Succubus Tear (Triune promise) (29 page)

“You have an appointment at five o’clock.”

Shane Harper looked up from the card to the Stratton Law Firm.
Now why on Earth would the Stratton Law Firm want to see me? I sure hope it hasn’t anything to do with my father. That business was done with years ago.

He tried the door, half expecting it to be locked, and was surprised that it wasn’t. The office looked as though it was undergoing a sort of cleaning. There were dozens of people drying off various pieces of furniture and collecting all sorts of books to be carefully dried.

There, seated behind an obsidian reception desk, sat a beautiful blonde lady. She looked up from a crossword puzzle and smiled brightly. “Good evening, monsieur, I am Jeannette Telannis. How can the law offices of Stratton help you?”

“Ma’am,’” Shane said as he tipped his hat and then removed it. “The precinct nearby had this card for me,” he said, handing it over.

“Ah yes! Monsieur Walter Stratton would like to speak with you, if it is not too much trouble, Monsieur Harper.” 

“No trouble, I got time.”
 

“Wonderful, please wait here. I shall inform Monsieur Stratton that you have arrived.”
 

Shane moved aside as the cleaning crew moved by with a large box of books to be dried. “Say, what happened here, buddy?” he asked one of the workers who was looking at him.
 

The man was about to speak when Jeannette returned. “Monsieur Stratton will see you,” she said warmly and gestured with her hand.
 

“Now hold up,” Shane said, glancing between Jeannette and the man. “What happened here?”
 

“Purification, and the fire system was tripped earlier by burnt popcorn. I’m just here to clean and dry stuff,” the man said.
 

Shane looked back to Jeannette and nodded. “Okay, let’s go.”
 

“Monsieur Shane Harper,” Jeannette said as she opened the door and gestured to one of the chairs.
 

“Ma’am. Sir.” Shane nodded, acknowledging them both.
 

“Thank you, Jeannette.”
 

“
Merci,
” Jeannette said, but didn’t leave the room. 

Shane sat and waited; he loved how people would give away so much more to a stone than a babbling brook.
 

“Shane Cole Harper, former Texas Ranger, now an agent for the FBI, Narcotics and Homicide Division. A higher ranking commando of a sort, though it isn’t an official rank,” Walter said, extending his hand. “It is good that we meet face-to-face at last.”
 

“You are quite informed, but I think you have me at a disadvantage here,” Shane said, taking Walter’s hand. “I hardly know anything about you.”
 

“I am sure you know more then you let on. But, if you forgive me, I am going to have to insist that you leave your eighteen sixty-seven Stetson with Miss Telannis.”
 

“What for?” Shane said suspiciously, as his hat wasn’t in sight.
 

Walter smiled like a viper. “Come now, Agent Harper,” Walter said smoothly. “I am a very private man, and I don’t like it when my conversations are recorded.” He nodded to Jeannette.
 

Well I’ll be damned! This is a first,
Shane thought to himself. “Now you take care of that, ma’am. It’s been in my family for seven generations now,” he said, handing over the hat to her. 

“Of course, Monsieur!” Jeannette said warmly and left the room.
 

Shane looked back at Walter. “And yours?”
 

Walter stood and grabbed a crystal decanter and two glasses. “Fifty-year-old scotch, would you like a drink?”
 

“Just one.”
 

Walter set the barware down next to a beautiful chess set on a side table.
He poured a generous amount in both tumblers. The room immediately filled with the tantalizing aroma that only scotch can produce. The pleasing amber fluid and scent drew his eye again to the chess set. The board appeared to be a complex interlocked stone work of black and white marble. The white pieces were polished silver, and the black-

“Hematite, not very rare, but I like the color, and I like playing black it has the better tactical advantage.”

“You play?” Shane said pointing to the set.

“After a fashion. I only play reverse chess now.”

Shane looked up, “Come again?”

Walter shrugged, “Regular chess is quite a…
diversion
. But, the best games I ever played were games I lost, but lost by manipulating every move my opponent made.”

Shane heard of chess like that. It was said to be a madman’s game. He quickly drew upon the sterotype Texan and feigned ignorance. “Ya lost me.”

Walter picked up a piece. “For every move there is a counter move. I manipulate, and maneuver my opponent to
win
against me. But, I am the one who ultimately controls my opponents. How can I lose if I control both sides of the board? I don’t, Agent Harper. I.
Never.
Lose.”

“So you throw every game? That ain’t too bright.”

Walter shrugged, “Perhaps we can play sometime, and I will show you. At anyrate, I don’t record my conversations, Agent Harper. As a lawyer, you can imagine I am involved in enough dirty business. I cause enough trouble as it is without blackmailing my clients, their opponents, or leaving the possibility of being blackmailed myself if recordings were to change hands.”

By now the aroma of Scotch in the air was so tantilzing Shane had to swallow, or risk salivating like a half starved hound.
Walter gestured to the tumblers, and continued to speak. “That is why I only involve myself in property. I am finished with silly notions of justice, innocence, guilt, law and order.” 

“That is an interesting statement for a lawyer,” Shane said, sniffing the drink and taking a sip.

Magnificent
.

“It is, but you will also notice that Jeanette did not use the phone lines to inform me of your arrival? I wanted to see if you would agree to a mutually beneficial arrangement that is”—Walter gestured with a head tilt and a swirl of his tumbler—“slightly beyond the bounds of the law.”
 

“Oh? And what would you have me do?”
 

“All in due time. I want to tell you what I will give you first. I know of two traitors in the local precinct. They just happen to be under the payroll of the cartel you have been trying to bring down. In fact, I think you already have your suspicions of who they are.”
 

Shane waited; he wasn’t going to let the fine scotch running through his blood take away his concentration or resolve.
 

“They are going to attempt a major delivery near the airport at about four in the morning. Strange, considering current events, but as you already know, the Tal-Voh excels at taking risks.” Walter produced a manila folder. “This has everything you need to catch them and several key members.”
 

“And what do you want in return?” Shane said, his mind racing.
 

“I want you to pull some strings with the district attorney, and whoever you have to, to allow an accessory to a spree killer to leave the county with no threat of extradition.”
 

Shane choked on his sip. “And who would this accessory be?”
 

Water smiled like a viper again. “Stella Fullson and or Charlie Tsukada.”
 

“Stella Fullson? An accessory to a spree killer? Since when did Charlie become an accessory to a killer? I would have known.”
 

Walter leaned back in his chair and placed the tips of his fingers together. “Oh yes, I forgot to mention that this killing hasn’t happened, yet.”
 

“Well, when will it happen then?” Shane said, leaning in close.
 

Walter sipped his scotch and sighed appreciatively. “Oh, about the exact time as the delivery for the cartel.”

Walter leaned forward, circling his finger on the crystal tumbler, making a low ringing sound. “I guess you’re gonna have to choose which one you want more.” He produced two more manila envelopes.

“This one has every likely escape route the spree killer could take. I’d say it would take about sixty percent of the nearby precincts to cover them all.” Walter poured himself another shot. “The cartel will have about twice that many guarding the shipment. Sending anything less than every available SWAT and tactical officer would be a bad blunder. It would result in dead men, and the big dogs getting away.”

Walter pointed to the second manila envelope that was sealed. “Although I suspect your new status as a hero will carry enough weight to sway the district attorney, strange things can happen. This envelope has enough blackmail on the current DA to give your
request
more than just a passing glance.” He set it down. “I’d suggest not opening that—it’s best if you didn’t know.” 

“Where do you get your information?” Shane asked in a low voice. “And why are you bringing all this to me?”
 

“Do you really want to know?”
 

Shane’s jaw dropped. “You’re not kiddin’.”
 

“Oh, I see no reason to not tell you. In fact, I think you’d make that much better a pawn if I do tell you.”
 

“I’m no one’s pawn!”
 

“We can argue that point later. Do you want to know?”
 

“Yeah, why not?”
 

“Everything that is sitting on this desk has been orchestrated by me.”
 

Shane’s mind barely comprehended what he heard; as his gears tried to handle this monkey wrench, Walter continued to speak.
 

“As for the two traitors, I was the one who got them in the Tal-Voh. The district attorney should never have attended that party I invited him to. Why, even you, Agent Harper. I kept my eye on you, ever since I first met your father. But, you haven’t been on my active radar until you took down one of my best smugglers with that boat trick you pulled off nine years ago.”

Walter stood and poured Shane another round and placed the decanter away. “Not that I hold a grudge—grudges are most unproductive.” He sat down. “You have grown in the last several years, and I am impressed with you.” 

“This—this can’t be happening,” Shane said, gulping down his drink.
 

“Is it so hard to believe that some people are good at planning things out?”
 

“Yes, but—”
 

“Ah, I see. Your disbelief stems from the fact that this planning came from
me
and not
you.
” 

“
Shut up!
” Shane stood and drew out his firearm. “Tell me something, son, did your King’s gambit include a bullet in your head? Or maybe I should counter with a Fischer defense, and cart your ass behind bars!” 

“Honestly? No.” Walter shrugged. “You can kill me
, or arrest me if you want. My office will hold everything you need to bring down a great deal of evil. But seriously, will it change the world?” Walter reached over and took a chess piece, a silver pawn. “There is no shame in being a pawn if you know it.” He set the pawn down with a slight flourish of his fingertips. “It gives you the ability to become something greater once you cross over to your opponent’s side.”

“Like a pawn becoming a knight?”
 

“Precisely.”

***

Walter Stratton was sitting at his desk, attending to some of the more mundane paperwork, and reveling in his newest acquisition when the phone chirped; it was Jeannette. “Yes.”

“Monsieur Stratton, there are two detectives with the local police force here. They wish to see you.”

Walter stifled a groan; he hated speaking to those two. “Send them in.”
 
 

“Merci.”
 

The door opened, and the detectives walked in and sat down without greeting or invitation.
 

So crude, no wonder Jeannette no longer shows them in.
 

“Something’s gone wrong. Some prick from the FBI vetoed the DA and the force. Neither of us is assigned to Cain.”
 

“I see, and who is?”
 

“A rookie, a little girl by the name of Fullson.”
 

Walter pretended to not know who they mentioned. It was so satisfying to let his pawns and his opponents think, when they were no good at it.
 

“I suppose you can’t be blamed in this matter. However, Cain still needs to be dealt with.”
 

One of the detectives shrugged. “I don’t see how that’s going to happen; Cain was released with all charges suspended.”