«What did it say?»
«Mostly gibberish. I don’t really remember. The Bradfords kept it. Claimed it was private thoughts. We were able to confirm it was her handwriting. That’s all I cared about.»
«You mentioned in the police report that Anita still showed signs of the earlier assault.»
Wickner nodded.
«So you must have been suspicious.»
«Suspicious of what? Sure, I wondered. But I didn’t see any connection. A maid suffers a beating three weeks before the suicide of her employer. What’s one thing got to do with the other?»
Myron nodded slowly. It made sense, he guessed. He checked the clock behind Wickner’s head. Fifteen minutes more, he estimated. And then Win would have to approach carefully. Making his way around the motion detectors would take time. Myron took a deep breath. Win would make it. He always did.
«There’s more,» Wickner said.
Myron looked at him and waited.
«I saw Anita Slaughter one last time,» Wickner said. «Nine months later. At the Holiday Inn.»
Myron realized that he was holding his breath. Wickner put down the weapon on the desk – well out of Myron’s reach – and grabbed hold of a whiskey bottle. He took a swig and then picked up the shotgun again.
He aimed it at Myron.
«You’re wondering why I’m telling you all this.» Wickner’s words came out a bit more slurred now. The barrel was still pointed at Myron, growing larger, an angry dark mouth trying to swallow him whole.
«The thought crossed my mind,» Myron said.
Wickner smiled. Then he let loose a deep breath, lowered his aim a bit, and started in again. «I wasn’t on duty that night. Neither was Roy. He called me at home and said the Bradfords needed a favor. I told him the Bradfords could go to hell, I wasn’t their personal security service. But it was all bluster.
«Anyway, Roy told me to put on a uniform and meet him at the Holiday Inn. I went, of course. We hooked up in the parking lot. I asked Roy what was up. He said that one of the Bradford kids had screwed up again. I said, screwed up how? Roy said he didn’t know the details. It was girl trouble. He had gotten fresh, or they had taken too many drugs. Something like that. Understand now that this was twenty years ago. Terms like date rape didn’t exist back then. You go back to a hotel room with a guy, well, let’s just say you got what you got. I’m not defending it. I’m just saying it was the way that it was.
«So I asked him what we were supposed to do. Roy said that we just had to seal off the floor. See, there was a wedding going on and a big convention. The place was mobbed, and the room was in a fairly public spot. So they needed us to keep people away so they could clean up whatever mess there was. Roy and I positioned ourselves at either end of the corridor. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t really think I had much of a choice. What was I going to do, report them? The Bradfords already had their hooks into me. The payoff for fixing the suicide would come out. So would all the rest. And not just about me but about my buddies on the force. Cops react funny when they’re threatened.» He pointed to the floor. «Look what Roy was willing to do to his own partner.»
Myron nodded.
«So we cleared the floor. And then I saw Old Man Bradford’s so-called security expert. Creepy little guy. Scared the piss out of me. Sam something.»
«Sam Richards,» Myron said.
«Yeah, right, Richards. That’s the guy. He spewed out the same dribble I’d already heard. Girl trouble. Nothing to worry about. He’d clean it up. The girl was a little shaky, but they’d get her patched up and pay her off. It would all go away. That’s how it is with the rich. Money cleans all spills. So the first thing this Sam guy does is carry the girl out. I wasn’t supposed to see it. I was supposed to stay down at the end of the corridor. But I looked anyway. Sam had her wrapped in a sheet and carried her over his shoulder like a fireman. But for a split second I saw her face. And I knew who it was. Anita Slaughter. Her eyes were closed. She hung over his shoulder like a bag of oats.»
Wickner took a plaid handkerchief out of his pocket. He unfolded it slowly and wiped his nose as if he were buffing a fender. Then he folded it up again and put it back in his pocket. «I didn’t like what I saw,» he said. «So I ran over to Roy and told him we had to stop it. Roy said, how would we explain even being here? What would we say, that we were helping Bradford cover up a smaller crime? He was right, of course. There was nothing we could do. So I went back to the end of the corridor. Sam was back in the room by now. I heard him using a vacuum. He took his time and cleaned the entire room. I kept telling myself it was no big deal. She was just a black woman from Newark. Hell, they all did drugs, right? And she was gorgeous. Probably partying with one of the Bradford boys and it got out of hand. Maybe she OD’d. Maybe Sam was going to take her someplace and get her some help and give her money. Just like he said. So I watched Sam finish cleaning up. I saw him get in the car. And I saw him drive away with Chance Bradford.»
«Chance?» Myron repeated. «Chance Bradford was there?»
«Yes. Chance was the boy in trouble.» Wickner sat back. He stared at the gun. «And that’s the end of my tale, Myron.»
«Wait a second. Anita Slaughter checked into that hotel with her daughter. Did you see her there?»
«No.»
«Do you have any idea where Brenda is now?»
«She probably got tangled up with the Bradfords. Like her mother.»
«Help me save her, Eli.»
Wickner shook his head. «I’m tired, Myron. And I got nothing more to say.»
Eli Wickner lifted the shotgun.
«It’s going to come out,» Myron said. «Even if you kill me, you can’t cover it all up.»
Wickner nodded. «I know.» He didn’t lower the weapon.
«My telephone is on,» Myron continued quickly. «My friend has heard every word. Even if you kill me-»
«I know that too, Myron.» A tear slid out of Eli’s eye. He tossed Myron a small key. For the handcuffs. «Tell everyone I’m sorry.»
Then he put the shotgun in his mouth.
Myron tried to bolt from the chair, the cuff holding him back. He yelled, «No!» But the sound was drowned out by the blast of the shotgun. Bats squealed and flew away. Then all was silent again.
33
Win arrived a few minutes later. He looked down at the two bodies and said, «Tidy.»
Myron did not reply.
«Did you touch anything?»
«I already wiped the place down,» Myron said.
«A request,» Win said.
Myron looked at him.
«Next time a gun is fired under similar circumstances, say something immediately. A good example might be 'I’m not dead.'«
«Next time,» Myron said.
They left the cabin. They drove to a nearby twenty-four-hour supermarket. Myron parked the Taurus and got in the Jag with Win.
«Where to?» Win asked.
«You heard what Wickner said?»
«Yes.»
«What do you make of it?»
«I’m still processing,» Win said. «But clearly the answer lies within Bradford Farms.»
«So most likely does Brenda.»
Win nodded. «If she’s still alive.»
«So that’s where we should go.»
