by Gary C. King
March: Either, either that or park one and use a different one.
Farris: Yeah, I thought about that, too . . .
March: And then . . .
Farris: . . . but, but you know, for me to do that I would have to, you know, somebody else would have to take me to one of the drops and I don’t want to do that. But . . .
March: No, you don’t have to do it that way. What you do is you predrop one.
Farris: Okay.
March: And then at a later point, use the second one . . .
Farris: Um-hm.
March: . . . or even a third . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . depending on—that, that’s the easiest piece of equipment you should be able to come by with.
Farris: Yeah, that’s, yeah, that’s no problem. But, uh . . .
March: And what I would do is use one, drop it immediately, pick up the second one and if (inaudible) even the third.
Farris: Yeah.
March: But that’s the way I—I mean, I’m just giving you some advice.
Farris: Okay, well here’s, here’s, uh, here’s somethin’ else I wanted to run by you. Okay, when uh, when, everything’s said and done, you know, I don’t plan on leavin’ right then. You know, I’m gonna lay back a little bit. You know I don’t, I don’t want ’em to . . .
March: Okay.
Farris: And, uh, but, but . . .
March: But you’ve always got a place here . . .
Farris: Okay.
March: . . . to relax.
Farris: Okay, well this, this is what I’m gettin’ at. Uh, uh, how am I . . .
March: You can bring your friend with you.
Farris: No, I don’t, I don’t—I’m not bringin’ nobody. The only pers—the only thing that I would bring with me would be my dog. You know I . . .
March: Okay. Well I got a Doberman, what do you got?
Farris: I got a pit bull.
March: Well, we can handle that, I’ve got a big yard.
Farris: Yeah. Okay, but here, here’s somethin’, too. Like, uh, you know, I’ve never been to Mexico and, uh, I mean, you know like, like . . .
March: Once you get here—once you get here, you got no problem.
Farris: Okay, well, well . . .
March: I handle everything.
Farris: Well, well see, I thought about, uh, takin’ a bus there. Because I don’t want to drive no car. But like . . .
March: Okay.
Farris: Where, where, where . . .
March: So, you get . . .
Farris: What, what . . .
March: You, you get a bus.
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: And you, and what you do is you just get it to Guadalajara.
Farris: I take—I can take a bus from Nashville to Guadalajara?
March: No, you have to change at the border.
Farris: Okay, I mean . . .
March: What you do is you walk across the border to the bus station. Anybody will show you where the bus station is.
Farris: Okay.
March: Get on a superbus—what they call a superbus.
Farris: Superbus?
March: And just sit there. It’s a won—nice trip down, it’s about, uh—the bus will take you twelve hours and it’s got a TV, johns, everything. Don’t worry about it.
Farris: Okay.
March: Don’t use—if you can, bring it either in cash . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . or in a card that you, that cannot be traced to you.
Farris: Yeah, well, yeah, well, I’m, you know, of course, you know. Well, uh, here’s something, too . . .
March: I mean, it should be made out to Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck . . .
Farris: Yeah, well . . .
March: . . . or something.
Farris: Well, uh, you know, I’m gonna have to get my instrument up here. It’s probably gonna cost me just a little more than I figured.
March: All right, well, I can give you the cost of covering it and going here.
Farris: Yeah.
March: From the border on. I can’t give you, uh, to there, okay, because I haven’t been up there and I’ve been—I’m not an expert.
Farris: Okay.
March: Once you get to here, all you do to stay, if you include with me . . .
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: . . . you can do it for less than one, one K.
Farris: Okay.
March: And be here at least two to three weeks.
Farris: Yeah.
March: Now, if you want to bring that partner that, you know, helped you get out of whatever it was. . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . you told me, perfectly all right. And you’re an old friend and that’ll be taken care [of].
Farris: Okay.
March: And uh, the only difference that that makes, it gives you cover.
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: But it doesn’t allow you to play with, uh, the Mexes.
Farris: Yeah. Well, you know, Perry told me, you know, that that’s one of the key things down there is not to fuck with the Mexicans down there.
March: All right, okay bring your own.
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: If the one we, you know, we talked about the last time . . .
Farris: Okay.
March: And you know, if she’s willing, she also acts as a cover.
Farris: Okay.
March: Down here then, my people and I, we’ll handle everything. Once you get onto that bus and get to Guadalajara . . .
Farris: Um-hm.
March: . . . you have my phone number.
Farris: Yeah.
March: I’ll be there in—it’ll take me from my—where I am right now to where you’re gonna be, all you do is give me the name of the bus and I’ll be there within forty-five minutes.
Farris: Okay. Well, uh, now I’m, I’m gonna have to—you know, there’s still a few things that I’m gonna have to take care of.
March: I know. I don’t want to know everything.
Farris: But I—uh, okay. You know, but, uh, I might, I might need some, uh, just a little bit of funds. And, and the reason why . . .
March: Well, uh, if you do that, try to do it—or after the—try to do it the last day of the month or one of the first three days.
Farris: Okay.
March: Up to that, I can help.
Farris: Okay, because we . . .
March: Always equip . . .
Farris: Because what I’m . . .
March: ’Cause the end of the month is a difficult time . . .
Farris: Okay.
March: . . . for me.
Farris: Okay. Because . . .
March: I live on an army pension and I (inaudible) get paid.
Farris: Well, I mean, you know, I wouldn’t need, you know, not much at all just—because, like, you know, I’m gonna have to leave . . .
March: I can handle you and the friend. You understand?
Farris: Oh, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, look, I’ll . . . March: If you try to pull . . .
Farris: Do, do, uh, you got a pen?
March: Try to plan it that—to get here either in the last week or the first week or second week of the month. It—for me, it makes it easier ’cause I’m . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . I’m under control. You understand?
Farris: Yeah. Well, uh, you know, ’cause when I leave here, I’m gonna leave, you know, I’m gonna have to leave my momma with funds that I have, because, you know, my mom, she . . .
March: Okay, you’re not gonna bring momma with you.
Farris: No, no, not at first. But, I mean, later on, maybe, because, like, uh . . .
March: Well, think about using momma as a cover.
Farris: Well I, I . . .
March: Because it’s not expensive to have momma with you.
Farris: Okay, well, see, I don’t want to involve my mom in a
ny of this at first.
March: I don’t, you know, I’m not talking [about] your real mom.
Farris: Okay.
March: I’m talkin’ about the one that’s got the hots.
Farris: (laughs) Okay, you . . .
March: No, no, I’m telling you she makes a good cover . . .
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: . . . because most people, and, uh, you know, you can send her back.
Farris: Yeah.
March: And you know, totally—explain to her you’re gonna be here for a while or what—I’m not tellin’ you what to do but . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: Uh, do not overlook . . .
Farris: Well, I mean I, you know, any advice you give me is welcome because . . .
March: Well, my advice is consider—and you know the—you know who, who would—you—what we’re talkin’ about.
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: And you know better than I do and, uh, you gotta know—if you need—if you think you need cover, they’re the best. Because you’re with—and you’re not messing with the Mexican.
Farris: Yeah.
March: You understand?
Farris: Yeah.
March: And, uh, I can handle it once either you—alone or with . . .
Farris: Okay.
March: . . . in, and you’ll arrive here. You’re in my custody and don’t worry about it.
Farris: Yeah. Okay, well, um, you know, it’s a few things I’m gonna have to check on, but, uh, I’ve got me a PO box under this Bobby Givings name. And, uh . . .
March: Okay.
Farris: . . . I’m gonna give you the PO box number. Uh, do you got a pen?
March: No, I’ll go—I have to go in the other room. Hold on a minute.
Farris: Okay, okay.
March: And I’ll be right back.
Farris: Okay. (long pause)
Chapter 27
A couple of minutes later, Arthur March returned from one of the other rooms in his house with the pen that he needed to write down Farris’s, aka Bobby Givings’s, information. Arthur then gave his mail address to Farris, too. From the way that the conversation was going, the detectives, as well as Tom Thurman, could see that Arthur March had swallowed the deception hook, line, and sinker. They would soon be realizing the fruits of their labor in a case that had taken nearly ten years to clear. Because of all the familial elements involved on both sides, the story seemed almost Shakespearean with its plots, egos, and complexities.
Farris: Well, uh, I guess I’ll get back in contact with you, and, uh, maybe next week sometime, just to let you . . .
March: Whenever you need me. You know this time or a little later. I’m always here after seven.
Farris: Okay, after seven. ’Cause I’m gonna have to go—I’m gonna have to get . . .
March: And I’m here from seven at night to six-thirty in the morning.
Farris: Okay.
March: I leave the house at six thirty-five . . .
Farris: Okay.
March: . . . or six-forty.
Farris: ’Cause I’m gonna have to go and, uh, I’m gonna have to get started on gettin’ this instrument. And, I hope I’m gonna be able to get me a silencer, ’cause I want everything to be as quiet as possible.
March: Well, you know, I . . .
Farris: You know.
March: I’m not tellin’you how to do your job.
Farris: Okay.
March: I’m your support and you’ve got—you’re covered. Your ass—your ass is covered.
Farris: Okay. And, uh, what, uh—you know, I’m gonna keep up with this surveillance, and, uh, you know, I’m gonna find the best route possible. And what I want to do is, I’m gonna run it by you before I, you know, actually do it, just to get your . . .
March: Okay. The best way is to get to either Laredo. . .
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: . . . or that’s the way I would come.
Farris: Okay.
March: I would go to San Antonio.
Farris: Yeah.
March: San Antonio to either Laredo or Brownsville, and then get to Guadalajara.
Farris: Okay.
March: If you go to Laredo or New Laredo, and you can walk across the border.
Farris: Yeah.
March: Uh, there’ll be no sign of you leaving. You’ll need—do you have a passport or some (inaudible)?
Farris: No, I don’t have—I’ve never been out of the country. You know, I’ve . . .
March: All right, you need then, uh, either a driver’s license or a birth certificate to get across.
Farris: Well, yeah, me and Perry, we discussed that part, and, uh . . .
March: Okay, well, he knows that as well as I do.
Farris: He’s good. Perry’s real good. But, he’s told me that, you know, you was real good yourself. And, uh . . .
March: Well, I’m just old.
Farris: . . . you know it’s, well . . .
March: And not as quick as I used to be, you understand?
Farris: No, not necessarily.
March: I’m seventy-eight, but I’m about in the physical shape of, uh, I would say fifty-five or sixty.
Farris: Probably me too.
March: (laughs)
Farris: But, uh, I’ll, uh, you know, I’m really . . .
March: And I’m—once, once you get here . . .
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: And I can almost say once you get across the border and on that bus . . .
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: Uh, you’re, you’re in good shape. Just keep the little wife, you understand?
Farris: Yeah. I’m, I’m . . .
March: And if you bring her . . .
Farris: I’m lookin’ forward to—I’m lookin’ forward to comin’ (inaudible).
March: You’re here and you’re covered.
Farris: Yeah. That, that, that’s . . .
March: I got a three-bedroom house. You’ll, you know, just be an old friend.
Farris: Well, you know, me and Perry, we talked about, you know, goin’ into business, too, you know, once he’s out. And, uh . . .
March: Well, once he’s out, he probably could use you real well. We can . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: You know, we’ll—by bein’ here with me, and from that point on . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . you know, you’ll make your own decision.
Farris: Well, yeah, he, uh . . .
March: But, uh, you know, we, we can work you into the community.
Farris: But, uh, you know, I’m—this is, this is my shot of, of gettin’rid of my troubles, too, if you understand what I’m sayin’.
March: Okay, well, once you get across that border, we just have to—Perry’ll tell you the best way to do, once you get to the border . . .
Farris: Yeah.
March: . . . how to get across . . .
Farris: How, how, how will . . .
March: . . . what you do.
Farris: How is Perry doin’? Is he okay?
March: Well, I talked to him today, he sounded a lot better.
Farris: Yeah.
March: Uh, and, uh . . .
Farris: But he, he does know that me and you’ve made contact, right?
March: Oh yeah.
Farris: Good.
March: Yeah, I talked to him this morning.
Farris: Good, I’m . . .
March: Talked to him at ten-thirty, to be exact.
Farris: Yeah, good.
March: Carmen and I talked to him, you know.
Farris: How’s Carmen?
March: But I only, I only let him know that I had contact—that we had had contact.
Farris: Well, good. He—that, that’s all you needed to let him know. He’s . . .
March: That’s right. And then, uh, you follow his instructions.
Farris: Uh-huh.
March: Because he’s a lot smarte
r than I am. And I hate to admit it.
Farris: Yeah, well, I mean he, you know, he told me that, you know, if I had, you know, some problems with anything, that I could contact you and, you know, that, you know, he told me that, you know, first of all, he said the Colonel is a stand-up guy.
March: And I work for the Mexican Army, so I have some (inaudible).
Farris: Well, good. You know, that makes me feel better, too.
March: I’ve been workin’ for ’em for twelve years, so.
Farris: Yeah. What uh . . .
March: See, the cover is there, once you get here.
Farris: Uh-huh. It’s a—I heard there’s a lot of good women down there and stuff?
March: No problems. I got more doctors than I know what to do with, because that’s what I do for a livin’.
Farris: Really?
March: Yeah . . . you’re bringin’dogs across.
Farris: Is the Doberman’s name Onie?
March: Yeah.
Farris: (laughs) Okay.
March: Uh, if you bring a dog across, make sure you get the papers before you get to Mexico.
Farris: Oh, yeah, well, I have her papers. I have her papers.
March: Okay, make sure then that Perry says they’re the right ones.
Farris: Okay. Uh, when do you think you’ll hear from Perry again?
March: On Tuesday, ten-thirty in the morning.
Farris: Okay, well, if I haven’t talked to you by then, just tell him that, uh . . .
March: That I’ll hear from you sometime next week.
Farris: Yeah, and that, uh, that I’ve found the car that I wanted. And, uh, I’ll probably be pur-chasin’ it here soon.
March: Okay, you gonna take one or two out? Farris: Excuse me?
March: Just one or the two?
Farris: Two. It’s got to be two.
March: Okay. Okay.
Farris: Yeah. I’m not gonna . . .
March: You know, always watch for that kid.
Farris: Yeah. Well, well, well, see, I’m gonna—you know the thing about doin’ that is, is, actually, I’m gonna have to do one at a time, but . . .
March: Yeah, that’s right.
Farris: But, see I, I . . .
March: It’s an abso . . . that’s your best bet.
Farris: Yeah.
March: And the best time—I don’t know his schedule now, ’cause it’s been a long time earlier.
Farris: Well, I’m keepin’up with that.
March: ’Cause he’s usually up and around real early.
Farris: Yeah, well, about seven-thirty.