Long Shadows

Chapter 79

“Something on your mind?” asked Decker as he stared across the width of the table at White in the hotel restaurant.

“Why do you ask?”

“You seem off.”

White shrugged and drank from her glass of water. “It’s the case. It’s frustrating.”

Decker kept his gaze on her for a moment longer and then looked away. “Yeah.”

“So, you found out Dennis Langley is broke?”

“He should have cut off his assistant’s access to the financial files before he told her he was marrying Chase.”

“What are you going to do with the info?”

“Info I’m not supposed to have.”

“Look, it’s not like I have any love for the woman, but I have even less for Langley. And he did attack that prostitute and got away with it. And I don’t want any woman or any person to suffer the same at his hands.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know that I printed out what I took pictures of, put it in an envelope, and dropped it through the slot at her office. I also added an unsigned note telling Chase to make sure to do a prenup if she decides to go through with the quickie wedding. And I highlighted the fact that the bill for her engagement ring already went to collection. Apparently, Langley bought it a month ago and then stiffed the dealer. And the Bentley’s not far behind.”

“Wow, I wish I had a ringside seat for that.”

“Who knows, we might.”

“At least you had something positive happen. I struck out on Tanner’s aide and the dead woman. And I sent you the results of the other inquiries. A bunch of nothing.”

“The Tanner piece is not surprising, since it was over forty years ago. It might take a miracle.”

She eyed him nervously. Decker was quick to pick up on it.

“If you don’t tell me what you want to tell me, I think you might actually explode with the built-up pressure,” he said.

She sighed and sat back. “I might need a cigarette before I do.”

“Or you could just tell me and save your lungs.”

“Decker, have you made enemies at the Bureau?”

He shrugged. “I don’t dress the part. And I’m a little annoying to work with. You might have noticed.”

White smiled weakly. “I did, but just a bit.”

“Why do you ask?”

“They have a lot of agents down here. They didn’t need us to come down and investigate this. And they didn’t even let Andrews know we were coming. That way he had no path to object.”

He eyed her shrewdly. “Any idea why we are here?”

“You’re really good, Decker. I mean, really good, if unorthodox. And that might be your undoing.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning maybe this case is a way for the Bureau to pull out a thorn in its side.”

He drank his beer down and set the glass on the table. “So I blow this, I’m history?”

“I’m not saying it’s fair or right.”

“How did you score this information?”

“A gossipy friend at the Bureau. I began to think about Andrews being blindsided by our assignment to this case. Bureau doesn’t usually do things that way. So I called the gossipy friend. He filled me in. They want to jettison you and decided this would be a good way to do it. And that also explains the strange way Talbott was acting when I reported in with him. It was like he was glad Andrews was out of the way, and that we didn’t want any reinforcements.”

“So the blame would fall on us and no one else?”

“You should be pissed. I would be,” said White.

“Being pissed doesn’t change anything.”

“What does?”

“I imagine if you and I manage to solve this sucker, they won’t be able to kick me to the curb.”

“I wouldn’t think so, no.”

“But if we don’t, you shouldn’t be collateral damage, Freddie. So you can jump ship and go do something else.”

“I was assigned to this, Decker. I can’t just leave.”

“Blame it on me. Impossible to work with. Goes against everything the Bureau stands for, at least that part will be true. That way you don’t go down with me.”

“My gossipy friend suggested something similar. But, see, you’re not the only one the Bureau doesn’t like, Decker. Why do you think my ass got dragged from Baltimore on a moment’s notice to come down here with you?”

Decker cocked his head. “So is the Bureau planning to clean house with me and you?”

“My gossipy friend either didn’t know or wouldn’t reveal it to me for obvious reasons. If the latter, I need to make new friends. And in any case, he was really gleeful over the prospects of your getting cut down to size. And he probably won’t shed any tears if I get canned.”

“You don’t deserve this crap. You’re a good agent, Freddie.”

“And that apparently is not enough. I’m a woman and I’m Black on top of it. And while everyone who doesn’t know shit about how the world really works seems to think that’s like the golden apple combo package, those of us in the trenches know different. You get smiles and applause and the media sucks it all up, but then when the applause dies down and the public attention gets turned away, everyone misses the knife that stabs you in the back minute by minute, day by day. Which is exactly what is going on right now.”

“So why have you stuck around this long?”

“Because I’ve put a lot of time and effort into building a career, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a pack of assholes take all that away from me just because they think they can. I hope you feel the same way.”

“I do.” Decker leaned back in the booth. “So where does that leave us?”

“I figure our only way out is solving this case. Together.”

“Hell, I intended to do that for free. Sticking it to the suits is just an added bonus.”

White laughed. “You are really starting to grow on me, Decker.”

“Look out then, Freddie, because there’s a lot of me to grow on.”