“And they’re all going along with the story that the credit goes to Wyatt?”
“Yep. They’re a tad nervous about the cops worrying too much what all or who all contributed to Angelo Conti dying and what became of Harv. What about that rental Cadillac Dani flipped with an explosive charge? Will that cause you some trouble?”
“I doubt it. I rented it in Tony’s name. That all worked out well.”
“Sweet. I gotta go, Harold. You fly first class to Frankfurt, you hear? It’s too long a ride to be all cramped up in some coach seat.”
“I’ll decide after I see your bill.”
****
The day after Thanksgiving Tom sold Beth on an informal wedding after the New Year when everyone could finally relax a little. Things had been hectic.
Gary was saddled with enough civil penalties to bankrupt him and a lengthy probation, but after Mildred and the Chief pulled all stops, he avoided jail beyond the ten weeks’ time already served. A complete airing of his affairs would have embarrassed an unacceptable number of folks, including the New Range City Council, a draft board or two, local officials, and several university faculty members.
Gary remained upbeat, confident the re-election of President Nixon would lead to a speedy and successful conclusion to the war and a long period of tranquility and prosperity with untold opportunities for him to prosper.
Robert was fined but not imprisoned, perhaps because of his remarkable heroism in chasing a communist spy back into the hands of the West German police and assisting Wyatt Stone in apprehending Tony and Marvin Sartorelli. However, he too was broke and on probation. He was living at home with his mother and studying to be a CPA.
Mildred and the Chief were gone to Myrtle Beach for the winter, but they would return for the wedding. They could charge the air fare off to business, as that was the week that the tribal council would hold its first planning meeting with the renowned casino consultant from Las Vegas, Stinky Swanson.
Dani was already married, to the redhead army vet from the airport confrontation. It was becoming a bit difficult to believe she was not pregnant. Her husband still openly hated Tom’s guts, so Tom and Beth didn’t socialize with them.
Tom, Robert, Gary, and Dani had their previous car insurance cancelled and were paying an exorbitant group rate for high-risk clients.
Tom was taking to Michigan. He’d always favored the north-most part of California anyway, and he couldn’t find a winter sport he didn’t like. Officially, where he and Beth would live after he finished his master’s degree was open to debate, but he was spending nearly all his spare time helping her renovate the B&B. He expected to fulfill her dream of him joining the Tech faculty and getting his doctorate.
He had to block up the outside door to the B&B basement and fill in the stairwell with dirt so Beth would not be reminded of Harvey Sartorelli, a man whose disappearance seemed to be of concern to no one except her. In the spring Tom would add a border and put topsoil over the stairwell, and Beth would have a flower garden there.
A word about the author…
Robert Baker was raised and educated in northern Michigan, but has long lived in the Detroit suburbs with his wife, Louise. Bob has worked as an engineer, researcher, manager, and consultant in several industries. He has completed five humorous mystery novels and hopes to publish all of them and more.
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Hiding Tom Hawk Page 27