The Wrong Man

80

“Bruce McCabe,” I repeated into the phone. “M-c, capital C, a-b-e. He was one of the name partners.”

On the other end of the phone, Wendy Kotowski let out a sigh. “I’m not saying yes.”

But she wasn’t saying no. Unless she wasn’t the person I once knew, Wendy Kotowski was one of those prosecutors who preferred a just outcome over a victory. She had to have some seeds of doubt in her mind after today. She knew I was prone to stunts in court, which made her initially skeptical, but I’d gone beyond mere theatrics and she knew it. I didn’t know if she believed what I was saying, but I think she believed that I believed it.

“They won’t talk to Joel Lightner,” I told Wendy. “They’re stiff-arming my investigator. So please-just check yourself, even if you don’t tell me. Ten to one says the cops are suspicious of McCabe hanging himself. A dinner at Marley’s, Wendy, if they don’t suspect it was a murder staged to look like a suicide.”

“Kolarich, whatever else, don’t play me for stupid, all right? You and I both know if I ask the question, and I get that answer, I’m duty-bound to tell you.”

She was right, of course. “And you and I both know that what I’m asking you to do is the right thing to do. This is the guy that Kathy Rubinkowski went to see about Summerset Farms. This is the guy who brushed her off. And I’ll probably never be able to prove it, but he’s the guy who erased Kathy’s e-mail from Tom Rangle’s computer before he could read it. And now that I’m sniffing around, the guy suddenly offs himself? I mean, how many coincidences do we need before you stop calling this smoke and mirrors?”

“I don’t need preaching from you, Jason.”

“No, you don’t. You know what the right thing to do is. So do it.”

I punched out the phone.

“That was harsh,” said Tori, sitting next to me in my SUV.

It was. But I had faith in Wendy. And if she didn’t talk to the detectives investigating Bruce McCabe’s suicide, I would subpoena them and ask them myself. She knew that, too, which made our entire conversation somewhat contrived. Contrived, but necessary. It was better if Wendy felt like she was doing this voluntarily. It would invest her in the result.

I made a right turn and headed west. “I don’t know why I let you talk me into bringing you,” I said.

“Because you love spending time with me.” Tori put a hand over mine, resting in my lap. “Because you aren’t as conflicted as I am.”

“This could be dangerous, Tori. This isn’t a joke.”

“I’m not laughing.”

No, she wasn’t, but she was in a good mood. Playing cops and robbers always seemed to elevate her spirits, from the first time we visited a crime scene together to checking out Summerset Farms to now. It took the focus off of our relationship. Maybe that should tell me something.

I watched the street addresses and slowed my vehicle as we got closer. When it appeared we were about a half-block away, I pulled the car over to the side of the road.

My cell phone rang. Caller ID said it was my scrappy associate, Bradley John. Or John Bradley. Sometimes I forget.

“Hey, Pretty Boy,” I said.

“I found it. It’s the state police, believe it or not. The state police tracks sales of a number of chemical explosives. Nitromethane among them. SK Tool and Supplies sold nitromethane to Summerset Farms.”

“Boy, that’s a great system we got. The department of agriculture tracks the sale of fertilizer and the state police track sales of nitromethane?”

“Our government at work,” he agreed. “One hand not talking to the other. And Kathy’s e-mail was right-SK didn’t sell that product to anyone but Summerset Farms.”

If there was any doubt, that confirmed it. Randall Manning bought two companies at the same time, Summerset Farms and SK Tool and Supply. SK would sell the nitromethane, Manning’s company would sell the ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and Summerset would be the recipient of both, the front company.

I was still missing the “why.” Why would a multimillionaire like Randall Manning want to build a bomb?

“It’ll be interesting to hear how Stanley Keane explains this,” said Bradley.

“Yeah. I’ll let you know what he says.”

I hung up the phone and nodded to Tori. We got out of the car and walked toward Stanley Keane’s house.