The winter of Frankie Machine

79

“He’s in San Diego.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Tell that to Karen Foster. He was just there.”

“Where?”

“Rancho Santa Fe.”

“Shit.”

“It gets worse. He was asking about Summer Lorensen.”

Silence for a few seconds.

“This shit has to stop,” Garth says. “You don’t shut this down, our end of the deal is off.”

“You said you could shut down G-Sting…”

Dave sits in a van outside of Garth’s house, tapping into a conversation he’s having on the phone.

The other voice is unmistakable.

Teddy Migliore.

Dave goes back to the office. He feels sick to his stomach. Troy talks to Garth. Garth talks to Teddy. Teddy sends Detroit hitters out to whack Frank. Because of something Frank knows about a Summer Lorensen.

Summer Lorensen, Summer Lorensen…

There’s something there, lurking deep in the back of his head.

But it won’t come to him.

He gets on the computer. It only takes a few minutes to get a hit-Summer Lorensen was a prostitute murdered back in the summer of 1985. But what could that have to do with Donnie Garth? Or Frank Machianno, for that matter.

Dave goes back at it, searching for a nexus between Garth and the Lorensen woman.

Nothing comes up.

Then he searches for a connection between Garth and the date of Lorensen’s killing…

Bingo.

Hammond Savings and Loan. A boat party with prostitutes had ended up in the conviction of a savings and loan officer named John Saunders for misuse of bank funds. A madam named Karen Wilkenson got a couple of years for pandering. It was all part of the whole savings and loan scandal, and the party had occurred the night before the Lorensen murder.

He types in the name Karen Wilkenson and in a few seconds finds out that she married and is now Karen Foster.

Tell that to Karen Foster. He was just there.

Where?

Rancho Santa Fe.

Shit.

It gets worse. He was asking about Summer Lorensen.

Is it possible? Dave thinks. Donnie Garth killed this girl, somehow Frank knows about it, and then Garth goes to his old mob connections to kill Frank? Offering the shutdown of G-Sting in exchange?

But what makes Donnie Garth think he can shut down a federal operation?

Maybe the reason that a young FBI agent is feeding him information?

Dave looks over his shoulder and doesn’t see Troy. He walks down to the men’s room and spots the rookie’s pressed trousers underneath a stall. He waits until he hears a flush, then sees the trousers come up.

When Troy opens the stall door, Dave Hansen’s fist slams him back in. Blood from the kid’s broken nose sprays over his white shirt and his French cuffs. Dave grabs him by the throat, turns him over, and pushes his head into the toilet.

“Donnie Garth,” Dave says, jerking Troy’s head up.

“What-”

Dave forces his head back down and says, “Donnie Garth, you little shit. Is he paying you? How much?”

He lets Troy up again.

The young agent gasps for air.

Then he says, “I’m not working for Garth! I just report to him.”

“Who are you working for?” Dave asks.

Troy hesitates.

Dave starts to force his head back down.

Then Troy gives it up.