Chapter SIXTY-TWO
Eric Bell was behind the bar at the Haye Loft, right where he’d been for the last twenty years. He’d just opened the place and was alone, getting things ready for the crush that would come with the evening. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Miller Lite and a Chardonnay?”
“That’ll do,” I said. “How’re you doing, Eric?”
“Couldn’t be better. I hear somebody’s hunting you two. You okay?”
“So far,” said J.D. “I’ve got my protector with me.”
Eric laughed. “Everybody on the island thinks it’s the other way around, that you’re protecting Matt.”
“Well,” she said, “he’s still breathing.”
We took a table in the corner, and Eric brought our drinks over. J.D. took the first sip of her wine and sighed. “I think it’s more the thought of the booze than the actual stuff. Just one sip and I’m feeling better. What do you make of all this?”
I shrugged. “Beats me. Why would a money manager be talking to a phony lawyer in Sarasota every day? I don’t think it had to do with financial advice.”
“This guy Perez is tied into the whale tail murders somehow. Maybe he’s the one who killed those women in Miami. What I don’t get, is where he’s been for the past twelve years. Serial killers don’t just stop for no reason.”
“Good question. Maybe we’ll have some answers tomorrow after the DEA goes through all his stuff.”
“You know, Matt,” she said, “I’m not comfortable with Jock’s methods. I understand the need for agencies like his and I understand that there’re times when the law stands in the way of getting information, like now. I don’t always like that, but I think it’s those laws that separate us from the barbarians that rule large parts of the world. The rule of law is important, and it makes us who we are as Americans. But sometimes, like now, I think Jock’s way is better. If his people had taken Perez down, we’d probably be getting lots of information already.”
I smiled. “You don’t really believe that,” I said.
She was quiet for a couple of beats, pensive. “No, I guess not, but sometimes that approach appeals to me. I get so tired of the restrictions, the way the law gets in the way of law enforcement.”
“Maybe the law just keeps the cops honest,” I said.
“It does. Without question. But it is cumbersome.”
“So is democracy.”
J.D. nodded. “We’re a strange people. The whole human race is deluded. A large number of us are killers and thieves and even many of the good people are always just one step removed from doing something awful. Our politicians cater to those who get them elected and don’t seem to have much regard for what is best for all of us. Some of them are outright crooks and a lot of them aren’t very bright. We’ve got crooked cops, crooked lawyers, crooked everything, and we don’t seem to get better as a species. The ancient Greeks and Romans and Egyptians faced the same problems we have today. Nothing ever really changes. What the hell is wrong with us?”
“If anybody ever figures out how to fix that situation,” I said, “both you and I will be out of jobs.”
“You’re already out of a job,” she said.
“Well, there’s that.”
She laughed. “Maybe I could just become a beach bum. Like you.”
“Hey, don’t joke. It’s not a bad life.”
We ordered another round of drinks and watched the bar begin to fill up. Jock called and suggested we meet for dinner at Mar Vista. It would be pleasant under the trees. We finished our drinks and I left some bills on the table. We waved to Eric, and J.D. and I trooped down the steep outside stairs to the parking lot and into her Camry.
As we pulled out onto Gulf of Mexico Drive, her phone rang. She pressed the Bluetooth button on the steering wheel and answered.
“J.D., it’s Deanna Bichler. You got a minute?”
“Sure, but you’re on my hands-free phone and I’m not alone.”
“No problem. I need a favor.”
“If I can help, you know I will.”
“I’ve been retained to represent a man in Miami who’s accused of trying to kill you.”
“Perez?”
“Yes. You know about him?”
“Yeah. Long story. You’ve got to know I’m not in much of a mood to do any favors for him.”
“I don’t blame you, but listen to my proposition.”
“Okay,” said J.D. “Shoot.”
“Perez is willing to make a deal. He’ll tell the feds anything they want to know, including the part about trying to have you killed. I can’t get to the U.S. Attorney down here until tomorrow. He’s out of town or some such crap. Anyway, nobody in his office will touch this one. Apparently, it’s a real hot potato.”
“What can I do?” asked J.D.
“All I want is to get him into isolation tonight. He’s afraid he’ll be killed if he’s in general population. He’s on a federal hold at the Miami-Dade County jail. I was hoping you might be able to call in a favor with somebody in the jail and get Perez isolated for the night. Since you were the intended victim, I think you’d carry some weight. I’ll talk to the U.S. Attorney tomorrow, and I’m sure he’ll buy the deal.”
“Deanna, you’re asking a lot. If Perez is responsible for killing those two women here and trying to take me out, I’d rather see the bastard get shanked in jail than walk.”
“J.D., I’ll swear on our friendship that Perez knows he’s going to spend the rest of his life in jail. All he wants in return for his testimony against some real bad people is a new identity and a prison where nobody will ever know who he is.”
“Deanna, Matt Royal is in the car with me. I’d like to hear what he has to say about this. He was almost killed as well.”
“Hey, Matt,” Deanna said. “I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to meet under better circumstances. What do you think?”
“I think everybody would lose if Perez is killed. I’d be for isolating him, but if I were J.D., I’d want an ironclad promise from you that you won’t be part of any deal that J.D. doesn’t agree to.”
Deanna was quiet for a moment. “Okay. I can agree to that with one caveat.”
“What?” I asked.
“I have an ethical duty to Perez. I’ll make him the best deal I can, and if the U.S. Attorney agrees to it, but J.D. doesn’t, I’ll withdraw. My guess is that in that event Perez’s new lawyer would get the same deal, with or without J.D.’s approval.”
“You’re right,” I said.
J.D. spoke up. “Look, I also have a duty, if it’s in my power, to make sure that Perez gets a fair trial. I’m part of the system. I can’t let the guy get killed if I can stop it. I’ll make some calls and get back to you.”
“Thanks, J.D., but time is running out. Perez is in an interview room now, waiting for me. I won’t be able to keep him there long, and once we’re finished, he’s going to lockup. He’s sure there’s already a price on his head.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” J.D. said, and pressed the “off” button on the Bluetooth.
“You’re doing the right thing,” I said.
“I know. It’s not always easy, is it?”
“No,” I said, “but it’s always right.”