Rich Waters (Jason Rich), page 28
“OK.”
77
At 7:00 p.m., Top O’ the River was hopping. Jason got a booth and asked for Trudy Cowan. His head was spinning, but he knew he couldn’t stop. He had to keep moving. Otherwise, he’d think about Harry. And Izzy. And Chase. And Nola.
He wasn’t hungry, but he ordered the catfish plate to be agreeable. He drank a few sips of sweet tea and waited. While he did, he received a text from Satch.
Bull Branner reserved a bay at the range tomorrow morning at eight. Let’s plan on meeting him then.
Jason sent back the thumbs-up emoji.
A few minutes later, a woman sat down across from him. She wore a navy-blue golf shirt with the words TOP O’ THE RIVER over the heart along with a miniature picture of the restaurant. She was a stocky woman with thin silver hair. She had blue eyes that pierced him with a “this better be good” stare.
“Ms. Cowan, thank you for making time for me.”
“I don’t have but a couple minutes. What can I do for you? Is Trey OK?”
“He’s fine. Except he’s not giving me all the information he knows.”
“Now why would he not talk to his lawyer?”
“Because he’s afraid Tyson Cade is going to hurt you.”
She waved a hand at him. “Tyson ain’t going to lay a finger on me. I practically raised the boy.”
“Tell me about that,” Jason said, scooting up in his seat.
“Well, Tyson’s daddy run off before he was even born. His momma was a nice lady. A real pretty woman. Worked at Wayne Farms on the line before she started hooking. Because of her profession, she was out late a lot. Tyson spent many evenings over at our house. I probably fed that boy supper almost every night. Trey was little then, and my husband, Walter, was a drunk. You might say me and Tyson kept each other company for a lot of years.” She paused. “I loved that boy. Once Trey got to be a little older, we were so busy with his games that we didn’t see Tyson as much. Of course, part of that was that he was a grown man and had gotten his own place.” She looked down at the table. “But he still came around. And when he became well off, he always looked after us. He’s been really great since Walt left.”
“What happened to Tyson’s mom?”
“She ended up getting sick with fever and never got over it. Didn’t have health insurance and was too stubborn to go to the hospital. That was when Tyson was in college.”
“What about Trey? How has Tyson been with him since Trey has been an adult?”
She shrugged and stared off into the distance. “Trey didn’t approve of Tyson’s line of work.”
“You mean drug dealing?”
She crossed her arms. “Folks have to make a living, and Tyson grew up hard.”
“Are you saying you approve?”
“No. I’m saying I understand.”
“But Trey didn’t.”
“No. Trey was naive. He was a gifted athlete since he was in kindergarten. People always treated him special because of his arm, or because of how big and strong he was. Kissing his ass. Wanting him to play on a travel team or an AAU basketball team or whatever. Sports came easy. So did the girls. Everything. And grades? Hell, they didn’t matter to Trey no matter how hard I tried to convince him different. He was going to play football in the NFL.”
“Then he broke his leg.”
“And everything went to shit in a minute. No thanks to your brother-in-law. God bless his soul. But Trey wasn’t tough. He’d been the golden boy for so long that he didn’t know how to scrap.”
“He never went to college.”
“Couldn’t afford it. He probably could have worked his way through a community college, but Trey wasn’t interested in anything. The injury got him depressed, and then the medications kept him that way.” She flung up her hands. “That’s just an old woman’s opinion.”
“How did he feel about working for Tyson?”
She gritted her teeth. “He never told me, and I never asked.”
“But you knew.”
She nodded.
“How?”
“One of his good friends kept me abreast of everything.”
Jason felt a tickle. “Kelly Flowers.”
“Remember that old show Leave It to Beaver?”
“Vaguely.”
“Remember Eddie Haskell? Always being nice to Mrs. Cleaver, while he was bullying the Beaver and trying to get Wally in trouble. That was Kelly.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That I needed to watch Trey. That he was in with Tyson.”
“What did you do?”
“I asked Trey about it, and he denied any such thing. But I knew he was lying. Trey could never get away with nothing as a kid, because he was a terrible liar.”
“How’d you know?”
“When Trey lies, he can’t make eye contact with you. Easiest tell in the world.”
Jason made a mental note of that, though such a general statement could be made about pretty much anyone.
“Did you ever suspect Kelly of working for Tyson?”
“What?” She snickered. “No way. Kelly loved being a police officer. Hell, he wore that damn uniform everywhere. Was proud of it.”
“You knew him well too.”
“I knew all the boys Trey’s age in Alder Springs.”
“Kelly have any enemies?”
“Not that I’m aware of. But being a cop is a risky job. I’m sure he put away some folks that got out that may have wanted revenge.”
Jason nodded his agreement. One of the things he had requested in discovery was the names of all people that Kelly Flowers had arrested since joining the force, along with copies of their files. It was too broad, and Shay would likely object, but he should be able to at least get the names of anyone convicted that was out of jail or prison on the day Kelly was murdered. It was a long shot, but so was everything in this case.
Jason pulled up a photograph of Chase on his phone and slid it across the table. “Ever see Kelly with this woman?”
“Pretty girl.” She shook her head. “No. Who is she?”
“Her name is Chase Wittschen. A few folks have placed her with Flowers in the weeks before his murder.” Jason paused and decided it was better not to mislead his client’s mother. “She’s my ex-girlfriend.” The words pained Jason to say, but they were true. Chase had left him. And she might never come back.
“Oh.” Trudy squinted at him. “That must be awkward for you.”
“It won’t affect my representation of your son. If she’s implicated, I’ll bring it out. I just . . . don’t quite understand what she and he were doing.”
“Look, I’ve got to get back to work, but I want to pass along something I believe. Tyson Cade is a drug dealer, but he makes no bones about who he is. He’s also always done right by me, and despite Trey poor-mouthing him, Tyson gave Trey a job and paid him money. That’s a sight more than Kelly Flowers ever did. Kelly was a chameleon. A hypocrite. Nice and friendly on the outside but rotten where it counts. I never trusted the boy, and I’m not all that sad he’s gone. I heard rumors that he would arrest women and give them a warning in exchange for . . . well . . . you know.”
Jason felt his stomach tighten as Trudy Cowan described exactly the situation that Colleen Maples had told him.
“Did your ex get into any trouble?” Trudy asked. “Was she ever arrested by Kelly?”
“I don’t know,” Jason said.
“Well, I’d check that out if I were you.” Trudy stood and extended her hand. “Thank you for helping my boy.”
“You’re welcome.”
He watched her walk away, thinking Trey was fortunate to have such a strong mother. And Tyson Cade was lucky to have her as well.
She didn’t know about Flowers and Cade . . .
That was strange, but her explanation made sense. It was Flowers who told her about Trey working for Cade. But if she didn’t trust Flowers, wouldn’t she have confronted Trey about it?
A waitress set a plate of catfish and fries in front of him. Jason wasn’t hungry but forced himself to eat a few bites. Nothing about this case was adding up.
And now Harry is dead.
Jason squeezed his eyes shut. He’d kept himself busy for four hours, but the image on Tyson Cade’s phone was back. Harry’s dead eyes. The bullet hole. The open mouth.
He asked for the check and paid. Then he hustled out into the night. He got behind the wheel of his Porsche and squealed his tires as he left the lot.
Tears had begun to fall, but Jason made no move to wipe them. He needed an AA meeting. A talk with his counselor. Lunch with Ashley. Something. But he didn’t want any of that.
What he wanted was to get drunk.
Keep moving, he thought. Harry wouldn’t want that. He wouldn’t want me to quit.
As Jason motored up the Veterans Memorial Bridge, he glanced to his right at the lights of Buck Island. Then he took out his phone and called Nola.
“Hey,” she answered.
“Hey.”
“It’s pretty late, Uncle Jason.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I keep forgetting it’s eastern time there.”
Silence.
“So . . . how have things been going?”
An impatient sigh. “It’s rehab. It sucks.”
“I know. I . . . I know it does.”
More silence.
“What can I do for you, Uncle Jason?” Her voice was cold. Distant. Just as it had been every time he’d called since her admission.
“Nothing.” He knew he couldn’t tell her about Harry. “I guess I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Does it sound the same?” The sarcasm was palpable. “Want me to sing you a song? Maybe one of your cheesy favorites. How about that ‘I Wanna Be Rich’ song? Or maybe, given where I am, ‘Cocaine,’ by Eric Clapton?” She mimicked the opening guitar chords to the famous song.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Good. Look, I’ve got a group meeting I have to attend in the morning. Hi, my name is Nola, and I’m an addict.” She whined the words out. “Going to bed. Later.”
The phone clicked dead.
Jason sighed as Highway 79 came into view. “Later,” he whispered to himself.
When Jason got home, he noticed that Izzy’s car was gone.
He ambled up the steps and saw a note on the pillow in the guest room. He grabbed it and unfolded the paper.
Jason,
I’ve had a lot of time to think today, and I can no longer be a part of what you’re doing here in Guntersville. Ever since you opened a satellite office in this town, your life has gone haywire, and I’ve done everything I can do to keep the firm on solid footing. Harry did everything he could do, too, and he all but begged you not to have him follow Tyson Cade’s dealers. Now he’s dead, and if you keep up what you’re doing, you’ll probably be joining him. I can’t relive this day ever again. I loved Harry, and I love you. But I just can’t do this anymore. Please accept this letter as my resignation from the firm. I will also be withdrawing as your lawyer in the case the state has against you. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding someone else.
Good luck, Jason Rich. I love you, and I’m sorry.
Izzy
78
At 8:00 a.m. sharp the following day, Bull Branner walked into the gun range. He checked in at the front desk and was given a target. Then he walked to the back with his case draped over his shoulder. As Bull knelt to pick out which weapon he was going to shoot first, Satch grabbed the man by the collar and jerked him up against the wall. “Need a few words, Bull.”
“What the . . .”
Satch stuck his forearm up under Bull’s neck, and the other man gasped. “Now, no one else is here, and the video cameras, for some reason, aren’t working this morning. Unless you want me to call 911 here in a few minutes and report a shooting accident, I’d suggest you answer a few questions. You understand?”
Bull nodded.
Jason stood next to Mickey and Chuck in the shooting bay. No one else was in the range, and Mickey had hung the CLOSED sign as soon as Bull had checked in.
“Now, I have spoken to at least fifty residents of Alder Springs in the last month, and about half of them have told me that you are allowing drug deals to be made and consummated at your old barn. You know, the place where Kelly Flowers was murdered back in April. The place you told us you never go to anymore and hardly ever use.”
Bull moved his eyes around the small space. They had narrowed to two little black dots. “You can’t prove anything, Satch. This is bullshit.”
Chuck kicked Bull in the knee, and the stubby man fell to the floor. Then Mickey kicked him in the chest. Chuck picked the other man up by his hair and slung him against the wall. “When you talk to my brother, you address him as Colonel.”
Bull sank to the ground and held his stomach. “I think you broke my ribs.”
“We’re gonna break more than that, son,” Satch said, his voice as menacing as Jason had ever heard it. “Now my friend here has some questions.”
Jason stepped forward and squatted next to Bull. “Did Tyson Cade pay you an incentive to use your barn for his business?”
“I can’t answer that,” Bull said. “I’d rather you kill me.”
“We might take you up on that,” Satch said.
“Let me ask you this,” Jason said. “Did you ever see Kelly Flowers at the barn prior to his murder?”
“Yes.”
Jason felt a surge of adrenaline. He hadn’t slept a wink last night after reading Izzy’s resignation letter. He had sat out on the sunporch staring at the water until the sun began to rise. Numb all over until Satch had knocked on the door to take him to the range.
“When?”
“Several times.”
“Did Flowers work for Cade?”
Bull touched his ribs and winced. “I don’t know.”
Satch pulled his arm back to strike, and Bull held up his hands.
“I really don’t. There were a lot of rumors that he did. I’m sure you heard those when you did your talking to folks.”
“I did,” Satch said.
“Well, the truth is I don’t know. All I know is that Kelly told me he’d be at the barn at certain times, and I made sure it was open for him.”
“Did he pay you?”
“No, but Kelly is a police officer, and he said he knew what I was doing with Tyson. I couldn’t take the risk.”
Savvy, Jason thought. Flowers was playing the double-dealer to perfection.
“Did Tyson know Flowers was using the barn?”
“Yes. I told him.” Bull licked his lips. “He said he’d take care of it.”
“Those were his words?” Jason asked.
“Yes.”
Jason straightened his legs. That was good information, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere pinning Flowers’s murder on Cade.
“Did you ever see who Flowers was meeting?”
Bull grinned, showing a gold front tooth. “A woman. I know that.”
“Do you know what he was doing with her?”
Bull’s grin widened. “Yeah, hoss. He was fucking her. I think it was some bitch he’d arrested, and he’d cut a deal with her.”
“Sex in exchange for no charges,” Jason said, his voice losing steam as he remembered Trudy Cowan’s insinuation last night at Top O’ the River and Colleen Maples’s haunting story of Flowers blackmailing her with the same setup.
“Yep.”
“When’d they meet?”
“All different times. Sometimes morning. Other times night.”
“When was the last time Flowers used the barn to meet with her?”
Bull’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t remember,” he said, with a twinkle in his eyes. “But I do recall him reserving it for twelve thirty a.m. the morning he was killed.”
Jason ground his teeth together. “Are you sure?”
“As shit.”
“Then why didn’t you tell the police that?”
“What do you think I am? Stupid or something? I can’t tell the sheriff’s office that I’ve been letting a cop use my building to blackmail a woman into giving him sex. And if I did, then I’d open the door to them investigating my other uses of the barn.” He whistled. “And then I’d be as dead as Kelly Flowers.”
“Did you ever see the woman?” Jason asked.
He nodded, and Jason winced. “What did she look like?”
“Pretty. Had short brownish-blonde hair. Nice ass.”
Jason pulled up the same picture he’d showed Trey and Trudy Cowan. They hadn’t recognized Chase, but he knew this time would be different. “Is this her?”
Bull started laughing immediately. “Yeah, man.” Then he looked from the screen into Jason’s eyes. “Well, I’ll be dipped in horseshit. Was he fucking your girl?”
Jason’s left hand formed a fist and flung out at the man’s face without conscious thought. He heard Bull’s nose crack, and then he threw his right fist into his cheek, seeing blood fly out his mouth. He punched once, twice, three more times, before he felt his feet being lifted off the floor, as he continued to flail his fists in front of him.
Jason was taken into a small office and pushed up against the wall. “Easy now,” Satch said. “Easy. Don’t make me hurt you.”
Jason tried to calm his breathing. He doubled over and grabbed his knees. When he finally caught his breath, he straightened.
Satch was staring at him with his slit-like eyes. “You’re going to have to talk with Chase.”
“I tried. They wouldn’t let me.”
“Jason, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And it is a fucking chimney right now. Cade said that Flowers was meeting Chase the night of the murder, and Bull just confirmed it. And, if Flowers was using his position as a police officer to force her into sex, then that’s a powerful reason to kill him.” He grabbed Jason’s shoulders. “But it might also offer a defense. I’m not a lawyer, but seems like this could be self-defense or insanity or something.”
Jason stared at him, not quite believing what he was saying. “Satch, what—?”
