Risky Undertaking (10 page)

We clinked glasses.

“I'm sure you will be,” Susan said.

We drank, still standing.

“Good,” Kevin said. “Then I know you'll accept my gift. Tomorrow night you're my guests at Harrah's in Cherokee. I've made a reservation for dinner and booked you a room.” He winked at me. “I'll even stake you to a couple of hands of poker.”

I looked at Susan and she started laughing. We'd been had.

Chapter Ten

The next morning I went straight to Tommy Lee's office and summarized Kevin's proposal.

“I don't like it.” The sheriff stood from his desk and paced in a small circle. “Especially getting Susan involved.”

“What's going to happen? We sit in the poker room, play a few hands, and I watch Tyrell.”

“Watch him do what?”

“I don't know. Maybe make contact with someone. Whoever killed Panther had an accomplice.”

Tommy Lee dismissed my idea with a wave. “That won't happen in a poker game. I get the fact Kevin can't go near this guy and he wants someone to be his eyes and ears. But no offense, Barry, I've seen you play poker. Unless Kevin's providing you a big stake, you won't last twenty minutes. And I know Kevin. He's like a damn dog with a bone. He won't let go, and if he's got it in for Tyrell, he'll twist every coincidence or happenstance into proof of his case. I love the guy like a brother, but he can be a bull in a china shop.”

“You told me he was Boston's Detective of the Year.”

“Yeah. And he's broken some big investigations, but he's also been reprimanded for harassing suspects where there was insufficient evidence. Kevin sees things as black and white and justifies his actions accordingly. Shoot first, ask questions later.”

Tommy Lee's last statement triggered a sobering memory. The first time I met Kevin he'd been on suspension pending an inquiry into a shooting, a crossfire in which Kevin had accidentally killed his partner. And there was Tommy Lee's accurate assessment of me as a poker player.

“How about Archie Donovan? He's the best player I know.”

Tommy Lee's one eye widened in disbelief. “Did you hear what you said?”

I laughed. “Yeah, go ahead and have me committed. But he is a good poker player. And I don't want to disregard Kevin's view totally.”

Tommy Lee returned to his desk chair. “We've got more promising leads.”

“I know. I'm following up on the employment discrepancy of Darren Cransford. I also want to question Eddie Wolfe. Jimmy might have shared concerns with Eddie that he wouldn't tell his sister.”

Tommy Lee nodded. “And you were going back to the reservation this afternoon and then stay over?”

“Susan doesn't have another surgery till Thursday and she's covered her rounds.”

Tommy Lee drummed his fingers on his desk. “Oh, what the hell. Go ahead and humor Kevin. I'll cover your room. Kevin can stake Archie's expenses, but I'll be damned if I can see what Kevin hopes to accomplish.”

“What's the word on the ME report?”

“Late today at the earliest. More likely tomorrow morning. I'll call if there's something unusual.” Tommy Lee glanced at his watch. “Anything else?”

“Mack Collins came to see me yesterday evening.”

“About Luther?”

“Yeah.” I recapped the conversation with the state senator and the concern Panther's murder would become a weapon in the current political fight over casino legislation.

“I heard about the Catawba proposal,” Tommy Lee said. “Sheriff Tomlinson in Cleveland County said the business community ponied up a considerable lobby fund to push through a covenant with the tribe. He's worried they're so enamored with the increased revenue that they're not accounting for increased costs. This so-called Catawba reservation annex doesn't have the support systems of the Cherokee's Qualla Boundary. It's just sixteen acres of land to hold the casino and hotel. Tomlinson's telling them they'd better be braced for a strain on basic services, road congestion, and law enforcement. He envisions the need to significantly expand his department.”

“Money talks,” I said.

“Yeah, but at the end of the day there's got to be more money than just what flows into private enterprise. Tomlinson's department isn't going to rake it in like some building or road contractor who'll make a killing and move on to the next deal. He'll need ongoing public funds and he knows it.”

“Could Panther have been working against the Catawbas? Maybe he sees the casinos as a scourge across all the Native American tribes.”

“Maybe. The Catawba PR connection to Darren Cransford certainly has me curious. Run that to ground, and stay close to Mack Collins. Find out who he sees applying the most pressure on this Catawba petition. It will be whoever has the most to gain, so follow the money.”

“Follow the money.” The gospel I'd heard preached by every law enforcement investigator I'd ever known.

“What about Luther?” I asked. “We've got that discrepancy between his account of where he was Sunday night and what the guard at the gatehouse said.”

“Luther's not going anywhere. Let's see if we get some corroborating evidence that he went out. I'd like more than just Luther's word against the guard's.” Tommy Lee turned to a stack of papers on his desk. “Now, go on. Get out of here.”

I headed for the door.

“Barry.”

I stopped. “What?”

“If Archie can't do it, let Susan play the hand. She's gotta be better than you.”

“Thanks for your confidence.”

I returned to my desk and pulled Kevin Malone's card from my wallet. He'd scribbled his cell on the back and told me to call any time. It was eight thirty in the morning and I didn't feel guilty if I woke him.

He answered on the first ring. “What?”

“It's Barry. Can you talk a minute?”

“Yeah. I'm just grabbing a cup of coffee and a bagel. Tyrell's eating a full breakfast far enough away that he won't see me.”

“Is he alone?”

“So far. I expect he'll go up to the poker room from here.”

“Listen. I'd like to propose a change for tonight.”

“Hey, man, don't bail on me now.” Kevin's urgent tone bordered on desperation. “I need you to be my eyes.”

“Susan and I are still coming, but I don't think the poker cover will work for me.”

“You know how to play, don't you?”

“Sure. If the goal is losing, and losing quickly. I've never been in a casino before and my inexperience would stand out like a pig in a dog show. But I've got a guy who's a good player and would probably fit right in.”

“Yeah? Who's that?”

“Archie Donovan. He's part owner of the cemetery where Panther was killed. You met him when you were here before.”

There was a long pause, and then he said, “He was with the mayor, right?”

“Yeah.”

“He seems like a flake. They both do.”

“They have their moments,” I conceded. “But Archie's the best poker player I know. One other thing to consider is the chance someone might recognize me. If I'm called out as a deputy, it'll spook Tyrell for sure.”

Again, the phone was silent for a few seconds. “OK. Then you can meet me at six.”

“Where?”

“Better come to my room. You and Susan first. Have your friend arrive at six thirty so we'll have a chance to talk ahead of time.” Kevin gave me his room number.

“And if Archie can't do it, I'll give it my best shot.”

“That's all I'm asking,” he said. “I know you think it's a dead end, but I know Tyrell. If he was looking to gamble, he'd be in Vegas.”

“You said it's a tournament.”

“Yeah, but it doesn't officially start till tomorrow. There was really no need for Tyrell to come in last week. I'll get Archie Donovan signed up for Tyrell's table. I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem.”

“OK. I'll call Archie now so you can sub my name if he can't do it.”

“What are you doing the rest of the day?”

He asked the question in an offhanded manner, but I hesitated to give too many specifics to someone outside the department, even if he was Tommy Lee's friend.

“Some local follow up. We don't expect the full report from the ME until tomorrow. First, I need to track down Archie.”

“Then don't let me keep you. See you tonight.”

We hung up, and I was left with the feeling that Kevin hadn't told me everything.

Now that I had his blessing, my next challenge was enlisting Archie's aid without sending him into some fantasy of being an undercover agent. I was counting on his competitive streak to keep him focused on poker and nothing more. The beauty of the game was that carefully scrutinizing fellow players wouldn't be unusual. Archie could be hyperobservant as long as he kept his mouth shut.

His insurance office was on a cross street about two blocks from the Sheriff's Department. I decided against phoning him because Archie would start pummeling me with questions. Instead, the crisp fall morning offered the opportunity to walk. If Archie wasn't in, I'd at least get a little exercise.

DONOVAN INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS was painted against the arc of a rainbow on the front window. Centered underneath, a leprechaun with a face bearing a striking resemblance to Archie's held out a pot of gold. On the door, office hours were listed as nine to five. I entered.

Joan Hitchcock sat behind a desk facing the entrance. She looked up from a stack of papers. “Good morning, Barry.”

“Good morning. Is the wizard of Wall Street in yet?”

She laughed. “Come and gone.”

“When do you expect him?”

“After his third cup of coffee and second plate of waffles. He ran up to the Cardinal Café. But he'd better be back soon with my egg sandwich.” The scowl on her face told me she wasn't kidding.

Joan was probably in her early fifties. She had worked for Archie's father and Archie had given her a hefty raise when his father passed away. He understood Joan knew the business and the clients better than he did.

“Thanks,” I said. “I'll try to catch him there.”

“If you catch him, for God's sake don't hold him too long. I'm hungry.”

The Cardinal Café was around the corner on Main Street. I was afraid Archie would be camped out at a table with his cronies, and I didn't have the time to wait till he was alone.

The café owner, Helen Todd, stood behind the cash register replacing a spool of receipt paper. “Hi, Barry, the rush is over. Sit wherever you want.”

“I'm looking for Archie.”

She tossed her head toward the rear of the restaurant. “Back booth. But don't delay him. He's taking an egg sandwich to Joan.”

Clearly Joan had put out the word that Archie was on a mission.

“Is it ready?” I asked.

“No. The order goes in when Archie gets his third refill of coffee.”

“Give me five minutes and if need be, I'll take it to her myself.”

“OK. You've got five minutes with Archie. God help you.”

He sat in the booth, his back to the main dining area, staring at the untouched waffle on the plate in front of him. If this was his second serving, I saw no sign there had been a first.

Archie had taken two butter patties, placed them as eyes, and then squirted a broad U of syrup beneath them to create a smiley face. He was focused on the waffle like he expected it to speak to him.

“Archie?” I whispered.

No response. I slid onto the booth bench opposite him. “Archie,” I said louder.

He looked up and seemed momentarily bewildered to find himself sitting in a café. “Barry?”

“Archie, are you all right?”

He slid the plate aside. “I keep seeing that body on the grave. I can't get it out of my mind.”

I looked at the smiley-faced waffle, Archie's bizarre attempt to purge the image of Jimmy Panther's bloody head.

“And to think Luther could have done such a thing,” he said.

“We don't know that. Our investigation is just starting.”

“You talked to Luther?”

I decided I needed to share something with Archie if I was going to ask for his help. “Luther says he was home Sunday night. He appeared genuinely shocked that Panther had been killed.”

Archie shook his head. “Of course he'd say that. That's why I haven't called him. I can't bear to make him lie to me.”

Archie's quick conviction of Luther surprised me. Yes, Luther's attack on Panther had been vicious, but it was prompted by his rage in the moment. Maybe it was a side of Luther Archie had never seen. He couldn't separate that sight from the executed body on Eurleen's grave. I should have known Archie's mind would fixate on the most melodramatic possibility.

“We're pursuing other leads,” I said. “There's a chance Panther was abducted from the reservation.”

“So what? Luther knows how to drive.” He thought a second. “What if people think I'm an accomplice?”

“I'm sure you have an alibi.”

“But I don't. Gloria and the girls are still in Weaverville. I was home alone.”

“You're not a suspect, and you shouldn't worry about what other people think.” I lowered my voice. “In fact, you might be able to help us with the investigation.”

His eyes grew larger than the butter patties on the waffle. “Really? Like police work?”

I nodded solemnly. “You remember Kevin Malone, don't you?”

“That detective from Boston?”

“Yeah. He's trailing a man suspected of some killings in the Boston area. This guy came to Cherokee a few days before Panther died.”

“A Boston hit man? In Gainesboro?” Instead of looking frightened, Archie seemed excited. Like the President had announced a campaign stop in our town.

“It's a real long shot that he's involved with anything local,” I said. “He likes to play poker and there's a tournament at the casino this week. Odds are that's all there is to it.”

Archie eyed me skeptically. “Poker? What's that have to do with a dead Cherokee? More importantly, what's that have to do with me?”

“Kevin wants to see if his suspect makes contact with anyone. You know, at the gaming table.”

“This guy have a name?”