“All three are friendly acquaintances,” he said. “Men I play cards with once in a while. I’ve seen enough to never be surprised by what people will do, McKnight. Especially when money is involved.”
“Let’s talk about that money,” I said. “You’ll agree with me that whoever put this together had to know about the money in Vargas’s safe?”
“That makes sense.”
“Vargas claims he only mentioned the money in the safe once, at a poker game two months ago. Not even his wife knew about it.”
“Therefore you assume,” he said, “that one of the men present at that poker game must be responsible for the robbery.”
“Yes.”
“And that the same man must also be responsible for this frame-up you think these three innocent men are presently caught up in.”
“You’re doing beautifully,” I said. “Keep going.”
“And that if it was not in fact Jackie, Bennett, or Gill, it must have been either Kenny or myself. The two of us being the only other men who knew about the safe.”
“I don’t think it was Kenny,” I said.
“It wasn’t Kenny.”
“Kendrick, actually.”
“Kendrick. It wasn’t Kendrick.”
“You’re almost home,” I said. “One more step.”
He threw his hands up. “You’ve got one man left,” he said. “Swanson must have done it.”
“Did you?”
“I’m not under oath here.”
“Just tell me,” I said. “Did you do it?”
“No,” he said. “I didn’t. Why would I?”
“You said it yourself. People will do anything for a little money.”
“I said easy money. There’s a big difference. It’s only easy if you know you can get away with it.”
“I didn’t see you get arrested yesterday,” I said. “So far, you’re getting away with it just fine.”
“Let me ask you something. Let’s assume I set this up. You didn’t see me there, did you? I must have hired three men to break into his house.”
“Apparently, yes.”
“These three men, aren’t they entitled to some of the money?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’m sure they are.”
“How much money are we talking about? What did it say in the paper? Five thousand dollars?”
“That’s what Vargas told the police. You and I both know it was more.”
“Certainly. So let’s say it was what, fifty thousand dollars? A hundred thousand dollars? Let’s say it was a million dollars. A cool million in cash. That’s a pretty good haul, wouldn’t you say? I’m gonna hire three men to go in with guns to steal a million dollars, and then have them deliver it to me. Which of course they’ll do, because even though they’ve just ripped off a million dollars, they’re men of honor and they’re gonna stand by their promise to me. But now what do you think their cut should be? You think they’ll let me have a full share of it? Even though all I did was tell them about the safe, and then sit here in my easy chair while they committed armed robbery? Sure, let’s say they cut me in for a full quarter. Now I’ve got a quarter-million dollars. I’ve risked my entire legal career, which by the way will probably gross between five and ten million more dollars before I retire. I’ve risked going to prison for what, twenty or thirty years? Everything I own, every person in this world I care about…I’ve risked it all for two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Is this the way you see it, Mr. McKnight? Is this what you think really happened?”
I didn’t say anything. I sat there in the chair.
“Please, Mr. McKnight. I’d like an answer. If the answer is yes, I want to make sure I exclude you if you ever come up on jury duty. Because you’ll obviously believe anything.”
“You don’t have to get cute,” I said. “I’m sure it didn’t happen exactly that way.”
“Then how did it happen?”
“That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to find out, and I thought you could help me.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“As soon as you heard my name,” I said, “you ran for the hills. Do you blame me for being suspicious?”
“If you had told my secretary why you had wanted to see me, we could have avoided all this.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have experienced your wife’s carrot cake.”
“I think we’re done, Mr. McKnight. The door behind you leads right outside. I suggest you use it.”
“Please thank your wife again for me.”
“I’ll try to remember.”
I left through his office door, walked across his lawn to the street. Some kids came by on their bikes. Somebody started up a lawnmower. I got in the truck and stared out at nothing for a while.
Swanson was right. It was a tough way to make money, and riskier than hell.
So maybe it wasn’t about the money after all. Maybe it was something else.
Whatever it was, I hoped it would come to me before they measured Jackie for a prison uniform, or before my friend with the sweet cigars decided to make himself at home in my cabin again.
Or before somebody else got murdered.
It was time to go for broke. I picked up the phone and dialed Leon’s number. Then I started the truck and headed straight for Vargas’s house.
Chapter Sixteen
Leon picked up on the first ring.
“I’m on my way to see Mrs. Vargas,” I said. “Is she going to be home now?”
“Alex, what are you talking about? You can’t do that.”
“I’m doing it, Leon. You’re the guy who spent the last few weeks following her around, so I’m sure you know her routine. Will she be there?”
“I can’t tell you that, Alex. I’d be crossing a line here.”
“What about Vargas? Will he be there?”
“I can’t tell you that, either.”
“You’re just looking out for your client,” I said. “If he’s there, it could get ugly. You want me to have to hit him in the head again?”
“I knew that must have been you…He wouldn’t say so, but I knew it.”
“Just tell me who’s gonna be there.”
“Vargas shouldn’t be there for a couple more hours,” he said. “He should be at the store. He only goes down three days a week now. It’s such a long drive.”
“Okay, so his wife is there alone. That’s good.”
“I wouldn’t assume she’s alone, Alex. I’m afraid that when she knows her husband isn’t going to be home…”
“Relax,” I said. “I know Swanson isn’t there right now.”
“Alex, what are you doing?”
“I’m just driving around, asking people questions. What are you doing? How come you’re not tailing her anymore?”
“Vargas sort of lost interest in that. He seems to have his mind on other things right now.”
“Yeah, I bet. And you’re just sitting by the phone, waiting for him to call you?”
“I don’t deserve that, Alex. I’ve been helping you out here. I didn’t have to do that.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m sorry. It’s been kind of a long day.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
