by Rick Polad
“Sure. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Sometimes I get lucky if someone doesn’t have their lawyer sitting next to them.”
“Well, about that.” I explained. “Ben came along because he’s my friend—”
“And I was promised a beer,” he said.
“Thanks, that helps a lot,” I said.
He smiled. “Just trying to be truthful.”
The chief wasn’t smiling.
“Back to your case. I’m assuming we’re both interested in trying to find the killer. Given that assumption, I’d appreciate whatever information you can share. For instance, why were you paying a visit to Swayne?”
I glanced at Ben, and he nodded.
The chief smiled and shook his head. “Like a ventriloquist act. You two should go on the road.”
I gave him a look that wasn’t a smile. “It was about drugs and was removed several layers from my client. It’s like this… I started down a road looking for an answer to a problem. That road led to another where I made a turn, and somewhere down that street I turned into an alley. That alley led to another street where I found Mr. Swayne because someone in the alley had mentioned his name.”
He set his elbows on his desk, folded his hands together, and rested his chin on his hands. Then he looked at me for a bit. He sighed again and rubbed his chin with his left hand. “So Mr. Swayne was supplying someone with drugs?”
I nodded. “So says someone.”
“I hate to ask, but who is that someone?”
Ben shook his head.
“Never mind,” the chief said. “I got the signal.”
“First, it’s hearsay. And second, one of those roads I turned off on has some implications that I’d really hate to get wrong.”
An officer knocked on the door and came in when the chief beckoned.
“Coroner is on site, Chief, along with the team from Highland. Coroner says he’ll have a better time when he gets to his lab tomorrow, but he’s guessing sometime late Tuesday. Cause of death, pending anything further, is strangulation.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jeffers.”
The officer glanced at us and left.
The chief sighed again. “I’ve been at this for almost thirty-five years. It’s our second homicide.”
As I started to open my mouth he said, “I could do without it. If you find anything down those streets and alleys, I’d appreciate hearing about it.”
“Sure, whatever I can, Chief. And I’d like to know the time of death.”
He nodded. “Call tomorrow afternoon. I’ll leave word with dispatch to let you know.”
“And anything else you come up with?” I asked.
“Oh sure… since you’ve shared so much with me.”
I smiled. “We done?”
He shook his head. “I think we were done an hour ago.” He looked at Ben. “On your way here you passed the Night Owl. Not a bad spot for a beer. Open until midnight.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Ben said.
***
We walked into the Night Owl a little before ten thirty and both ordered a Guinness. It was a slow night… only three other people there. There was a country band with a guitar, drums, and a singer telling us about love and lonely train whistles and prison. If they were playing for tips it was a slow night. We picked a booth away from the crowd and talked for ten minutes.
Ben took a draw on his beer and asked, “What’s the chance of it being a coincidence that you mention Holly Rundel to the senator and you find Swayne dead two days later?”
“No chance at all.”
“If it’s not a coincidence, it happened pretty fast.”
I set my glass down. “Yup, he lost no time thinking about it.”
“I’d like to know Holly is okay.”
“Me too.” I finished my beer. “Finish up, and we’ll call her from the car.”
I left a ten on the table and another in the tip jar in front of the band and got a nod from the guitar player.
***
I let out a sigh of relief when she answered. I told her about Swayne and my one-way chat with Nadem at the temple. She asked if I thought she was in danger. I said if something was going to happen it probably would have happened by now. I asked her if she had someone she could stay with who Nadem wouldn’t know about. She did. I told her to get out as soon as possible and to check in with my office and leave a number where I could reach her. I told her not to go anywhere she usually went and asked where she worked. She was currently unemployed. I told her I was sorry, but that made her life easier at the moment. I also told her to make sure she wasn’t followed and if she was, to call me on my car phone. She wasn’t happy with me. I didn’t blame her.
I pulled away from the curb and turned toward home.
“You think she’s in danger?” Ben asked.
“I don’t think so, but doesn’t hurt to take precautions. If it was Nadem, he acted immediately. I’m betting Swayne was dead before he saw much of the afternoon. And if Nadem was going to kill her he would have had it done Tuesday. I’m thinking it would have been too close to home to kill someone I had just mentioned. Taking out the dealer was removed enough so as to not be tied directly to him.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Me too.”
“What’s next?” he asked.
“Breakfast with my favorite nun... if she shows up.”
“I’ll cross my fingers.”
We didn’t talk much the rest of the way home. I dropped him off and was asleep by midnight.
Chapter 30
The sun was back Friday morning. I left at seven, fought the traffic into the city, and parked in front of Time To Eat at ten to eight. Sister Katherine and Benny were already in their booth. They both looked happy to see me and waved through the window.
“What brings you, Spencer?” Benny asked.
“Just catching up, and I need to have a chat with you, Sister.”
“Chat away,” she said with a smile.
Carmen arrived with coffee and asked if I wanted my usual. I did.
“Well, it’s not quite that easy. I need to talk to you privately.”
She cocked her head at me. “I assure you, anything you say to me Benny can hear too.”
I nodded. “Yes, she can, but I don’t think she’d want to.”
“Well that’s pretty cryptic,” Sister said.
Benny just looked at me with a furrowed brow.
“It is. How about this? We all have breakfast. Then you and I, Sister, will go for a walk, and I’ll tell you what I need. You can tell Benny or not as you decide.”
“Deal,” Sister Katherine said.
I sipped my coffee and asked, “Anything new on your end?”
Both shook their heads. Benny said, “Nothing concerning what you’re looking into. Although there seems to be less drug activity on the streets.”
“Well I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Yes, but it won’t last,” Benny said. “Anything on your end?”
Carmen brought their food and told me mine would be up in a few minutes.
I told them about the drug dealer but left out Senator Nadem.
Benny looked thoughtful and asked, “What’s the connection to Reynolds?”
“I was afraid you’d ask that. I can’t really say. A couple people removed from that case. They may be related, and they may not.”
She nodded and took a bite of scrambled eggs.
Carmen came with my eggs, bacon, and pancakes.
“So, what’s next, Spencer?” Benny asked.
I shrugged and finished a bite. “Just making the rounds. Next stop is Bast.”
“Doubt if he’ll have anything,” she said. “Especially since the feds have taken over.”
“Probably not. But I know some cops who would
n’t let them get in their way.”
“Most wouldn’t. But from what I hear, there’s a lot of dead ends.”
“And a lot of unanswered questions.” I washed pancakes down with coffee and said, “Doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Benny and Sister had finished eating. Benny laid her napkin on the table and said, “Since I’m obviously not wanted, I’ll leave you two to your secret meeting.”
I started to apologize, and Benny said, “Just kidding. Let me know if I can help.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Appreciate it.”
Sister Katherine watched Benny leave and then watched me finish my eggs. I pushed the plate to the edge of the table and told her about my meeting with Maggio and Williams. She was surprised.
“I didn’t think those two would ever be in the same room,” she said.
“Not something I would have expected either,” I said. “I seem to be the common link. I told her about my idea and my conversation with Williams. I also told her that I couldn’t do it without her help, and even then it was a shot in the dark. I wasn’t in favor of shots in the dark, but at the moment I didn’t have anything better. After twenty minutes of questions and making it very clear that she thought I was crazy, she agreed.
I offered her a ride back to the church, but she had business in the neighborhood. She did let me pay for breakfast.
***
I parked in the public lot at the station and was told that Detective Bast would be available in a few minutes. Ten minutes later the desk sergeant said Bast could see me and asked if I knew my way. I did.
I knocked on Bast’s door frame, and he waved me in.
“Hey, Spencer. Have a seat.”
I pulled a wooden chair up to his desk and sat.
“You tied any loose ends yet?” he asked.
“No. I keep finding more without tying the ones I got.”
“I know the feeling.”
An officer knocked on the door and held up a file folder.
“Leave it on the chair, Tom. Thanks.”
He dropped the file and left. Bast said he had to hit the head and would be back in a few minutes.
When he got back I said, “I was hoping you’d have something.”
“Nothing. The feds have asked for files and information, but if they have anything they’re not sharing.”
“So much for a team effort,” I said.
“Par for the course.”
“I did run into something yesterday that might interest you.” I still didn’t know who to trust, other than a drug dealer and a nun, and that wasn’t a choice… I had to trust them if I was going to try my idea. But the murder in Highwood was on the news, so I had no trouble sharing that with Bast. What wasn’t on the news was my name. Chief Rayburn was the only name mentioned besides the victim.
Bast leaned back in his chair and folded his arms on his chest.
“What would that be?”
“You hear about the murder in Highwood?”
“Yup. Lots of excitement for that sleepy town.”
I agreed. “Guess who called the police.”
His eyes widened, and he looked surprised. “Really!”
I nodded.
“How did you get involved?”
“Just following a lead. Could have nothing to do with Reynolds, but there’s a drug connection that’s hard to ignore.”
“Who is the connection?”
That I wasn’t willing to share… yet. “Until I know it is a connection, I’m not saying.”
“Seems like something I should know.”
“If and when I connect the dots I’ll do that.”
“Okay. Not like I don’t have anything else to do. You—”
He was interrupted by another knock on the door. Another officer asked if he could see Bast in private. He left the room, and I again scanned his plaques on the wall.
Bast came back in holding a clear plastic bag with a white substance in it.
“Seems we have a problem, Spencer.”
“We?”
He nodded. “Officer Magellis found this on the floor of your car tucked under the passenger seat. You know anything about it?”
“Like what?”
“Like what it is or what it was doing there.” He sat behind his desk and laid the bag on the top in front of him.
I did have an answer, but I didn’t like it. My guess was it was cocaine, and it was there to frame me.
“I have no idea about either of your questions.”
“You didn’t put it there?”
“Of course not.”
“So someone else must have.”
“Good guess. How did Magellis happen to find it under the seat of a parked car?”
“I asked him that. Seems like your car attracted some more attention, and he saw the bag.”
“Well, it wasn’t there when I pulled into your lot, so it was put there in the last twenty minutes. Someone walked onto a police lot and slid that under my seat.”
“Looks that way. I told you you should lock your doors.”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one. Are there cameras?”
He shook his head. “Not in that lot.”
“Great. So what now?”
He took in a deep breath and sighed. “This leaves me with no choice. I’ve got to hold you on suspicion until we get that analyzed. But you can sit here instead of in a cell.”
“Thanks. And when will that be?”
“I’ll fast track it. Couple hours at the most.” He sat up straight in his chair. “I’m going to assume you’re being set up. Could this have anything to do with the Margot case and the dealer you found dead last night?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t have enough to know what has to do with what.”
“Who led you to the dealer?”
I shook my head. “Can’t say.”
“If I knew, I could help. I have more resources than you.”
I smiled. “Only because I haven’t talked to my resources yet.”
He smiled back. “Doesn’t hurt to have more on your side.”
“I know. Thanks. I’ll share when I can.”
“You want to make a phone call?”
“I do.”
He turned his phone around, stood up, and said he’d be back in five minutes.
I called Ben, hoping he wasn’t out playing golf. I didn’t know if he was or not, but he didn’t answer the phone. I left a message, sat back in the chair, and thought about being arrested because of a case I had been trying to quit for a month. Then I called Stosh and filled him in.
His reaction was, “Well, I guess that was inevitable. You go looking for trouble you’re going to find it.”
I didn’t get a whole lot of comfort from that, but he said he’d work on it. I had no idea what that meant.
Bast was back a few minutes later. He didn’t ask any questions. He shuffled papers, and I sat and thought.
***
Bast’s phone rang an hour later, and he said, “Send him back.” He hung up and looked at me. “Your lawyer is here. He’s coming back.”
I was standing by the window watching traffic when Ben walked in. Bast nodded to Ben and left again and closed the door. Ben looked at me and shook his head.
“For a guy who should be taking life easy, you sure know how to make it difficult.”
I sat on the corner of Bast’s desk. “Yeah, I could be taking out my frustrations by beating the hell out of a little white ball instead.”
“Now, now, don’t alienate your attorney. I was going to ask who you pissed off, but it seems obvious.”
I had thought about that. “Maybe it does… maybe too obvious.”
“What does that mean? This has to be Nadem. You pried
into his affairs and didn’t obey his warning to butt out. You show up at the temple, mention a name, and his drug dealer ends up dead. One day later, you’re calling your attorney because you’ve been set up for drug possession. And you don’t think it’s Nadem?”
I moved to the chair… not the wooden one, Bast’s chair with the cushion. “Not all by himself.”
Ben threw his hands up. “Of course not all by himself! He’s one of the most powerful senators in the country. He’s got people in places you don’t even know exist. He snaps his fingers, and people jump.”
I wasn’t going to argue that point. “Let’s assume I’m going to be arrested. Shouldn’t you be doing something about that?”
“First, yes, you probably are. They’re not going to frame you with flour. Second, hard to do anything until it happens. Third, yes, I am. I’ve got people too. I can’t head it off, but I can minimize your time behind bars.”
I nodded my thanks.
Ben sat in the wooden chair. “Okay, let’s look at this. Somebody had to know you were here to plant that in your car.”
I nodded again.
“So someone was following you.”
“Or knew I was going to be here, or knew I was here.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I had breakfast with Benny and Sister Katherine and told them this was my next stop.”
“Two people on your don’t trust list.”
I shook my head. “If they’re on the list, it’s at the bottom. And I had taken Sister off the list.”
“You didn’t notice anyone following you?”
“Nope.”
“But then you weren’t looking.”
“I’m always looking.”
“But you’re not perfect.”
“Pretty close when it comes to my job.”
“So what else?”
“Somebody who saw me pull into the lot.”
“Which could be anyone.”
“Yup, anyone attached to Nadem’s finger snap.”
There was a knock on the door, and Bast came in. He looked at me sitting in his chair and smiled.
“I’m afraid you’re not going to be quite as comfortable. It’s cocaine. I’ve got to book you.”
He turned to Ben. “Counselor, you can see him when we’re done.”
Ben stood. “No need, Detective. I have all I need. Spencer, should be a couple hours.”