CHAPTER 19
The meeting lasted a lot longer than Dave expected. It was almost 8:00 and he had promised Berry he would meet him at 8:30. But Dave was actually pretty calm about it all. He was feeling rather full… not appetite for food full, but knowledge full… the task force had gone into detail on their work. They had gone over the relationship between those being investigated, their connections with organized crime, leads to unsolved murders that appeared to be mob hits, evidence, ideas, suggestions, guesses… heck, they went into so much detail Dave’s head was spinning with all the different connections.
Dave’s thoughts gravitated to the suggestion Berry had made about Senator Parks’ death maybe not being an accident. He was thinking that if Parks was killed by someone tampering with his car, then maybe there could be some mob involvement, and maybe one of the people being investigated was or knew the “Hit Man” contracted to kill him. He figured that the truth would be hard to find, but decided that if there was any truth in it, he would try to find out for sure what it was. His detective mind was echoing with three words… FIND THE EVIDENCE!!
…
Man, this whole PI thing has got me jumpy… I think I’m seeing boogie men under every tree. Ya got me questioning my own thoughts…
Good, that’s a start… as they say… just because you’re paranoid it doesn’t mean people aren’t out to get you! A little paranoia it a good thing… it keeps you on your toes…
I get enough of that in my job… I’m still growing into the whole detective job thing, but I’m sure you know the game… suppose that’s why a lot of detectives on the force are divorced or single… it’s an occupational hazard… never know when you will be called on to do your duty… not something I would recommend for the social butterfly types.
Yeaw, I don’t have a lot of friends either, but in my case I think it is more by choice than my occupation… the ones I do have are my kind of people and they understand my work… but when you come to think of it, I work with most of them in one way or another anyway… well, it’s our choice huh?
That’s for sure. Why else would we be here now? Dave smiled and gave Berry a look that said he was being sincere and Berry could tell it was in his blood… the thrill of the chase, the invigoration of the detection, the satisfaction of the catch… they were similar in those notions. Berry let down his guard a little… maybe cooperation was a good thing after all… it appeared that they both had a lot to give that could help the other… it was appearing to Berry that it could be a win win situation,
OK, I’m gonna give you some details I’ve left out. Maybe between what you have and what I have we can both help each other with our work without violating any “official” rules or client confidentiality.
You gonna go first? That’s a switch… never known you to be that cooperative.
Well, I do have a client, and that client shall be nameless and left out of this if you don’t mind.
Dave heaved a big sigh, tightened his lips, and slowly let out his breath… which made his cheek bulge out.
Berry smiled and chuckled.
What’s so funny?
Oh, nothing, it’s just that there for a minute you looked like a chipmunk … Berry chuckled again.
Fine way to start… with you insulting my looks!
Sorry… seriously, there are some things you should know that might help… some of the details may not fit with what you’re working on, but it’s my hunch that a lot of them might. I’ll give the background on what I know and you can decide where it fits… if at all.
As Berry begin to tell what he knew Dave took the chance to bite down on his steak sandwich… he was hungry and had no problem listening to all the details while eating… he had done it a lot of times before at work…
As Berry finished filling in the blanks of what he knew, of course leaving out Gruter and how he had gotten his information, Dave’s face held a rather blank expression. At first Berry though he was day dreaming or something, and hadn’t got all of what he had been telling him.
So what you’re saying is that the suicide at the towers and the others at several universities, the senate Public Ventures committee, organized gambling, the death of Senator Parks, Marie Burton, Senator Jonathan Taylor and maybe others… and this Committee to Disband College Sports are all connected somehow… and the major players are in some way working together to make a fortune?
Berry realized that the far off look on his face meant that Dave was putting it all together in his mind. Yeaw, something like that, only my proof is a little thin at this point. I haven’t been able to find anything solid about what is actually going on. Legally, it’s purely conjecture and hearsay at this point.
But I think it is a pretty good conjecture. There are a couple of things I know that might tie up some loose ends.
Dave filled Berry in on the Organized Crime Task Force and the details he had learned. If the mob was connected in any way to Senator Parks’ death, the Task Force might be able to finger someone and get them to roll over on the whole deal. Berry could see the excitement in Dave eyes now… he was almost glowing from his enthusiasm at being involvement in this “unofficial” investigation.
Here’s to friends! Berry tilted his glass to toward Dave and they both smiled a smile that showed in their eyes… it was going to be a good friendship after all.
…
Muffin felt a little nervous about his meeting with Darby… the last time he got involved with Darby, it almost got him killed. This time Roger wasn’t going to take any unnecessary chances… he had made arrangements to meet where they couldn’t be observed… or at least it would make it difficult for anyone to see them without being seen.
He was thinking about how long he had known Darby. Roger was a few years younger, but they had known each other since they were kids. Roger and Darby had grown up in the same neighborhood, along with a much younger kid named Robert Lewis… who now went by the nickname Bobby V.
It seemed curious to Roger that the three of them grew up together it a rough neighborhood… they went much different directions in life… but even now the three of them could still be considered to be working outside of the law… maybe it was the tough neighborhood that made them like they were… maybe they liked the excitement of being considered outlaws of a sort…
As he headed up the ramp to the third floor of the parking garage his thoughts focused on Darby and the danger he could bring to this case. Roger was hoping that he could get enough time to find out a few things and get out quickly before anyone interested in Darby’s movements figured out what he was doing. He pulled into the empty parking space that was the third from the end of the row, next to a green SUV on his left side. The other two spaces to the right were empty.
The dark tinted passenger window of the SUV began to go down slowly and when it came to a halt at the bottom Roger could see Darby’s dimly lit face.
Come to dance with the devil have you Muffin? … you know, the deeper you go the more it changes you… if information is what you seek, there is always a price to pay… even if it is just within your conscience.
My conscience is clear, how about yours? Roger dismissed the jib aimed at him and pointed it back at Darby.
I don’t have a conscience any more… that's the price I had to pay.
We sure have come a long way from the old hood... and gone different ways, but here we are… doing what we know best. I’m sorry you don’t have a conscience any more… I think it’s the only reason that society is still civilized. I rely on my conscience to keep me out of trouble. Maybe that’s why you are always in some sort of mess…
Who said I was always in a mess?
You know what I’m saying Darby… there were times in our knowing each other that I though you COULD be the devil… trouble seems to follow you… you never seem to get into it yourself, but you seem to leave a wake of trouble behind you that messes with other people’s lives… but hey, I guess we are what we are.
I need to go soon, w
hat do you want?
I am looking for some information on a group called the Committee to Disband College Sports… I’m helping a friend with…
Darby cut him short. That again? This is the second time someone has asked me about that.
Roger was a little surprised! Who else asked you?
I just talked to Bobby V about that committee a day ago… you know, Robert Lewis from the old neighborhood… hangs with that street gang…
Roger felt frustrated. He had gone all this way to meet with Darby and now, as it turns out, he didn’t need to go to all this trouble after all… Darby had already told Bobby what he had on the committee, and if he had just stopped by Bobby’s first he really wouldn’t have had to meet with Darby. But he decided since he was already here he might as well get it from the horse’s mouth.
Ok, so what did you tell him?
You ever heard of a man named Agustus Rensillere?
No.
I’m not surprised… They call him The Magician. He works behind the scenes. He’s a power broker. He buys and sells politicians and controls the political outcomes of a lot of people’s lives… unlimited money, unlimited contacts… a lot of people owe him… and that’s the way he likes it. He’s devious, shrewd, and cunning with a predator’s instincts. In fact, if he knew we were talking about him and didn’t like it, he has enough power to make both of us disappear… you really don’t want to get in his way.
I don’t want to get into anybody’s way… so what does he have to do with it?
He’s the man behind the scenes pulling the strings. Everyone else is just doing his bidding whether they know it or not. From what I know, the committee you mentioned is one of his “projects” in a long line of many moves he has made to build a semi-pro sports league made up of possible star college athletes...
Now, it’s hard to recruit college sports stars when they are playing for a school that provides them so much attention… but say… if schools didn’t have sports programs like football, basketball, or baseball, those with the potential to become pros could find a new home in the semi-pro league… and as usual, the real motivation is money.
While most of the college athletic associations frown on gambling over the outcome of games, a semi-pro league would be wide open to gambling prospects… once people became accustomed to the new arrangement, a lot of money could be made, especially from those who used to follow college sports.
Before Darby could say anything else, they both heard a car coming up the parking garage ramp. As he began to back out quickly he yelled to Roger… Ask Bobby about the rest… and with that he headed the other way of the sound from the car coming up the ramp. Roger was glad it was over… maybe he could relax a little. His first thought though was to go see Bobby. He wanted to compare notes, and see what else Darby told Bobby… what he didn’t finish telling him when he left in such a hurry.
…
This time when Muffin pulled up in front the gang’s hangout, Bobby didn’t come out to greet him… instead three gang members sporting pistols came up to the car looking rather somber.
Hey man, Bobby wants to talk to you. Jimmy will park your car for you… one of the gang members stepped up and opened the car door, motioning for Muffin to get out.
Making light of the situation, Muffin tossed them a slight. WOW, you guys must be coming up in the world.., ya even hired your own valet … do I have to tip him? They didn’t respond …
No time to chat? … So what’s the rush? … They still didn’t respond … ok, have it your way.
As they walked into the building they headed directly towards the door on the left at the back of the room. Roger noticed that there wasn’t the usual party atmosphere going on. Everyone was rather somber and they were all watching Roger and the other two gang members cross the room. Once inside the office like room he could see Bobby sitting behind a large desk.
Waddija get me into Brahda? Someone tookit tin dair head to take Bobby dawn… Did ju kno dat brahda?
It wasn’t me that got you into a mess Bobby… I heard you met with Darby… Getting involved with HIM always seems to cause trouble.
Ooow did ju kno bout dat brahda?
I talked to him too Bobby… and if I knew you were going to contact HIM I wouldn’t have done it myself… and I would have probably told you not to do it either!
To laaate for dat brahda… to laaaate for boat of us… he been in our lives for long time!
It was going to be a strained conversation. Both of them were concerned, and neither were happy with the backlash that might be coming. Ok, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours… Roger started their exchange of information in his normal joking manner.