Part 30 (1/2)
”You and I will meet again,” Johnny told him, the tone of his voice enough threat that Richard looked nervously toward the nearest exit.
Searching his pocket for coins, Johnny moved to a pay phone on the wall. He punched in the ranch number and waited as the phone rang. Ed answered.
”Is the meeting arranged?” Johnny asked.
”One hour from now.”
”Did you reach Inspector Parker?”
”Everything's arranged. How's Val?”
”He's going to be fine,” Johnny replied in as strong and positive a voice as he could manage, then he added, ”But I'm not so sure about his mother.”
Savanah paced as Roy Moon, Ed, Jack, and Johnny drank their hot coffee in silence. Inspector Parker, District Attorney Singer, and Ted Weir chatted quietly in the corner of the office, laughing occasionally, as if arresting someone on suspicion of murder and attempted murder was nothing out of the ordinary.
The door opened suddenly and Robert walked in. ”Sorry I'm late. I was on an overseas call when I got your message.” He stopped short upon seeing Parker, Singer, and Weir. ”This looks serious.”
”Very,” Johnny said. ”Sit down, Bobby.”
Robert cleared his throat and sat down, placed his briefcase beside his feet, and took a deep breath. ”Should I get my recorder for this?”
Johnny shrugged. ”Why not?”
Robert dug into the briefcase for the recorder, his gaze moving over the law officials in the back of the room. ”I hope you haven't discussed anything with them that might prejudice your rights.”
”Wouldn't think of it, Bobby. You've taught me better than that.” Johnny grinned as Robert hit the On b.u.t.ton, then sat back in the chair.
”So what's up?” Robert asked.
Savanah moved up behind Johnny. ”I work for the Crystal Casino in Toronto. I'm Dolores's sister.”
”Really. My condolences to your family.” He crossed his legs and looked from Savanah back to Johnny, then to Ed and Jack.
”Where were you the night of my accident?” Johnny asked.
”That's a very odd question.”
”Did you have a conversation with Dolores two days before her death?”
He shrugged. ”Maybe. You know Dolores. She was always calling me or Ed, asking our advice on one thing or another.”
”What was her reason for calling you that day?”
”I ... don't recall.”
”I'll tell you why she called you.” Savanah moved around the desk. ”To ask legal advice regarding evidence I supplied her of Senator Foster's a.s.sociation with Formation Media. She thought way too much of her career to jeopardize it in any way. Although she didn't mention you by name, she told me when we spoke on the phone that she intended to contact an attorney just to be on the safe side.”
Savanah sat on the desk before Robert, her knee touching his. ”Aside from me, Johnny, and Dolores, you're the only other person who knew about those photographs, Mr. Anderson.”
Johnny opened the desk drawer and retrieved several papers. He handed them to Robert, remaining silent as Robert s.h.i.+fted through them, his brow beginning to sweat.
”Would you like to explain what you were doing in Albuquerque before my accident? Why you rented a car at the airport that afternoon and returned it early the next morning, apologizing for the fact that you were in a slight accident but the insurance you took out on the car would take care of it.”
”After the accident, I phoned your home,” Roy stated. ”It was around one o'clock here. I got your answering service and left a message that was urgent. You called me back an hour later and said that you would be on the first flight available.”
”At two A.M., after turning in the car you used to run me and Dolores off the road, you went over to another rental company and hired another car. The one sitting in my driveway right now. You grabbed a few hours' sleep at the Best Western near the airport, then you drove back to Ruidoso, arriving at the ranch around seven.” A.M., after turning in the car you used to run me and Dolores off the road, you went over to another rental company and hired another car. The one sitting in my driveway right now. You grabbed a few hours' sleep at the Best Western near the airport, then you drove back to Ruidoso, arriving at the ranch around seven.”
Robert swallowed. ”You've been busy the last few days, Johnny.”
”You taught me to make sure all my j's j's were dotted and my were dotted and my r's r's were crossed, Bobby.” were crossed, Bobby.”
The district attorney stood up. ”The big question is: Did you perpetrate this crime on your own?”
Averting his eyes, his lower lip starting to tremble, Robert shook his head. ”Neither Foster nor Formation were involved in this in any way. I acted totally on my own. Jesus, Johnny, I didn't mean for anybody to get killed. I just thought that if I scared her enough she'd think twice before pressing on with her investigation. I'd been working for Formation for several years. I knew if Dolores began uncovering too much, my a.s.sociation with them would come out and I'd fry right along with them.”
”Who, exactly, is 'them'?” Ted Weir asked.
Laughing dryly, Robert raised his eyebrows. ”Oh, no. The only way you're going to get that kind of information out of me is going to be with a promise of witness protection.”
Singer picked up the tape recorder and hit the Off b.u.t.ton. He slid the machine into his pocket before turning to Johnny. ”I take it you got the evidence you needed on Senator Foster and Formation.”
Johnny looked past the DA, into Savanah's eyes. ”No,” he replied.
”But you said-”
”I lied.”
Silence filled up the room briefly, then Ted said, ”It won't end here, Johnny. Photographs or not. You realize that don't you? At some point you're going to have to tell what you know to the committee.”
Johnny did not respond as Robert was escorted out of the office between Parker and Singer. Roy, Ed, and Jack followed, leaving Savanah and Johnny alone. She closed the door and leaned against it, her face aflame with color.
”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Johnny. What do you think you're doing? You're going to let Foster get away with it, aren't you. All because of her. Because of Leah and the boy. My G.o.d, I never believed you would turn your back on your people.”
”We all must make choices in life-”
”And you choose her.”
”I can't destroy her. I would rather destroy myself.”
”You're going to do just that, Johnny. You won't be able to live with the guilt. Every time you look in the face of one of our people's children you'll know unimaginable shame. No matter how deeply you love this woman, you are who you are, and what what you are. That will never change.” you are. That will never change.”
Johnny withdrew the envelope of photographs and tossed them across the desk.
”Fine,” Savanah cried, grabbing up the package. ”I'll do it. For Dolores-”
”Do you think Dolores's intent to blow Foster and Formation to h.e.l.l had anything to do with loyalty to our people? If you think that, then you are more naive than I thought. Dolores wanted a network job. She couldn't give a d.a.m.n about the People.”