my job, but I’m in trouble, okay? They’ve practically fired me over it- I’ve been practically branded a criminal myself.”
“Well we know you like your marijuana.” She said.
“Uh, yeah. I can’t deny it. I didn’t think we’d fooled you that night you showed up at our house. Yes I smoke weed, but that doesn’t mean I’m tied up with these killings. That’s a pretty big leap isn’t it? Look, I figured they already went after Junior once and screwed it up. I didn’t have to have any inside information to know they’d be back. If I had saved the day, I’d be back in Junior Pierson’s good graces. Hell, I’d be a hero. And listen, I called you didn’t I? If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t even know about this right now -if ever. By the way, wouldn’t it be interesting to know if Pierson or that guy called the police? You can check phone records right? It was a good half hour after the killers left before the cops got there, during which time you’d think someone would call the cops, right? I’d bet money no one there called the cops except me. And you want to throw me in jail.”
“I know I said you should talk, but on second thought maybe you should shut up now Mr. Perkins… It’s a long ride to Cleveland.”
When we got to the police station, Reyes took me to a room and sat me at a table that had a large black stain on it. She told me to wait. The cushion on my chair was thin and there was a hard lump, like a metal rod that ran the length of the seat. It made getting comfortable impossible. They shut the door and I sat there for at least a half an hour. There was a large mirror on the wall, and I figured I was being watched. Jessie called and I told her where I was and that I would call her as soon as they let me go.
Two guys in black suits came in and I knew immediately that they were feds. One had a thick neck, and a military haircut, and the other one was short and had light brown hair and bags under his eyes. He sat opposite me while the other one stood behind him. “I watch a lot of Law and Order.” I said. “I never thought I’d be sitting in this kind of room. Is the assistant DA watching from behind the mirror?”
“Why? Have you committed a crime?” The short one asked.
“No,” I said, “that’s my point. I’m a law abiding person, that’s why I never thought I’d be here.”
“We’re not cops, we’re with the Department of Homeland Security.” The big guy said.
“Homeland Security?” I looked back and forth at the two men. “Wow. Well then, on a personal note, thank you. I mean, you know, there haven’t been any attacks since nine-eleven, so you guys must be doing a good job.” They didn’t seem to appreciate the compliment.
The little guy asked for my story, and I gave him the same thing I’d given Reyes. There was no reason to mention Gretchen Salle, and I wanted to see if they would ask me about her or about the kids.
He made me explain everything that happened again and again. I knew it was supposed to trip me up, but it was so close to the truth that I could keep it all straight pretty easily. They seemed disappointed. “We have to check out your story before we let you go. It shouldn’t take long, but why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the mean time.”
This time I sat there for much longer. I checked the time on my phone, they kept me waiting there for two hours.
Finally Detective Reyes came in. “You can leave now Mr. Perkins.” She said, handing me my car keys. “I’ve been instructed to tell you that the events of last night have been deemed sensitive and confidential by the Department of Homeland Security. If you were to tell anyone what you witnessed last night you could be charged with treason.”
TWENTY-SIX
I drove home in a kind of daze, tired and confused and above all hungry. Jessie was asleep on the couch when I got in, and I tried to stay quiet as I made myself two cheese sandwiches on toast. My eyes felt hot and I knew I had to get to bed. I was finishing the last bite of my second sandwich when Jessie called my name from the other room. I answered and she came in full of energy, wanting to know what had happened to me. “Wait,” I said, “first tell me what was on that tape.”
“Awful.” She said. “Freddie Divos tied up in a basement being drowned with a pressure hose, begging for his life and answering questions.”
“Anything that could help David?”
“Yeah.” She said. “Junior killed Becky Piesron. He said it was an accident. They’d set David up for Amanda, but David found out and stupidly tried to blackmail Junior. So Junior figures he can shoot David when he comes to take the payoff and just say he was an intruder. But his wife came home unexpectedly while he was getting ready, and he shot her by mistake. They already had David set up for one murder, so Junior figures he’ll pin that one on him too. He let David take his car, and then he shot himself to make it look more realistic. Freddie’s version of this makes Junior look like the fuck-up of the year.”
“Whoa.”
“That’s not the half of it.” She said. “He told her all about this thing called the Afghan Air-Bridge that Junior Pierson is all mixed up with. It’s drugs coming in, like we thought, but also kids going out. They’re fucking trafficking in children from that Extended Families place, selling them to god-knows-who for god-knows-what purpose. And the kicker is that the whole thing is connected to the CIA. Can you imagine?”
“Yes.” I said. “I was questioned this morning by two guys from the Department of Homeland Security.”
Her eyes widened and she held up her hand. “Wait.” She stood up. “Come look out the front window.” I followed her into the living room and looked through the blinds with her.
“Yeah?” I said.
“That Verizon van has been there since around five thirty this morning.” She said. “Who gets their phone lines worked on at that hour? No one around here works for Verizon. I’ve never seen that van before.”
She let the blinds snap back into place and followed me over to the couch. “Fuck.” I said. I picked up the notepad by the phone and wrote: Don’t mention Gretchen’s name.
She took it from me and wrote: Why Not?
I wrote: She took a bunch of kids and I want them to get away. Plus I don’t think Reyes told the feds about her.
She wrote: Did she kill Junior?
No I wrote.
The kids she wrote, “You saw them?”
“Yes.” I said.
Jessie looked angry. “This is silly.” She said. Before I knew what she was up to she was out the front door and crossing the street, going right up to the Verizon van. I followed and stood next to her as she knocked hard on the window five times. “Hey!” She shouted. “Who’s in there?”
A guy in a Verizon uniform came up from the back of the vehicle. He was frowning as he rolled the window down. “What?” He asked.
“What are you doing here?” Jessie demanded.
“Working.” The guy said. “We’re testing our signal strength in the area, and I have to stay here for a while. Maybe a long time. The signal’s been dropping in and out.”
“Lemme see some ID.” Jessie said.
“Huh?” The guy squinted at me and then looked back at Jessie. “I don’t have to show you ID. You’re not a cop.” He said.
“No, she’s not a cop.” I said as I pulled out my cell. “But we can get one here pretty quick.” I dialed information and said Shoreston Ohio. When they asked for the listing I said Shoreston Police Department and waited. “Oh that’s nice.” I said. “Fifty cents extra and they dial the number for you.” I hit one and waited. The guy told Jessie that we were being ridiculous and that he was just trying to do his job. I described the situation to the person who answered. “There’s some creep spying on our house. He’s in a Verizon van, and he claims he’s doing work here, but we think he’s really spying. Maybe he’s casing the place -there’s been some robberies around here, or he could just be some kind of pervert, I’m not sure. But we need a cop out here, quick.”
“Sir, if it’s a Verizon truck, they’re probably just testing the signal.” The guy on the other end said. I told the guy m
y address while he kept trying to interrupt me. “Sir?” He said. “Sir? We aren’t sending anyone to your house. We’re far too busy to bother with this. I suggest you ignore the van and go about your business.”
“Thank you very much.” I answered, snapping the phone shut. “They’re sending someone right out. I’m sure they’ll want to take a look in your little van there.”
“Hey, I’m done anyway.” The guy said. “I was about to leave.”
“All of a sudden you’re done?” Jessie scoffed. “I thought you said you might have to stay a long time- we’re gonna take your license number and call Verizon. I bet you don’t even work for them. You can’t harass us like this.” As she was speaking he rolled up the window and got into the driver’s seat. He started the van. “There, see?” Jessie said to me as the guy turned his van around on our narrow street. “They’re more afraid of us than we are of them -like snakes.”
We went back to the house and I headed straight for the bedroom. “Hey,” she said, following me, “you never told me what the hell happened to you last night.”
I gave her the rough outline and mentioned how Dennis had said he could use my help and there might be money in it.
“Fuck.” She said.
“Now I sleep.” I said.
“You’re not going to do anything for those fuckers are you?”
“You think I’m stupid? I’ll wait and see, maybe they’ll never call.