The Road to Wrinkle Ranch

by Nick Russell

“Yeah, it seems that way," John Lee agreed.

  Kimberly Streeter greeted them when they walked into the dayroom, saying “I've got news!”

  "What?”

  "I did some more research, and it took me a long time, but I figured out what AVA Properties is and who’s behind it."

  "Who?"

  Kimberly couldn't help but gloat when she said, “Think about the initials, John Lee."

  He wrinkled his brow in thought and then shook his head. “Beats me.”

  But Maddy had made the connection and had a look of recognition on her face as she said, “Oh my God! Really? It was that's simple?"

  "Yeah, it was," Kimberly told her. “Kind of like hiding in plain sight, isn't it?"

  “Right in front of our faces and we never realized it.”

  “I have no idea what you two are talking about," John Lee said.

  "Think about it, John Lee. AVA, as in Amanda Vince Agosti!"

  "You're kidding me?"

  "No. I was able to find another link to some strip shopping malls up in New Jersey owned by the same AVA Properties,” Kimberly said. “And according to the New Jersey’s corporate records, the principals of the corporation are…”

  “Amanda and Vince Agosti." John Lee said, finishing for her and shaking his head. “So that son of a bitch was lying to us all along, saying he wasn’t involved in any kind of real estate deals with Lonnie."

  “What do we do now?"

  “I’ll tell you what you do, Maddy,” Chief Deputy Schroeder said. “You and John Lee go pick him up. And take a couple more deputies with you for backup, including Kimberly. She deserves to be in on this after all the work she did.”

  “We’re on our way,” John Lee said.

  “If he gives you any crap, do whatever it takes to convince him that he's not going to bully his way out of this one,” Schroeder ordered.

  ***

  As it turned out, they didn't need any backup because Vince Agosti was sound asleep when they arrived. His wife, wearing a blue silk dressing gown, her eye still a vivid purple, let them in and led them to the bedroom. A nude Agosti was sleeping on his stomach, his bare bottom looking obscenely white against the dark blue satin sheets.

  "Wake up, Mr. Agosti. You're going with us."

  “Huh?” The man opened his eyes at the sound of John Lee's voice, and seeing four deputies surrounding his bed, rolled over onto his back, not bothering to pull the sheet to cover himself. "What the hell is going on?"

  "You’re coming down to the sheriff’s office to have a talk with us."

  Agosti shook his head, trying to comprehend what was happening.

  “Get up and put some clothes on,” John Lee ordered.

  "What did I do?"

  "You’re under arrest for giving false information to a police officer and hindering an investigation," Kimberly told him.

  John Lee noted a tone of pride in her voice.

  He picked up a pair of pants that were laying on the floor next to the bed and said, “Put these on. Now!”

  A befuddled Agosti did what he was told and then pulled a T-shirt over his head. "I don't know what…"

  "You have the right to remain silent," Kimberly told him, and continued to read him his Miranda rights. Agosti was wide awake, cursing them and making all kinds of threats about the consequences they would be facing as they walked him outside and put him in the back of Barry Portman’s patrol car and headed back to town.

  Chapter 44

  Four frustrating hours later, Maddy, John Lee, and Kimberly were meeting with Schroeder and D.W.

  "So what you’re tellin’ me is that this clown's lawyer’s sayin' that he didn't technically lie to us because he wasn't personally involved in any real estate transaction, his corporation was?"

  “That's what he's saying," Schroeder said. "Under the law, a corporation is a separate entity, and what a corporation does is separate from what an individual does, even if they owned shares in the corporation."

  "That don't make no sense at all," the sheriff said.

  “No, it doesn't," Schroeder agreed. "But that's their story and they're sticking to it."

  "Where do we take it from here?"

  "Beats me," Schroeder said. "They're arguing semantics."

  “He can argue that in court," the sheriff said. “Far as I'm concerned, the charges stick unless a judge says otherwise."

  "So do we take them over to see the judge?"

  "Can we hold off on that for just a bit?"

  “We can, John Lee. But what's the point?"

  "Either Agosti and his lawyer are right, and the judge will dismiss the charges, or he’ll agree with us and release Agosti on bail. But while he's sitting here, I'm thinking that maybe Maddy and I should go back and have a talk with his wife."

  "You think you can get anything out of her?"

  "I have no idea," John Lee admitted. "But she's got a nasty black eye and she might be pissed off enough to tell us something if he's not standing right there."

  “Well then, what you doin’ sittin’ here, Deputy? Get to it!"

  ***

  Amanda Agosti had changed into a pair of cream-colored capri pants and a seafoam green blouse. She had put on makeup that didn't completely disguise her black eye, but it wasn’t as noticeable. She didn't seem surprised to see them back at her house.

  "Mrs. Agosti, can we come in?"

  "I guess," she said, turning around and leading them into the house. John Lee noted that she didn't ask where her husband was. Instead, she asked, "Would you like some coffee? Or some orange juice? It’s fresh squeezed."

  “You know what? Orange juice sounds really good," Maddy said.

  "Sit tight, I'll be right back."

  While she was in the kitchen, Maddy said in a lowered voice, "No flesh on display. What’s that all about?"

  "Beats me," John Lee told her. "Maybe she only displays it as part of the game when her husband's here."

  A moment later Amanda came back into the living room with a tray holding three glasses of orange juice. They took theirs and thanked her. John Lee took a sip, nodding and saying, "That's good."

  "Vince likes his orange juice fresh squeezed every morning so I have it delivered."

  “Mrs. Agosti, how is your eye doing?"

  She shrugged her shoulders dismissively and said, “It's okay."

  "Would you care to tell us what happened?"

  She shook her head and replied, "I walked into something."

  Maddy was sure she had walked into her husband's fist but didn't push it. Instead, she asked, "Do you know that your husband went over and created a scene at Darci's house the other day?"

  Amanda nodded her head. “Yeah, I know. He came home ranting and raving about that. Said you two had no business getting involved in family matters."

  “Is that when you got hit?"

  If she heard the question, she didn't acknowledge it, merely saying, "Thanks for intervening. Darci’s got enough on her plate as it is."

  "Mrs. Agosti, can you tell us about AVA properties?"

  "AVA? I don't know. I think it's one of the companies Vince owns."

  "One of the companies?"

  "Yeah. I don't get into all of that. He's got all kinds of companies and corporations and stuff. He tells me it's none of my business, that it's all about taxes and things like that. To be honest, I really don't care."

  “Mrs. Agosti… Amanda, do you know anything about a place called Wildflower Estates?"

  She thought for a moment, then shook her head, and said, "I think I've heard Vince and Lonnie talking about it once or twice. But again, I don't get involved with any of that."

  “But you know there was some kind of business arrangement between them?"

  "I said I don't get involved. My job is to look pretty and fulfill Vince's fantasies."

  "Your job?” Maddy tried not to look surprised when she asked the question.

  "Let's be honest," Amanda said, "I know Vince tells people he owns me, and that'
s pretty much the truth."

  "Nobody owns anyone else in this country, Amanda," Maddy told her.

  "I don't know how it is here in Somerton County, but back in Jersey, you can buy anybody you want. All it takes is enough money." She was quiet for a moment, and then said, "I was a titty dancer in one of the gentlemen’s clubs that Vince has an interest in. Not that I ever saw a gentleman in that place. That’s where we met. I'm not going to lie to you, I was a mess back then. Strung out on coke and not above giving an extra personal lap dance for a nice tip, if you get my meaning. I did whatever I could to get enough money to score again."

  Maddy looked at John Lee and he could see the troubled expression on her face.

  "He took me away from all that," Amanda said. “Took me away and got me cleaned up. At first, I thought he just wanted a piece of ass in a more private location, but it wasn't like that. He sent me to detox, he took care of some outstanding legal issues I had for… Well, I guess you can figure that out. He told me I had two choices. I could go back to spreading my legs for any guy that walked in the club or just spread my legs for him. I figured that was the better choice. So, a nose job and a boob job later, along with a whole lot of degradation along the way, here we are."

  "Amanda, nobody has to live like this," Maddy told her. You're not just some…"

  "Just some whore?"

  "That's not what I meant."

  Amanda laughed bitterly and said, “But that's what I am. There’s a ring on my finger and a piece of paper with our names on it but the truth is, I'm just Vince's private whore. He likes showing me off to people and letting them know that he can have me anytime he wants and any way he wants, but nobody else can."

  "You could get out," Maddy said.

  "You don't get it, do you? I don't want out. Yeah, this sucks. But you know what? I'm not showing my tits and ass to a crowd of drunks and getting groped on a stage every night. I'm not going to some stinky back room to give some pervert a lap dance, or whatever else he's got the money for. Vince is a pig. I know that and you know that. But I guess it's better to be stuck with one pig who gives you anything money can buy, rather than putting out for a thousand pigs just to get enough money to score some dope."

  "He gives you anything money can buy except respect," Maddy said.

  Amanda looked at her and laughed as she shook her head. "Are you really that naïve? Sister, we're all whores when it comes right down to it. We’ve only got one thing that's worth anything and that's our bodies. I use mine to my best advantage."

  They spent another hour with her, getting nowhere. It was obvious that she had no idea what her husband's business relationships were with her late brother-in-law. And it was obvious that she didn't want to know, either.

  Driving back to town, John Lee could tell that Maddy was furious.

  “Want to talk about it?"

  “What is there to talk about? How can a woman settle for that, John Lee?"

  "I don't have an answer for you, Maddy.”

  “It’s just so wrong," Maddy snapped. "She's an intelligent woman who made some mistakes early in life, but she could do something different. Instead, she’d willing to settle for what? A fancy car and a big house?"

  "Maddy, you and I both know that there are lot of women right here in this county who settle for a lot less just to get by."

  “But that doesn't make it right!"

  “I didn't say it did. But not every woman has your intelligence or your drive or your self-respect. And a lot of men don't either. We deal with people every day who are in bad situations because they were willing to settle for whatever was easy."

  “I know," Maddy said. "But it still makes me sick!"

  ***

  Nobody was really surprised when the judge dismissed the charges against Vince Agosti, saying that while there was no question in his mind that the defendant had not been completely forthcoming with deputies, legally he had told the truth. While his corporation may have been involved in a real estate deal with Lonnie McBride, technically Agosti himself had not been. As they were walking out of the courtroom, the crude little man gave John Lee the finger. He didn't respond but made a mental note to himself that sooner or later he and Vince Agosti were going to have to cross paths again. And when they did, he hoped there were no witnesses around.

  ***

  "I'm convinced he's behind what happened to those two people at the railroad crossing," John Lee said. "I think we need to have a talk with Patrick O'Malley. He was ramrodding the construction project at Wildflower Estates. Maybe he'll tell us something."

  “We might as well," Maddy said. Because right now I don't know what our other options are."

  Chapter 45

  “Man, you guys are kinda putting me on the spot," Patrick O'Malley said, as he watched four of his crew members building trusses at his construction company’s large facility. "I was told going in that anything that happened out there at Wildflower Estates was none of my business except to build the houses, and that's what I did."

  "We’re not trying to give you any grief, Patrick," John Lee told him. "We're just trying to find out anything we can about the place so we can get to the bottom of whoever murdered those two people."

  "I don't want to get involved in this, John Lee."

  "I know you don't, but we really need your help."

  “I'm sorry, I can't…"

  "You know, according to every piece of evidence we've got, it was a big dual wheeled vehicle that pushed that car into the side of that train," Maddy told him. “What have you got now? Ten, twelve dump trucks? And those four big flatbeds? I’m not sure if the people from the state crime lab can examine them all here or if they’ll have to haul them all to Tallahassee to do the job. Either way, we probably need to have the judge order you not to use them until we get it worked out.”

  "Come on, Maddy, don't be like that."

  "Like what, Patrick? You know how it goes. We’re putting you one the spot and you're putting us on the spot."

  “You’d really shut me down like that?"

  "Nobody wants to shut you down, Patrick," John Lee said. “But we need some cooperation here."

  “What the hell. Vince Agosti is a prick anyway."

  "So you worked with Vince, Patrick?"

  "No, I didn't work with him, I worked for him. And he never let me forget that. Asshole would show up on the job site and try and order my people around, trying to get us to cut corners here and cut corners there. I don't do that shit, John Lee. I don't cut corners! I build something the right way, and I told him if he didn't like it, he could get somebody else to do the job. Thing is, he knew he had pissed off so many other outfits that they wouldn't work with him. Finally, Lonnie McBride got him to back off and leave us alone, but that prick left a bad taste in my mouth, I can tell you that."

  "Pricks tend to leave a bad taste in your mouth," Maddy said, but her attempt to lighten the situation went unnoticed. “How much interaction did you have with Agosti?"

  "Not a lot after that first few weeks," Patrick said. "We got the foundations poured and we started putting the shells up, and he was out here every day or so, telling us what to do. I finally blew up and told him off, and that's when Lonnie stepped in the middle of it. After that, we just dealt with Lonnie and not him."

  "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

  “Supposedly they had two or three other projects that they were going to be doing, but I guess when this one didn't sell out like Lonnie had promised Vince it was going to do, he put the brakes on. And the way he was acting, that’s probably just as well.”

  "What do you mean?"

  “I was out there checking on a couple of things, an air conditioner that Lonnie said wasn't working properly and some other little things. While I was there, Vince showed up and they got to screaming at each other and Vince told Lonnie that he was a dead man."

  “A dead man? That's what he said, Patrick?"

  "Those were his words. He told Lonnie he was sick of his game
s and sick of his lies, and he’d better make things right or he was a dead man."

  “When was this?"

  “I don't know, maybe a month ago. No more than that."

  They spent another hour with Patrick, but he didn't have anything new to tell them. Yes, Vince Agosti was involved in the project. Yes, Agosti was hands-on out there until Lonnie finally convinced him to stay away and let the construction crews do their job. And yes, he had heard Lonnie being threatened by Agosti. As to what happened after that, he claimed to have no idea.

  Patrick called to them to wait a minute as they were driving out. John Lee stopped and he said, "By the way, I don’t think I told you that I have a lien on the property."

  "A lien? Why?"

  “Because once the model homes were done, Agosti refused to pay me the full amount due on completion of the project, as the contract stated. See, the way it works is, we get paid in stages as the job progresses. He refused to make the final payment.”

  "Why was that?"

  "Because that’s the way he does business. Everything passed the final inspection from the County, but it didn't pass his inspection. He had something buried in the contract that said that final payments would not be dispersed until everything met his approval. I asked Lonnie about it two or three times and he said he was working with Vince, trying to get it resolved."

  “What were the things he didn't approve of?"

  "A bunch of chickenshit little things. We fixed the air conditioner and a light switch in one place that was bad, and there was another place where there was a little chip in one of the windows. My guys were sure it wasn't that way when they put it in, but we replaced it anyhow. Someplace else he said the carpet was a shade darker than the samples I showed Lonnie before we ordered it. Just nitpicking little shit."

  “How much is the lien you have on the place, Patrick?"

  $180,000."

  "That's a lot of money."

  "It is to me," he said. “It's only a small fraction of what went into the project, but I still need my money. My guys got paid every week and my creditors were paid for the materials. To be honest with you, I'm stretched pretty thin right now because of it. I've tried to serve him with paperwork, but there's some weird stuff about an offshore corporation or something that I don't understand. My lawyer tells me that we can't serve Vince himself, because it's the corporation that’s responsible. So I'm screwed, at least until he tries to sell the place. And the way the real estate market is right now, that ain’t going to happen anytime soon."