John Hart - Down River

“I just spoke to Candace Kane.”

“Grantham spoke to her yesterday.”

“What did she tell him?”

“I’m off the case, remember? I’m the last person Grantham will talk to. All I know is that he tracked her down.”

“She told Grantham that Danny hit her and that she hated him for it. That’s not entirely the truth. She loved him. He dumped her right before he died. Could be a motive.”

“You think she’s capable?”

“Of murder?” I looked up as Candace mounted the stairs. Her long legs pumped beneath pink, terry cloth shorts. The extra weight on her jiggled. “I don’t see it,” I said. “But she has four brothers. They may not like the scar on her face.”

“That’s a viable motive, but again… it was Dolf’s gun. I’ll run the names and see if any of them have a sheet. Who knows. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

She did not sound hopeful, and I understood. It all came back to the gun. It only made sense if Danny took the gun himself and somehow lost control of it. And that was thin. Danny knew how to handle himself. “Do you think Faith knows that his son is dead?”

“That depends on how deep he’s hiding.”

“Danny might have been into gambling. It looks like somebody beat him pretty badly four months ago. Might be gambling related.”

“Says who?”

“Candace Kane. George Tallman.”

“George, huh?”

I heard the disdain in her voice. “What do you have against him?”

“He’s an idiot.”

“Seems like more than that.”

She hesitated and I knew she was thinking about the question. “I don’t trust him.”

“Any particular reason?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Try me.”

“I’ve been a police officer for more than a few years. I know a lot of cops and a lot of criminals, and, in some ways, the two aren’t that different. Criminals have their good sides, if you can find them. Cops can run dark. You understand? Cops can’t be saints. The job won’t allow it. Too many bad people in your life. Too many bad days, bad decisions. It accumulates. Likewise, criminals are rarely bad all the time. They have kids. They have parents. Whatever. They’re human. Spend enough time around anyone, and you should see hints of both sides. That’s human nature. You see what I’m saying?”

“I think so.”

“I’ve worked with George Tallman for four years. I’ve never seen his dark side.”

“What’s your point?”

“Nobody is that easy. Nobody is that level, least of all a cop.”

She was wrong. I’d known George since he was in high school. He could not hide a feeling if he had to. I let it go, chalked it up to cynicism born of long years wearing a shield. “What about the gambling? Do you think there could be some tie-in there? Something to link it to Danny’s death? Candace Kane said that these bookies came looking for Danny. They went to the motel. They went to the farm. Have you seen anything that might support that kind of motive? Danny was killed on the farm.”

“There are some big game-makers in Charlotte. Highly profitable, highly illegal. If he was in over his head, it could get ugly.”

“Is anybody going to check it out?”

Her voice was not without pity. “Dolf confessed. Nobody is looking for alternate explanations. Any jury in the country would convict him.”

“Grantham has doubts about motive,” I said.

“It’s not up to Grantham. It’s up to the sheriff and he isn’t going to waste time or money when he already has what he wants.”

“Grantham thinks that Dolf might have confessed to protect my father.” Robin was silent. “That’s stupid, right?”

More silence.

“Robin?”

“Grantham’s smart. I’m trying to see this from his perspective. I’m thinking.”

“Well, think out loud.”

“Whoever killed Danny would have to know about the crack up on the knob.”

“That could be anybody. We used to have parties up there. Shoot skeet. I could name a hundred people that have been up there.”

“I’m just playing devil’s advocate, Adam. Danny’s killer would have to be strong enough to get the body in the hole. Your father has no handguns of his own, but has access to Dolf’s gun cabinet. Danny worked for him off and on. Plenty of opportunity for problems to fester. Did he have any reason to be upset with Danny?”

“I have no idea,” I said, but then thought of Jamie’s gambling. Danny was a bad influence. The family was short on cash.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you. Nothing makes sense without a motive.”

“For now, I’m going to assume that Danny’s death has something to do with the power plant or with his gambling. Whoever took his bets has already assaulted him once. I need to look into that.”

“Don’t. Not in Charlotte. Those guys are heavy hitters. They don’t like people messing around in their business. Cross the wrong one down there and you may find yourself in a world of trouble. I’m not kidding. I won’t be able to help you.”

I pictured Danny, spoiling for a fight then coming home to drink alone. Dolf, in a cell. Grace crumbling from the inside out. Grantham’s insinuation that Dolf was lying to protect my father. There was a piece missing, and somebody, somewhere knew what it was. I had no choice but to dig where I could. Deep down, Robin had to recognize that.

“I have to do something,” I said.

“Don’t, Adam. I’m asking you.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said, and continued before she could question the lie. “You’ll check on the brothers?”

“Yes.”

“Anything else I should know?”

“I doubt it means anything, but I’m guessing that Candy Kane wasn’t the only woman Danny dumped.”

“What do you mean?”

“Danny lived at the motel. We went through his room after his body was found. One of the windows was broken, patched with cardboard from a shoe box. On a dresser we found a rock sitting on top of a note. The note was yellow paper, unfolded, rock sitting on it like a paperweight. Looked like someone had wrapped the note around the rock and tossed it through the window. The rubber band was still on the rock. The Mexican guy, Emmanuel, thought he remembered that happening shortly before Danny went missing.”

“What did the note say?”

“ ‘Fuck you, too.’ ”

“How do you know it was from a woman?”

“Lip prints where a signature should be. Bright red lipstick.”

“Perfect,” I said.

“Sounds to me like Danny Faith was cleaning house.”

I called Jamie and got his voice mail. I left another message. Call me. Now. We need to talk. I hung up the phone, took a couple of steps, then opened it again. The fire was in me, and Jamie was part of it. Candace said he was still gambling, he and Danny. He’d lied to me about that. He should have called me back yesterday. I hit redial, and he answered on the second ring. I heard his breath first, then his voice, sullen and petulant. “What do you want, Adam?”

“Why didn’t you call me back?”

“Look, I’ve got shit to do.”

“I’m going to cut to the chase, Jamie. I found Danny’s girlfriend.”

“Which one?”

“The one that filed the warrant. Candace Kane.”

“Candy? I remember Candy.”

“She says that you’re still gambling. She says that you and Danny would take any game you could find. You lied to me about that.”

“First of all, I don’t answer to you. Second, that wasn’t gambling. That was a hundred bucks here and there. Just an excuse to get out and do something.”

“So, you’re not gambling?”

“Hell, no.”

“I still need the names of those bookies.”

“Why?”