by Scott Pratt
“We’re tight, Billy, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I have to be straight with you. Some of the younger guys may be easier to convince to try something new. There are a lot of agents out there, and some of them are like vultures. When they see trouble like this ...”
“I’ll be talking to all of my guys, starting with you,” Billy said. “This isn’t what it appears to be, trust me. Just hang with me, Marvin, and enjoy that Miami sunshine. I’ll see you soon.”
There was a knock at the door as the conversation ended. Billy saw Fletcher through the peephole and let him in, then scanned the hallway in both directions. A new reflex.
“I’ve got those cell numbers you wanted,” Fletcher said. “I don’t know how easy it’ll be to run these guys down on the spur of the moment. The Pelicans are on a road trip, but the Saints are playing here Sunday, so Early is probably around town.”
Dexter Early was a local product, a linebacker from nearby Metairie, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. He had gone to school at LSU and was easy pickings for an agent like Sonny Bradley, who exploited his roots in the talent-rich area to full advantage.
As far as Billy knew, Early hadn’t decided yet to sign with anybody else and might be willing to meet with him. They had talked once right after the player left college, but nothing came of it. Bradley swooped in and added another workhorse to his growing stable.
Billy tried the number as Fletcher took a seat.
“Hello, is this Dexter?”
“Who wants to know?”
“This is Billy Beckett. I’m a player agent and we spoke a couple of years ago when you were coming out. I thought we were pretty close on a deal then.”
Early didn’t seem to have much patience for this conversation.
“I’m really busy, man,” he said. “What do you want?”
“I’m in town and just thought I’d see if you had new representation. It’s really unfortunate what happened to Sonny.”
“Yes it is.”
“So what now for you?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” Early said. “There’s a guy who was working with Sonny, Blaine Eldridge, who has picked up some of his clients. But I’m not worrying about it until after the season. We’re still trying to win football games here.”
“I know it’s been a tough year for the team, but I understand you’re having your best season. I always thought you were a great player, going back to those games against my Vols. Y’all didn’t show us much mercy. You were a beast in that defense.”
Early seemed to be warming up. “I remember now. You’re from Tennessee.”
“Yeah, but don’t hold that against me,” Billy said. “I represent several SEC guys and take a lot of pride in it. We like diversity in the family, and you’d fit right in. I’d love to talk to you about your future.”
“I don’t know if I have time right now,” Early said. “Maybe later.”
“Well, I’m out here at the Marriott at Lakeway, in your old neighborhood, and I won’t be around long. Could we get together later today?”
Early took a deep breath. It sounded like he was giving it some thought.
“We practiced this morning, so I might be free after a while,” he said. “I was going to see my momma this evening. Maybe on the way.”
“Why don’t you stop by and we’ll chat? Wouldn’t take an hour. Better yet, why don’t you just come about six and I’ll buy you a steak at Ruth’s Chris? Then you can go see your momma. She won’t have to cook for you.”
“Ruth’s Chris? Hmmm. Fair enough, man. I’ll meet you there at six.”
Fletcher nodded approvingly from across the room.
“Nice touch,” he said. “If I was a young stud looking for an agent, I’d hire you.”
“That’s good to hear,” Billy said, “but right now I need to make sure I keep the clients I already have. So you think word will get back to Romano’s people that I’m here?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking they’re already pretty tuned in to your whereabouts. You’re going to be on a lot of people’s radar as long as Jarvis is missing. Early may even lead them your way without knowing it. We need to be prepared for anything.”
“I need a rental car,” Billy said. “You can drop me at Hertz in a couple hours and I’ll drive on over to the restaurant. I’ll meet you back here later. In the meantime, why don’t you see what you can find out about this Blaine Eldridge. It wouldn’t hurt to know a little more about him.”
Chapter fourty-eight
Dexter Early couldn’t promise anything, but the meal was excellent and the meeting seemed productive. Time would tell.
The linebacker had given Billy some insight into Sonny Bradley’s operation, which was now somebody else’s operation. It was a sham, Early thought. After a couple of beers, he readily admitted that things hadn’t gone well from the start.
“Dude was always distracted,” he said. “Never really seemed all that interested in my career. Some of the other guys felt that way, too, but he kept adding new players to the roster. Don’t get me wrong; I hate what happened to him. But he wasn’t much of an agent. I don’t think he even liked sports.”
“Why did you sign with him?” Billy said.
“He was local, a flashy guy, and made a lot of big promises about what he would do for me. I just wanted to play in the NFL; it was all I cared about. Young and foolish, I guess.”
Billy wondered if the linebacker had any idea that Bradley was in danger.
“It’s pretty easy to put yourself in danger in New Orleans if you’re not careful,” Early said. “Sonny seemed to have some scary people around him, so it’s not that big of a surprise.”
“What’s the word down here on who may be behind it?”
“I’m not going there, man. I’m a football player. I’m just trying to do my job, get through the rest of the season in good shape and move on. The police can worry about that stuff.”
Billy asked him if he’d heard about the Jarvis Thompson case. Early said he had followed developments and was perplexed like everyone else.
Without mentioning their relationship, Billy said he had read that the receiver’s disappearance was linked to “criminal elements” and asked Early what he thought about that.
“There’s a lot of craziness in this world,” he said. “I grew up in the middle of it, and it sounds like Jarvis Thompson did, too. It tends to follow you.”
Billy pondered that as they walked out of the steakhouse, shook hands and parted company. He was distracted enough that he had to stop and think about what kind of rental car he was driving and where he had left it. He located the silver Altima in the rear parking lot.
It was only a couple of miles back to the hotel, and Billy was interested to see if Fletcher had found out anything new from his contacts.
Just as he put the key in the ignition, he noticed a black SUV had boxed him in. It was idling with its running lights on. A minute passed before he stepped out and approached the driver’s window. The glass slid down.
“Excuse me, but I need to get out,” Billy said.
From the darkness, he could make out the barrel of a handgun pointed at this face. His heart fluttered. Obviously, it hadn’t taken Romano’s men very long to find him.
“I have another idea,” the driver said. “Get in.”
A passenger door opened and another armed man in the back waved Billy toward him. He slowly slid into the vehicle and the doors locked as the driver sped away.
“I’m sure this is a misunderstanding, gentlemen,” Billy said, trying to keep his cool. “I’m not anybody rich or famous, or even important. I don’t want any trouble.”
“Nobody does,” the man beside him said. “Just be quiet, Mr. Beckett.”
The driver headed back in the direction of the airport on Interstate 10 before taking an ex
it south. Five minutes later, the SUV was on a winding state route along the Mississippi River.
Billy’s pulse quickened as they slowed on a long straightaway. There were just a few points of light and no approaching vehicles in the area, which appeared to be an old industrial park.
“Pull into this lot,” the man in the back said. “Go that way, toward the river.”
The driver went to the far edge of the property and stopped. He turned off the engine and for a few moments the three men sat quietly in the dark, preparing for something to happen. Billy was afraid to know exactly what.
Finally, the one in the back turned to him.
“We’ve been watching you,” the man said, rubbing the barrel of his revolver along the agent’s jawline, “and we don’t like what we’ve seen. Gene here had you in his crosshairs once up in Tennessee. Could have been the end right there.”
Billy could feel his scalp tingle, but he didn’t flinch. “What have I done to you?”
“It’s not me. And it’s not Gene.”
“Who then?”
Silence again.
“So why are you here in lovely New Orleans?” the man said. “I know it’s not just to wine-and-dine Sonny Bradley’s clients. Shame about Sonny, wasn’t it?”
“I’m looking for someone you might know. Jarvis Thompson. Where is he?”
The man cackled.
“Would you like for that to be the last thing you ever hear?” he said.
“While we’re at it, I’d also like to know why you came after him. We were all just going along, minding our own business.”
“Funny how one man’s business can affect another’s. We got a job to do, like anybody else. Our jobs just tend to get a little messier. Unfortunately for you, this one is probably going to end that way, too.”
The man moved close to Billy. “Now open that door and let’s slide out.”
Chapter fourty-nine
A stretch of dense woods hugged the river bank, just a few yards from where the car was parked, and getting there in a hurry was Billy’s only thought. His athleticism was about to be tested in ways he could never have imagined.
As the door opened, he uncoiled with a backhanded blow to the man’s forearm. There was a groan and the gun fell to the floorboard. Billy rolled out and hit the ground running before either man could react.
For several frantic minutes he dashed blindly through the trees. The branches ripped at the flesh on his face and hands, but he kept going. He just hoped he wouldn’t end up in the water.
Finally, he stopped and crouched in the cold brush. He could feel the blood rushing through his body, pulsing from head to toe. No one was behind him, it seemed, but the men were still dangerously close. He strained to hear.
A maniacal laugh filtered through the trees, and then that voice again.
“C’mon back, Mr. Beckett,” the man called out. “You got the wrong idea; we’re not going to hurt you. And we’re damn sure not going to chase you through the woods. It’s dark and I don’t even have on my running shoes.”
Billy wasn’t sure what to make of this. Were Romano’s thugs supposed to kill him, or just lead him to believe that? The threat was certainly real enough.
After a couple of minutes, he heard the SUV start and ease away from the woods. He waited. Convinced he was now alone, he continued along the riverbank until he came to a clearing in the trees. The mighty Mississippi, which snakes down all the way from Minnesota to New Orleans before emptying in the Gulf of Mexico, was just to his left.
Billy patted his chest. Fortunately his cell phone had managed to stay tucked in the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled it out and called Fletcher.
“Mark, I’ve run into a little problem,” he said.
“Where the hell are you?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure Romano knows I’m here.”
“What can I do now?” Fletcher said.
“Get in the car and go toward the airport on I-10. You’ll take one of the last exits just before you get there, maybe Williams Parkway, and go south toward the river. I’m somewhere in that area, near an old plant. If you haven’t heard from me yet, just pull over and wait. I’m still on the move.”
“Are you all right?”
“Just a little cold and wet. Otherwise okay.”
“I’m heading to the car now,” Fletcher said. “Let me know.”
Billy tried to get his bearings on a cloudy, dark night. He didn’t want to run into Romano’s men again, so he continued along the river for several more minutes before climbing a small ridge and scouting out his surroundings.
He could see highway lights at the other end of a wide swath of land and started walking in that direction. The occasional car passed, and Billy thought about trying to flag one down and catch a ride. Too risky, he decided.
He stayed well off the shoulder of the road until he came to a highway marker. Billy pulled out his phone again.
“I’m on Highway 48. Not sure exactly where.”
“I’m getting close,” Fletcher said. “I’ll turn on my flashers and go slow. Call me when you see me go by.”
Billy moved off to the side again, and within five minutes he noticed the flashing lights coming around the bend. The white car passed.
“Right here.”
Fletcher found a place to turn around while Billy stood at the roadside. Shivering, he jumped in the car and took a deep breath before pulling off his jacket and shoes.
“There’s another jacket in the back,” Fletcher said. “You don’t look so good.”
“This isn’t quite the evening I had planned, but now there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re on the right track.”
“Why is that?”
“Two guys with guns pulled up in the restaurant parking lot and forced me into their car,” Billy said. “Maybe the same two who kidnapped Jarvis. I’m lucky to be sitting here.”
“Why don’t we just go to the cops?”
“These guys will kill Jarvis before they can get to him; I’m convinced of that, too. They wouldn’t think twice. Seems to me that there’s a very casual air of danger about all of this.”
“Casual air of danger. I’ll have to remember that one.”
Fletcher gave the Lexus the gas. “They may be waiting for you at the hotel,” he said.
“No, they won’t try this twice in one night. Just take me back to the restaurant so I can get my car. I’ll meet you at the hotel, in the bar. I need a drink.”
Chapter fifty
Fletcher was sitting at a back table and starting on his second Scotch and water when Billy ambled into the Gilded Tiger.
A shower and change of clothes had done him good, but he still looked like a fighter who had just lost by a knockout. The cocktail waitress walked up with an uneasy smile as he pulled out a chair.
“Jack Daniel’s, neat. And make it a double.”
The waitress jotted down the order on her little napkin and giggled. Billy turned to Fletcher and shrugged.
“Interesting night,” he said. “And what a week.”
“In case there was any doubt, these guys are about as brazen as it gets. That’s a tradition of criminals in these parts. They like to flaunt their badness.”
“If you’re going to go and kidnap famous people, you have to be pretty damn crazy.”
“Or fearless,” Fletcher said. “If we’re talking about Romano, he’s not thinking about consequences. That’s not the way his mind works.”
“But what’s the payoff? If he wanted me out of the way, his thugs could have killed me tonight. One of them said they already had me in their sights back home.”
“Maybe that’s where things were headed.”
“It’s almost like they’re toying with me,” Billy said, “and I still don’t understand why. But it’s about to
stop. I promise you that.”
Fletcher leaned back in his seat and studied his friend. The calm, deliberate sports agent he knew was rattled. He was being forced to play a different kind of game, and his temper could easily spiral out of control. He surely didn’t need a weapon in his hands to make things worse.
“What did you find out about Blaine Eldridge?” Billy said.
“Turns out he’s another lawyer who spends a lot of time defending the mob’s rank-and-file lowlifes who get in trouble. There’s nothing special about him; he’s a lot like Bradley. The biggest difference is Eldridge isn’t from around here, so he doesn’t have the lifelong connections. That makes him stand out.”
“Where’s he from?”
“I know this sounds strange, but South Carolina. Charleston. He came here about a year ago and started helping Bradley with the management firm.”
Billy rubbed his chin. “Charleston? That city is getting more popular all the time. Wonder if Eldridge knows Paul Romano?”
“I’d say there’s a very good chance.”
“I also have to wonder if Rachel has ever run across either of them. She knows a lot of people there. That’s something I’ll ask her. Soon.”
“I’m thinking I should keep poking around down here,” Fletcher said, “see if I can’t get to know a few more of the locals.”
“See if you hear anything about a thug named Gene. He was one of those I met tonight. Tall and skinny with stringy hair. Real sweet guy.”
“Gene, huh?”
Fletcher turned up his glass.
“There can’t be too many hideouts where they’d feel secure in keeping Jarvis for this long,” he said. “It has to be somewhere that Romano’s men come and go without fear of interference. Somebody knows where that is.”
“I would imagine they’ve tightened ranks after tonight. They know people are on their trail. That makes your job even more dicey.”
“I’ll be all right. What are you going to do?”
“My mind seems to be going in circles. I was thinking about flying back to Knoxville early in the morning and meeting with the detective who was in charge of the investigation, maybe spelling out everything I know. I believe I can trust him. Now I’m thinking I might take a little side trip first. I want to keep pressing to get this nightmare over with. If I have to come back down here, I want to finish it.”