Long Shadows

Chapter 47

Andrews was going to recover, but it would take time. He had undergone surgery and was being transported back to a hospital in Ocean View. It was now just Decker and White as the visiting team taking over for the locals.

Patty Kelly’s body had been transported to Fort Myers and was currently undergoing an autopsy by Helen Jacobs. Steve Kelly had been informed of his wife’s murder. They had no leads on who had done the deed. Neither Decker nor White had gotten a good look at the car. There had been no license plate on the rear.

As Decker sat in his hotel room having a late breakfast after dealing with the Key Largo cops and driving back with White, he thought about Patty Kelly’s not even knowing her daughter had been murdered.

What does it matter now?

As he was having his final cup of coffee, White knocked on his door and he let her in. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and she had on a fresh set of clothes and looked ready for anything. She sat down and eyed him.

“Somebody followed us last night,” she said. “Or maybe they discovered where Kelly was.”

“No, if they had they would have beaten us to it. They definitely followed us from Steve Kelly’s place.”

“I never saw anyone back there.”

“Because they knew what they were doing.” He had a sudden thought. “Have our rental checked for a bug.”

“You think?”

“It would explain a lot.”

White made a call and then put her phone down. “Kelly managed to tell us some things before she died.”

“Discovered info, probably of a sensitive type. Draymont and Lancer were using it as blackmail to make some money.”

“Only what happened?” said White.

“They got their hands slammed in the cookie jar.”

“Whoever they were trying to blackmail are some serious people.”

“You don’t blackmail the penniless and powerless.”

White nodded. “I suppose. Do you really think Kelly didn’t know the who and the what?”

“We’ll never know now, will we?”

“So we’re back at square one then. And down an agent. You want me to see if they can dial somebody else up? Either from Fort Myers or maybe Miami or Tampa?”

“No,” said Decker emphatically. “Just you and me.”

“Is that a vote of confidence?”

“And it’s a vote of I don’t want to involve another person if I don’t have to. It would take too long to bring them up to speed and we don’t have the time.”

“FBI agent got shot. They take that seriously. I’m surprised they don’t have an army of agents down here beating the bushes regardless of what we think.”

“An army tends to muddy the ground. And it’s not the number of agents, it’s what the agents you have on the ground actually do.”

“You really don’t like working with people, do you?”

Decker rose. “You ready?”

“For what?”

“Another go at Gamma.”

“You really think they’re hiding something?”

“I do. And they may not even know they are.”

“Ms. Roe is not in today,” said the receptionist at Gamma’s front desk.

“Where is she?” asked Decker.

“I’m not authorized to give that information out.”

“Well, I can call Kasimira and ask her to tell you to give it out.”

“You know Ms. Roe?”

“She’s like a sister,” said Decker.

The woman looked at him doubtfully. “Then you better call your sister.”

Decker moved to the corner and made the call. It went right to voice mail. He left a message and walked back over to the receptionist. “Okay, we need to talk to anyone here who dealt with Alice Lancer and/or Alan Draymont.”

“I’ll have to check on that.”

“Great. We’ll stay right here while you do.”

With an annoyed look, the woman picked up the phone and made a series of calls. She finally put down the receiver. “They all appear to be out at the moment.”

“Did you know either of them?” asked White.

“Just to say hello.”

“And now they’re both dead. Mouths stuffed with money that came from the country where your founder, Kanak Roe, emigrated from,” said Decker. “What a hell of a coincidence.”

“I don’t know anything about that, but it doesn’t sound coincidental.”

“No, it doesn’t, does it?” said Decker. “Which explains why we’re here.”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Another woman died last night. It was connected to this case. And an FBI agent was shot.”

“I’m very sorry about that, but there is no one here to help you.”

White glanced at Decker and clearly saw the frustration building in the man.

“Well, thank you for being so unhelpful,” said White. She pulled on Decker’s sleeve and dragged him from the room.

Outside she said, “Okay, I know you want to blow a gasket, same with me. But we can’t. They’ll have their lawyers all over our asses, and then the call will go to DC and we might get pulled right off this sucker, which I know will piss you off even more.”

Decker looked sullen and uninterested in her words until he let out a deep breath and said, “You’re right. That was the stupid way to go. Now we need to do the smart.”

“Which is?”

“The real way to win a football game comes before you step on the field. You look at film, game plans, you study your opponent and his tendencies. You come to know him maybe better than he knows himself. It gives you a split-second advantage, but that’s really all you need.”

“So we’re going to...?”

“Learn exactly who and what Alice Lancer and Alan Draymont were. Because I don’t think this was their first rodeo when it comes to blackmail.”