, and laughed that he might have to celebrate.
Living in the Texas safe house for a few days had been surprisingly comfortable, my mother claimed. The simple fact of separation had proved to be the ordeal. Though Mom sensed that the crisis that had necessitated their fleeing was not fully resolved, we assured Annie that the bad guys were all taken care of. When she asked why James Ervin and his brother were standing guard on the front porch and in the backyard, I told her that we just needed to play it safe for a couple of days.
In case the bad guys friends are mad, right? she said.
Sort of, I admitted.
My parents left a half hour ago, with James Ervin driving. His brother Elvin stayed behind to await Kellys return. Annie took a quick bath, then climbed into bed and called for me to tuck her in.
Its obvious that being home has given her a great sense of relief, no matter how hard she pretends that living on the run was no big deal.
The second house was scarier, she says, looking up at me from the covers as I sit on the edge of the bed.
Why?
The first one was a condo, really. Like a vacation. But then Mr. Kelly called, and Mr. Jim said we had to move. The place he took us to then wasnt near as nice. I think it belonged to a lady he knew. The house was okay, but I could tell that Mr. Jim and his friends were worried. At the first house I never saw their guns, but at the second one, they had them out all the time.
Im sorry you had to go through that, baby. But its over now.
How was Mr. Tims funeral? Was it sad?
It was. All funerals are sad, but when the dead person is young, its harder.
Confusion clouds Annies eyes. Mr. Tim wasnt young.
I smile. I guess Im not either, then. He was the same age I am.
Well, youre not old, she says, obviously a little embarrassed. But youre not young either. I guess what I mean is, Mr. Tim seemed a lot older than you.
Thats because he didnt take care of himself when he was young. He had some bad luck, and heI hesitatehe turned to drugs to try to deal with it.
You dont have to tell me not to do drugs. I already know.
I know you do. But life looks different to people as they grow older. Fate always throws something you dont expect in your path, and sometimes its really tough.
Like Mom getting sick.
The rush of emotion that hits me is almost dizzying. Yes. Like that. I look away for a moment and gather myself. Were okay, though. Right?
Annie nods with reasonable certainty.
I want to ask you a question, squirt. A big one, okay?
Okay.
What would you think if I wasnt the mayor anymore?
Her eyes widen, but I cant tell what shes feeling. What do you mean? Are you going to get voted out or something?
No, no. But for a while now Ive been thinking that I havent been able to accomplish the things I wanted to. The things I wanted to change for you and the kids your age. I think only time is going to fix those things, and you and I only have a certain amount of time together. Time to get you the education you deserve, to
What?
To live, I guess. Its hard to explain, really.
Annie works her mouth like someone trying to solve a difficult problem. I liked it better when you just wrote books. You were home a lot more.
I sure was.
But to have things back like they were before, youd have to quit, right?
Yes.
You always tell me never to quit, no matter what.
I know. Ive been struggling with that. But this job is about serving the people of the city. And if Im not giving my full self to that job, then Im betraying those people.
Annie looks at the ceiling, considering.
Its been done before, I tell her. The last mayor resigned, remember? Thats how I was elected, during a special election. Thats what would happen this time.
But Mr. Doug had cancer. Who would be mayor if you stopped?
I give her a smile. I know someone whos wanted to be mayor for a l
ong time.
Not Mr. Johnson!
Laughing at her sound political instincts, I say, No, no. Shads always wanted it, but I was thinking of Paul Labry.
Annies eyes brighten. Yeah! Mr. Labry would be a great mayor. Hes so nice, and he likes being out talking to people on the streets. You dont like that part of the job so much. Thats not good.
You see a lot, dont you? I rub her head affectionately. Annie, I think what Im really feeling is this. Natchez was the right place for me to grow up, but I dont think it is for you. The town was different when I was a boy. I ran for mayor because I thought I could bring back some of the good ways life used to be, and at the same time fix the things that were wrong back then. But that jobs too big for one person. I want us to be somewhere there are more kids like youas smart as youand also more who are different from you. I want you to be exposed to everything thats out there. You deserve all that.
She knots the blanket in her right hand and speaks in a voice that is subtly changed. When you say us, do you just mean you and me?
This is the unspoken heart of our conversation.
Well you know my decision to run for mayor was probably the main reason that Caitlin and I broke up.
Uh-huh. Thats why Im asking this now, dummy, her eyes seem to say. But I dont think she really wanted to leave us.
I dont either.
She kept her house here.
Yes. And I think that house was sort of a symbol. A reminder that she was still out there, hoping I would come to her. But this town is too small for Caitlin. If we were all going to be together, I think it would have to be somewhere else. And Im not sure thats what you want, since youd have to leave behind the friends youve made here.
Annies face can be difficult to read, but in this moment her mothers eyes shine out at me with certainty. I dont care where we live, Daddy. As long as were together.
By we, do you mean you and me?
Annie shakes her head. I mean the three of us. I want Caitlin to be my mom. I think thats how its supposed to be.