Small Crimes (11 page)

I
wasn't too worried about his boys trying to collect from me. I had gone out on
jobs with both of them in the past, and while they Were tough and vicious, they
weren't used to their victims fighting back. You get somewhat spoiled when the
guy you're beating is always cowering on his knees. Maybe I'd surprise them -
take one of them out quickly and then deal with the other. What bothered me
more was the whole setup. It smelled like something Manny would come up with to
tie me to Ferguson's murder. I wondered briefly about it, but then decided it
didn't matter. I had more important things to worry about and, anyway,
Wednesday was a long way away. Hopefully, I'd be far from Bradley by then.

I
finished my pie and ice cream and lingered somewhat over my coffee before
heading out. I had only driven a mile from the diner when someone flashed their
lights behind me. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Dan Pleasant in his
pickup truck waving me over. I pulled over to the side of the road and waited
for him to pull up behind me. He got out of his truck, casually walked to my
passenger side, rapped on the window, and then opened the door and sat inside.

'Why
don't you drive around,' he said.

I
shifted the car into first gear and pulled back onto the road. 'How'd you know
where to find me?' I asked.

Out
of the corner of my eye I could see Dan smiling pleasantly. 'One of my
deputies, Hal Wheely, spotted you sitting in the Star Diner with Junior and
gave me a call. I've been waiting out here close to a half-hour for you to
finish up. I'll tell you, Joe, that was an interesting situation you got
yourself into last night. The police report read like a bad Hollywood script. I
would've thought you'd try to be smarter and keep a low profile.'

'It
was just one of those things,' I said.

'Just
one of those things?' Dan chuckled softly. I guess that's one way of describing
it. So tell me, Joe, did it happen the way you said it?'

'Yeah,
pretty much.'

He
seemed somewhat amused as he studied the area where I had been scratched.
'Looks like she did a pretty good job on you,' he said.

'It's
not too bad. I'll live.'

'I
can just picture it.' He chuckled again. 'Little Clara Coakley luring you with
her nice ass and small tits and you falling for it hook, line and sinker. Even
with her small tits she's a good-looking girl, but let me explain the ropes to
you. You're forty, a disgraced ex-cop, a felon, no job, no prospects, and at
best average looking. There're not too many twenty-something-year-old girls,
especially attractive ones like Clara, who'd have any interest in you.'

"Thanks
for the pep talk. Did one of your deputies spot her car parked near my
parents'?’

‘What
do you think, Joe?’

‘Pretty
much that.'

'After
those two boys were brought to the emergency ward, the hospital called my
office. Our DA friend should have called me also, but I guess it slipped his
mind. Any case, I dragged myself out of a warm bed for you, Joe. I visited your
Bradley police station, read the police report, and thought I'd help clear the
matter up quickly. Let me tell you what I was hoping. That you'd be smart
enough to make a deal with our DA friend. Nothing outrageous, just something
fair like you don't file charges against his little girl and he leaves sleeping
dogs lie. Or in our case, cancer-ridden dogs. Tell me you did that.'

'I
thought about it, but no, I didn't.'

'Damn
it!' He punched the dashboard. His face screwed up into a snarl, the type you'd
see on a wounded animal. Just as quickly it was gone and his pleasant smile was
back. He sighed, still smiling pleasantly, 'Joe, Joe, Joe. Why didn't you do
that? I really thought you'd be smart enough to do that.'

'Because
it wouldn't have done any good,' I said.

'I
think it could've done a lot of good.'

'No,
it wouldn't. He would've brought charges against his daughter without blinking
an eye. If I had offered him a deal it would have only made him dig harder.
Besides, he knows no jury around here would convict her.'

Dan
thought over what I said and shook his head. 'I think you're outguessing
yourself. You're probably right about Clara walking with nothing but a slap on
her pretty behind, but it would still be a nasty business and I don't think
he'd want to put her through that. Why don't you do us both a favor and visit
Coakley tomorrow and threaten to press charges against Clara.'

'Trust
me, I was there with Phil last night. I saw the way he was taking it. If I
tried suggesting a deal, he'd bring me up on obstruction of justice charges.'

'Well,
Joe,' he said, 'you know that I like to play the percentages. I thought this
would be a simpler and less risky way to resolve our problem, but it's your
call. As long as you resolve it, I'm satisfied. I have to tell you, though,
time is ticking away. I'd really like to see our problem resolved with Plan A,
but I'm afraid I might have to go to Plan B soon.'

'I
wasn't bluffing years ago when I told you about my safety deposit box.'

'I
didn't think you were.'

'You'll
do jail time if anything happens to me.'

'I
know I will.' He gave a heavy sigh. 'But, Joe, as I told you before, I like to
play the percentages. If Manny talks, which I consider a certainty, I'll go
away for a very long time. From what you've told me about the contents of your
safety deposit box, I think the only thing that can hurt me is that tape. I've
talked to a lawyer and I'm pretty sure your journal won't be able to cause me
too much damage. Some, but not much. In any case, purely from a percentage
point of view, I'm better off with that scenario than with Manny talking. From
a personal point of view, I'd hate to do it. I like you, Joe, and I'm not
terribly fond of either our DA or Manny.'

'And
you think you can get away with murdering me?'

He
made a sour face and shrugged. 'Again, I'd hate to go in that direction, but
yes, I think so. You get picked up by my deputies, a struggle ensues, and then
we have the inevitable outcome.'

'And
you've had practice with that.'

'Joe,
I'm not saying one way or the other.'

'You're
not thinking clearly,' I said. 'If I were to drop dead right now it wouldn't
stop Phil from trying to coax a confession out of Manny.'

Dan
was still smiling pleasantly, but his smile seemed frozen on his face. 'I'm
playing the percentages with that also. I think if you're out of the picture,
Coakley will let things drop. I might be wrong. We'll see. On another subject,
you visit Manny yet?'

I
nodded.

'And
did you reach the same opinion as me - that he's about to screw us?'

'I
saw him while Phil was reading him the Bible. You're right, he's not the Manny
I used to know. He's a scared man who's trying to bargain his way into heaven.
My guess, he's trying to work out a deal with his lawyer to protect Junior.'

'Sonofabitch!'
Dan exploded. I saw Harold Grayson a few days ago and he couldn't look me in
the eye. Damn, I should've known better. Joe, as a friend, I'm telling you to
make a choice and get it over with. Manny or Coakley, either one. Just get it
done. Time's running out, understand?'

I
didn't say anything.

He
took a deep breath and let it out loudly. 'Even without Plan B, I know you
wouldn't want to spend the rest of your days in prison. So act smart now, okay?
If you don't think you can make a deal with our DA friend, then choose between
them and get it done.'

We
drove in silence for a while. I turned my car around and headed back to his
pickup truck. He let out another heavy sigh and asked me about my dinner with
Junior.

'I
thought I could talk sense into that psycho. All he has to do is either move
his old man out of state or keep Phil from visiting him, but he won't consider
it. According to Junior, his old man's not a rat and that's all there is to
it.'

'I
could've saved you the trouble. I tried talking to Junior a few weeks ago. He's
not right in the head. And he's certainly a one hundred percent certifiable
psycho. Of course, that's nothing we didn't already know.'

'He
could barely control himself when I pushed him about Manny confessing,' I said.

'I
can imagine that.' His eyes crinkled with amusement. 'Junior's got some complex
concerning his old man. You should see it, Joe, if Manny so much as raises his
voice to him or reprimands him, Junior goes pale as a sheet. Probably wets
himself also. He's not capable of standing up to Manny about anything,
especially questioning who can visit him or where he's going to live out his
final days. If it were that simple, I would've taken care of this weeks ago.'

I
decided it wouldn't be a good idea to mention about Junior siccing his thugs on
me to collect thirty grand. Instead I told him how Junior had invited me to his
basement to show me a new game room.

'He
did that, huh?' Dan said, laughing slightly.

'Yep.'

'I
guess for him it probably is a game room,' he said. 'What's he got down there?'

'Junior's
built himself a soundproof room with two items in it; a butcher's table and a
furnace.'

Dan
rubbed a hand across his eyes. I glanced over and saw that his smile had faded.
He looked different, weary, his boyish features gone.

'Manny's
been sick for about a year now,' he said. 'He was always a ruthless, tough
bastard, but he was sane and his bottom line was business. You could work with
him. Since Junior's taken over, it's been different. The guy's a sadistic nut
job who gets off on showing the world what a badass he is. Money's secondary
with him. If I didn't have to worry about consequences with Manny, I would've
taken Junior into the woods months ago and put a bullet in his head.'

Dan
stopped to push a hand through his hair and scratch the back of his head. When
he looked back at me, he gave me a faint, almost apologetic smile.

'Let
me tell you about this special room he built,' he continued. 'This college kid
up in Burlington was supposedly manufacturing and distributing crystal meth without
Junior's blessing. A few months ago this kid disappears without a trace, and
then a rumor starts circulating about Junior's special room and how Junior had
this college kid brought there and tied to the butcher's table. According to
the rumor, Junior chopped the kid up with a meat cleaver and burned the body
parts in the furnace. I had to investigate it. Even though I knew it could end
up biting me in the ass with Manny, I had to look into it. So I got a search
warrant and sure enough I found a soundproof room with nothing in it but a
butcher's table and a furnace. Forensics went over it with a fine-tooth comb
but Junior must have scrubbed it clean.'

'And
you would've arrested Junior if you found anything?'

'I
would've had to,' he said. 'I know this must sound out of character for me, but
I would've had to take my chances with Manny. Some things you just can't
ignore. But I promise you this; when Manny checks out Junior will be following
close behind.'

I
had gotten back to Dan's truck. I swung a quick U-turn and pulled up behind it.

He
turned to me and placed a hand on my arm in a brotherly sort of way. His
pleasant smile was back on, but it didn't quite erase the weariness around his
eyes. 'Look, Joe,' he said, 'I know it's been almost eight years. As a friend
I've taken care of things. Go to Kelley's, have yourself a good time.'

He
started to get out of my car but stopped and faced me again. 'You've got two
days left, Joe. Take care of it, okay?'

I
half heard myself asking how I was supposed to get to Manny while he was being
monitored twenty-four hours a day in the hospital.

'You're
a smart man, think of something. If you can't there's always our DA friend.'

'If
anything happens to Phil I'm the first guy they'll go after,' I said.

He
stared at me for what seemed like minutes. 'Worst case get yourself a hunting
rifle and wait outside his door Monday night. I'll make sure my boys bungle the
investigation.'

I
knew he was lying. I also knew the Bradley police would take charge of any murder
within the city limits. If the Bradley police got a strong whiff that I was
involved, which they would, then his deputies would step in and take care of
me. Maybe he wouldn't even take that chance and would have his deputies waiting
nearby to deal with me on the spot. He was simply improvising on Plan B where
Phil and I both ended up dead.