“I’d have to check my records, but I’m thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred thousand.”
“Interesting.”
“Is it?” Talbot asked, taking a phone from his pocket.
“Excuse me, but I’ll have to take that. It’s included in our warrant.” Harvey reached for the phone, and Talbot’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t resist. Eddie knew the warrant included specific authorization to seize Talbot’s computers, phones, and any records they could find on paper. No doubt Harvey anticipated their suspect using his cell to instruct his flunkies to get rid of any evidence on the premises.
“Thanks.” Harvey tucked the phone in his jacket pocket. “So, you sent Holden and his pal to collect from Ulrich.”
“What? No. Why would you say that? I haven’t heard a word from Holden since well before Wednesday. That was the day you mentioned, wasn’t it?”
“It was. So, why did you think you hadn’t heard from him?”
“I didn’t have any errands for him,” Talbot said.
“Right. And you expect me to believe you just let it ride for two days, when he didn’t bring you the money?”
“I told you, I didn’t sic him on Ulrich.”
Harvey paced to a large window and looked outside. He swung around and met Talbot’s gaze. “When a man owes you that big a debt and he can’t pay, what happens next?”
“We would make other arrangements.”
“What, you set up a payment plan for him?”
“That would be one option.”
“How many times does the guy have to skip a payment before your goons kill him?”
Talbot’s face hardened. “I assure you, whoever shot that man did not do it on my orders.”
“Hmm.” Harvey frowned and paced a little. “Why do you suppose Holden didn’t report in to you after he failed to collect from Ulrich?”
“Why should he, when I didn’t send him there? I didn’t expect him to contact me.”
“I think you did send him there. And now he’s dead.”
Talbot held up both hands. “I didn’t kill Holden.”
“No.” Harvey frowned. Eddie recognized his frustration. Holden’s death was accidental.
Eddie’s phone whirred softly and vibrated in his pocket. He turned away, took it out, and looked at the screen. Nate was texting him. He opened the message.
“Tell Cap CU called DT’s # Tue.”
Eddie puzzled that out and texted back, “U got the ID?”
A few seconds later another text came in with “SP cooperated” and a seven-digit number. The area code would be 207, Maine’s one and only.
Eddie considered interrupting the conversation, but Talbot had suggested that Ulrich’s debt was due to his love of the racetrack, and Harvey was trying to extract some information on Talbot’s connection to the betting world.
Eddie hesitated and decided it was worth a risk. He punched in the 207 and then the number Nate had sent him. A couple of seconds later, a jazz tune began playing in Talbot’s vicinity. He frowned, stood up, and pulled a second phone from his other pocket. He scowled at it for a moment.
“It’s okay,” Eddie said from across the room. “It’s just me calling you.”
Talbot pushed a button. The music stopped, leaving a tense silence.
“What’s up, Eddie?” Harvey asked softly, taking the phone from Talbot’s limp hand.
“Carter Ulrich called an unlisted number on Tuesday. The lab report is finally in on his phone. Nate couldn’t get a name, but the State Police apparently had it on record from another case, and they cooperated. It was Mr. Talbot’s phone. That one.”
Harvey’s chin rose a centimeter, his blue eyes icy. “Why did Carter Ulrich call you?”
“I didn’t know he did,” Talbot said.
Eddie quickly texted Nate, “How long did CU call to DT last?”
“Yes, you did know,” Harvey said, “and we’ll prove it, because we’ve got Ulrich’s phone, and yours. Did he call to tell you he needed more time to pay up?”
Talbot eyed him keenly for a few seconds. “You know what? I think it’s time to call my attorney.”
“Then it’s time to take you into custody.” Harvey turned to Eddie. “Go find the fellow who let us in. Make sure he’s not destroying any evidence.”
“Sure,” Eddie said, walking toward the door. “Nate says Ulrich’s call here lasted thirty-five seconds.”
“Long enough to state his business,” Harvey said as Eddie left the room.
Two Cape Elizabeth cops waited in the entrance hall.
“Where’s Jeeves?” Eddie asked.
“Who?” one of the officers asked.
“The guy who tends the door.”
“He went that way.” The officer pointed across the room toward an archway.
“One of you come with me,” Eddie said. He and a patrolman whose nametag read “Runyan” strode through the spacious rooms, looking for Talbot’s man. They found him in a comfortably furnished office with another man, cleaning out an armoire. The smaller man was packing weapons into a large duffel bag, and the butler-type was in the act of guiding some papers into a shredder.
“Hold it,” Eddie said, drawing his gun. “Hands up and take a step backward, both of you.”
Jeeves shoved the papers into the slot on the shredder. Eddie swore and stepped forward to turn it off before the documents were more than a third through the teeth. He held his pistol on the bulky man, who stood with his hands high and his jaw set.
“We’ve got a warrant,” Eddie said. “Hands behind your back.” While he handcuffed the man, he looked over at Runyan. “Soon’s I secure these two, call your captain. We need more men. And when they get here, check out back.” He nodded toward a door that led outside. “They’re packing up an arsenal here, and who knows what else they’ve got in a vehicle outside already. Make sure nobody leaves the property.”
Runyan handed him his own handcuffs, which Eddie used on the second of Talbot’s men. By the time he’d finished and recited the Miranda, the patrolman had made his call.
“We’ve got people on the gate, so nobody leaves here,” Runyan said, “and six more officers to help out with the search. Captain Hillman is just arriving.”
“Great,” Eddie said. “Keep these two handy until we’re ready to transport them, but don’t let them get in the way.”
*****
Jennifer threw the door to her house wide. Her parents and her youngest brother, Randy, stood in the breezeway.
“Hey! Come on in.”
Her mother had Connor out of her arms before even saying hello.
“Oh, you’re such a precious little fellow!”
“Hey, pumpkin,” Jennifer’s father said, giving her a quick hug. “Anything new on Peter?”
“Not yet.” Jennifer held out her arms to Randy. “Are you set to move down here next week? Because Harvey’s got work lined up for you.”
“Terrific.” Randy returned her hug and stood back. “I’ve got finals next week, but my last day of school is Thursday.”
“Take a day or two to unwind and pack,” Jennifer said.
“I thought I’d probably move down on Saturday, if the job was a sure thing.”
“It is. Your room is ready whenever you are. You’ll sleep in there tonight.”
Her father and Randy went out to get their luggage, while her mom carried Connor to the sunroom and sat down on the wicker settee.
“Can we see Abby?” Marilyn asked. “I feel so bad for her.”
Jennifer nodded. “She’s going to bring the boys over soon, if there’s no word on Peter. If there is, then we’ll go over and pick up Gary and Andy.” Abby had changed her mind several times on the arrangements, but apparently Harvey had persuaded her to get out of the house, and Jennifer was glad. She hadn’t told her folks yet about Gary’s adventure the night before, and she realized she’d better clue them in before the Hobarts arrived.
“Uh, did anyone mention to yo
u about Gary’s arm?”
“His arm? No.” Her mother’s attention jerked away from Connor and settled on Jennifer.
“He broke it last night.”
“What happened?”
Jennifer swallowed hard. “Uh, bike accident. When Dad comes back in, I’ll tell you all about it.”
A knock at the patio door drew her attention. Beth stood outside, smiling brightly and holding six-month-old Anna.
Jennifer walked over and opened the door for her. “Hi! Come on in.”
Her parents and Randy greeted Beth, and Jennifer’s mother passed Connor off to George and took Anna in her arms.
“Is Jeff off tonight?” Randy asked.
“He doesn’t get off until late, but he’ll be home tomorrow, so you can spend some time with him then.” Beth pulled a rocking chair over next to her mother-in-law and settled into it.
“Jennifer was just saying that Gary broke his arm,” Marilyn said.
“What?” Jennifer’s father, George, scowled. “When did this happen?”
“Last night.” Jennifer launched into the tale and concluded with, “So he’s going to be okay, but he’s still very upset about his dad. They’ve got to find Peter soon.”
“Those poor little boys,” Beth said.
“Should we not mention Peter when they get here?” Randy asked.
“Well, they know about it. Abby gave Gary more details last night, so he wouldn’t be thinking wild thoughts about it, although what can get wilder than a kidnapping like this, I don’t know.” Jennifer shook her head. “She hasn’t told them about the salesman who was shot at Peter’s showroom, though, so please don’t mention that.”
Randy nodded soberly.
“Terrible thing,” George said. He looked down at Connor, who was plundering his pockets. “I guess this guy’s too little to understand any of it.”
“True, but he knows his daddy hasn’t been home much for the last three days.” Jennifer tried to smile, but it was hard.
“How’s Leeanne doing?” Marilyn asked.
“Okay. Eddie’s been mostly absentee, too. I’d hoped they’d get here for lunch today, but Harvey called me around noon and said they had to go out of town for a while. I had to trust Eddie to get some lunch into him. Now I’m hoping for supper together. Leeanne promised to come over at five, whether the guys are coming home or not.”
“Good,” her mom said. “Well, we’ll help with the food and babies.”
“Would you like to sleep over at our house, Marilyn?” Beth asked.
Jennifer’s mom shook her head. “If Jeffrey’s changing shifts tonight, he’ll want to sleep late in the morning. We’ll be fine here.”
Her husband set Connor down carefully. “I’ll take the bags upstairs.”
“You and Mom are in the guest room,” Jennifer said, following him and Randy into the living room. “I put out clean towels for everybody in the bathroom up there.”
Beth watched the two little ones while Jennifer helped her mother unpack a cooler of food and a pie carrier. A few minutes later, Randy wandered into the kitchen.
“Is it okay if I play a computer game?”
“Sure,” Jennifer said. “Did you bring something with you?”
“No.”
“Okay, but don’t use my computer. I was right in the middle of some new software I’m working on for John Macomber. I think you can use Harvey’s desktop, though.” She set down the apple pie she was holding and hurried into the study. She sat down at Harvey’s desk and clicked a few keys. “Yeah, looks okay to access the games.”
Harvey almost never played video games, but he had a nice selection for Jennifer’s younger brothers and Abby’s boys. She stood, and Randy slid into the rolling chair.
“What’s this?”
“What?” Jennifer asked.
Randy frowned, pointing at a slip of memo paper. “Who’s Leah Viniard and Tara Ervin? I know who Harvey is, but not Dr. Joseph Menard.”
Jennifer’s heart lurched. Harvey must have done some online searching when he came home late last night.
“He, uh, was probably looking up some stuff.” She hesitated. Should she tell him those were the names on a birth certificate?
“Sorry,” Randy said. “I didn’t mean to snoop.”
“It’s not your fault he left it there. It’s just...” She glanced toward the doorway that opened on the entry next to the kitchen, where Beth and her mother were chattering away. “It’s kind of sensitive. Would you mind not bringing this up with Mom and Dad?”
“Sure. I wasn’t trying to pry into his business.”
“I know. And it’s not police business.” She sighed. “Can you handle something a bit mind-blowing?”
“I don’t know. Can I? Maybe you shouldn’t tell me.”
“Yeah. Okay, I’ll leave that up to Harvey.” She opened a desk drawer and dropped the paper inside. “Thanks for your discretion, Randy.”
“No probs.”
Chapter 14
Harvey consulted his phone and leaned sideways so he could look into the entry. “I’m going to go talk to Captain Hillman. The Cape Elizabeth Police will have to complete the search.”
Talbot held his gaze. “I don’t get the personal touch?”
“Oh, yeah. You’re coming with us.” Harvey smiled. “But don’t worry. They’ve got half a dozen officers to handle things here.”
Talbot huffed his disdain. “I’m surprised they have that many men in uniform.”
Harvey shrugged. Cape Elizabeth’s police department would be stretching its resources thin to accommodate his request, it was true. That was probably one reason the Falcon—and now Talbot—had chosen to locate here. That and the unbeatable views of the ocean.
At that moment, Captain Hillman and two patrol officers entered the room.
“Thanks for coming, John.” Harvey shook hands with the captain.
“No sweat,” Hillman replied. They’d met several times before, and Harvey had confidence in his professional skills.
“Keep an eye on Mr. Talbot,” Harvey said to the patrolmen. He stepped into the entry to tell the captain exactly what he wanted to accomplish.
“I’ve got a press conference scheduled for two o’clock at our station, so my detective and I will have to leave here soon.”
“Sure. Go ahead, and we’ll get the job done. I’ll deliver any evidence recovered personally.”
“Thanks.” Harvey detailed exactly what he was looking for. “Of course, if you find anything else of interest, that’s covered, too. This guy is known to run financial and protection rackets, and his boss who’s now in the slammer was also into drugs, so. . .Whatever looks good.”
John nodded. “Yeah, I’m familiar with Mr. Prewitt, and I got the warrants that your office forwarded to me. Nice work, Harvey. We’ve been trying to get something solid on this guy for months.”
“Let’s make it stick.” Harvey strode back into the parlor. “Let’s go, Talbot.”
“What, you’re really taking me in?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Talbot spread his hands. “Look, I’ll tell you what you want to know. Those guys have worked for me some, but I would never tell them to kill anyone.”
“What guys are we talking about, specifically?” Harvey asked.
“Webster Holden and Mack McCafferty.”
Harvey’s brain ratcheted a notch. “That would be Chad McCafferty?”
“I suppose so. I know him as Mack.”
“All right, so where is he now?”
“I have no idea. I expected to hear from him or Holden Wednesday night, but they never checked in.”
Harvey inhaled carefully. It wasn’t quite a confession, but it was one step away. And if Talbot had underlings out hunting down McCafferty, he wasn’t letting on. “They should have checked in after their visit to Ulrich at Hobart Chevrolet, you mean.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Harvey let it pass. “We know what happened to Holden yest
erday. You didn’t hear from either him or McCafferty since five o’clock Wednesday? Think carefully, now.”
Talbot shook his head. “I made a few calls myself, trying to locate ’em. Then I heard about Holden on the news last night. Got himself run over.”
“And you said a few minutes ago that you’d heard Ulrich was dead.”
“Yeah.”
“So you weren’t expecting him to pay off his account.”
“I’m not saying anything about delinquent accounts without my lawyer.”
“Okay, but answer me this.” Harvey stared into Talbot’s eyes. “Did you ever have your employees abduct anyone in an effort to settle a delinquent account?”
“What?” Talbot’s eyebrows shot up. “What are we talking about? Someone snatch a kid or something? I didn’t know Ulrich had any kids.”
“And you’d have known if he did.”
“Of course. I make it a point to know who I’m doing business with.”
Harvey paused, staring out the window toward the rocky shore a hundred yards away.
“So, you think my guys kidnapped someone?” Talbot asked.
“Right now, I think Holden and McCafferty may have seen a crime of opportunity.”
“Those bums. They thought they could squeeze Ulrich and cut me out?”
Harvey turned toward him but said nothing.
Talbot rolled his eyes ceilingward. “Let me call my attorney.”
“Sure. But I’m taking you to Portland with me. You can call from the station.”
“What? No. I’m cooperating.”
“We still need you in Portland.” Harvey took out his handcuffs. “You got any weapons on you?”
“No. I’m not that sort.”
“Of course not.”
Eddie entered the room with Captain Hillman.
“We’ve got two laptops, a desktop, half a dozen flash drives, and four cell phones,” Eddie said. “That’s not counting about thirty handguns we’ll have to check to see if they’ve been reported stolen. And the big guy, Cartwell, he did some shredding. He may have wiped some stuff off the computers, too, before I got to him.”
Harvey blamed himself for not keeping an officer with that man from the minute they arrived.
Ransom of the Heart Page 17