*-- *-- *--
Back in Laredo, Officer Joe Storms had been trying without success to figure out who the big boss of the smuggling ring was.-He had been instructed to be prepared to repeat in court what he had told Keenan about the conversation he had overheard between Finkley and someone he called ‘Boss,’ but he had no idea who he would be testifying against.-If Finkley was dead, there would be no point in bringing him to trial.-So, he figured Sheriff Keenan had somehow determined who the big boss was but damned if he knew how he had found out.-
He had gone over and over what he had overheard but could remember nothing that would point to the identity of the ring leader.-He did know that the sheriff had been arrested and then had been shot by person or persons unknown.-He had been assigned to search the area for clues that would lead to the identity of the assassin.- He and the other two had found nothing except some shell casings and cigarettes butts.-But who was the guy who had been pulling the strings?-He didn’t like the County Judge, Hank Belliden.-He seemed to constantly be smirking about something and he had heard that his decisions could be bought for a price.-Still none of that was evidence.-He had noticed that Governor Anderson and Finkley had been pretty tight and he, personally, wouldn’t trust the governor as far as he could throw him; but, again, that was a long way from proof.
Senator Kirkland had been seen in this area pretty frequently of late and this wasn’t even his district.-He was a damn republican on top of everything else, but he knew his political opinions wouldn’t carry any weight anywhere.-And, of course, it could be somebody completely out of the area and totally unknown locally.-It was driving him crazy as a bedbug, though.-He sure hoped someone would clue him in to what was going on and, preferably, in the near future.
When Sheriff Keenan, Bernie Tavalerio, and Charles Harrington walked into the office a few minutes later, he knew something was up.-You could just feel it in the air.-The hair on the back of his neck stood up, he was getting goose bumps and his heart began to pound a mile a minute.-He immediately vacated the sheriff’s chair where he had been sitting and prepared to leave the room.
“Stick around, Storms, if you will.”-Sheriff Keenan waved him back to a chair near the sheriff’s desk.
“Yes, we’re going to need your help with the next phase of this case.”-The DEA agent agreed.-The three men settled themselves around the desk while Keenan got cups and poured coffee for everyone.-When everyone was in place, Sheriff Keenan began.-He looked first at Deputy Storms.
“Joe, I think we need to make you aware of one or two things that we have, as yet, told no one.-You are aware that we had sufficient evidence against Lester Finkley, part of which came from you, to arrest him for collusion in the smuggling operation.-Also, he will be charged with handing down the order for the execution of Ramon Mendez back in Kentucky.”
“Excuse me, did you say ‘will be’ charged?-We will charge him posthumously with these crimes?-I guess I don’t understand the point of that?”-That question proved to Keenan that they had done a good job of hiding the fact that the ex-sheriff had survived the attempt on his life.
“That’s the main thing we needed to tell you.-Lester Finkley is still alive.-He has been in critical condition in the hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth; but he is able to be out of the hospital now and able to stand trial.”
“Wow!-That’s sure a surprise.-I went to his funeral, which I guess was not his funeral after all.”
“We knew if the assassin was aware that he wasn’t dead, other attempts on his life would be made and we might not be able to stop it next time.-So, we went through the motions of taking the body to the morgue, having a funeral and the whole nine yards so his ‘death’ would be accepted as fact.”
“Wow!” Storms said again, shaking his head.
“Now, the next surprise, if you’re up for another one.”-Storms nodded.-Finkley also told us who gave him his orders.-I want you to designate your best man, Joe, to take care of the office while we make a trip to Austin to make that arrest.-Who would you recommend, Joe?”
“I guess the officer I feel would be most responsible is Neal Blanchard.-I’d trust him completely.-He’s a good man under pressure and I believe he would make good decisions in a pinch.”
“Okay, Blanchard it is.-I’d still prefer to maintain the current status-quo on Finkley.-The fewer people who are privy to that information, the less likely it is that we’ll have to fend off another assassination attempt.
“I understand.-I’ll just tell Blanchard that we need to make a trip to Austin and he’s in charge while we’re gone.-We’ll be gone, how long?”
“Just overnight, I think, barring any unforeseen complications.-You haven’t asked who we’re going to arrest.-Aren’t you curious, Joe?”
“I have been driving myself crazy wondering who, Sheriff Keenan.-But I was sure you would tell me when you were ready.-But, I will ask the question.-Who are we going to Austin to arrest?”
“Senator Darrell Kirkland.-Finkley fingered him when he found out we’d be charging him with first degree murder if he didn’t.-I also need to make you aware that this afternoon we convinced the man who perpetrated the assault on Finkley at Kirkland’s orders to call him up and demand more money.-We’ve got him on tape admitting to everything.-I think it’s all over but the crying.”
“Yep.”-Keenan agreed.-“I think this case is closed.-Let’s go to Austin and pick up our man before he flies the coop.”
When they arrived at the capitol, they went through the various layers of red tape before they got in to see Senator Kirkland.-When they were finally ushered into his office, he was seated smugly at his desk and made no move to even rise to welcome them.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked complacently and condescendingly.-He raised one eyebrow and arrogantly tossed his hair back out of his face.
“We’ve come with an invitation to a very exclusive meeting back in Laredo,” Sheriff Keenan stated, smiling slightly.-
“I’m so sorry to have to decline your invitation.-I have extremely important obligations here at the moment.-Perhaps some other time.”-He stood in an attitude of dismissal.
“Oh, but you don’t have the option of declining this invitation, Senator.”-This came from DEA Agent Harrington.-“This invitation is signed by the Governor and requires the attendance of both you and Lester Finkley.”
“Now I know you’re crazy.-Lester Finkley is dead.”
“No, Finkley is very much alive, no thanks to you, and both he and Jack Phillips are ready to testify against you.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to pull.-But I know Lester Finkley is dead.-Several of my colleagues attended his funeral.-Now you all take your ‘invitation’ and get the hell out of here before I have you thrown out.”
“Officer Storms, would you play the recording for our esteemed senator, please?”
Joe took the recorder out of his pocket and punched the play button.-They had it queued up to the section where the senator heard himself threatening to have Phillips killed as he had Sheriff Finkley.-They let it play just past the part where he had bragged that he had been running the smuggling operation for more than fifteen years and then Sheriff Keenan nodded for Joe to shut it off.
The senator deflated and dropped heavily into his chair only he didn’t look so smug now.-A Texas Ranger had been waiting back at the door.-Now he came forward, walked behind Kirkland’s chair and pulling his arms behind him, he fastened the handcuffs to his wrists.-Kirkland was crying like a baby before they got him outside to the waiting police car.-The case was indeed closed.