Stuart Woods: Short Straw

"Get him for me, will you?"

"He's left town for a week, but I asked him if he'd be willing to testify to that in court, and he said yes."

Eagle went into his office and called Bob Martinez, the district attorney for Santa Fe County.

"Morning, Ed."

"Morning, Bob. You all right?"

"Can't complain."

"Judge O'Hara laid the Joe Big Bear case on me Friday afternoon."

"I guess you'll want the lab reports and the detectives' notes."

"I don't think I'll need them."

"Oh, yeah? You want to plead him to three counts of first-degree?"

"Nope. You know, I really can't believe that the cops could do such a lousy investigation on a triple homicide."

"What are you talking about?"

"Big Bear told them he was working all day, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but so what? If I'd just done three people, I'd say something like that, too."

"Of course you would, Bob, but in Big Bear's case, he can prove it."

"How's he gonna do that? He got some friends to give him an alibi, maybe?"

"No, he worked all morning on a perfect stranger's car and all afternoon on another perfect stranger's car. And he had his invoice books in his briefcase in his truck to prove it. We spoke with both customers, and they both back him up. Didn't your people search his pickup?"

"Well, they already had the murder weapon; why should they search his truck?"

"To save themselves a lot of man-hours. You got a pencil?"

"Sure."

"Write this down." Eagle gave him the names and numbers of both customers. "The second guy is out of town for a week and unreachable, but he says he'll testify. Big Bear was at his house from one-thirty to four-fifteen, then he went to the Gun Club on Airport Road and played pool until six o'clock; the bartender backs his story. He stopped at a liquor store on the way home and picked up a bottle. I drove the route, and it took eight minutes to get from the Gun Club to the trailer. He called in the crime at six-ten, and he says the blood in the bedroom was already dried at that time. I'll bet you a hundred bucks your lab report backs that up. What does your man estimate as time of death?"

"Between three and four," Martinez replied.

"So you've got the wrong guy."

"Do you really think you're going to get bail with a story like that?"

"Bail? With a story like that, I'm going to get the charges dismissed."

"Dream on, Ed."

"I'm going to petition for a hearing; you'll be hearing from the judge."

"Suit yourself."

They both hung up, then Eagle's secretary buzzed him. "Russell Norris on the phone."

"Great!" Eagle picked up the phone. "Russell? What's happening?"

"Well, I'm calling from the bank in Mexico City; I have the vice president in charge of personal accounts right here, and he'd like to speak to you."

"I'd be glad to speak to him."

"Hello, Mr. Eagle? This is Emiliano Rodriguez speaking."

"Good morning, Mr. Rodriguez."

"Would you be good enough, please, to tell me the circumstances of your wife's wire transfer?"

"I'd be happy to. My wife made two unauthorized wire transfers, nine hundred and thirty thousand dollars from the account of my law firm, and a hundred and seventy thousand dollars from my personal account."

"And how do I know these transactions were unauthorized?"

"If they were authorized, Mr. Rodriguez, you and I would not be having this conversation. I should tell you that she also instructed my stockbrokers to wire another four million dollars, the proceeds of the sale of all my stocks, but I was able to stop that transaction before it took place."

"Well, Mr. Eagle, if you will give me a notarized affidavit to that effect, I will stop further withdrawals on the remaining balance in Mrs. Eagle's account, pending the results of an investigation by my bank."

" Remaining funds? How much is still in the account?"

"On Friday last, on faxed instructions of Mrs. Eagle, I wired three hundred thousand dollars to a bank in Puerto Vallarta, and this morning I was going to wire further amounts to banks in Cozumel and Rio de Janeiro, but I have not yet done so."

"Mr. Rodriguez, I will fax you a notarized affidavit within the hour, and I will FedEx the original document today for delivery tomorrow. How long will your investigation take?"

"It will take a day or two to appoint an outside investigator, for purposes of objectivity. He will interview both you and Mrs. Eagle and anyone else necessary, then submit his recommendations. I should think this would take ten days to two weeks. Then the board of the bank will make a judgment on the matter, so in all, two to three weeks, I imagine."

"Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez. I am pleased that we have been able to avoid a complex international legal action in this matter. You will have the fax of the affidavit this morning. May I speak to Mr. Norris, please?"

"Ed?"

"Russell, that was brilliant; thank you."

"Ed, I think it would be a good idea if I stayed on here long enough to talk personally to the bank's investigator."

Eagle thought about this. "Good idea. I've already impressed on Mr. Rodriguez the possibility of legal action, should we not get a favorable solution."

"Good. I'll be in touch."

Eagle hung up the phone and buzzed for Betty. He felt enormously relieved. If he could get out of this with the loss of only three hundred thousand, he'd be a very lucky man.

Betty came in.

"Take an affidavit," Eagle said.

VITTORIO LEFT THE PUERTO VALLARTA AIRPORT, TOSSED his carry-on into the back of a taxi and got in.

"Buenos dias, senor," the driver said.

"Amigo," Vittorio replied, "what are the three best hotels in Puerto Vallarta?"

"Well, senor, there are many fine hotels, but if I must, I will name three." He did so.

"Okay, let's start with those." Vittorio broke the seal on the box containing his guns, which he had checked through, and returned them and the magazines to his holsters. The first two desk clerks took his money and denied all knowledge of Barbara Eagle, under any name. At the third hotel, the clerk came up with a guest named Barbara Kennerly.

"Is Senorita Kennerly in her room now?" Vittorio asked.

"No, I saw her walk through the lobby in her swimsuit a few minutes ago, toward the pool," the clerk said.

Vittorio asked for a room and checked in. Upstairs, he got into his swimsuit and put the Keltec.380 and his cell phone into his small briefcase, got into the provided robe and walked down to the pool.

Barbara Eagle was lying in the hot sun, lotion lathered on her very handsome body, reading a paperback book.

Vittorio waved at a waiter.

"What may I get you, senor?" the man asked.

"A Diet Coke. And tell me, can guests receive phone calls at the pool?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you take a phone to a guest?"

"No, sir. A guest receiving a call would need to go to the outside bar to receive it."

"Thank you." The man went to get his drink, and Vittorio called Ed Eagle.

"Vittorio? Where are you?"

"In Puerto Vallarta."

"Any luck yet?"

"I'm looking at her across a swimming pool."

"Can you get her on the phone?"

"Hang on a minute." The waiter was returning with his Diet Coke. "You see the woman, there?" he asked nodding.

"Yes, senor."

"I want you to take her this cell phone. Her name is Senorita Kennerly. Tell her she has a call and hand her the phone." He gave the man the phone and a ten-dollar bill. "Keep an eye on her, and be sure you get the phone back when she hangs up."

"Yes, senor." The man placed the open cell phone on his tray and walked around the pool. Vittorio watched sidelong through his sunglasses as the waiter approached. She stared at him for a moment, then picked up the phone.