Dead Men's Dust

don't mind admitting when I'm wrong. I thought I'd be flying into a sleepy town full of wooden shacks. Instead, I found a vibrant city to equal any in the midwestern U.S. I was knocked back by the sprawl of beautiful high-rise buildings, fine museums, and scenic parks along the banks of the Arkansas River.

    Not that Rink was gloating. His smile was all pleasure while pointing out the major landmarks, reminding me that Little Rock was the capital of the Natural State, and not some piss-pot backwater as I'd thought.

    'Pity we couldn't take the scenic route so I could see even more of your fine town.'

    We were in a rental car we'd picked up at Adams Field, otherwise known as Little Rock National Airport, following a four-hour flight from Tampa. The car was a regular sedan, nowhere near as flashy as Rink's Porsche, but clean and comfortable nonetheless. More trunk space, too. Rink drove. It was easier that way. This was his old stomping ground, and he could get us to our destination much quicker.

    That had been the plan. Yet it seemed to me that Rink must've been a cabdriver in a past life, judging by the winding way we took through town.

    'Yeah, Le Petit Roche sure has come a long way,' Rink said as he pushed the sedan through a downtown convention and entertainment district. I think Rink himself was impressed. 'I think you're forgettin' that this was Bill Clinton's first capital city, Hunter.'

    'I'm not forgetting, Rink. I didn't know. Full stop.'

    'Man, you're just too ignorant for your own good. Admit it, you weren't expecting anything like this, were you? We've even got the brand-new, one-of-a-kind William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park right here in Little Rock,' Rink said, indicating off to his right with a wave of his hand. 'It's sure a sight to behold.'

    'Like Disney World?' I asked.

    Rink frowned. I smiled unabashedly.

    'We far from Louise's place?' I asked.

    'Not too far. Another five minutes or so.'

    'You said that five minutes ago.'

    'I did. Now ain't that strange?'

    'Harvey going to be there?'

    'Said he'd meet us at a diner where we can speak to Louise on neutral ground. Doesn't want to be seen around her house in case anything comes back on him.' Rink gave a shrug. 'I don't know what he's gettin' all bowed up about. It's not as if Petoskey's the goddamn Godfather or nothin'.'

    'Like you said, though, he's got connections,' I said. 'I'm starting to worry that we're underestimating his outfit. City this big and important, he must be a key player if he's controlling the politicians.'

Rink shook his head.

    'Petoskey's a two-bit asshole playing at the big time, just like I told you. It's not as if he's got the governor in his pocket, just some minor politicians and low-ranking cops who're taking bribes for favors.'

    I grimaced, but nodded.

    Rink shot me a look. 'I'm telling you, man. There ain't nothin' to get riled up about. I know his type. Thirty years ago, he was froggiggin' for meat to put in his momma's stew, now he's eatin' the best cuisine and drivin' around in flashy cars. He's poor white trash actin' like a big important hotshot. On the grand scale of things, he's nobody. An' he knows it.'

    'Maybe, but he seems to have put the scare into John. He must have some sort of weight behind him.'

    'From what you told me, John ain't too hard to scare. Ran away from this weasely Shank character. I take it your brother's not the bravest dude on the planet?'

    My head shake was as much from memory as from disagreement.

    'He wasn't running from Shank. Shank was Jennifer's problem, not John's. There were others involved.'

    'I know, he'd shacked up with this Blake woman, too,' Rink said. 'He was runnin' from his marriage.'

    'Among other things,' I said.

    Rink pulled the rental over to the side of the road. He sat looking at me.

    'What haven't you told me, Hunter?'

    'I didn't think this had anything to do with what happened before,' I said, 'but now I'm not so sure.' I was pensive for a moment. Rink continued to give me the eye. 'I told you me and John had a falling out, yeah?'

    'Uh-huh. But you never told me why.'

    My face felt like clay, cold and clammy, as I rubbed my hands over my features. I was already tired, but more than that, thinking about John's predicament made me bone weary.

    'Not long after I resigned from the job, he came to me with a problem,' I said.

    'Go on,' Rink prompted.

    'He'd got himself involved with some real heavy-duty shit. Stupid son of a bitch had been playing cards and writing IOUs he couldn't hope to cover. First went his car, then the house. But it wasn't enough. He had nothing left and had no one to turn to.'

    'So you did the honorable thing?'

    'Yeah, I bailed them out. Jenny doesn't know it to this day. I gave John the cash to pay it off. But an addiction being what it is, John went and blew it on another sure bet. I called him on it— the money—and that's when we had the falling out. It was just a stupid argument.'