Snitch

  “Doesn’t matter. You simply don’t use informants where there’s a personal history.”

  “I would hardly call five minutes at the prom a personal history.”

  “Maybe not for you, but what about for her?”

  “She’s already made it clear that I’m going to owe her.”

  Dozer threw up his hands. “That’s the last thing you want.”

  “It’s harmless,” Jesse said. “She just wants me to buy her a corsage and take her to dinner when this is all over with, assuming I’ll be able to get the DA to reduce the charges.”

  “And assuming she’ll be able to help us out. What makes you think she can?”

  “She’s been in contact with Mason. Mason checks in with his grandfather every week. No exceptions. She said his grandfather would tell her how to contact him. I guess while she was dating Mason, she made the old guy coffeecake.”

  Dozer shook his head. “You’re betting this whole deal on coffeecake?”

  “Never underestimate the power of cinnamon and sugar. The point is, she can lead us back to Mason. Someone got to Mason first. And that someone probably has a lot of influence over Mason, which means we have a good reason to find out who it is. And yes, I realize this whole thing would’ve been easier had I shown Brandi the night of her life back in nineteen eighty-seven.”

  “I don’t know, man. It’s always risky using a female informant.”

  “They can be really good informants.”

  “Yeah. Unless their hormones are all out of whack. Remember that one chick who would cry every time we tried to send her in to make some contact? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. She couldn’t even tell us why she was crying. I swore after that I would never use another female informant.”

  “Please,” Jesse said. “You have a short memory. It was all solved with chocolate.” Jesse turned to him. “Dozer, this is our chance. If we make a big bust on this thing, we have a chance to work some really great narcotics cases in Las Vegas.”

  “Were not out in the cold yet. Yeager’s got a plan. A good by the book plan.” Dozers eyes widened. “Oh no.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve got that look.”

  “What look?”

  “The one where you throw the book out the window.”

  “In case you or Yeager haven’t noticed, we don’t have much time to spare.”

  Dozer sighed and settled into his chair again. “I don’t have narcotics ambitions like you do. That’s why I joined this task force. Eventually, I want to leave undercover.” He glanced toward the patio door. “Sarah worries about me all the time. I’ve had my days of excitement and adventure. It’s time for a new chapter.”

  “I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Jesse said. “You’re gonna do some lame desk job?”

  “That’s not what I said. But my priorities have shifted. I want to come home at night to my children, be there for them. Who knows? Maybe I’ll make lieutenant someday.”

  Jesse kept his mouth shut.

  Dozer continued. “Look, man, why don’t you put some of that energy into helping Mack? She’s excited about undercover work. Maybe she could be good at this.”

  Jesse stared at the night sky. “Mack’s an enigma.”

  “She’s capable. She’s shown us that already.”

  “She’s capable of reciting the Bible like it’s the Miranda rights. I’d like to remind her she has the right to remain silent.”

  “Dude, I don’t get you. I mean, you’re practically glued to Kyle, wanting these blessings and prayers and—”

  “That’s different. I’m not pushing my views on anybody. I don’t sit there and order Kyle to go around the room and pray for everyone.”

  “Neither does Mack.”

  “Why are you so insistent on taking her side?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not taking her side. I just think you’re too hard on her, that’s all.”

  “Well, that’s the business. People were hard on me, and so it goes.”

  “All right, man. I can see there’s no changing your mind. What did Sergeant Yeager say when you told him you talked to Brandi?”

  “Uh … I haven’t exactly told him.”

  “What?”

  “I know what he’d say.”

  “You’re going behind his back? That’s career suicide!”

  “I just want to get her out and see what kind of connection she can make. If she scores, then I’ll let Sergeant Yeager know. If not, nothing’s lost.”

  “That’s going to send him through the roof.”

  “Maybe. But I’m willing to bet he’s as eager to break through on this case as I am. He’ll reprimand me on procedure, and then we’ll do what we came here to do.”

  “Whatever, man. But we never talked about this.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Dozer stood. “I gotta get inside. I’ve been gone too much lately and Sarah’s tired. We need to spend some time together.”

  “Right. Sure.” Dozer followed Jesse into the house and then walked him to the front door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Maybe he was a one-man show now. That was fine with him. He worked best by himself. Backed up by Elvis, Kyle, and the bullet.

  Chapter 33

  Ron watched Hank and Wiz remove the bumper from Ruth’s Cadillac. Mack stood beside him with a clipboard. “The car’s in good hands with Hank,” Mack said with a smile. “He knows how to be careful.”

  “I’m glad he’s here. He’s moving things along quickly. When are we expecting the totaled cars from the insurance companies?”

  “Should be in today, but they haven’t exactly been on schedule,” Mack said. “I talked to someone named Lisa who was certain they were on their way.”

  “Make sure everyone’s wearing their shop uniforms. We should be expecting business anytime.”

  “Wiz and I spent the afternoon passing out the fliers where you told us to. And Hank’s been giving Wiz, Dozer, and me a crash course in body shop.”

  “Is Hank comfortable dealing with the customers?” asked Ron.

  “Yeah. He’s enjoying this. He should be fine.”

  “Things could happen quickly. We need to be ready.”

  “We’re ready,” Mack said. “Hey, Sarge, I wanted to thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Giving me a chance. I know you took a gamble on me.”

  “Mack, you’re a fine officer. With some additional training, you’ll be ready for more undercover work.”

  Mack’s smile faded. “Additional training? You said you didn’t have any official training. You just got dropped into this and figured it out on your own.”

  “That was a long time ago. Things are different.”

  “What’s different?”

  Ron stopped watching Hank work and looked at Mack. “Jesse went to an undercover school. Training is a good thing. And by the way, where is Jesse?”

  “Sergeant Yeager, I’ve always believed in gaining experience. My parents kind of sheltered me. Their intentions were good, but I had a lot to learn, and quickly, before becoming a police officer. I’ve gained a lot of experience on the streets. I think I’m ready for this. I proved it to you once. Do you think I can’t do this?”

  “Did I say that?”

  “No, but I can read it on your face.”

  So she could read body language. Huh. That was a plus. She needed a lot more pluses.

  “I’m not like Jesse. Believe me, I realize that. But I have my own strengths.”

  “What makes you think Jesse’s got it all together?”

  “He’s confident. He can walk into any room and own it.”

  “And you think that’s a good thing?”

  “Well, you’ve got to make the bad guys think you’re a bad guy, right? You’ve got to make them afraid.”

  Ron gave her a gentle smile. “Not all criminals have huge egos. Sometimes it’s more effective to play the guy who doesn’t seem like a threat. If you play
it weak, they think they’re running the show, and that’s what you want. You want them to run their show right in front of you. In law enforcement, you have to find your niche. Not every cop is a great street officer. And not every cop is a great detective. You have to find your love. I knew a guy who hopped from one job to the next before landing in the K9 unit. He’s been there a long time now.”

  She put her hands on her hips, and her eyes shimmered with disappointment. “Why don’t you think I can do this? I want to know.”

  Ron bit his lip. How could he put it gently? A long stretch of silence passed, but Mack wasn’t going to back down. Ron drew in a deep breath. “Mack, you’ve got more character in your little finger than most people have in their entire body.”

  “But?”

  “You’re dedicated to your faith. I completely respect that. However, you’ve got to be able to separate that from your work, and I don’t think you can. Your faith encompasses you.”

  “Doesn’t it encompass you? We share the same faith.”

  Ron looked at his feet. That was a difficult question. “I had to separate the two a long time ago, Mack. The people I became while doing undercover weren’t real. My faith is real. I became a Christian when I was twenty-four years old, right before I started doing undercover work. But when I did undercover work, I had to become a completely different person to stay sane and to stay alive.”

  “Those two people never crossed paths? Not once?”

  Ron paused. Who was he kidding? For every undercover deal he did, he lost a little piece of himself. It was a necessary sacrifice.

  “I respect you,” Ron evaded.

  “But not as an undercover officer.”

  Ron felt horrible. He hated to shatter the dreams of a young officer, especially someone as nice as Mack. But he also couldn’t live with himself if he got her hopes up on false pretenses. “I’m sorry.”

  Mack folded her arms. “I’m going to prove you wrong.” Ron started to interrupt her, but she said, “There were plenty of people in the Bible nobody believed in. I know I’m different. Nobody has to tell me that. I figured it out a long time ago. Most of the time, it hasn’t made my life easy, but—”

  The sound of a phone ringing ended their conversation. The clank and whir of the body shop suddenly quieted. Hank and Wiz looked at Ron. He took a deep breath and motioned with his hands to keep the noise level going. He walked over to the phone and answered it. “Body shop.”

  “Ron Taylor?”

  “Yeah. Who’s this?”

  “My name is Bobby. I got word you were looking for some body parts.”

  “What’ve you got?”

  “What do you need?” Bobby asked.

  That was a good sign. They’d ask for specifics to make sure the shop was for real.

  “Parts without much trouble, if you know what I mean. I know I’ve got a Chrysler minivan coming in and a Toyota Sienna. What can you get me?”

  “I’ll have plenty for you to choose from if you don’t feel the need to bury me in paperwork.”

  “I pay in cash and don’t ask questions. And as long as you don’t ask questions, we should be fine.”

  “We meet in person first. I’m in this for the long run. Let’s just say I need a business partner. ”

  Ron took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t know you. How do I know you’re not setting me up?”

  “That’s why I want to meet you in person. Make sure we understand each other.”

  Ron let some silence go by.

  Bobby spoke up. “I can take my parts elsewhere. But if we work together we could both make a lot of money.”

  “You working with anybody else?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  “You know where Teddy’s is?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Meet me there at seven. You’ll be able to spot me. I use a cane.”

  “Right.”

  Ron hung up the phone and turned to the eager crowd. “Looks like we got us a hot one.”

  Brandi rolled down the window, stretched her neck, and thrust her face into the wind. She closed her eyes and smiled, her hair rippling in the breeze.

  “You want to eat bugs or something?” Jesse asked.

  She pulled herself back into the truck. “Just enjoying my freedom.”

  “Don’t get too excited. It’s temporary.”

  “The DA will listen to you though, right?”

  “You know I can’t guarantee anything. Connect us with Mason, and we’ll see. Tell me who he was running with.”

  “I don’t know names. He didn’t talk about that stuff. All I know was that he was going to Vegas a lot.”

  “You don’t know what for?”

  She sighed and rolled up the window. “Mason is a dreamer. He always thought he could do bigger and better, but he couldn’t shake bad habits. Every time he’d get something good going, like the job at the pub, he’d blow it by doing something stupid.” She glared at Jesse. “Don’t give me that look.”

  “What look? I’m watching the road.”

  “You look down on me. You think I’m a loser for staying with this guy.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You don’t have to say it. Look, Mason took care of me. Maybe he had a bit of a temper, but that was his only problem.”

  Jesse glanced sideways at her. “Mason’s got more problems than a bad temper. But it’s none of my business. I just need to find him.” Jesse pointed to a street sign. “Is this where I turn?”

  She nodded and Jesse headed down Miller Street.

  “Eight-thirteen,” she said. “There it is. The seventh one in this row.” Some of the trailers were decorated with plants and flowers, but eight-thirteen was stark and white and as plain as they come, except for the metal bars across the windows.

  “What’s his name again?”

  “Charles.”

  “All right. Remember, I’m a friend from high school; we were great buddies, etcetera, etcetera. I’m just trying to get back in touch with him.”

  Brandi started to squirm. “Um … there’s something you should know about Charles.”

  “What?” Jesse asked.

  “Well, you’re probably going to have to repeat the questions a lot.”

  “Does he have Alzheimer’s?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “I thought you told me he would know where Mason is.”

  “He should know. I’m just saying, we’re going to be here awhile.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  Brandi hedged and looked toward the trailer. “You’re just going to have to see it for yourself.”

  Rhyne threw down his cards. “I’m out.” He scooted back from the poker table and turned, hoping to find a lovely young lady carrying a tray of drinks. Of course, any lovely young lady, with or without drinks, would do. He wasn’t one for premature celebrations, but this time, he was almost certain the deal was sealed. One day down to the Mexican border. One day back. And he was on his way to becoming a wealthy man.

  “You look like you could use something to fill your time,” a voice said from behind him.

  Rhyne turned. “Bobby.”

  “I knew I’d find you here.”

  “You were looking for me?”

  “Well, I have to come looking for you these days. You cut us off.”

  “Nothing personal,” Rhyne said smoothly. “I’m just going a different direction, that’s all.”

  “With your clothes, too, it seems.” Bobby looked him over. “Luckily, I’m not one to hold grudges.”

  “Why would you have a grudge against me? You’re doing fine without me.”

  “News gets around, doesn’t it?” Bobby studied the large gold ring on his own finger, twisting it a few times. “Actually, I have a business proposal for you.”

  Rhyne smiled politely. Any business that Bobby was proposing couldn’t possibly be better than what he had now. But he held out his hands expectantly anyway. “Are you going to keep me guessi
ng?”

  Bobby looked pleased. “I met with a guy tonight at Teddy’s. He’s opening up a body shop on the west side of town.”

  “I’m not in that business anymore.”

  “Hear me out. Kind of a desperate old guy, if you ask me. His wife divorced him after thirty-something years. Moved here to start over. He’s willing to pay cash for parts.”

  “What kinds of parts?”

  “He’s got a Toyota Sienna with heavy front damage, including a busted up windshield, a Honda Civic with rear-end damage, and a Chrysler minivan that he says should probably be totaled, but he’s going to give it a shot.”

  “What’s the year on the Chrysler?”

  “Two thousand and two.”

  Rhyne put his fingers to his chin, rubbing the stubble he forgot to shave.

  “This guy’s willing to pay top dollar.”

  “What do you get out of it?” Rhyne asked.

  “A small finder’s fee.”

  “How small is small?”

  “Twenty percent. This guy will only deal with me. He doesn’t even have to know you exist.” Bobby’s eager eyes glanced around the room. “We can make a lot of money off this guy.”

  Rhyne could always be tempted by cash. His arrangement with the minivan was working nicely, but what would the owners do if he just stole it? Call the police and tell them that the guy who was giving them drugs in exchange for borrowing their car to go get more drugs has buckled on their deal and stripped it for parts?

  “I can hook him up with that Chrysler,” Rhyne finally said.

  “When?”

  “Tell him we’ll bring it by tomorrow morning for him to look at, but he can’t have it for three more days.”

  “We?” Bobby asked.

  “I want to come along, check this guy out. You’ll do all the talking. I’ll just hang back and observe. And yes, you’ll still get your cut.” He wasn’t about to let the van out of his sight.

  “Don’t spread the word, okay, man? I mean, this guy’s just starting out. He’s gonna need a lot of parts, and if we get him what he needs, then we make a lot of money.”

  “This is a one-time deal for me. I’ve got a car he needs, and we can do business, but after that, he’s all yours.”

  Bobby shrugged. “Whatever, man.”