“Is is possible that these were dropped before the murder occurred?”
“So close to Coi Than Tien? I do not think so.”
“And you didn’t show these to the sheriff?”
“No. I was concerned … since they indicate that the killer is connected to ASP.”
“That’s what they’re supposed to do, anyway,” Ben murmured. “But I wonder.” He placed the papers inside the desk. “Thank you for your help, Colonel Nguyen. Is there anything I can do for you?”
Nguyen shook his head sadly. “There is nothing anyone can do for me. When Pham learns what I have done, he will surely demand that I leave Coi Than Tien. And when my wife learns …” He clasped his head with his hands. “I fear I will be leaving Coi Than Tien—alone.”
Loving suddenly burst through the front door. Ben had never seen the heavy-built man move so quickly.
And if that wasn’t surprise enough, just as the door closed behind him, Christina pushed it back open.
“Skipper!” Loving shouted. “We gotta talk!”
Ben looked right past him. “Christina!”
“Skipper!” Loving said insistently. “We gotta talk—”
“Just a minute. Christina, it’s—it’s good to see you. I didn’t expect—”
“I came to see Loving,” she said abruptly. She tossed her strawberry-blond locks behind her shoulders. “I was getting a snack at Bo-Bo’s when I saw him run in here. I thought he might be able to give me a lift.”
“Oh. Then it wasn’t—”
“Skipper, listen up! This is an emergency!”
Ben sadly turned his eyes away from Christina. “What’s wrong? What’s the big emergency?”
“It’s ASP. They’re planning something major league. And it’s going down tonight!”
“How do you know?”
“Some of the regulars at the Bluebell spilled it. I’ve been pallin’ around with them for days. They think I’m one of them. Hell, they’ve practically drafted me.”
“Are you sure the big event hasn’t already happened? They made a raid on Coi Than Tien earlier this evening.”
“This is somethin’ else. Starts at midnight. A special meeting.”
“At their camp?”
“No. Some super-secret meeting place. I don’t know where.”
“Well, groups like ASP probably hold secret meetings all the time. Why are you so excited about this one?”
“Because the ASP clowns ain’t callin’ it a meeting.”
“Yeah?”
“They’re callin’ it a trial.”
60.
“ATRIAL? OF WHAT?”
“I don’t know, Skipper. But it’s gotta have somethin’ to do with Vick. Hell, maybe they’re gonna try the guy who really killed Vuong.”
“More likely they’d give him a merit badge.”
“Perhaps,” Colonel Nguyen suggested, “Grand Dragon Dunagan is on trial. For his testimony against one of his own.”
“That seems unlikely,” Ben said, deep in thought.
“I heard somethin’ else about this big meet,” Loving added. “The boys at the Bluebell said the armory was open. They’re all gunning up. Skipper, this is gonna be big!”
Colonel Nguyen lowered his head. “It is as I feared. Armageddon. They are arming, we are arming. We will destroy one another.”
“Did you hear anything else about this meeting?” Ben asked.
“No. That’s all I could get out of ’em.”
“A trial,” Ben repeated. “I just don’t know what that could mean. But I agree—it must relate to Donald Vick. And it might just fill in the missing pieces and explain what really happened to Tommy Vuong. Thanks for the ace detective work, Loving. If I weren’t so busy, I’d give you a kiss.”
Loving looked horrified. “Skipper!”
“Stay calm, Loving. Just a joke.” Ben took a deep breath. “I’m going to go.”
“What? Go where?”
“To the ASP secret meeting.”
“You can’t! Skipper, those guys’ll rip your skull off your shoulders if they see you!”
“I’ll have to take that chance.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“No. You take Christina home. And don’t leave her alone. If there’s trouble tonight, it could spread throughout the entire town.”
“But how will you find the meeting place? I told you, it ain’t at their camp. I don’t know where it is.”
“Neither do I,” Ben said as he grabbed his windbreaker. “But I know someone who does.”
To Ben’s dismay, Sheriff Gustafson was the only peace officer on duty at the jailhouse.
“I want to see my client,” Ben said. “Immediately.”
Gustafson’s upper lip curled. “Do you, now? Well, that’s a shame. Because I don’t believe I care to let you in.”
“You don’t have any choice. He has a constitutional right to counsel.”
“During the trial, sure. But as I understand it, the trial is over. All but the fat lady singing, anyway.”
“I don’t have time for this crap. I want to speak to Sheriff Collier. Where is he?”
“Out at Coi Than Tien. Seems those Vietnamese folks had another spot of trouble out there. He went to investigate. In fact, everyone on duty did.” He smiled, baring all his teeth. “Except me.”
Ben reached down, grabbed Gustafson’s brown tie and twisted it around his fist. “Listen to me, you stupid simple-minded son of a bitch. I’ve had about as much of you as I can take. You got your licks in on me last week, and I didn’t say a word about it afterward.”
“Because you were scared shitless.”
“Wrong. Because I have a sister, too, and I wouldn’t like it if someone hurt her. In fact, I’d be mad as hell and I’d probably want to kill the man who did it. But enough is enough. I didn’t have anything to do with that firebombing and I don’t have time to screw around with some redneck moron trying to alleviate his guilt by throwing his weight in my way. So give me the goddamn keys!”
Gustafson peered at Ben through narrowed eyes. And a few moments later he slid the metal key chain across his desk.
“Thanks for your cooperation.” Ben snatched the key chain and unlocked the back door that led to the cells.
As before, all the cells were empty except for Vick’s.
“We’ve got to talk,” Ben said.
Vick’s face was lined with concern. “Has the jury returned?”
“They’re still deliberating. That’s not what I want to talk about. ASP is having some kind of top-secret special meeting tonight in a top-secret special location. And I want to know where it is.”
“I’ve been in this cell for weeks. I don’t know—”
“Spare me the ignorance routine. How many special meeting places can they have? You must have some idea where they’re gathering.”
“M-Mr. Kincaid …” He looked down at the floor. “I swore an oath.”
“I don’t want to hear about it.”
“But I promised—”
“And I am sick to death of hearing about your insipid promises! Let me tell you something, pal. I’m the only friend you’ve got in this town. You were determined to stick your neck in a noose, and for some crazy reason, I was determined to get it out, even if I stuck my own neck in there in the process. I have a chance now to solve this whole gigantic mess, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it pass just because you swore some stupid ASP oath!”
Ben gripped the metal bars between them. His eyes burned a line straight into Vick’s. “I’ve done the best I could for you. And you haven’t done a damn thing for me. But that’s going to change. Starting right now.”