He said it again, staring at her, “But you didn’t.”
“Because I didn’t
He took a few moments to stare.
“Where’s the bag she gave you?”
“She didn’t
“You took time to pay her.”
“I had to.”
“You could’ve left your purchases.”
“Weren’t you or someone there watching me?”
Nicolet didn’t answer.
“I was frantic. I didn’t know what to do.”
“So you took the shopping bag with your purchases and went to meet Sheronda.”
“After I looked for you. I went straight to Barnie’s, you weren’t there. Was I being watched or not?”
“You were under surveillance, yeah.”
“Ray, how am I supposed to get anyone’s attention, let them know what happened? You didn’t tell me how to do that, did you?”
Nicolet paused, but didn’t answer. He said, “You took Sheronda’s bag and left the one with the new clothes.”
“A skirt and jacket.”
“You bought ’em for yourself, didn’t you?”
“I felt sorry for her. I told you, she has no idea what this is about. You looked in the boxes—did you take the clothes?”
“We’ll hold them for the time being.”
“Did she tell you about the other time? The woman who came and switched bags with her after I left the ten thousand?”
Nicolet said, “Wait a minute.”
“Ask her about it.”
“You tell me.”
“I just did.”
“What’s the woman’s name?”
“I don’t know. Sheronda said Ordell’s aunty. He changed the plan that time and he did it again, or else Melanie was on her own.”
“There was a guy with her.”
“Not in the fitting room.”
“Melanie was seen coming out,” Nicolet said. “Our agent doesn’t know who this is, but the bag’s identical to the one you had. Our agent sees this guy tussle with her and take the shopping bag. He holds on to it like it’s pretty valuable. So our agent follows them to see where they’re going and make contact with other agents, alert them. . . .”
Jackie said, “This is the one who had trouble with her body mike?”
Nicolet stared, not saying a word.
“Got Muzak playing in her ear?”
“There was some interference, yeah. Soon as she located another agent he radioed a description. . . .”
“So she wasn’t around when I came out of the fitting room,” Jackie said, “looking all over for you.”
“By the time you got to Barnie’s we were on you again. Saw you come out and go meet Sheronda.” He paused. “The guy with Melanie, that was Louis Gara?”
“I didn’t see him,” Jackie said. “I was in my underwear.”
“A white guy.”
“Probably Louis. He killed Melanie?”
“It’s possible.”
“And ran off with the money, or took it to
Ordell?” Nicolet waited, giving her the stare again. “I don’t want to find out you were working something with Louis.” “Don’t worry.”
“You’re saying you don’t know what happened to that fifty thousand.”
“I have no idea.”
“You’ll take a polygraph on it?”
“If it’ll make you happy.”
She watched him staring again in silence. It wasn’t his best pose, the deadpan cop; it lacked confidence.
He said, “I hope you haven’t done anything dumb. If Louis took the money, Ordell could come after you to find out what happened.”
“Aren’t you watching him?”
“I have those four kids ready to point him out in federal court, but I want him with the marked bills too.”
He hadn’t answered the question. Jackie said, “I have a feeling you don’t know where he is.”
“He isn’t going anywhere,” Nicolet said, “if he doesn’t have the money.”
“You do know that much,” Jackie said, “it was-n’t delivered to him. Or you don’t think it was.”
Nicolet’s intercom buzzed.
He picked up his phone, said “Yeah,” in a quiet tone, listened for a minute, hung up, and said to Jackie, “Excuse me.” He put his hand on her shoulder as he walked out past her.
That was nice. Telling her they were still friends; nothing personal, just doing his job. Or he simply wanted to touch her. Either way, she took it as a good sign. He wanted to believe her story.
She wondered what Max was doing at this moment; if he’d already taken care of the money. When she asked where he was going to hide it Max said, “You don’t hide a half million dollars, you put it in the bank. First Union, in a lockbox.” She told him, “Don’t have a heart attack, okay? I won’t be able to get it out.” Be honest with Max and he smiled.
Nicolet came back in the office. He sat down at the desk again to face her before he said, “Louis Gara’s dead. Lake Park Police found him in his car, shot twice by someone who had to’ve been, in the consensus of opinion, a friend, huh?—who jammed the gun against his body and blew him away.”
Jackie kept quiet.
“Ordell left his apartment at five twenty,” Nicolet said. “He drove a few blocks up to the beach mall there, parked in back, and went in the bar. He never came out.”
“You mean you lost him,” Jackie said.
Nicolet’s set expression didn’t change. “Louis could’ve picked him up, he had time. They drive up to Northlake Boulevard together, where Louis was found. . . .”
Jackie waited.
“What would Louis be doing around there?” “I have no idea,” Jackie said. “A bar, some joint Ordell liked to frequent?” “I never met him in a bar.” “If he calls, you’ll let me know?” “Yeah, but I don’t know why he would.” Nicolet said, “He still has money in Freeport,
doesn’t he? Or is it all here now? Maybe not half
a million, but more than fifty grand?” Jackie said, “Ray, you saw what I had.” “What you showed me.” “You think I took some of it?” “I have no evidence of your taking
You didn’t pay for your new duds with marked bills; I was glad to see that. You’ve been helping us out, you gave us Melanie, Louis, so I have to believe your story. That is, as much as what you told me.”
Jackie waited.
“I’ll settle for Ordell with the marked bills. If you have something else going you haven’t told me about, it’s between you and him. All I’m gonna say is, I hope we find him before he finds you.”
