hardly have planted a bomb in your car.”
“You could have paid someone to do it.”
“And why would I do that?”
“That’s what I’m here to find out.”
“I need to get dressed. I have a dinner to go to tonight. If you want to continue this conversation, we’ll have to do it at another time.”
“Actually, we’ll do it right now.”
She stood. “I want you out of my house. Now!”
“And I want some answers. I’m here with the blessing of the police department.”
Jean’s lips parted but she said nothing.
“In other words, your sister knows I’m here.”
“I didn’t put a bomb in your car.”
“Under my car.”
“I didn’t do that either. What reason would I have to kill you?”
“That’s an easy one. I’m here to investigate a series of murders. If you or someone you’re connected to is involved in those crimes you’d naturally want me out of the way. So you invite me to lunch. You insist on driving. We come back and I almost go boom. You can see why I’m suspicious.”
She sat back down; her confidence seemed to drain away. “I… I can’t explain that. I don’t know what is going on.” When she looked back up there were tears in her eyes. “I’m telling you the truth, Puller.”
He watched her, debating the authenticity of those tears. He’d watched lots of suspects cry, from iron-hard soldiers to expectant moms to teenagers who’d lost their way as military brats.
“Just because you say it’s the truth doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said. “So until I find out otherwise, you’re officially a suspect. Do you understand that?”
She nodded dumbly.
“And if you have any information that would help me in my investigation, now would be a really good time to share it.”
“Information like what?”
“Like why is your husband so nervous. And don’t tell me it’s about death threats. I’ve come to the conclusion that that’s just bullshit. It happened before, with your brother, and I think he’s just using that as a convenient cover.”
“Cover for what?”
“He’s upgraded his security, Jean. The driver of his Escalade? He’s a former Marine.”
“How do you know that?”
“Army can sniff Marines out from a hundred miles away. The guy is a pro and he’s armed. And he’s new, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“It was a good choice. He’s light-years ahead of the old fart outside.”
“But his security here hasn’t really been increased. We still just have the same retired cop outside.”
“That’s because Roger isn’t here right now. So I guess he’s less concerned about your personal safety, or that of your daughter. His pro travels with him only.”
“What would he be afraid of?” she asked.
“You said he has lots of enemies. But they’re just the same old ones, right? How about something or someone new? That would justify the new muscle.”
“I can’t think of what that might be. As I said, I don’t get involved in Roger’s business.”
“If you keep lying to me, Jean, I will cuff you and haul your ass right out of here.”
More tears spilled from her eyes. “I don’t want to go to jail.”
“Then tell me the truth. You picked everything out at your B-and-B. Right down to the coffee cups. You know about business management. I’m betting you supervised the construction of this house, because judging from the interior decorating at Trent Exploration, that’s not Roger’s strong suit. So are you telling me you’ve ceded all knowledge of his business to him? Because I’m not buying it.”
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. The humidity weighed down on Puller. At least the desert had been a dry heat. He watched Jean. He was not going to break the silence. He was not going to get up and leave. He was just going to wait for her to finally crack.
“There are some problems at Trent Exploration.”
“Like what?”
“Like missing money. Diverted accounts. Offshore phantom banking relationships. Things that shouldn’t be there are. Things that should be there aren’t.”
“And Roger is aware of this?”
“Very.”
“What’s he doing about it?”
“Whatever he can, but his options are limited. He made some business decisions last year that required an infusion of capital. A lot of it. The revenues he thought would develop from those business decisions never materialized. The debts are still there. He thought he had money to cover it. But with all the money disappearing he’s in a cash flow bind. That’s why Roger was in New York, trying to get some financing help. But the banks still aren’t lending. They’ve tried everywhere they can think of.”
“And now death threats. Maybe from the people ripping him off?”
“I don’t know,” said Jean. “I really don’t.”
“Okay, Trent is a big company, but it’s not GE. And it’s located in a pretty small town. Are you telling me none of you have a clue or even a guess as to who is stealing the company blind? How about Randy?”
“Randy? Why would he do that?”
“He blames Roger for your parents’ death, for one thing.”
“Even so, he would be in no position to steal from Roger. He knows nothing about computers or financial transactions. This was done by people who are very familiar with both.”
“Maybe somebody he’s hooked up with.”
“In Drake? I don’t think so. The situation is getting desperate, though. Roger and Bill are running out of places to turn.”
He said, “How about you? If the company goes under do you lose everything, including the house?”
“Probably. But that’s why I’ve been building up my B-and-B. Not because I suspected Roger was having money troubles, but I… I guess I just wanted to be more independent.”
In spite of himself, Puller felt sorry for her.
“So Roger really has no idea where all this financial chicanery is coming from? He’s a real smart guy. How does he get ripped off and not know how?”
“It’s been driving him and Bill crazy. Their whole lives are tied up in this company. If it goes down, they go down.”
Puller said nothing. He just stared moodily off.
Jean eyed the scars on his neck.
“Middle East?”
He nodded.
“Remember I told you about the young man I loved?”
“The one who didn’t come back from Gulf One?”
“He looked a little like you.”
“Still wish he’d come back?”
“Still,” she said.
He looked around. “You wouldn’t have all this.”
“Maybe I don’t have it now.”
“Maybe you don’t.”
He rose.
“You’re not going to arrest me?”
“No. What you told me helps, though. I appreciate it.”
“I used to be a naturally honest person. Then I married Roger and things changed.”
He headed out the way he’d come in.
“What are you going to do?” she called after him.
“Find a killer.”
CHAPTER
71
“HEY, BILL, HOW GOES IT?”
Bill Strauss had just come out of the Trent office and was heading to his car. Puller was leaning against his Malibu. He’d been waiting out here for nearly an hour.
“Puller? What are you doing here?”
Puller pushed away from the car and walked toward the man. “My job. Got some questions. You have some time?”
Strauss glanced at his watch. “I’m actually late for a meeting.”
“It won’t take long.”
“It can’t wait?”
“Not really, no.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“Blasting last Sunday night. No public notice given. Who author
ized it?”
Strauss looked taken aback. “What are you talking about?”
“On Sunday night of last week blasting took place at one of the Trent operations. You have to give public notice. And blasting doesn’t usually take place on Sundays. You have to get special permission. The notice wasn’t given. Was the special permission obtained?”
“I’d have to check the records.”
“Roger said he knew nothing about it. Who at your company oversees that stuff?”
“Technically I do as COO. But I have a lot of duties and I have to delegate. We have people who cover the blasting authorizations and appropriate notice provisions.”
“Then they would be the ones I should talk to?”
“They would. Unfortunately, they’re not at this office. They work in Charleston.”
“Can I get their contact information?”
“Why is this important? Those people weren’t killed at the mining operation.”
“It’s still important. So you’ll get me the contact info?”
“Okay,” Strauss said slowly.
“Great, I’ll expect it tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure—”
Puller cut in. “Seen your son lately?”
“No, why?”
“Just wondering. You a member of the Xanadu club?”
“What? No, I’m not.”
“I’ll let you get on to your meeting.”
Puller climbed in the Malibu and drove off. On the way he called Dickie and made arrangements to meet with him that night.
When Puller got back to the motel there was a shiny blue Bentley parked out front, and Roger Trent was at the wheel.
CHAPTER
72
“I ASSUME YOU’RE LOOKING for me since there’s no one else staying here,” said Puller.
Trent had on dark slacks and a white open-collared shirt. A cigar was in one hand. His face was red, the corpuscles around his thick nose swollen. As Puller drew closer he smelled the alcohol on the man’s breath.
“You sure you should be piloting that thing around in your condition?”
“What condition is that?”
“One called inebriated.”
“I’m not even close. I have a big appetite for everything.”
Puller looked at the man’s gut. “I can see that. You ever think about Weight Watchers?”
“You’ve been pulling my chain ever since we met.”
“You’re a hard person to love, Roger.”
To Puller’s surprise the other man started laughing. “Well, at least you’re honest. I understand you and my lovely wife went to lunch today. At Vera Felicita.”
“Her invite, not mine.”
“Not saying otherwise. But you accepted.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“She’s very nice company. Did she tell you what happened afterwards?”
“That someone put a bomb under your car, yes, she did mention that. That’s why I came by, to tell you she had nothing to do with it.”
“Thanks, that’s a big relief.”
“I was just thinking that we both have a lot in common.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“Somebody obviously wants us dead.”
“They’re just phoning you. I’m the one getting the bombs.”
Trent leaned against his Bentley. “You ever wonder why I haven’t moved away from here? I could live anywhere, you know.”
“You wife prefers Italy, I know that.”
“That’s my wife. I’m talking about me.”
“Okay, yeah, I have wondered. And I can tell you’re itching to tell me. Big fish in a little pond syndrome?”
“Hardly that simple. You see, Puller, I don’t have a need to be loved. Far from it. You don’t go into the coal mining business to be loved. I like being loathed. It gets my juices going. I love it, actually. Everybody against me. You see, in Drake, I’m the underdog. A rich underdog, the richest in fact. But still the underdog.”
“You ever thought about getting counseling?”
Trent laughed again. “I like you. I’m not sure why. Hell, maybe I do know why. You hate me too, but you do it on a different level. You do it to my face, not behind my back like all the others around here.”
“Does that include your family?”
Trent leisurely blew a smoke ring and watched it drift upward and then disappear.
From the nearby woods the cicadas started up.
“Probably. Sam can’t stand me. Randy is a whack job. Jean loves my money.”
“One big happy family.”
“But I can’t blame folks. Remember, I said jealousy? It’s true. I bet you’re a hotshot soldier. Probably were in combat in the Middle East. Got a slew of medals.”
“You just come up with that on your own?”
“I checked you out. Yeah, I bet it was rough over there. But let me tell you what real combat is like. Business is combat. And to win you’ve got to be an asshole. No marshmallows make it to the top in business. It’s kill or be killed. And if you’re not at the top, you’re at the bottom. And that’s where most people will live their whole lives.” He flicked his cigar to remove some dangling ash and then put it to his lips.
“Thanks for the Business 101, Roger. Now why don’t you talk to me about your financial problems?”
The cigar sagged in the man’s mouth and the mirth-filled look in his eyes vanished. “What financial problems?”
“You checked me out, I checked you out.”