by Dave Stanton
“Shoot.”
“Will you tell me for what purpose she hired you?”
“I don’t see why not. She asked me to arrange a meeting with Jimmy. During the process it became clear she hoped to convince Jimmy to share his Lotto winnings with her. As far as I know, he never agreed to do so.”
“And I’m under the same impression. I have a more specific question for you, though. Do you have any knowledge of Sheila being associated with Tony Sanzini or the Locos 14 gang?”
“I don’t. Did you ask Sanzini?”
“He refuses to be interviewed.”
“How about the members of Locos 14?” I said.
“As you might imagine, they are not being cooperative.”
“I don’t know what I can tell you, then.”
The phone went silent for a moment, and when Lou Calgaretti spoke again, his voice sounded somewhat more formal. “John Homestead is willing to pay you, Mr. Reno, for disclosing legitimate evidence as to Sheila Majorie’s involvement with any of the individuals linked to Jimmy’s kidnapping or murder.”
It was my turn to pause. “Why?” I asked.
“Sheila has petitioned the court, claiming inheritance rights.”
“Based on what?”
“As it turns out, her divorce from John Homestead was never officially completed. Somehow the final paperwork was not signed and filed. She’s found an attorney who I believe she’s seduced, and…”
I started laughing.
• • •
I wished I could have helped Lou Calgaretti, but there was nothing I could reveal about Sheila he didn’t already know. She had held her cards close to her chest, apparently for good reason. I believed she may have tried to orchestrate the death of her stepson, but I would never know the extent of her actions. Whatever she did, I doubted she’d be found accountable. Quite possibly she’d walk away with a healthy portion of Jimmy’s money.
I hung Christmas lights on my house and stood on my deck looking out over the snow-covered meadow behind my backyard. A breeze whispered through the pines, and a plume of snowflakes drifted away with the wind. I invested myself in the moment and tried not to ruminate on a world where money was the measuring stick for success, and men lusted insatiably after nubile women until the last of their desire faded with age. As for my own moral code, it was pretty simple: I stayed loyal to my friends and treated others with respect unless they dictated otherwise. Whenever possible, I lived within the law and sought out the ethical high road. My conscience was clear, and I woke each morning looking forward to the promise of the day. I knew better than to ask for more.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He attended San Jose State University and received a BA in journalism in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, pizza cook, debt collector, and technology salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley. He and his wife, Heidi, live in San Jose, California.
Stanton is the author of five novels, all featuring private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons.
To learn more, visit the author’s website at DanRenoNovels.com
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More Dan Reno Novels:
STATELINE
Cancel the wedding–the groom is dead.
When a tycoon’s son is murdered the night before his wedding, the enraged and grief-stricken father offers investigator Dan Reno (that’s Reno, as in no problemo), a life-changing bounty to find the killer. Reno, nearly broke, figures he’s finally landed in the right place at the right time. It’s a nice thought, but when a band of crooked cops get involved, Reno finds himself not only earning every penny of his paycheck, but also fighting for his life.
Who committed the murder, and why? And what of the dark sexual deviations that keep surfacing? Haunted by his murdered father and a violent, hard drinking past, Reno wants no more blood on his hands. But a man’s got to make a living, and backing off is not in his DNA. Traversing the snowy alpine winter in the Sierras and the lonely deserts of Nevada, Reno must revert to his old ways to survive. Because the fat bounty won’t do him much good if he’s dead…
Speed Metal Blues
Bounty hunter Dan Reno never thought he’d be the prey.
It’s a two-for-one deal when a pair of accused rapists from a New Jersey-based gang surface in South Lake Tahoe. The first is easy to catch, but the second, a Satanist suspected of a string of murders, is an adversary unlike any Reno has faced. After escaping Reno’s clutches in the desert outside of Carson City, the target vanishes. That is, until he makes it clear he intends to settle the score.
To make matters worse, the criminal takes an interest in a teenage boy and his talented sister, both friends of Reno’s. Wading through a drug-dealing turf war and a deadly feud between mobsters running a local casino, Reno can’t figure out how his target fits in with the new outlaws in town. He only knows he’s hunting for a ghost-like adversary calling all the shots.
The more Reno learns more about his target, the more he’s convinced that mayhem is inevitable unless he can capture him quickly. He’d prefer to do it clean, without further bloodshed. But sometimes that ain’t in the cards, especially when Reno’s partner Cody Gibbons decides it’s time for payback.
Coming in 2015:
DARK ICE
HARD PREJUDICE