A Game of Inches

by Webb Hubbell

  “Is she safe? Is she okay?”

  “She is safe, and she will be okay. She tried to fight her attackers, and they roughed her up. She’s pretty bruised, gonna have a shiner for sure. A local doctor is checking her out, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be fine.

  I took a deep breath, willing myself to remain calm. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Whoever must have staked out her place at the Eastern Shore for a couple of days. Pat had gone into town for groceries when they stormed the complex. Carol was outside by the pool.”

  “How many?”

  “Two guys and the driver, all wearing camouflage stocking masks. There was probably a spotter in the woods, as well. Carol heard the sound of a strange car coming up the driveway. She tried to call for help, but they were on her too quickly. She fought hard, but there wasn’t much she could do. They had wrestled her halfway to the car when Martin’s men arrived and broke things up. They got the two attackers, but the driver sped off at the first sign of danger, probably the spotter too. In the confusion, Carol managed to get back into her house. Martin’s guys found her hiding in the wine closet, cold and beat up, but alive.”

  “Anyone else hurt?” I couldn’t talk about Carol just yet.

  “Well, Pat got back from town in the middle of the fracas and went after one of the bad guys. Gave him at least a broken nose before Martin’s men rescued him.”

  “Good for him. And it sounds like Martin’s men did a good job.”

  “They did. Martin called me as soon as he learned what had happened, and we drove up together to help. I guess the local authorities don’t get too many attempted kidnappings in their back yard. I was afraid the Feds would already be on the scene, but Carol had already brushed them off.”

  “I don’t understand. What…”

  “Apparently she knows the local sheriff. She asked him to change the charges to assault and battery in order to avoid the Feds.”

  I sat drumming my fingers against the top of the table. The more I thought about it, keeping the Feds out was the right thing to do. But Carol—how could I help from here?

  Clovis let me stew for a few minutes before continuing. “Calm down, Jack. I know you. You’re trying to figure out how to get your ass up here. After meeting Carol, I can understand why. She is one cool customer and really easy on the eyes. But she gave me a message for you, so hear me out before you go off half-cocked.”

  “Carol told the sheriff she was leaving the country ‘for a vacation,’ and didn’t want to get bogged down in some long and complex investigation. The sheriff got the picture and told her she ought to hurry.

  “The bad guys won’t talk and have demanded access to their lawyer. They clearly already had one on board. The sheriff is looking for the driver, but I bet he’s long gone. We’re not going to get anything out of these guys.” I had to agree. I told him to let me know who the lawyer was.

  “Carol says she’ll leave as soon as she gets medically cleared and can get packed. She says you’ll think you know where she is going. Is that right?”

  “Bali. She was telling me where to find her.”

  “She also said you shouldn’t even think about coming until your work is completed. Apparently, during the scuffle by the pool, one of the men referred to her as ‘bait.’ She thinks, and so do I, that they were going to kidnap her so you would come out of hiding. She said that only Pat will know exactly where she is and how to reach her, and that you aren’t welcome until this business is finished.”

  I wasn’t happy with that, and was becoming more inclined to go after her before she left town. Clovis continued before I could react.

  “Listen to me, friend. Carol seems to know you pretty well. Listen to what she said. ‘Please tell Jack to stay in hiding. Someone is convinced that Jack is going to upset his or her plans. I don’t know who or why, but that someone is not going to stop until Jack is out of the picture. I know people, I work with people who are ruthless in business dealings, and I believe this someone will stop at nothing. No one, not me, not Jack, not anyone he cares about is safe until Jack finishes this business one way or the other.’”

  “Is that it?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Well, go on,” I said, frustrated.

  “Okay, but I’m not sure what it means. She said she’d found a place better than Bali, someplace with a very private pool. That make sense to you?”

  Clovis could probably hear me smile.

  “Jack, you found a gem in that one. Don’t let them scare you away, but we need to be smart about this.”

  “First thing, let’s get Beth out of New Orleans for the next week or so. It won’t be easy, but I sure don’t want her to be next.”

  “Already in the works. The Matthews plane is on its way to pick her up. Paul will come with her. Maggie has asked them to stay at her house. It will be both easier and safer than having her at your place. And I can sure use Paul here in DC.”

  “I wish I could figure out a way to get you into Barker’s. I’ve tracked down some info on both the dead woman and Logan Aerospace. I thought about asking Walter to bring you to lunch, but it’s just too risky.” My mind was churning.

  Clovis said. “Not to worry–I’ll knock on your door around 11 o’clock tomorrow morning. I promise no one will see me go in or out. I’d come out right now, but I need to help Martin clean up here and get Carol back to DC so she can leave town. Can you get the kitchen to bring us some sandwiches?”

  “Yeah, I think I can arrange that. Won’t be as good as Ben’s barbecue, but it’ll do. The food here is actually pretty good. Thanks, Clovis.”

  *****

  Mr. Kim threw his cell phone across the room, totally frustrated. How in the hell had his men been arrested, the kidnapping foiled, and Patterson still nowhere to be found? He’d sent a lawyer to the Eastern Shore to make sure the men made bail and disappeared. The Feds hadn’t been called in yet, but he worried it was only a matter of time. The driver and spotter were on their way to Central America, but the two who had been captured wouldn’t be so fortunate. Failure couldn’t be tolerated.

  Maybe he should just accept that Patterson was out of the picture and move on. But where could he be? As far as he could tell the man hadn’t used a single credit card in the last three days. Nobody can go anywhere without using a credit card. He couldn’t have just disappeared. The sniper was bound to know Patterson’s whereabouts, but he didn’t want to risk the gunman’s cover by attempting to make contact.

  Patterson had got the best of him twice before. Why take chances? He placed a phone call to New Orleans. Syndicate or no syndicate, if Patterson had an Achilles heel it was his daughter. Her funeral would bring Patterson out into the open.

  * * *

  THURSDAY

  * * *

  April 28, 2016

  48

  AFTER A NIGHT of bizarre dreams and little sleep, I decided to reward myself with a breakfast of oatmeal-banana pancakes with a side of bacon. No paper this morning, just thoughts. Of course, I wished I could see Beth, but there was no way she could come to Barker’s. Clovis had made the right decision to have her stay at Maggie’s. She could also help Maggie and Micki. Maggie’s car had deeply tinted windows, and her driver always let her off in the parking garage, so I wasn’t too worried Beth would be seen. The loss of freedom would be hard on her, but surely it wouldn’t last longer than a week.

  The little library was deserted, so I sunk into an old chair and called Micki. She was already at the office, and Maggie and Beth were on the way in. I cut right to the chase.

  “I know who the dead woman is. Her name is Nadia Nikolov, about thirty years old—she worked independently.”

  I didn’t want to call her a hooker, or a prostitute, or worse. Most of the women who sold their bodies were victims, refugees from another life.

  “It appears she was branded when she entered the country, but recently tried to have it removed. I’ll give Clovis the medical record today. He’ll che
ck out her home, see the doctor, talk to neighbors, all the usual stuff.”

  “Jack, let me handle this. You’re trying to orchestrate everything and whoever is going to figure it out. Give Clovis the files you got from Novak and we’ll run with it. You’ve got enough on your plate and I know you must be worried sick about Carol Madison—I’m sorry.”

  I appreciated her sympathy and told her so, but I didn’t like turning anything over, not that I didn’t trust Micki or Clovis. Delegation never came easy for me.

  “Okay, but there’s more—I have a new suspect. The company that bought the table where Billy sat at the NFL Honors banquet is Red’s competitor, Logan Aerospace. Maggie has asked David Dickey to look into the company and its financials. One of their executives is Chuck Morrison, a guy I met that first weekend at Carol’s. He was lobbying Senator Boudreaux from Tennessee pretty hard. Something about fighters and drones.”

  “Hard to believe a government contractor would care about Billy Hopper or the future of the Lobos, but it’s an interesting development. You sure you aren’t just seeing suspects around every corner? Lots of corporations give money to attend banquets like the NFL Honors.”

  I had to agree. “You’re probably right. Still, why buy a table at the dinner, pay extra to have Billy at your table, and then send low level management with a company credit card? Doesn’t make sense. Besides when I talked to Billy he said one of the guys at the table said his boss lost a lot of money because Billy busted one of his fantasy pools.”

  “Let me look into that one, too. It makes sense for Billy’s lawyer to check out everyone who was at the banquet that night. It shouldn’t raise any red flags with whomever. But, corporate executives don’t set up athletes for murder because they lost money on fantasy sports. That theory is more than a little far-fetched.”

  “I know it is, but it’s all I’ve got right now. Look, just be careful.” I was suddenly worried.

  “Don’t I always have to be careful when we’re partners? It’s the price of working with your fantastic ass.” Micki and Larry must have had a good night.

  “I thought flirting was off-limits?”

  “That rule applies only to you. My flirting is the price of my coming on board.”

  “And I’m not supposed to reciprocate?” I asked.

  “Correct. And let’s not forget about Carol.”

  Time to get back to work.

  “What did you learn from Billy about his family’s background?”

  “He tried to hire a private investigator. He’d received a couple of anonymous notes from Bibb, Tennessee while he was playing ball saying the family was real proud of him.”

  “Does he still have a copy of those notes?” This could be a real breakthrough.

  “No. That’s the confusing part. He gave them to his agent who hired the investigator. The agent gave this guy the notes and five thousand dollars, didn’t think to make copies. The man promptly disappeared, and neither Billy nor the agent can find him.”

  “Billy’s agent seems to be very careless with his client’s money.”

  “I’ve got a meeting with him this afternoon. I’ve asked to see his contract and a complete accounting. The name of the PI, and the whereabouts of the notes are on the top of my list.”

  “Maybe we should find another investigator.” I suggested.

  “Jack, it’s Bibb, Tennessee. About all that’s left in Bibb are a post office, a gas station, a feed store, and the bar where Billy’s father was arrested. It’s in the mountains of east Tennessee. Billy said the investigator was from Knoxville.

  “By the way, I’ve sent Marshall home for a few days. Billy is gaining confidence in me, and Marshall really is a fish out of water at the office. Clovis still has people watching his house. Should we move out of the Hay-Adams? It’s so expensive. I don’t know why Marshall is so wed to the place.”

  “Marshall promised he would tell me ‘in due time.’ He must have a logical explanation. I thought it was probably time for him to go home. You were ahead of me, good job. I know the Hay-Adams is expensive, but I think you should stay. People will assume you’re just gouging your client like most every other lawyer. Besides, your room is currently bug free, and the hotel has promised Stella to keep it that way. I need her elsewhere.”

  Micki wanted to meet with Billy again before meeting with the agent, so she gave the phone to Beth who had just walked in with fresh coffee.

  “Hey, baby. Sorry to interfere with your life again.”

  “Dad, it’s not a problem. Paul, Clovis, and Maggie explained everything last night. When do I get to meet your new girlfriend?”

  Well, no beating around the bush. I paused before I answered.

  “Truth be told, I do want you to meet her, but she’s left the country for a while. I hope she can return soon.”

  “Wow—she must be something. Sounds like you are really into this woman. Actually, I’m sort of excited about being here—I’ve already asked Micki how I can help.”

  “Beth, Clovis brought you here because we thought you were in danger. Please listen to what they have to say, and don’t take any risks.”

  “Dad, it’s okay. They’ve already explained everything, but I do have one question.”

  “Okay, shoot.”

  “Billy Hopper? What he did was terrible. How can you try to get him off? Especially with what happened all those years ago?”

  Some lawyers have no problem representing clients who have been accused of heinous acts. Yes, everyone deserves counsel, but there are some cases I just couldn’t take on. Billy Hopper had almost fallen into that category.

  “Beth, three people you love very much and respect, Marshall, Micki and I, don’t believe he did it. I don’t think any of us would be involved if we believed he was guilty of such a brutal crime. We’re not just trying to get him off, we’re trying to gather enough evidence to prove someone else murdered that woman.”

  “Isn’t that a job for the police?”

  “Yes, but in this case all the evidence points to Billy. Those in authority tend to take the simple way out. We believe someone went to a lot of trouble to make it look like Billy murdered the woman.”

  “So, you honestly don’t think Billy Hopper murdered that poor woman?

  “No Beth, I don’t. I don’t know yet who did it or why, but I believe Billy is innocent.”

  “That’s all I needed to hear. Now—put me to work.”

  “Just do whatever Micki or Maggie asks. I have some ideas, but Micki’s running the show. And use your common sense: don’t go out on the town or even to Starbucks. Please.”

  “Can you and I at least have coffee or lunch or something?”

  Beth and I had always been close, but after Angie’s death we’d became even closer. It was hard to be in the same town and not get to be with her.

  “No, Beth, we can’t, at least not now. But I promise I won’t let you go back to New Orleans without us spending time together. I miss you.”

  “I miss you too, Dad.” I could hear her voice crack a little.

  Beth passed the phone to Maggie.

  “Micki has gone to the jail. Anything else you need before Clovis arrives at Barker’s?” she asked.

  “Yes. If I’m right, we are going to need to borrow Walter’s jet on Saturday. Can you check to see if it’s available?”

  “Sure. Are you going after your girlfriend?” I wasn’t sure if she was teasing.

  “No. I’m not going anywhere at all. If I’m right, Micki and Paul are going away for the weekend.”

  “Do they know yet, and may I tell the pilot where they’re going?”

  “No, and Knoxville, Tennessee. They’re going to spend a nice weekend in the mountains of Tennessee.”

  49

  I RETURNED TO my room to wait for Clovis, hoping he could get in. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to turn over in the box, but I had a long way to go before they were all visible. The work of putting them together to form the correct image usually
required some skill, more than a little luck, and a lot of perseverance. I felt confident we were right about Billy, but I couldn’t help but feel the occasional niggle of doubt.

  The quiet rap on the door about made me jump out of my skin, but I quickly opened the door to let Clovis in. I can’t tell you how good it was to see him. We took the first few minutes just catching up. Carol had come home, packed her bags, rented a Net Jet, and left the country, whereabouts known only to Pat. A lawyer had arrived at the Eastern Shore and arranged bail for the two assailants. Clovis said dryly that they might be out of jail, but he bet they weren’t out of the woods. The lawyer was with the multi-national law firm of Bird and Starling. I didn’t know him, but I could easily check him out.

  I decided to take the risk, and we walked down to the bar for lunch. Clovis had barbeque ribs and a pulled pork sandwich with slaw. For me the daily special was too tempting to resist—an enormous, hot corned beef and pastrami on rye. A cold beer was the perfect accompaniment. Barb wasn’t as warm and friendly as normal, probably hurt I because I’d chosen to eat in my room last night. Her attention to Clovis was another matter. I’d never seen him in a suit before. His custom tailored suit fit his All-American linebacker physique to a tee. He could be an announcer on ESPN. Barb couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

  “Nice suit.” I kidded him.

  “I didn’t know if there was a dress code and decided to be safe rather than sorry.”

  “You look good.” He really did.

  “Stella likes me better in jeans. She is more than a little jealous if you haven’t noticed.”

  “If Barb’s reaction is any indication, she is right to be worried.”

  Clovis shrugged my kidding off, but seemed unsettled by Barb’s presence. Until Stella came around, he’d always been nervous around any woman who showed him the slightest interest. He pulled out some drawings from the documents he brought. They were the floor plans of the hotel floor where Billy’s room was located. It showed a door between the adjoining room and Billy’s, but if the press was correct, the door had been locked from Billy’s side.