My nose had stopped bleeding. I got to my feet,
Toni, still crying, asked, 'You won't tell Dan?'
I didn't bother answering her.
When I pushed past the curtains and into the main club, I could feel eyes turning towards me. I imagined what I looked like with my face and shirt smeared in blood. The blonde who I had given a twenty to must've seen me from behind, because I could see her out of the corner of my eye coming towards me, a plastic smile set on her face. When she caught up to me her jaw dropped. And then she backed away.
I stopped in the rest room to clean up the best I could, and then got out of there. When I got to my car, I went through my duffel bag and found my last clean shirt.
^
^
^
^Chapter 17
I drove towards Stowe and found a ski lodge that was open off season. I could tell the desk clerk didn't like the look of me, and I couldn't blame him. I must've looked like I'd been in a street fight. It was amazing how much damage a little thing like Toni could do. But I paid cash and he gave me a room.
When I got to my room, I checked myself over in the mirror and saw that my upper lip was as swollen as it felt and that my nose was indeed broken. I left the room to fill up an ice bucket, and when I returned I wrapped ice in two hand towels, lay down on the bed, and placed one towel against my nose and the other against my mouth. As I lay there I tried to think about what I could do, but I guess I was too tired and too wiped out, and at some point I drifted off.
Right before waking, I dreamed that I was back with Elaine and my two daughters, and it was like we were a family again. We were in our old house, but it still seemed like the present. Melissa and Courtney looked like they did in the photographs, both blonde and pretty, both in their teens. Elaine was like she was the,} other day when I saw her in Albany except instead of a cold and indifferent attitude towards me, she was warm and relaxed.
We were all sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner. My two^; girls acted like typical teenagers, rolling their eyes when I asked them questions about how their day went and stuff like that, but at times someone would make a joke and everyone would get a laugh out of it. It felt nice. Near the end, Elaine got up and moved behind me so she could massage my neck and shoulders. My girls giggled at that.
The phone started ringing. Elaine very sweetly asked whether I would answer it. 'Not now,' I said. 'But it might be important.’
‘Why don't we ignore it?’
‘You should answer it, Joe.’ I really don't want to.’
‘Joe-’
‘Okay, okay.'
Then my eyes opened wide and the dream was gone. It took me a moment to realize where I was. The ringing was real, though. I looked over at the phone next to my bed and watched as a red light flashed with each ring.
I didn't want to lose my dream. I wanted to somehow get back into it. I wanted more than anything to be back with Elaine and my two girls. But I was wide awake and they were gone.
I watched the phone and waited for the ringing to stop. Nobody should've known where I was. With each ring I felt my heart turning more into an icy slush. Nobody should've been calling. All I could think was that it had to be a wrong number. But I didn't answer it. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, the ringing stopped.
I waited a long time after that before sitting up. I held my breath and concentrated, trying to listen for anything out of place. The only noise I could hear was my heart skipping to a sick Irregular beat.
I was about to get out of bed when there was a hard knock on the door. I almost jumped out of my skin. There was another knock, and then a voice yelling, 'Denton, Joe Denton. This is the Stowe police. Open the door.'
I moved as quietly as I could to the door, looked through the peephole, and saw two uniformed officers standing out in the hallway. I didn't recognize either of them.
I had the chain on. I opened the door a crack, keeping my shoulder against it so they couldn't force it open.
'What do you want?' I asked.
'We have a warrant for your arrest.'
'Can I see it?'
He handed me a paper through the crack. I read it over quickly. It was for missing a meeting with my parole officer. The warrant was signed by Sheriff Dan Pleasant. I couldn't believe that Craig had reported me.
'Let me call my lawyer,' I said.
'You can call him from the station.'
'You're taking me to Stowe?'
'Yes. Now open the door.'
'Can I get dressed first?'
'Go ahead. Make it fast.'
I made it fast. When I opened the door, the officer I had talked to turned me around and cuffed me. He and his partner led me out of the room and through the lodge. We probably didn't pass more than ten people, but each of them stopped to stare as we went by. When we got to the parking lot I saw Hal Wheely and Stan Black leaning against a Bradley County sheriff s vehicle.
'You said you were taking me to Stowe,' I said.
Neither of them said anything. They were on either side of me, dragging me faster as they held me by my elbows.
I started to yell for help and something hard whacked me on the back of my head. Next thing I knew I was in the back seat of the cruiser, with Hal behind the wheel and Stan taking up the passenger seat. The back of my head throbbed, and I sat frozen from the pain for a minute before asking how they knew where to find me..
Hal asked, 'How do you think?'
'Come on, at least tell me that.'
I could see Hal through the rearview mirror smirking. I followed you last night.'
'From where, Kelley's? You spotted me there?'
His smirk widened. 'I followed you all night last night. I saw you when you crawled out of your car and curled up like a baby sucking your thumb.'
'You did a lousy job early on,' I said.
'Yeah, well, fooled you later, didn't I?'
He was still smirking, but it seemed to tighten, almost like it was etched on his face. I didn't like the glazed look in his eyes. I also didn't like the fact that Stan was being so withdrawn and quiet.
I said, I kept my mouth shut all these years. I could've sent both of you away for a long time.’
‘I appreciate it,' Hal said. 'Look, what you're doing now is nuts.’
‘Doesn't sound nuts to me.’
‘Did Dan ever tell you about my safety deposit box?’
‘Why don't you shut up?'
'Stan, what about you, you don't want this, do you?’
‘What I don't want is to go to prison because of you,' Stan said.
'Look, I told you to shut up,' Hal said.
I could see his ears turning red. Something about his tone told me that I'd better listen to him. I sat back and watched the road. As we entered Bradley County, Hal turned down a dirt path and headed towards an old quarry that was once used for swimming but had dried up years ago.
As we got closer to the quarry, I could see Dan and one of his deputies, Josh Stone, leaning against Dan's car. Hal pulled up next to them, and before I knew it, Josh and Stan were pulling me out of the back seat and dragging me onto the ground. Hal joined them as they dragged me to the edge of the quarry and then flipped me on my stomach. Knees pushed into my neck and the small of my back, pinning me to the ground. I tried to lift my head, and for a second could see Dan standing off to the side watching. Then a hand shoved my head back into the dirt. As I was pushed down, I could feel my broken nose being smeared to the side.
The handcuffs were taken off me. While I was pinned to the ground, my right arm was forced out and then bent so my hand was against the side of my face. A gun was shoved into my hand, and my hand held in place with the barrel pushed hard against my temple. Other fingers were on my trigger finger, applying pressure. I had to fight like hell to keep from pulling the trigger.
Dan said, 'Manny's still around. You promised me he'd be gone by morning. I'm getting sick of you breaking your promises.'
I was losing the figh
t. I could feel the trigger being pulled in. I had only seconds left.
'So long, Joe,' Dan said. 'Believe it or not, I am sorry about this.'
My mouth was being pushed into the dirt, but somehow I spat out that Manny was being taken care of.
The pressure on my finger was relaxed. Someone grabbed my hair and yanked my head up. I started gagging, spitting out the dirt I'd been forced to swallow. After I could breathe, I opened my eyes and saw that Dan had moved over to me. He was squatting, sort of sitting on his heels as he considered me.
'How is Manny being taken care of?' he asked.
'He's going to be overdosed with morphine.'
'And how is that going to happen?'
'His nurse-'
'Joe, you're lying to me again-'
'Dan, it's true. I've been seeing her. It's all set.'
'And why would a nurse do this for you?'
'She has no choice.'
"Why would that be?'
'Look, can you get them off me? My neck and shoulders are killing me.'
'Not yet. Answer my question, Joe. Why does this nurse friend of yours have no choice?'
'She's done it before where she used to work.’
‘How do you know this?'
'I played out a hunch and spoke to the Chief of Surgery at her old hospital. He suspects her of killing four of her patients.’
‘Sounds unbelievable, Joe.’
‘It's true.'
'How come she's not in prison?'
'It's hard to prove. The patient ends up dying of respiratory failure, and nothing specific to a morphine overdose will show up in the autopsy.'
His eyes shifted, and I could tell he was starting to take me seriously. 'How come she hasn't gotten rid of Manny yet?' he asked.
'She needs some time,' I said. I was grunting now because of the pain. It felt like nails were being hammered into my shoulder blades. 'She has to siphon off enough morphine from other patients to do the job. This way she doesn't have to tamper with the machines and there's no evidence of anything.'
'I don't get it. How does she overdose him without leaving a needle mark?'
'She injects the morphine into the IV tubing.'
That brought a smile to his face. 'What's her name?'
'You don't need to know.'
A shadow fell over his eyes as he nodded to his boys. All at once my trigger finger was being pulled back. 'Charlotte Boyd,' I forced out.
I struggled for another few seconds and the pressure stopped.
'1 might be giving you a reprieve, Joe,' Dan said. 'I'm not promising anything, but we'll see.'
He stood up and then my head was forced back into the dirt. I could hear one of his deputies breathing hard as I was held down. Not only was he breathing hard, he was beginning to perspire, his sweat dripping on me. I had no idea which of the three it was, but whoever, I hoped to hell he'd drop dead of a heart attack.
Dan must've gotten on his cell phone. He started yelling, 'Goddam it, Harold, I'm sheriff of this county, I have a right to be at that meeting… Well, I at least have the right to know when it is… Fuck you, after all the favors I've done for you over the years?… All right, then.'
I could hear his boots kicking up gravel as he walked back to me. My head was yanked up again, and I saw Dan sitting on his heels, smiling pleasantly.
'So, Joe, when is dear Charlotte going to do the deed?'
'Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow morning. It depends how long it takes to siphon off enough morphine to fill up a syringe.'
'Why should that take any time?'
'If the other patients have too much morphine taken out of their IV bags, it will raise suspicion.'
Dan sat on his heels for a good minute as he thought it over. Then he nodded at me. 'Okay, Joe,' he said. 'You got your reprieve.'
He stood up and told his boys to let me go.
The gun was taken out of my hand, and they removed their knees from my neck and back. It took me a while before I could push myself up onto my hands and knees. My neck and shoulders still hurt like hell, but I no longer felt as if nails were being driven into my joints. I got myself flipped around so I was sitting on the ground.
'You have any aspirin?' I asked.
Dan shook his head, his eyes amused. 'Sorry, Joe. I don't carry any around with me.' He turned to his deputies. 'You boys have any?' None of them bothered to move.
Dan turned back to me. 'Sorry, Joe, doesn't look like anyone's got any.' He let loose a long, disappointed sigh. I had it all worked out for today, Joe. I wrote such a nice suicide note for you. Do you want to hear it?'
I shook my head.
'Too bad. I'm pretty damn proud of it. I had you sending Frechotte to the Green Valley Motor Lodge hoping he'd kill Coakley. I also had you taking responsibility for Billy Ferguson's murder and a couple of others. But in the end, you couldn't live with what you'd done.'
'Who else was I supposed to have killed?'
'It doesn't matter.'
'So that's what Manny has on you.'
He ignored that. 'Let's get back to the business on hand. You heard me on the cell phone, right? You know who I was talking to?'
'Yeah, I know.'
'Grayson's been putting me off,' he said, somewhat bitterly. 'I've been calling him all morning. The prick finally let me know that Vassey's deal is being pushed back to Friday. I guess with the shooting yesterday, our DA friend's tied up until then.
'So here's where we stand,' he continued. I want to see Manny gone by tomorrow morning. That's your final deadline. No more reprieves. Understood?'
I nodded. I was rubbing my arms, trying to get some feeling back into them. I asked him how he had planned to explain all my bruises and cuts with a suicide.
^' Look behind you, Joe,' he said, smiling as pleasantly as ever. I turned and saw an eighty-foot drop to the bottom of the quarry.
'We'd toss you over after putting a bullet in your skull. No one would care too much about any bruises or scratches after that. But you know, Joe, even if we didn't toss you down there, I don't think anyone would really care.'
'How about those two cops in Stowe? They were going to go along with a suicide?'
'You should know me well enough to answer that one. Joe, let's hope I don't have to see you tomorrow, okay?'
He hesitated for a second, a glint of humor in his eyes. 'Just out of curiosity,' he asked, 'what happened to your face? One of my boys do that?'
I shook my head. 'I got sucker-punched.'
'Anyone I know?'
'I don't think so.'
His eyes narrowed as he studied at me. 'You should see a doctor and have your nose set properly before it's too late.’
‘Thanks for your concern.'
He laughed at that. All of them turned then and started off towards their cars. I struggled to my feet and hobbled a couple of steps forward.
'Can you have one of your boys drive me back to my motel?' I yelled out to Dan.
Without looking back, he answered that I only had a fifteen-mile walk and that it would do me some good to have some time alone to reflect on my situation. I watched as they got in their cars and drove off.
The first mile was the worst, but after that I started to loosen up. I had a bunch of scrapes and cuts, and my shirt – my last clean one – was ripped and pretty much a mess. No real damage was done, though. Once my muscles had a chance to loosen up I was okay.
I spent almost four hours walking back to the ski lodge. A few dozen cars passed me along the way. I tried thumbing for a ride, but no one bothered to stop. That was okay. It gave me a chance to think. And I have to give Dan credit. He was right, I needed that time alone to reflect on things. During the walk back I came up with a plan. It wasn't anything new. For the most part it was what I had already come up with to get back at Junior. I wasn't sure my plan would work, but even if it didn't, it would let me go out with a bang.
Chapter 18
The desk clerk seemed surprised to see me. They had already cl
eared out my room, and he had to get my duffel bag out of a storage closet. As he handed it to me, he was eyeing my cuts and bruises with some curiosity. I answered the question that seemed stuck on his lips.
'Those cops who took me out of here this morning tried to kill me,' I said.
'Really?'
'Damn straight. I'm lucky to be alive.’
‘No shit?’
‘No shit.'
As I said before, I didn't care anymore. Word would spread about those two cops, and as far as I was concerned, they deserved whatever they ended up getting. I took my duffel bag to my car and headed towards Bradley. Along the way, I stopped off at the Eastfield Mall and bought a shirt and pair of pants. I wore my new clothes out of the store, and cleaned up the best I could in the mall's rest room.
After that I found a diner and had three cheeseburgers and a milkshake. It was like I had this bottomless hole that I couldn't fill. I probably could've had a couple more cheeseburgers, but I stopped after three. Before leaving I called Craig, apologizing for missing my parole meeting with him the other day, and scheduling another meeting for later in the afternoon. I also called an attorney in Bradley, Jim Pierce, and was able to set up an appointment for within the hour. I still had enough time before the appointment to drive down to the old tannery.
The tannery had been shut down for almost sixty years, and it lay empty until Manny bought it fifteen years ago and moved his bookie operations there. In some ways it made sense – the building is as out of the way in Bradley as you can get – but I often wondered what he wanted all that space for.
The roads leading to the tannery were in rough shape. I guess during the past fifteen years only Manny and his employees ever bothered to drive down them. After twenty minutes of bouncing around, I got to the building.
From the outside the old tannery looked pretty dilapidated. There were half a dozen cars parked alongside it – more than I would've expected. I drove around the building until I got to a pair of dumpsters. In no time at all I found what I was looking for – empty boxes and containers of pseudoephedrine, iodine, acetone, methanol, and other ingredients necessary for manufacturing crystal meth. I suspected that that was behind Junior's push to acquire college clubs. Not only was he manufacturing crystal meth, he was acquiring distribution outlets so he could unload his junk without having to deal with a retailer.
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