by Mark Lashway
“Is anythin’ to do with GWIBE not strange?”
“As you know, I made plans for Wainscott, Missouri this year, but Dale Sassie and some others, including those awful Stardust Boys, shot it down and were pushing for a place outside Helena, Montana instead, quite a difference.”
“Yeah? And?”
“Well, you know the drill concerning negotiating. New proposal, new counter-proposal. We wangled over and over, each side getting farther out from their original site, until we finally compromised on a place that could actually be considered a middle.”
“And that way both sides were able to save face.”
“I suppose so, although we probably managed to outwit ourselves by ending up in a place that isn’t close to any town with any amenities.”
“So, all of the folks on the other side agreed between themselves on this?”
“Well, I got the feeling that it was Dale Sassie who was the main force and got everyone else to go along with him. Funny thing is, I didn’t get the feeling that he threw out this place because he was tired of the dickering and just wanted it over. I couldn’t guess his reasoning.”
Cam almost frowned but caught himself. Hmm, that’s very odd, but I guess it’s possible. One thing’s for sure, and that is that Dale would settle for a place out in the boondocks if it meant saving face and denying Phil’s crew any small victory.
“Well, I’ve gotta go, Phil. See you around.”
“Why, I hope that I was helpful to you, Cam.”
“Yeah, you were, Phil. Bye.”
As he walked away, Cam took out his cellphone and dialed Andy’s number again. Once more it went to voice mail after a few rings. This time, however, he told his colleague back east that it was an emergency and maybe a matter of life and death. Andy would know that he never kidded about such things and would respond. He could only hope that his friend would check his voice mails before he went to bed.
He began roaming the site, unsure over what to do now. His mind was racing, unable to focus on a single item among the mass of fresh data that had entered his brain within the past few days. Yeah, I know I’m right. Tonight is the night everything goes down. It has the same exact feel as last year on that night. I hope to hell Ned took my advice and got some sleep….
“Witter!” came the all-too-familiar voice of Ned Inkwell. Cam turned and saw Inkwell lurching toward him. The investigator had clearly not taken his advice, obviously having spent the time scrounging free beers instead. Cam still couldn’t understand how Inkwell managed to track him down so easily. It reminded him of Trub last year.
“Are you ready for the action tonight?” Inkwell asked with a shit-eating grin.
“Ned, what are you doin’?” Cam muttered, throwing his hands up.
“Whaddaya mean?”
“Umm, well, you know, all that workin’ the case stuff.”
“Not to worry, pard. I’ve got Jeanne Lamp, Max and two others assigned to stakeout. I figured that it was a better way to go with doing this.”
“Oh? How’s that?”
“Simple, Witter. I’m making sure that I’m being seen all around. Duke, the fake Maria and whoever else will think that we have no idea about their plot and it’ll be clear sailing for them tonight.”
“Well, I guess I can’t argue with that logic,” Cam conceded.
“So, what should we do tonight? Watch some competitions?”
“No, that’s the last course we wanna take, Ned. We can’t see anythin’ there. All we can do is wander and hope that somethin’ happens in front of us.”
“But why? The action is going to be at the abbey. Whatever might happen here, and I’m doubtful about that, would be a sideshow anyway.”
Cam gave a small, bitter smile. He was about to say something when he noticed Inkwell jerk a little and reach into his pocket to withdraw his cellphone. Again, he remained patient while he heard Inkwell go through his usual “uh huh” and “right” routine.
“The noose is drawing tighter, Witter,” Inkwell said with a strange smile as he shoved the cellphone back into his pocket.
“And how’s that, Ned?”
“That was one of my colleagues. A woman’s body was found among some rocks not far from Elko, Nevada. Fingerprints and dental records confirmed the body to be that of a Maria Sanchez….the real one, from Wassacor.”
“Very interestin’, Ned. And of course you’re not gonna bust the fake right away, right?”
“Nope, and you undoubtedly have already figured that I want to catch them all at the abbey and really bury them.”
“Yep, that’s what I guessed. You’d better warn your….”
“I already gave Jeanne and Max the heads-up. They won’t underestimate her or anybody else there. My four guns will be on guard, believe me.”
“Good, very good.”
“Who do you think will be there besides Duke and this impostor? They won’t go in with just the two of them.”
“I’d bet my life on Tom Deville and Clay Sharper, but I’d also bet that Duke will have a few others to make it smoother yet.” He was deliberately vague on this part. The few others he had in mind were the two new guys who had been hanging out at Dale Sassie’s place since they’d popped up out of the blue. Their demeanors, their body language and the way they carried themselves had given him the worrisome feeling that the two were hard, tough, experienced men who wouldn’t hesitate to get rough if the situation called for it. But the thing that just doesn’t square is the fact that they’re buddies with Dale, who wouldn’t have anything to do with Duke Lando. But there has to be a few others involved. Are they staying out of sight, already in place near the abbey? Jesus, I hope that Ned’s people are up to the job.
“I have one very big variable walking around, though.”
“You mean the killer inside the abbey? They won’t get involved at all with your people there. Why should they? However, it will leave the problem of tryin’ to root them out when all of this is over.”
“Ready to do some wandering around?” Inkwell asked, as if it was no worry at all.
“We’re gonna have to split up. Separately we stand a better chance of seein’ somethin’, that’s just playin’ the odds.”
“C’mon, Witter. There’s nothing….”
“You’re mistaken, Ned,” Cam replied with complete confidence. “As I told you before, tonight is gonna be a doozy, and right here at GWIBE. I have a feel for this place now. The one unknown is whether the stuff that happens tonight is directly tied in to the abbey, but there will be some dramatic shit happenin’. It’ll be a night you’ll remember for the rest of your life.”
Inkwell was skeptical, but wore a very uptight expression that betrayed his worries that Cam was right. “Alright,” he sighed. “I’m going to get another beer to keep me company while I do the pointless wandering that you think will pay off, Witter. I assume that your cellphone is charged. Keep it on. I have mine. That’s how we’ll get hold of each other.”
“Yeah, I will. I’m gonna get a brew, too. Just pace yourself, Ned. It’s still early, and my hunch is we’re goin’ into the wee hours tonight.” Darkness was settling in now and Cam already felt tired from the thought of the grueling night ahead.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Duke Lando furtively moved between tents and vehicles, staying well off into the dark edges of the site, not failing to grasp how utterly ridiculous it was that he had to be sneaking back to his own tent. But he also realized that he really shouldn’t be surprised.
Everything turned to shit, he thought to himself yet again. All of those well-laid plans that I made and not a fucking one of them panned out. Plan A centered around Manuel. When that fell through, I had Plan B involving Joey. Scratch that, too, so I had Plan C as a backup where Maria was going to gain the confidence of that abbot and set things up, but now Maria’s in hiding, hoping to finish this before Inkwell and Witter catch up to her. So now I’m down to Plan D where we’re going to be a bunch of common burgl
ars breaking in and stealing. It’s so humiliating for a man of my position to be reduced to that.
Finally, he made it to the entrance of his tent. He gazed at the surrounding area to see if anyone had noticed him coming. Nobody was around, though, which was to be expected. Once darkness fell, almost all GWIBErs went to the main part of town. Pulling the door flap aside ever so slowly to create no noise, Lando peered inside. His eyes having adjusted to the dark by now, he could see that nobody was inside. He’d feared that Inkwell would be waiting there.
He would have to hope that Frank and Lyle were found within the next few hours, he realized, but for now he decided to quietly sprawl on his cot and stay out of sight so he could rest and think. Time couldn’t pass fast enough to suit him now. I can’t wait until we move out tonight. To hell with it, I’ll abandon this tent and leave it to whoever wants it. I just want to be out of here. This whole GWIBE thing is cursed, it causes me nothing but problems. Manuel, Joey, they got it from somebody here, somebody who somehow got onto them. Shit, and to think that I saw this as a perfect cover….
He rolled onto one side and lay there, thinking about how gray his life had become.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Shauna sat at the simple little table with the other two judges as they waited for the first competition to begin in only a few minutes. She was actually glad that Cam wasn’t here, at least not yet, for fear that her excitement would give her away. Tonight couldn’t go fast enough. Anticipating her husband’s excitement at seeing her in the sexy new dress, she couldn’t wait to be back to their tent to surprise him. She realized that she must be smiling too broadly when she noticed Helen and Sonny grinning at her, shaking their heads.
It would be a much-needed escape for both of them as she could look forward to something besides judging and the GWIBE scene. For his part, Cam would enjoy a break from the terrible crimes and the GWIBE scene. Having even one night to themselves as husband and wife would do a lot to restore their spirits.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
“Man, we’re having no luck!” Tom Deville exclaimed as he and Clay Sharper plodded along yet another side path. “I thought those two would be at Dale Sassie’s place, like we were told by Ernie.”
“We’ll find them eventually,” Sharper sighed with a confidence that he didn’t feel. “Speaking of which, I don’t have my piece on me.”
“Good.”
“Good? What do you mean?”
“If these guys are who I think they are, Clay, they’ll be looking us over really close the second we meet them. We want them to underestimate us and not put them on guard, see?”
“Got it. Good thinking. We don’t pack any heat until just before we leave.”
“Now we just have to find these two assistants,” Deville muttered with a sneer.
“Uh, wait a second,” Sharper muttered as he paused.
“What is it, Clay?”
“That tent over there,” Sharper replied, pointing. “I saw a little movement.”
“Yeah? So what?”
“Everybody’s who’s anybody will be out in town, right? Besides, what harm is there in checking it out?”
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Inside another one of those large tents that were standard here at GWIBE, a lantern provided just enough subdued light to allow its occupants to see each other. In two lounge chairs sat Duke Lando’s errant hitmen Frank and Lyle. On their laps snuggled their two new female acquaintances, Britt and Chloe.
“Mmmm,” Britt cooed as she stroked the side of Lyle’s face. “So, are there any plans for going out tonight?” she asked.
“Sure, why not?” Lyle replied. There were nods of agreement all around.
Suddenly there was the sound of feet just outside the entrance. The two men stared in that direction, not out of worry but out of curiosity.
“Hello, is anybody home?” came a voice from outside.
“Come on in,” Chloe said, this being her place.
“Hi!” came the friendly greeting from Tom Deville as he stuck his head inside, wearing a disarming smile. Taking a few seconds to gather it all in, he finally said, “Are you guys Frank and Lyle?”
“That we are,” Frank answered.
“Umm, can we have a quick word with you in private, outside?” Deville continued.
“Yeah, sure,” Frank replied unenthusiastically, noticing that his partner wore the same look. Interruptions like this were usually a bad sign.
Chloe and Britt remained in the tent, not speaking as they tried to pick up the conversation between the four men outside, but to no avail. There were only brief whispers and the occasional grunt of affirmation. Finally, the tent flap opened and their two men returned.
“So what’s going on?” Chloe asked them.
“Ah, not much,” Frank replied. “Something’s come up, some business that we have to take care of. We’ve gotta go out for a few hours, then we’ll be back, OK?”
“Well….OK,” Chloe mumbled, a little disappointed. “But will you be back in time for us to do anything tonight?”
“Honey,” Frank chuckled, “this thing goes ‘til at least four in the morning, so you can pretty much bet on that! But we won’t have to leave until a little later, so in the meantime let’s get back to what we were doing.”
“Good idea,” Britt said. “GWIBE is about halfway over already and we don’t want to miss any more than we have to.”
-26-
Cam slowly walked down the main road of GWIBE, occasionally detouring down a side path. Having learned from last year to pace himself, he took his time with his search. He was barely able to suppress the irritation that he was feeling right now with Ned Inkwell, who was nowhere in sight. Despite the enormity of the GWIBE site, Cam knew how to efficiently search the place to find somebody, but it had yielded nothing. You know what? I’ll bet that he blew off my advice and went to see the competitions anyway. What an asshole.
So off to the demonstration area he went. As he neared the tent where the competitions were held, he was saved the trouble of having to enter by the sight of Ned Inkwell emerging. The investigator was swaying a bit, clearly having had quite a few, and with a cold one in his hand. Seeing Witter, Inkwell gave a broad grin and approached him immediately.
“Wooooeeeee!” Inkwell yelped. “These are damned good times, Witter!”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doin’?” Cam snapped, about to erupt.
“Why, I’m having a good time before the crowning achievement later tonight!”
“Did you listen to even one word I said?”
“Relax, Witter, relax! The I-Man has it all wrapped up. Tonight’s gonna be a glorious night, so we might as well do it up in style, right? And when it’s all over, I’m gonna make goddamned sure that you get a good chunk of credit, my friend. Because, you see, the I-Man always remembers those who were there to help him, see?
“I’m not interested in credit, Ned. I only want to see a stop put to whoever….”
“Yeah, Witter. Duty, honor, country, got it! I’m attuned, Witter, really attuned, you know? But I have been roaming around like you wanted. I just had to make a little pit stop, see? I’m ready to continue on, but before I do, you have to find me a place where I can get a porter.”
“You already have a beer in your hand, Ned.” Inkwell raised the cup to his mouth and in one long swig drained its contents.
“Not anymore, Witter,” he replied with a wicked smile.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Duke Lando smiled weakly within the darkness of his tent as he returned his cell phone to his pocket. Tom Deville had just called him to let him know that they had found Frank and Lyle and that everyone would be coming here to gather at the appointed time. Good, he told himself. I’m going to chew Frank’s and Lyle’s asses to bits later on, when it’s all over. But for now, at least, my plan is back on track.
This has been a real roller coaster, Lando thought. So unpredictable. I’ve never been i
n a situation this volatile. I can’t wait to leave this place and go home. One thing’s for sure, and that is that my gains this time will have been hard-earned.
Lando laid on his cot, staring upward at the top of his tent, letting his body relax a little. His arms flopped off the sides of the cot as he stretched, his hands moving backward to grip the cot’s legs on the head end. He tensed a little when his hand brushed over something small and hard on the inside of one cot leg, for he instinctively knew that it was something that wasn’t normally there. The nuts and bolts holding everything together were farther up the leg. Curious, he rolled off the cot and knelt down in front of the leg. It was no use like this, he realized, as he would never be able to see it in the dark.
Reaching for the battery-powered lantern that he kept beside the cot, Lando turned the device on to as low a level as it would allow. The white light cut through the inky black darkness, allowing him to see what he was doing. Reaching inside the cot leg, he tugged on the strange object and was easily able to remove it, since it had only been secured with a small piece of masking tape. He held it close to the lantern to see what it was.
It took several second of examination before he began to understand what he was looking at. When it finally sunk in, Lando’s mouth involuntarily opened wide. Oh shit! he silently cried. A listening device, a bug! Someone’s been fucking listening in on me!
Lando immediately grasped that it would go a long way toward explaining why Manuel and Joey had been so quickly unmasked and killed, why his plans had been continually thwarted. That’s why whoever this bastard is was always ahead of me, he told himself. It has to be someone here at GWIBE, obviously, but how could they have known so soon after I got here what I was up to? They couldn’t, of course. I have either a traitor in my outfit or a rat. Maria, maybe? No, she needs this too much. That leaves Deville and Sharper, and it means I can’t go forward tonight. I have to call it off until….
Although he didn’t hear the door flap of his tent being pulled back, Lando felt a slight sensation of moving air and whirled around in panic. “M-Maria?” he asked hopefully. However, even in the small light provided by his lantern that didn’t have enough range to illuminate the entrance, he could tell right off that it wasn’t her. The woman who stood in the entrance had a much more bony build and held herself in a much different way than Maria. Lando could see just enough of the face to know that she was one of the ugliest women he had ever seen.
