Carver figured McGregor had put a watch on the office after hearing about the murder in the Gomez condo. He hoped McGregor hadn’t had the smarts or the manpower to watch the beach cottage up the coast, or he’d know about Beth Gomez’s visit. “Gomez was here,” Carver said. “He was my client for a while. He’s not anymore.”
“Sure. Assuming I trust you to tell me the truth. But the fact is, I trust you about as far as you can hobble without your cane.”
Carver shrugged. “Makes no difference to me what you believe.”
“Should, though,” McGregor said.
Carver leaned back in his chair and looked up at the long head on top of the basketball center’s body. “How come you’re interested in this?”
McGregor sneered down at Carver as if that were a stupid question. “I told you, Gomez is a big-time drug dealer and he’s here in my city talking to some pissant private eye. Big time means big bucks, hey? Real big bucks, since it’s drug money.”
“And you want some of it?”
“Christ, Carver, I’m a policeman!” Saliva sprayed as McGregor feigned indignation. Some of it speckled Carver’s bare forearm. Made him nauseated. McGregor wiped a fleck of dampness from his chin and started his shaving cut bleeding again.
“Some policeman,” Carver said, watching the worm of fresh blood ease its way toward the point of McGregor’s long chin.
“Let’s just say that air the money involved means nailing Roberto Gomez can make a hardworking cop’s career.”
“If the cop survives.”
“Sure. And he will if he’s smart. He’ll be promoted to captain, most likely.”
“Someday even chief.”
“I got no desire to be chief.”
“I know better.”
“So you think. But I’m not surprised you think small, Carver.”
“And I’m not surprised you think bigger than you are. You think you’ll bypass the rank of captain and move on to better things? Maybe they’ll make you dictator?”
“Something like that. If a person was considering tossing his hat in the ring for the mayoral election next year, it’d be better if it was a captain’s hat and not a lieutenant’s. You follow?”
“I follow,” Carver said. “And where it goes is horrific.” He knew McGregor was capable of fooling enough of the people enough of the time. Capable of anything, actually; he was a man with the brashness of Napoleon and the scruples of Hitler, not to mention a crude Machiavellian deviousness.
“You don’t think I’d make a good mayor?”
“I think you’d make a good politician, as long as the voters didn’t get to know you. Nobody’s better equipped with the necessary ego and moral vacuum.”
“You call it a moral vacuum, I call it pragmatism. I see the world the way it is. You see it through your boxtop code of honor you shoulda grown outa by the third grade. You sent in for your secret decoder ring yet, fuckhead?”
“What made you consider this possible jump into politics?”
“Everything’s politics,” McGregor said. “Politics is just called politics. And I have it on pretty good authority that the mayor doesn’t plan on running for reelection. Something about a potential scandal.”
“Would you have anything to do with that?”
“I told you, everything’s politics.”
Carver toyed with the crook of his cane. “Well, there’s no political hay for you to make here. I’m out of anything concerning Roberto Gomez. And I guess you ran a check on him and found out he’s not a fugitive.”
“Orlando police’d like to talk with him regarding the death of his sister-in-law,” McGregor said.
“But he’s not a suspect.”
“Guy like that, he’s always a suspect. That’s why the DEA’s on him like flies on shit.”
“So what do I do to get you to leave?” Carver asked. “You after a political donation?”
“I’ll talk to you about that if I become a candidate,” McGregor said seriously. “Right now I just wanted you to know I’m in the game here. You find out anything pertinent, you let me know or I’ll ream your ass.”
“Well, since you ask politely. . ”
McGregor flashed his gap-toothed grin again, probing between his front teeth with his tongue. He got his lanky body turned around section by section and moved toward the door, then paused and said, “Say hello to your lady love, hey?”
“Sure. She’s always glad to hear from you. Likes it when her skin crawls.”
The grin stayed. “Some of ’em do. Incidentally, you get tired of running through that, send it around to see me.”
Carver gripped his cane with aching, whitened knuckles. Held it as a jabbing weapon and stood up, leaning on the desk. “You get tired of breathing, step over here closer.”
Still smiling, McGregor walked out the door. He was obviously pleased; he’d gotten under Carver’s skin again.
Carver sat back down. He was breathing hard. The office seemed smaller and more confining. The dense air still reeked of perfumey cologne.
Carver stood up and limped over to the window. It couldn’t be opened, but just looking outside made it seem easier to breathe. He watched the unmarked Pontiac, McGregor’s tall form bent over the steering wheel so he’d have headroom, turn onto Magellan and pass from sight.
He knew McGregor had successfully goaded him, and he didn’t like it.
Mayor McGregor.
My God, it had a ring to it!
14
Carver drove to the Del Moray marina for lunch. He sat in a window booth at the Sea Delite restaurant, ate deep-fried shrimp, and sipped cold Budweiser while he thought about McGregor’s visit.
Outside of Gomez’s circle, only Carver had talked with Beth Gomez and knew that Roberto wasn’t trying to find his wife to protect her, but to kill her. Gomez had undoubtedly hired the sniper who’d murdered Beth’s sister, and if the law could prove it, Gomez would be charged with homicide if not drug trafficking. The result would be the same with either charge: a future of locks and bars.
Carver dipped a shrimp in cocktail sauce and popped it into his mouth, wondering as he chewed if it had been Hirsh on the roof of the building across from the Gomez condo. Probably not. Gomez had a stable of thugs at his disposal; he’d have stationed men at points where Beth might show up. Men with orders to kill. There was no shortage of people who’d obey that order in the world Gomez lived in, because there was no choice but to obey. Life, and death, made simple.
Carver ordered another beer and watched the smooth white hulls of pleasure boats bob gently in unison at their moorings. Del Moray was for the most part a wealthy retirement community, and some of its well-fixed citizens were playing with their floating toys. The white hair, white belts, and white shoes out there in the sun almost caused the eye to ache. Stomach paunches burdened most of the men. The lean, tanned limbs and torsos of many of the women foretold how they’d not only outlive their overweight husbands but would look years younger at the funerals. Wealthy, attractive widows with yachts were always in demand. Topmasts and tummy tucks. Florida was the land of the plastic surgeon, as well as beaches, Disney, drugs, and a nasty strain of zealous fundamentalist religion. Still, Carver knew if he went with Edwina to Hawaii, he’d miss it.
He finished his beer, settled with the waitress, then drove back to the office. There was a rental car in the only shady spot on the lot, so Carver parked the Olds in the sun and limped across the baking gravel to shove open the door to his reception room. He’d turned the thermostat down, and cool air hit him like a chilled wave. Felt great.
He’d limped to his desk and was checking his answering machine for messages (none) when the phone rang. Snatching up the receiver before the end of the second ring, when his recorded outgoing message would begin, he identified himself and waited for the caller to speak.
“This is Beth Gomez, Carver.”
He thought about hanging up, but instead said, “Hello,” rather stupidly.