Jeff Abbott - Black Joint Point

‘You’re the one on this buried treasure kick, right?’ Gordell said.

‘I prefer to think of it as archaeological relics,’ Whit said. ‘This whacked-out supposed treasure hunter, Albert Exley or Allen Eck or Alex, I want y’all to find out who this guy is.’

Grimes’s lips tightened. ‘We’re appreciative of the information you gave Officer Salazar and to the other local authorities. But please understand, these various threads that may tie to a case, those are for us to sort out and prioritize, Your Honor.’

‘Let me tell you why this matters. This Alex, this certifiable nutcase, was in New Orleans when Danny Laffite’s cousin got murdered. He put a poor woman through a window because she might have heard someone telling him he “got” the wrong guy. I think Danny Laffite had been in touch with Stoney Vaughn in the weeks before, trying to cut a deal to finance a dig for this treasure. But Stoney got greedy and sent Alex to steal Danny’s evidence about the treasure and kill him. Only Alex killed the wrong person at Danny’s house. Danny must have phoned Stoney after the New Orleans break-in, and Stoney freaked at the thought Danny was still alive.’ He stopped, looked at the two agents. ‘So if I were you, I’d be looking really hard at Stoney Vaughn’s phone records. See if he called the Bayou Mee Motel in New Orleans. See if he had incoming calls from New Orleans or from South Carolina, where Danny Laffite was when his cousin got killed.’

‘We’ve heard this is your style,’ Gordell said. ‘Not sticking to your judicial duties.’ But Grimes was looking at him, head tilted slightly, with interest.

‘You shouldn’t listen to rumors,’ Whit said. ‘Has there been a ransom demand made for Stoney?’

‘Thank you for coming by, Judge Mosley.’ Gordell stood, didn’t offer a hand to shake.

‘I’m thinking Stoney didn’t want to pay five million. Did he not have it? Maybe y’all are checking his finances, finding some holes… I could see him taking off.’

‘Judge-’ Grimes blinked at him, like he couldn’t believe the words.

‘I wouldn’t buy a single share of a penny stock from that guy. And he had someone in the house here with him, I’m pretty sure.’

‘Did you see someone?’ Gordell asked.

‘No. But I felt watched. Stoney didn’t want me in the house. I asked him to lend me a book and he said no, he didn’t have one, looked back three times at the windows in a twenty-second period.’

‘But you didn’t see anyone.’

‘No, I didn’t. But there was a beige van here that’s not here anymore. A Chrysler, I think. I didn’t notice the license plates.’ And that made him feel stupid, that if he’d been so suspicious he should have made a note of it. ‘I don’t think Stoney Vaughn has acted alone in this, and I think this Alex guy may be helping him. We have a description of him. We want people to be looking for him, too.’

‘That’s fine,’ Grimes said. ‘Give us the info, we’ll see if there’s anything to it.’

‘Thank you, Judge,’ Gordell said. ‘We’ll call you if-’

‘Since I’ve answered your questions while you’ve looked at me like I was a urine sample,’ Whit said, ‘maybe you’ll defrost slightly and help me. I’d like to speak with Ben Vaughn, and I’m guessing he’s under your protection at the moment.’

‘Speak with him why?’

‘For the inquest into the Gilbert/Tran murders.’

‘He’s recuperating. Probably not up to questioning,’ Gordell said. He stood, signaling the interview was complete. ‘And we have certainly not treated you like a urine sample, sir.’ He gave Grimes a glance: This is a judge?

‘I just need five minutes with him.’

‘We’ll ask him for you,’ Grimes said after a moment’s hesitation.

‘Thank you,’ Whit said and stood.

‘Judge Mosley,’ Gordell said, ‘I Understand you’re a big fish in a little pond here. But we think for a second you’re interfering or fucking around with us, you’ll be the small-town magistrate in front of a federal magistrate. You understand me, sir?’

‘I understand you, sir,’ Whit said. ‘And if you don’t take me seriously and follow up on this Alex guy, I’m going to call every television station in Corpus Christi, Houston, and San Antonio and tell them that the FBI is purposely ignoring findings presented by the Encina County coroner. Me.’ Whit smiled. ‘It may only be news for a few minutes. But it’ll be news.’

Gordell’s mouth worked like he had a bee lodged in his gums.

Claudia saw Ben Saturday morning, after the FBI and the police had questioned, him further. A guard stood outside his door, watching the nurses. She came into his room and he opened his eyes. He looked pale, a thick bruise on his face, his dark hair little-boy tousled on the pillow.

Thank God,’ Ben said and she came to the bed, crawled in next to him, hugged him. He hugged back, winced a little.

‘Are you hurt? They said you were okay…’

‘The ribs, a little, but not bad.’ His voice was throaty. ‘Face hurts. Jesus, I’m glad you’re okay. Gar said he was going to-’

‘He didn’t. Danny shot him.’

’That’s what your ex told me.’

‘You spoke with David?’ She sat up.

‘Yeah,’ Ben said. ‘I mean, he questioned me last night. For about an hour, around three in the morning or so, once they really couldn’t find Stoney anywhere.’

‘Please be kidding. He didn’t.’

‘Sure. Claudia, it’s fine. If it helps them find my brother.’

‘Did David behave?’

‘Perfect gentleman.’

‘That’s somehow worse.’ She touched his chest. ‘Tell me what happened. Everything.’

‘Gar… was furious about not getting the money. He said he was going to rape you. The other guy-’

‘His name is Zack,’ she said.

‘Zack, then. He freaked. I wanted to reason with him, tell him to call Gar off, but he belted me across the face with his gun.’ He touched at the livid bruise on his battered nose, his cheek. ‘When I woke up he had me tied and handcuffed in the forward cabin’s head.’

‘Where did he take you?’

‘I think in circles. He didn’t know much about boats, sweetie,’ Ben said. ‘Then he panicked, tried to call Danny on his boat, didn’t get an answer.’

‘Danny never mentioned that. He told me Zack would probably kill you.’

‘The dumb shit probably couldn’t operate the radio right. Asking on the wrong channels. But he did figure out the phone. I heard him make a call, asking someone to come and get him, he was stuck out on the Gulf in a big fucking boat he couldn’t drive with a hostage. Crying about his boyfriend, cussing Stoney for not being on the boat and it all going down wrong. You would’ve thought his car had broken down and he was calling roadside assistance.’

‘But Zack left Gar. He cut the lines.’

‘I don’t think so, Claudia. From what I heard, I think Gar cut those. To keep his boyfriend from interfering with him going after you.’

Claudia let out a long breath. ‘So someone came and rescued him?’

‘Not exactly. He told me he’d gotten the boat in close to shore and he didn’t know how to drop the anchor but he was gonna swim in. Said all this to me through the closed door of the head. I kept thinking, he’s gonna open it up, shoot me. Then he says he doesn’t want to face a murder charge. Says he’ll let me be if I just say Gar and Danny were behind it all, maybe do him a favor, not mention him. I’m saying, sure, not a problem. Thinking he’s just going to shoot me when it comes time for him to leave. But then he was gone. I didn’t hear another boat draw close, and I started hoping, he didn’t set the anchor, we might be drifting into the Intracoastal. I was hoping to be a threat to navigation. Jesus, it’d mean people found me.’