Deep Threat

by Scott Pratt

  “We’re getting closer, no doubt. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “I appreciate everything,” Billy said. “Be careful.”

  The private investigator took one last sip, winked and walked out the door.

  Chapter fifty-One

  The Ravenel Bridge was a welcome sight in the distance. Spanning the Cooper River for over four miles, with its shiny white cables rising skyward like the sails of a tall ship, it was as much an architectural work of art as a busy highway connector between downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant. For Billy, seeing the iconic bridge always meant Rachel was close by.

  This time it all felt different as he made his way from Charleston International Airport.

  Bradley King’s house was a spectacular Mediterranean on Isle of Palms, just outside the Wild Dunes resort. It could have passed for a small hotel, and Billy had been an invited guest on many occasions. There was nothing better than taking a few days to relax, sample the fine cuisine of the low country and enjoy a little fun in the sun with Bradley and Elaine’s sexy daughter.

  For the next few days, the Kings would be down the coast at Hilton Head for a business conference. Bradley had emailed him to postpone their meeting, which was fine with Billy. It most likely was going to be an unpleasant experience with negative repercussions for his business and personal life alike. There was a good chance the developer had decided to cut ties.

  Billy knew Rachel would be the only one home today and didn’t bother to call ahead. He needed answers, plain and simple, and didn’t want to give her time to prepare.

  The concrete driveway circled a fountain that gushed water all around bronze herons feeding in an artistic marsh. Billy parked his rental car and admired the setting as he climbed the staircase and made his way to the door.

  The doorbell echoed inside and he noticed movement through the sidelight of the grand entranceway. After a minute came the sound of a deadbolt lock releasing its hold. The big oak door opened and Rachel stood uncomfortably in front of him. Her face was without expression, her eyes lacking their usual sparkle. It was almost as if they were strangers.

  “I told you not to come,” she said. “Or I tried.”

  “I had to,” Billy said. “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

  Reluctantly, Rachel stepped aside to allow him to pass, closed the door and reset the lock. Without saying another word, she walked through the great hall and directly to a spacious deck in the back that offered a sweeping view of the Atlantic. Her gaze turned immediately to the rolling waves.

  “How are you, Billy?” she said flatly.

  “I think you know how I am. My brother just stabbed me in the back, my business is going to hell, I’ve got people who suddenly want to kill me. And, oh yeah, my girlfriend just packed up and left. I don’t know why any of that is going on. So how are you?”

  Rachel’s eyes stayed fixed on the ocean. “What did you find out in New Orleans?” she said. “Do you know where Jarvis is?”

  “No, but I’m beginning to understand what happened to him.”

  Billy studied her reaction. Blank.

  “Romano’s men grabbed him from right below where we were sleeping. John couldn’t have stopped them, but he didn’t want to, did he?”

  No answer.

  “There seems to be plenty of deceit going around,” Billy said. “Why didn’t you tell me you were involved in this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You were with John when he picked up the cocaine in Florida. The good-looking girl in the silver car. Right?”

  Rachel turned and walked away.

  “I didn’t know what was going on,” she said. “He just wanted to stop at this little bar and I waited in the car. We weren’t there ten minutes.”

  “So you didn’t end up with any of it? John didn’t offer you any?”

  “He offered, but I didn’t want any. I’m not into that.”

  Billy began to grow angry.

  “I don’t believe you,” he said. “I just hadn’t noticed the signs. They were there all along.”

  He marched back into the house and up the staircase with her trailing in his wake. First, he went to Rachel’s bedroom and began rifling through the nightstand drawers.

  “Where is it?”

  “Where’s what?”

  He pushed past her and into the bathroom and yanked open the medicine cabinet. Nothing there either.

  Rachel’s purse was hanging on the bedpost, and Billy grabbed it and turned it upside down as she lunged at him from behind. The contents spilled onto her sheets. Bingo: a brown glass vial more than half full of powder.

  He held it between his fingers just inches from her face. “So you’re not into this?” he said.

  She slumped onto the bed and began to cry, but he was unmoved.

  “What else have you been lying to me about?” Billy yelled. “Have you been sleeping with John, too?”

  “No, it’s not like that.”

  “You wouldn’t have run unless something heavy was going on. You wouldn’t have been scared away by me finding out you were doing cocaine with my brother. I mean, you’re the big party girl anyway, right? What else is there? Do you know something about Jarvis, too?”

  “Billy, you need to leave now. My parents would go off if they knew you were here. This whole thing has just freaked them out, and it’s still freaking me out. Why did you even come?”

  His stare burned into her like a laser.

  “I just had to look into your eyes and see for myself. I know there’s more you’re not telling me. So it’s going to end like this? You owe me an explanation at the very least.”

  “I just got in too deep. I wasn’t ready for that kind of relationship, and I don’t think you were either. We weren’t really in love.”

  “But I trusted you,” he said. “Like I trusted my brother. You both made a fool of me.”

  “Nobody set out to hurt you. Things just happened. It was good while it lasted ... for both of us. I don’t know what else to say.”

  “Tell me about Paul Romano. Or Blaine Eldridge. They’re both Charleston guys. Are they friends of yours?”

  “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Rachel said. “You’re getting paranoid.”

  “You’re the one who ran off without any explanation. Of course, the picture is starting to clear.”

  Rachel grabbed his arm and looked him squarely in the face. “Please, Billy,” she said. “Leave.”

  Chapter fifty-two

  She could feel the whole house shake as Billy slammed the big door and strode angrily to his car. Moments later he was back on the road to Charleston.

  Rachel stood at the window and finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief. That was a close call.

  “You can come out now,” she said.

  A closet door opened and Paul Romano stepped into the foyer. He was smiling like the proverbial fox in the henhouse.

  “That was intense,” he said. “Your friend is about to snap. I thought I was going to have to rescue you.”

  “If you didn’t hear, he knows about you,” Rachel said. “He’s putting everything together. The only thing he hasn’t figured out is where Jarvis is. And you don’t know?”

  The smile left Paul’s face. “I told you, I had nothing to do with kidnapping the football player. That was my father’s doing.”

  “Then why did you call me late that night? You knew John and Jarvis were alone down at the dock. Your father knew, too. He told me when he called me on the way down here. How did he find out?”

  Silence.

  “So tell me what happened to Jarvis,” she demanded.

  “That’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  Paul walked over to Rachel and pulled her close. She resisted at first but not for long.

  �
��I thought you were finished with your father,” she said, running her fingers through Paul’s long hair. “That’s why you came here to begin with. What happened to making a fresh start? You’re a talented musician.”

  “I’m glad you noticed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills.”

  “It would be a waste to get involved with all the criminal stuff your father is into. Why go back to that? You’ll all end up dead or in prison.”

  “My father convinced me that family means more,” Paul said, “and it’s hard to turn my back on him. I have to go home. If something happens to him, I’m next in line.”

  “Next in line? So that’s it? You want to be the boss? A mafia boss? That’s stupid.”

  “That’s the way it happened for my father. He paid his dues and was rewarded when the time came. He’s now a very rich man.”

  Rachel turned and walked away.

  “I just wanted to stop and see you before I left,” Paul said.

  “Well, you’ve seen me, so go on. You’re only going to cause trouble here anyway. You’re already causing trouble.”

  “I thought you liked trouble.”

  “I don’t like flirting with disaster. And that’s what this will be once Billy finds out.”

  “It’s not a good idea for him to be chasing around New Orleans,” Paul said. “I guarantee you that won’t end well for him.”

  Rachel walked back out to the deck with Paul trailing her.

  “He’s a very persistent guy, and this has made him crazy,” she said. “He won’t stop until he finds Jarvis; they’re very close. He’s going to find him, one way or another, and I’m afraid we’re both going to get swept up in it.”

  “Why would you get swept up in it? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “I talked to you that night, and that’s enough. Billy isn’t even aware that we know each other. That alone would be a huge problem.”

  “It’s just a strange coincidence, all of this,” Paul said.

  He was not convincing. “I think it’s more than that,” she said. “You sought me out here once you found out who I was, and you didn’t tell me who you really were. You’ve been using me for your own selfish purposes.”

  “Not true. It’s been fun for both of us, you have to admit.”

  Paul walked to the refrigerator and casually pulled out a Palmetto pale ale.

  “One for the road,” he said. “I’ve got to make a few stops to round up my things before I head back. It’s been an interesting time in Charleston. When will I see you again?”

  “You won’t,” Rachel said. “This isn’t going to work, me here and you in New Orleans. And I want no part of that down there. We’re a long way apart in so many ways.”

  “And then in others, we’re very close,” Paul said, placing his hands gently around her waist. “We like to live dangerously. I want you to come to New Orleans.”

  Chapter fifty-three

  Billy needed time to clear his head, time to be alone, so he just kept driving. Back across the bridge, past the airport and right on up Interstate 26 toward Tennessee. The Smoky Mountains were five hours away.

  He hadn’t slept much in weeks, and trying to put this jigsaw puzzle together had left him near the breaking point. The thoughts tumbled over and over in his mind.

  If John was willing to undermine him, then Rachel had to be tainted, too. And if she knew Frank Romano was actively pursuing Jarvis Thompson, she had to know everyone around Billy was in danger and stayed quiet. But why?

  He stared out at the Southern oaks, with Spanish moss draped elegantly from their branches. They became a blur. The battle with fatigue was becoming greater, and he turned on the air conditioning and put his face to the vent. Keep pushing, he thought.

  About a hundred miles into the drive, as he neared Columbia, there was a ring from his phone in the console. It was Trey Birchfield.

  “Tell me something good,” Billy said.

  The response wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “I wish I could.”

  The reporter went on to say that the Knoxville police were scaling back the active search for Jarvis Thompson locally. They had exhausted all leads and were now going on the theory that the football star had been taken against his will and transported out of the area. They couldn’t be sure he was still alive but were working with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. They still had no motive.

  “From what I’m hearing, your brother has confessed to his part in this,” Birchfield said. “He admitted that the cocaine belonged to him. All of it.”

  “What about the thugs who almost killed him?” Billy said.

  “He said he didn’t know who they were but thought they were mafia types. Maybe from New Orleans. That just confirmed what the detectives were thinking. They aren’t real happy that his story didn’t come out earlier.”

  “Is John in jail?”

  “No, he bonded out,” Birchfield said. “I think your father came and took him home. From what I hear, he was a real mess.”

  Billy was more worried about his father, the toll all of this was taking on him, and he picked up the pace on the interstate. The North Carolina border wasn’t far away.

  “I appreciate you letting me know, Trey. Where does this leave things as far as the Journal’s reporting? It’s important to keep people focused on the investigation.”

  “I’ll stay on the story, of course. Everybody here is going to be hugely interested until Jarvis turns up, one way or another. But we’re not the New York Times and, big as this story is in Knoxville, I don’t know how many resources the newspaper will devote to it if there’s not much new to report. It looks like the focus of the investigation is shifting. We’ll see where it goes.”

  Billy thought about that for a few seconds.

  “I have some new information that I think you would be very interested in,” he said. “You could end up with the exclusive on this whole deal.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “I will when I get back to town. It may be tomorrow.”

  “All right,” Birchfield said. “You call me at any time of day, it doesn’t matter. I can imagine what you have to be going through, and I want to help you on this.”

  Billy didn’t have many allies left, and Birchfield might prove to be one of the most valuable in cracking the case. He had the public forum and the contacts. He could get information.

  As he sped toward Tennessee, Billy tried to imagine where Jarvis was and what he was feeling. Days had turned into weeks. Was the kid still holding out hope?

  Billy held the phone to his face and thought about calling his father to see what had transpired with John. But he wasn’t ready for that conversation just yet.

  Another ring broke his rambling train of thought. Mark Fletcher.

  “Talk to me,” Billy said.

  “I’ve met some interesting people this morning,” Fletcher said. “A couple of these guys used to do some dirty work for Romano, and they had a falling out over money or something. They’re fortunate to still be alive to tell about it.”

  “Have they heard anything about Jarvis?”

  “Nothing they were willing to share with me, but there’s something else. I think I may know who your friend Gene is.”

  “Really?”

  “His name is Eugene Casey. He’s an ex-soldier who did a couple of tours of duty in Afghanistan. They said he was a notorious sniper, killed a lot of bad guys. He apparently snapped one day during a firefight in some village over there and they had to shut him down. The army discharged him and sent him home.”

  “To New Orleans?”

  “Yep,” Fletcher said. “He’s supposed to be one of Romano’s most trusted men now; they grew up together. Doesn’t say much and has a crazy look in his eyes, like he’s still waiting for insurgents to show up at any minute. These guys I talked to s
aid he’s a very scary dude, even by their standards.”

  “That’s him,” Billy said. “What about his partner?”

  “Not sure yet. I ran out of time and will try to get back in touch with them later today. These are the nervous types, armed to the teeth, always moving around and looking over their shoulders. I’ve dealt with hundreds like them. They’re in a bad way right now and are fishing for a little cash. Seems like a good tradeoff for some information.”

  “I agree. Do you need me to wire some money?”

  “No, I can handle it, but your tab is rising quickly,” Fletcher said. “I’m going to meet them down in the French Quarter. I’ll let you know when I find out more.”

  “Don’t put yourself on the line,” Billy said. “There’s nobody there to back you up.”

  “I’ll be fine,” Fletcher said. “I know what I’m doing.”

  The news gave Billy a little jolt of energy. One step closer, he thought. On to the Smokies.

  Chapter fifty-four

  Billy was mentally prepared for another confrontation with his brother by the time he reached his old stomping grounds in Sevierville.

  He had been so tied up with his business over the last year, he couldn’t remember the last time he was home. He knew his father enjoyed the company, but it felt like some sort of barrier had grown between them. The situation with John made tensions much worse. It was better if Billy kept his distance.

  Now he couldn’t stay away.

  The brick ranch came into view, and he eased to a stop in front and looked around. The neighborhood always had a nostalgic feel. The spacious yard was once the hub of the block, with kids flowing in and out for all sorts of activities. There was a daily baseball game in the summer and knock-down-drag-out football scraps in the fall.