Part 16 (1/2)
”Acquire Century?” I repeated. ”Billie c.o.x was working on a buyout of Century Oil?”
”Of course,” McBride said. ”Clayton Wagner and Ty d.i.c.kson were giving her a sweetheart deal. Theyre ready to move on, finally. Im sure they told you that. The plans were on the Q.T., sure, but I dont know why theyd hide anything now. Since Billies death, theyve got the company publicly up for sale.”
”Why are they selling?” I asked. ”Some reason beyond just being old?”
”Nah. Thats the main motivation. They figure times limited, and those two old geezers want to spend their final years setting up a foundation. Theyre drawing up plans to build a charity hospital for kids. With no children of their own to leave their money to, they see it as their legacy, the way theyll be remembered by generations to come. The Wagner-d.i.c.kson Trust is the pride of their lives. My theory is that they see it as a way of making amends. Neither one of those two old wildcatters was particularly thrifty. They spent a bunch on big houses, cars, beautiful women. In fact, they brag about the fortunes they squandered. But with limited years ahead, they seem intent on leaving something behind that ensures theyll be remembered.”
”That sure is good of them,” I said. ”Sounds like a great cause.”
”Unlikely for the two of them, I admit. Those old scoundrels have always been better known for finagling deals than good works. For most of their lives, there wasnt a soul they wouldnt have taken advantage of for money,” McBride said, with a laugh. ”But in this case, looks like theyve learned a new trick.”
”That I dont doubt,” I said with a smile.
”Since they lived large, they havent got a bunch. Not as much as youd think for two oil men. And to do what they want, they need more,” he said. ”Selling Century Oil to Billie was going to provide most of the nest egg for the trust.”
Based on how freely he was talking, when I took out the photo from c.o.xs computer, I wasnt surprised that McBride didnt hesitate. ”Sure, thats me,” he said. ”I didnt know anyone snapped a photo, but thats Wagner, d.i.c.kson, and me out at the field.”
”When was this? Why were all of you out there?”
”It was last summer, July or so, and we went out so they could show me the property. Id done some work for them in the past. They said they wanted me to see what I was representing so I could pa.s.s on their enthusiasm to prospective buyers,” he said. ”We had a lot of paperwork to pull together, so the place really didnt go up for sale until late last year, but its been in the works for a long time.”
”Now, maybe Im getting confused, here,” I admitted. ”I thought you represented the owners of the field?”
”Well, yeah,” McBride said. ”I do represent the owners.”
”You told prospective buyers that it was owned by a partners.h.i.+p of some kind, right?”
McBride smiled. ”Well, kind of,” he said, for the first time seeming reluctant to open up. Rather than offer any information, he said, ”Didnt you ask Mr. Wagner and Mr. d.i.c.kson who owns Stanhope?”
”No, Im asking you,” I said. Of course, by then all the clues were tumbling into place in my brain, like those little mosaic pieces in a kaleidoscope that click, click, click until they form a pattern. McBride frowned, reluctant to go on, so I put my theory on the table, if for no other reason than to gauge his reaction. ”What youre going to tell me is that Wagner and d.i.c.kson own that oil field. Thats right, isnt it?”
McBride frowned and appeared to consider the situation.
”Remember, Mr. McBride,” I cautioned. ”Im a police officer, a Texas Ranger here on official business. You need to tell me what you know.”
Lawyers arent always the best interviews. They can be reluctant to open up. But McBride paused for a minute, shrugged, and then said, ”Well, I guess theres no harm. I mean, its all really public record, if someone knew where to look and spent the time to trace all the records and the sh.e.l.l companies back.”
”Sh.e.l.l companies set up to disguise the fact that Wagner and d.i.c.kson own Stanhope, right?” I asked again.
This time McBride didnt hesitate. He appeared to have convinced himself he wasnt doing his clients any harm. ”Yeah, Wagner and d.i.c.kson own Stanhope. They purchased it on spec in the seventies, a.s.suming the field wasnt played out and banking on someday being able to figure out how to get at the rest of the oil.”
”Did Billie c.o.x know they were the sellers?”
”No,” McBride said. ”Id been asked not to tell anyone, even Miss c.o.x, who the real owners are. It was all supposed to be done anonymously.”
”Why?” I asked.
”The truth is, Lieutenant, I dont know,” McBride said. ”I asked both the old gentlemen, but they never said, and I was there to facilitate the deal, not figure out their motives.”
”Thats what you meant by most of the money for the hospital coming from the sale of Century Oil,” I speculated. ”The rest was coming from selling Stanhope?”
”Thats right,” he said. ”Wagner and d.i.c.kson told me they needed enough to ensure that the trust endured well into the future. The hospital is their legacy. They didnt want to take any chances that it wouldnt survive.”
It had been a cordial conversation, and, for the most part, McBride had been forthcoming. I figured he had no inkling of how important the information hed just given me might be. It was time to give him a clue. ”Mr. McBride, theres something I would suggest to you,” I said.
”Whats that?” he asked.
”I wouldnt tell anyone just yet that we talked, especially Clayton Wagner and Ty d.i.c.kson.”
The attorney looked surprised, even startled. ”Well, theyre my clients. I havent told you anything wrong, and they have a right to know.”
”Billie c.o.x didnt commit suicide. She was murdered. If someone killed her over this oil field-Im not saying thats what happened, but if someone did-your knowledge of this deal could make you a liability,” I explained. ”It could occur to the murderer that having you available to talk to the police isnt in his best interest. Right now, no one knows weve talked. Its best if you keep it that way.”
”Youre not saying that someone might murder me?” he said, suddenly alarmed.
”Im offering you a suggestion that may keep you safe,” I said. ”For now, Id forget to mention my visit. Theres time enough in the future, when all this is settled, for you to bring your clients up to speed on our conversation.”
That may have been the first time McBride understood the reason for my visit. A full two shades paler than when I arrived, he nodded and I left, figuring Id shaken him up enough to buy myself at least a day before he began worrying that he may have talked too much and would hold a meeting to advise his clients.
On the drive to the ranch, I thought about what McBride had told me. It seemed that Wagner and Clayton were trying to cash in, first by getting Century Oil and Bobbys company, Barker Oil, to hand over millions more than it was worth to buy the dried-up oil field. The two old wildcatters would then be in a position to score again, by getting Billie c.o.x to pay an inflated price for Century, factoring in the exaggerated worth of the Stanhope holdings. If it all checked out, what McBride had given me was a motive to kill c.o.x. If shed uncovered the ruse, she was in a position to expose them and not only ruin their plans, but send them to prison for conspiracy to commit fraud. Still, all I had was a theory, not one piece of real evidence.
Convinced he was somehow involved, Id already asked Janet to subpoena financial records for Grant Roberts. Now I called her and asked her to do the same for Wagner and d.i.c.kson. To speed things up, I asked her to zero in on the past three months, the time period leading up to and continuing through Billies murder. Next, I considered the other evidence in my possession. When and if I asked a judge to sign warrants for Wagners and d.i.c.ksons arrests, Id need something well beyond speculation. It would help to be able to prove they were the ones, not McBride, who lied about when the photo was taken. That meant that I needed a way to date the photo, but how? Pa.s.sing time in the car on the drive back to the ranch, I used the new cell phone the captain had supplied and called Mom and Maggie.
”Were fine, Sarah,” Mom said. ”Its kind of nice having folks wait on us like this. We just had chocolate sundaes with whipped cream and cherries, and Maggies already picked out pizza off the room-service menu for dinner. Im not sure how sh.e.l.l like the feta cheese and fresh basil, but Frieda and I are looking forward to it.”
”Geez, and Im still trying to work in lunch. A Big Mac would taste good right now,” I said.
”Sarah, I told you, with your dads history of heart disease you shouldnt eat like that.”
”Just kidding, Mom,” I said. ”I knew that would get you sputtering. Put Maggie on. I miss both of you.”
”Wish you could sneak away and join us,” Mom said. ”Wed order you one of those sundaes. It would be worth the drive downtown.”
I laughed, and then Maggies voice came on the telephone.
”Hows Warrior?” she asked, point blank.
”He was in the front pasture with Emma Lou when I left the ranch. They looked happy as clams,” I said. ”Im headed back there now. Buckshot was cleaning their shed when I left, so theyre probably in their little home resting up after their big outing.”
”Thats really good. I was worried. But Mom, this is fun,” Maggie said, her voice relaxed. It sounded like the captain was right, and Mom and Maggie were enjoying their little vacation. ”Weve been watching movies and playing cards with the troopers. Gram told you about the sundaes?”
”Whipped cream and cherries,” I said, with another chuckle. This was what I needed. Hearing their voices made the whole mess tolerable. ”Ill call you before bed tonight, Maggie. Love you.”
”Love you, too, Mom,” she said. ”Later, alligator!”
”After a while, crocodile,” I replied.
Id almost reached the house, when I had another thought, and I called back. Mom chattered about some movie they were watching about wolves, but I cut her off and told her I needed to talk to Maggie.
”Yeah, Mom,” my daughter said, her voice distant, like she, too, was more interested in the wolves. ”What do you need?”