The Final Shortcut

by G. Bernard Ray

  From across the walkway, Fudd and Taipei had been observing Tree very closely. His newfound interest in politicking was the reason for their scrutiny. Taipei gave Fudd a nudge and curled his eyebrow in response. “Yeh, I saw that.”

  “Saw what Fudd?” Mary picked up on their signal and it immediately peaked her attention.

  “Oh, nothing.”

  “Oh, something, what is it.” She wouldn’t let him off that easily. In her mind she was calculating and intelligent, but to everyone else she was slow and forgetful. And Fudd knew that she was the best source of information in town, one that never realized she was telling anything

  “Well, Tai just pointed out a strange look from Tree. It might have been a jealous look.”

  “Jealous? Tree? He only cares about himself.” Mary put her hands on her hips and scoffed at the idea.

  “I thought you and he were dating?” Fudd started to work, leading the conversation.

  “We been hanging out a lot lately, but he ain’t said nothing ‘bout being,” She raised two fingers on each hand making the parenthesis mark in the air. “An item.”

  “That’s funny. He sure gave us a strange look.”

  “He ain’t interested in nothing but gettin’ laid and paid. He keeps sayin’ he’s gonna move to Bermuda after his next big deal. Alone.” Mary looked away. A hurt feeling crept across her face.

  “Shoot, he could never put away enough money to move, you know how he is.” Fudd used her emotions against her and turned up the pressure. “He isn’t bright enough to fool you.”

  “That’s right, and he don’t think I know it but he’s got some money stashed. He’s been wheelin’ and dealin’ on the side, talkin’ like Mr. Big.” Her face flushed red. The hurt had turned to anger. “He said he’s tired of working for the man. He’s going to be the man.”

  Taipei and Fudd exchanged another glance. This was all the information they needed for now. It was time to let Mary off the hook. Fudd grabbed around the shoulders and pulled her under his right arm. He held his left hand up to her face and she saw a small glass vial. She stuck her head to his chest in a feigned hug while she took a few healthy snorts of cocaine from the vial. “Thanks, I needed that.” Fudd just smiled at her.

  “Now why don’t you go and see what Dolly thinks, she knows Tree better then anyone.” A light went on in her head and she took off toward the other group a few yards ahead.

  The two men swapped another knowing glance. “Isn’t that interesting.” Fudd clasped his hands behind his back. “Our old friend grows tired of working and dreams of retiring to Bermuda. Ambition makes stupid people do stupid things. That could embarrass us.” Taipei just nodded and Fudd continued. “We should watch things closely, if he does any thing stupid…” Taipei nodded. “I’ll call in some favors around town. A few extra eyes and ears will help out. I’d like to find out what dealing he’s been doing, it’s not the product, Drago would know it.” Taipei just nodded again. He didn’t need a word to know what to do. If Tree turned out to be a liability, it would fall on him to eliminate the risk. They continued on in silence, still pretending to shop as they walked.

  After dark the parties began and music could be heard blasting from several directions. The Reverend spotted some stage lights and pointed out that there was a live band tonight, exactly where they wanted to go. Drago waved his hands and the Wanderers began to come back together as a group, each gravitating toward their party partner. Fudd moved up taking Mary by the hand while Taipei put his arm around Tree.

  “I heard that there’s a baby oil wrestling pit on down.” He winked at Tree and showed him a hand full of joints. “Let’s you and I go watch the girls get greasy.” Both Tree and Taipei waved as they walked off in a different direction. Mary was only mildly upset because now she had Fudd to herself, and he had her. By tomorrow he would know everything she knew about everyone she knew. Her weakness was amphetamines, cocaine, or any other good speed. Fudd had some of the best, and he knew she would talk her head off until dawn. Or as long as he could stand to feed her beer and powder. And Taipei would have Tree singing before midnight, one way or the other they would know what he was into.

  Chapter 15

  On the sun porch of the Hampton House, amid a flourish of rattan furniture sat Agent Ramone Hitchcock. Normally a busy spot for lunch, he found that he was one of only three guests today. The whole of the resident population was busy cleaning up after the weekend long deluge of people. Most of the vendors had left early Monday morning leaving only a few scattered visitors like Ray. He motioned for another cup of coffee and reluctantly reached for his cell phone.

  “Jenkins.”

  “Good morning Conrad.”

  “Ray! How the hell are you? Do you have any good news to report or did you spend the weekend playing bad boy biker?” The usual monotone voice through the phone was very relaxed and friendly today.

  “I’m just fine, and no bike. I’m doing the old man bit these days.” Ray slurped his coffee and relaxed into the chair. The need for subterfuge had passed and he felt certain that it was the end of his assignment.

  “Oh, you didn’t get any souvenirs from the swap meet?” Jenkins poked fun at his friend a bit more than usual because he knew he was safe. “You said you would get me something made out of leather.”

  “Oh well, I guess I forgot. But seriously, I spent most of the time shopping the tables. I really didn’t get to the other side much. My current look kept from getting to close to any of the bad guys, but it was mostly a party. The real dealing was in the market. We could do a separate investigation of that by itself.” Ray slurped some coffee and reached for the last bite of blackberry cobbler.

  “Really! What did you see?”

  “Nothing that we were looking for but I’d bet big money that a third of this stuff was stolen, probably fenced from cities far away. I saw a lot of very expensive clothing and furniture, the kind of stuff that you never see at a flea market.” Ray’s excitement showed in his voice.

  “We’ll have to look into that….later. How about your current case?”

  “Ok ok, none of the goods I looked at had the right numbers or the numbers were gone. Most of the stuff on the lists would be nearly impossible to identify. All the clothes and house wares are too easy to disperse. I did manage to get a description on Fudd and his accomplice, sounds like Tie.”

  “Well that’s a start, fax me a full report and a detailed list of your expenses, I don’t want to find any Cuban cigars on it either.” Jenkins chuckled but it quickly faded, he knew it was time to call him in. It was always sad to terminate an assignment, but without any hard evidence he would have to.

  “No problem, but…..the hotel was a necessary evil. I had to maintain a safe distance from the wrong element.”

  “Yeh, right. It’s the best place in town I‘m sure.” Jenkins paused debating his decision. “Here’s something that just came in this morning. There was another missing persons report filed last Friday. A driver named Mike Davis was taking a load of super high tech computers and prototypes to a trade show. He last called his wife from a diner in Bontonville about lunchtime. The truck was a small cube van bearing the name InTroniKa. Apparently this stuff is very cutting edge and expensive. The owners are putting a lot of heat behind this one.”

  Ray nearly choked on his coffee when he heard it “Can you spell that name, I think we might have a clue.” When Jenkins described the unusual lettering he knew he had seen it. “I saw a table full of that stuff, joysticks, laptops and all kind of accessories, and they were selling like mad.”

  “Can you track it down? This could be a break. Do you remember who was selling it?” Jenkins also got excited at the chance of a fresh clue. Usually the only trails that lead anywhere were fresh.

  “I’ll have to get with the city planners to see who had that booth and see if I can track it from there. I’ve been thinking that our hijacker is a loner, not a gang. And I’ll bet you it went missing somewhere between Bontonville a
nd Brayton.” Ray waved at the waiter and mouthed the words ‘check please’ before continuing. “I would like to stay and poke around some more, I know we‘re getting close.”

  “Who knows, we certainly haven’t got much so far and the Senator is looking for blood. Send me as much as you can find out, the seller was probably a second or third hand man in the deal anyway.” Jenkins was already typing away on his computer. “We can track that end of it from here. You stay where you are and follow your instincts, and if at all possible, find a cheaper hotel. James Bond you ain’t.”

  “I will, I’ll be in touch. Goodbye.”

  “Good Luck.” Jenkins hung up and quickly dialed the number to his superior. This was the first break in six months and the crime was only a few days old. All they needed now was a little luck.

  By mid morning Ray had faxed Jenkins all the information he could possibly need. The Elberton City planning office was more than happy to help him, anything to eliminate the criminal traffic at the market. He found out that the local police had asked for federal assistance several times in the past, so his presence was a welcome sight. And being the professional that he was, he soaked up all the hospitality he could. Meanwhile his grateful tenders were telling him more information than he could have gained in a week of knocking on doors. He left their office with a keen insight and a fresh resolve to break the case.

  Now it was time to get back to work and knocking on doors was exactly what he needed to do. Somewhere in the triangle from Brayton, Kitty City, and Bontonville was the answer. And something in the back of his mind told him to find out more about Fudd

  Most of the early morning crowd had left Ellen’s by the time Clyde pulled in for his daily visit.

  “Hello ladies.” Removing his hat he greeted them all before moving to his regular seat at the end of the counter. Ellen already had a cup of coffee waiting and she met him with a kiss. “Hello again, nice to see you too.”

  “Good morning, you’ve got perfect timing this morning, I’ve got time for a break.” She grabbed the stool next to his and slid up close.

  “You’re feeling good this morning.”

  “Yeh, it’s been a good day so far. You?” she leaned up waved for more coffee.

  “It’s been good for me too, no problems. I saw Junior’s light on when I drove up. Is he in his shop?”

  “Uh huh, he’s been there since early this morning. He got some new leather and some other skins at the market.” One of the girls poured Ellen a fresh cup and left the pot. “You should let him know you’re here if you want to see him, you know how he is.”

  “Yeh, turn your back and he’s gone. You want to get some dinner later?”

  Ellen smiled and kissed him again. “Why don’t you just fetch something back to your house and I’ll meet you there?” Clyde smiled and squeezed her hand. “It looks like we’re about to get busy. Let me go, call me later?” She gulped some coffee stood straightening her apron before kissing him again.

  “I don’t see any customers.”

  “Yes but you didn’t see the church bus that just pulled into the side lot.” With a wave she was off to greet the guests that beginning to amble in. Clyde made short work of his food, anxious to chat with Junior. Before the busload of hikers from the Antioch Baptist church could take over the restaurant, he stole away to Junior’s leather shop.

  “Hellooo.” He walked around the counter to the work area and found Junior marking out a pattern on a large piece of pale leather. “Hey, what you got there?”

  “Calf skin, supposed to be from Spain. Pretty huh?” Junior didn’t look up from his work. “I got a bunch of other skins too, snake, shark, suede and some dyed cowhide. I thought I’d use some other material for variety, spice up my inventory.” Junior moved to a sitting position on the floor facing Clyde.

  “Why not, what are you going to make with that?” He crouched down and felt the soft calf leather.

  “I’m going to start with a couple wallets and see how they turn out.”

  “Well, I’m sure they will be beautiful just like everything else.” Clyde stood up and leaned against the workbench behind him. “You got all that at the market?”

  “Yeh, you know I always scour the market pretty well. I got something for you too.”

  “Really? What?”

  “I ain’t gonna tell you.” Junior smiled waiting for a response.

  “Oh, you’re gonna make me wait for it. Is that it?” Clyde was already getting excited about getting a surprise.

  “Yeh, it something that will help you write on the computer without typing. I‘ll have to set it up for you but I know you‘ll like it.” Junior leaned into his work again and studied his pattern. “I want to cut out some projects first. I’ll drop by this afternoon.”

  “That’ll be great, I wanted you to look at my computer anyway, well Rosa does. She says I need more memory somewhere. She left a note about it.” Clyde shrugged his shoulders and turned to leave. “No typing huh? I can’t wait to see that, I’ll talk to you later Junior.” And with a wave he left, stopping for a moment to look at the leather goods. There were a lot of empty spaces in the normally cramped display cases and he couldn’t wait to see what Junior would make to fill them.

  Chapter 16

  Cell phone technology has taken over the communications industry and every smart traveler had one. But through the high peaks and dense forests of the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, a CB radio was a trucker’s best friend. It was still the best way to get local directions and the best places to eat. A lot of four wheelers carried radios too, though most of them just listened and never talked. But not Tim Duff, he loved to talk big on the radio pretending to be a trucker. Mostly to the amusement of his wife Karen and their two girls Keisha and Tonya. In their brand-new 26-foot RV they were at the end of a long weekend trip, returning from a funeral in Tennessee. Tim was trying to clear the air and cheer up his women after a very depressing trip.

  “That’s a big 10-4 pal, we’re sick of looking at this blacktop and we want to see some nature. We appreciate the info about the restaurant too. Over.” Mike talked loud and tried to fake a mountain accent.

  “Back at you pard, and the next time you unpack your CB you might remember that Over went out with disco…Gone.” The friendly voice had left them all laughing, Tim’s charade discovered.

  “Ok. Thanks again…Bye.” He turned to his still laughing wife and asked, “So, are you ready to stop and take a break?”

  “Yes, please,” still chuckling, “We’ve been driving since before daylight, it’s almost two o’clock now, don’t you think?” She raised her eyebrow and pointed to a road sign that read Bontonville Exit, five miles. “Isn’t that the exit he was talking about, with the shortcut through the mountains?”

  “Yes, the restaurant is what I was interested in, that shortcut would take us well out of our way and I ….” Tim could see a sudden shift in her mood. “What?”

  “Nothing!”

  “Yeesh! A nothing like that is definitely something. What is it?” He knew it was time to listen and not say another word.

  “Well, we’ve been four days with this camper and we haven’t slept or ate in it once. We stayed at Grandma’s house all weekend and we’ve been eating fast food the rest of the time. I bought food for us to cook and camp, isn’t that why you brought this big ass thing to begin with?” Karen stared straight ahead through the windshield, more than a hint of irritation on her face.

  “Ok….” Tim looked at his wife and then at his two girls, eight and six, then back at his wife before picking up the CB mike again. “Break… somebody help me…help me find a place to park a big ass camper for the night….C’mon.”

  Karen looked at him and a teary grin crept across her face. “For the night? What about your schedule?”

  “Screw it. One more day won’t hurt anything.” Tim smiled and grabbed her hand. A voice popped on and directed them to get off at Bontonville. Then head a few miles on the side road to a family cam
pground eleven miles further on.

  When they turned off the interstate, a short stretch of bumpy pavement jarred Tim’s backbone and it reminded him how fatigued they all were. He decided they would stop now if only to gas up and stretch for a moment. The first big truck stop seemed like a logical choice and he wheeled in. A smiling teenager with greasy hands ran up and offered his services. Tim gladly told him to fill it up and give it the full service. “Girls, why don’t you go inside and freshen up while I check the oil and the generator, lamps, all that camping stuff, ok?”

  “Ok.” She gave him a kiss and took off. He lifted the access doors to check his gear. After a few minutes the teenager at the pump looked around and spoke.

  “There’s a nice clean campground ‘bout ten miles toward Cole. Sure to be room for one more.”

  “Thanks, anything closer? Maybe more like wilderness?” Tim was hoping to get away from a crowded campground and out in the woods.

  “Well, you can register with the Ranger station and take off into the dismal areas, but that’s further away than the campground. Truth is… lots of folks just camp in the national forest. Unless you’re causing trouble, building fires or shooting, the Rangers don’t bother you.” He smiled as he put away the gas hose.

  “And where is that?” Tim heard his wife call from behind him as the teen was trying to speak.

  “Just down the road the way you were headed and turn right on a dirt road. Not the first one next to Ellen’s place, the second one a few miles down, toward the national forest. It‘s not marked until you get closer.” He stepped up to clean the windshield leaving Tim to answer his wife.

  “What did you say?” He called out to her barely listening to the attendant.

  “I said the girls just had to have a stuffed bear and some fresh honey. Are you ready to go?” Her mood was already much brighter and they all climbed into the RV ready for a little fun. Tim paid the teen and drove off, the young man calling something after them that Karen couldn’t hear. “What was he saying?”