Part 16 (1/2)
”He's not our problem. There's a guy that works for your husband on and off, Jiggs Scully. You know him?”
”I know who he is.”
”He's been following you. He knows what we're doing and wants to talk to me.”
”Oh, G.o.d-”
”Wait. Nolen Tyner-I told you about him. He says Jiggs doesn't have his hand out, he wants to discuss something else entirely, but I don't see any reason to talk to him. Do you?”
”I don't know.” Mary was wide-eyed now, gathering it all in. ”If he saw us together and he works for Andres...”
”Nolen says he hasn't told Andres. You know why?”
”No.”
”He doesn't like him. I feel like we're back in the eighth grade. Here's a guy-” Moran stopped.
”Well, that's beside the point. What Jiggs and Nolen are up to's none of our business. I hope. But I don't want to see us get dragged into it. We got enough going as it is.”
”Dragged into what?”
”I don't know, but it's got to have something to do with your husband and they either want to use me-I'm guessing now, you understand-or they want some information from me, or they want me to get it from you.”
”Oh-”
The way she said it, like an intake of breath, surprised him. She was thoughtful now, staring. Then took several steps without purpose, moving idly, though he could see she was concentrating, looking down at the boards as she paced toward the railing, aimless, and came back. As she turned again he stopped her.
”You have an idea what it might be?”
Mary sat down now. She eased back into the chair next to him.
”Money. What else?”
”I had that in mind,” Moran said. ”But what kind of money? How do you rip off a guy like your husband? I mean it's not like going to the bank, make a withdrawal. How do you get it? Extortion? They have something on Andres? It's a feeling I've got more than anything else. I think Nolen and this guy Jiggs are putting something together. But it 199.
wouldn't be a holdup, anything as simple as that. Nolen's not, well, he's a little s.h.i.+fty, but he's not an armed robber. I don't think he'd have the nerve to walk in with a gun. So it would have to be something he thinks is clever or he wouldn't be doing it. If If they've got some kind of scheme in mind.” they've got some kind of scheme in mind.”
”There's money in the house,” Mary said.
Moran waited a moment. ”Is that right?” He waited again and was aware of the silence. ”You mean a lot of money, huh?”
”Quite a lot,” Mary said.
Moran looked out at the bay, at the dark shape of Key Biscayne lying five miles off, on the horizon.
”Is it money he has to hide? I mean, did he get it illegally?”
”I a.s.sume it's from his business. Andres's investments net, before taxes, three to four million a year.”
Moran waited. If she wanted to tell him more he'd let her, up to a point.
Mary said, ”Remember in Santo Domingo we were talking about Andres? You'd heard he came here in Sixty-one with a fortune. Everyone thought so-he was a millionaire general with a sugar plantation and G.o.d knows what else. But he lost all that. He had to run for his life and he came here with practically nothing.”
”I remember.”
”And I think I said something about he's never gonna let that happen again. Have to run and leave everything behind.”
”You said he'd be ready next time,” Moran said. ”But I would imagine he has money in a Swiss bank or the Bahamas, one of those numbered accounts.”
”I'm sure he does,” Mary said, ”but if for some reason he's not able to leave the country or he has to hide...All I know is he's got quite a chunk of quick-getaway money right here...in the house.”
He could see the two of them at the deep end of the hotel pool . . . the wives of the winter ballplayers in a group . . . ”I asked you, where's he keep it, under the mattress?”
Mary was looking at him. She didn't speak right away; she didn't have to. Finally, in the silence, she said, ”You want to guess how much?”
”I've got a feeling I know too much already,” Moran said. ”We've got to get you out of here. Why don't you pack a bag and leave him a note.”
”Not yet. I'm gonna talk to him, George, if I have to hit him over the head. Last night, I had all the words ready. 'Andres, listen to me, okay?' Like talking to a child. 'This isn't a marriage. I'm not happy and I know you're not.' And that was as far as I got. He gave me papers to sign. 'Here'-like he hadn't heard a word-'read these and sign them.' ”
”What kind of papers?”
”Business. I'm part of his corporation, one of 201.
them. He made a business transaction out of the marriage with that prenuptial agreement and that's all it is, a deal. I'm a member of the board.”
”Resign,” Moran said.
”Now he's trying to use the agreement to threaten me. He'll amend it so there won't be a settlement if I walk out. I told him fine, I don't care. I said, 'I just want to talk. I want you to understand how I feel.' ”
”That didn't impress him?”
”I'll tell you, George, I'm scared to death. You know that,” Mary said. She seemed to clench her teeth. ”But I'm also getting mad, G.o.dd.a.m.n it.”
”Good,” Moran said.
”I'm gonna write it down, everything I want to say. Then I'm gonna try once more. If he still won't listen then I'll hand him him the papers this time and that's it, I'm through.” the papers this time and that's it, I'm through.”
”You promise?”
”You have my word,” Mary said.
”Stay mad.”
”I am am. I don't owe him a thing.”
”If anybody owes anybody,” Moran said, and let it go at that. It would be nice to sit with tall drinks and talk about nothing and enjoy the million-dollar view. But his presence was making her nervous. He said, ”Write your letter.” He touched Mary's shoulder as he got up and left his hand there until she put her hand on his. She was looking up at him through her round sungla.s.ses. More than anything he could think of he wanted to touch her face.
He walked away.
Jiggs Scully was in the road next to his two-tone red and white Cadillac, the car standing within a few yards of the driveway. So that when Moran swung out onto Arvida he had to brake to a stop or run into the Cadillac's rear end. Jiggs came over to him.