Buck Fever (Blanco County Mysteries)

by Ben Rehder

  Garza shook his head and said, “No, you did the right thing. We both know he's pretty good buddies with Roy Swank. But the question is, is he tied up in all this?”

  “For discussion's sake, Bobby, what do you think ‘all this’ is?”

  Garza leaned closer and spoke quietly. “Sounds like we got some deer running around with contraband in ’em over at the Circle S. And we know Swank brings deer in from Mexico all the time. So that, to me, looks like a pretty good argument for drug smuggling.”

  Marlin smiled. That was one of the reasons he liked Garza: He was a straight shooter, with no bullshit, no what-ifs or maybes.

  “Man, I'm glad you said that. I was worried you'd think I'm crazy.”

  “It does sound a little crazy…until you think about all the people who swallow condoms full of drugs and try to smuggle ’em that way. If it can be done with people, why not animals? So the first thing we need to do is test that powder and see what happens.”

  “And it if comes back dirty, what then?”

  Garza paused for a moment. “To be honest, I really don't know, at this point. Let's just take this one step at a time. If we see any indication that Mackey is involved, we'll have to go around him. That may mean bringing in the DEA.”

  The thought of working with the feds made Marlin a little nervous, but there wasn't a way to avoid it. What if the powder tested positive, but then they couldn't find anything at Swank's place? He and Garza would look like fools, and Swank could even file a lawsuit. The men were discussing these possibilities as they left the restaurant and walked around to the back parking lot to Marlin's cruiser.

  But even before Marlin unlocked his truck door, he could see, through the window, that his glove compartment was open. The powder was gone.

  The mistake Thomas Stovall had made the night before was going to the Happy Trails Saloon, drinking a few too many beers, and then opening his mouth about the events on his property that morning.

  “What the hell did Marlin think it was?” one of the regulars had asked.

  “He wouldn't say,” Stovall replied, “but it was obvious he thought it was cocaine, or heroin, or some such shit.”

  “What'd he do with it?”

  “He scooped it into a baggie and put it in his truck.”

  The men were stunned. Could Swank be a dealer? Nobody really knew him too well, and they sure didn't like him. If he was dealing, what could be more strange than loading up a whitetail with drugs? Many of the men got downright peeved, saying that kind of behavior would be a crime against nature. They were angry. They were indignant. They were thrilled to have such a wild saga unfolding in their quiet little community.

  The men were so wrapped up by Stovall's story, nobody paid any attention to the stranger sitting quietly at the bar, watching basketball on ESPN. Even though he did look an awful lot like Antonio Banderas.

  Oscar was furious with himself for letting things get this chaotic. He prided himself on many things—his looks, his intelligence, his fine sense of style, and yes, his ability to run a smooth ship. But now things were messier than an old jar of hair gel. Oscar had four basic rules for doing business: Number one, only work with people you trust. Two, make sure they trust you. Three, if things get sloppy, fuck them before they fuck you. And four…. Damn! He could never remember that one. Something about guns or cops or something.

  Another thing—Oscar didn't know the gringos who were tied up in the house right now, but these weren't the kind of men he was used to dealing with. Such impertinence. Such drunkenness. Such stupidity. Whereas Oscar's henchmen in Colombia kept their mouths shut and their eyes open, these men seemed to operate in reverse. Last night, they had claimed to be employees of Roy Swank. But could these idiots possibly be the same two men who had reclaimed the deer for Swank? Those men would have to have had bravado and courage. But these men were simpering buffoons. He would have to question Swank at length this morning.

  Swank himself was nearly as incompetent. How could a man sleep peacefully while intruders were parading across his compound? Did he not hear the dogs barking, the shotgun blast? Perhaps he was spoiled by his years working with the government. Could it be that lobbyists typically operate outside the law, with little concern about getting caught? If so, they had far more power and clout than Oscar ever imagined. But it was far more likely that Oscar had made the one mistake that spelled certain death in Colombia: getting involved with amateurs.

  Oscar was concerned, but no, not nervous. He had no plans to let this situation get away from him. If it was necessary, there would be a long line of corpses on the floor of the Swank mansion by this evening, while he was slipping back to Colombia, free and untraceable. It would be a major setback, having to completely abandon the operation. But that was sometimes the cost of doing business.

  He waited patiently by the pool, enjoying a full breakfast. When Swank joined him, Oscar would know then what to do. Swank's words would reveal himself for what he was: a pro or an amateur. And amateurs always wound up dead.

  At nine A.M. on Wednesday, November 3, Bobby Garza and three other deputies raided the secluded home of Charles W. Walznick. Actually, calling it a home was charitable. The only building on the forty-acre property was a sixteen-by-sixteen shack with running water, but no phone or electricity. Garza had seen barns that were more inviting. The property was located on an unpaved dead-end county road that Garza couldn't remember traveling for at least ten years. Looked like Willie Combes had been telling the truth, Garza thought, because this place was perfect for a pot farm.

  Two days earlier, Garza had logged on to the Sheriff's Department computer and learned some interesting things about Charles Walznick: Twenty-eight years old, college dropout. Twelve arrests since the age of eighteen, three convictions. No violent crimes, just forgery, burglary, and—what appeared to be Mr. Walznick's favorite pastime—possession of marijuana. He had been arrested seven times for holding weed. But he had always had good legal representation, so he had never done state time, just a few months in county facilities. None of the incidents had taken place in Blanco County. Walznick was an Austin native and had purchased the forty acres about three years ago.

  The question foremost in Garza's mind was where Walznick had gotten the money to buy the place. Garza could find no records of Walznick ever holding a job, filing a tax return, or even having a Social Security number. This was the kind of guy for whom the phrase “no visible means of support” was coined.

  Walznick himself was not an impressive figure. When the deputies burst through the flimsy door of the shack, Walznick was asleep on a cot wearing ragged blue jeans and no shirt. He weighed about 135 and stood five-seven. He had stringy blond hair, three or four days’ stubble. Garza quickly realized that he really didn't need all the manpower for this scrawny punk. He could have come out here alone—without a firearm, for that matter. Walznick was just a meek little guy with a case of arrested adolescence—an adult in a prolonged high-school party phase—not a hardened criminal. The only problem, Walznick had been growing a healthy crop of marijuana every year on his acreage. According to Willie Combes.

  Walznick didn't look surprised when Garza and his men came barging in. At first, Garza figured he was stoned. But then he realized Walznick had been expecting something like this to happen.

  After one of the deputies frisked Walznick and the other men searched the sparse shack for weapons, Garza sent all three of them out to search the property. He remained in the shack with Walznick, who sat dejectedly on the filthy cot.

  Garza said, “I get the feeling you know exactly why we're here.”

  “Yeah, I been waiting on you, man,” Walznick said somberly. “I heard that Willie got busted so I knew the heat was gonna come down.”

  “Okay, so tell me what's going on.”

  “Sir, I can't tell you anything until I talk to my lawyer.” Polite, but reluctant.

  This punk was no different than Willie Combes, just a few years older, with a little more e
xperience with the law under his belt. Garza had prepared himself for this.

  “Charles, you can get a lawyer if you want. And with your history, I can see why you want one. You're very likely looking at state time and the forfeiture of your acreage and cabin.” He gestured out the door. “Unless I'm an idiot, I expect my men to find marijuana growing in plots on the back side of your property. Maybe not a huge amount…I don't think you're a major dealer or anything. I think you grow just enough to get by. Sell some to your friends, and your friends’ friends. Maybe sell a few keys to other dealers once in a while. But that's not the biggest of your problems, Charles. It looks like Willie's friend Michael died from smoking your weed.

  Walznick's head jerked up quickly. “He what?”

  “That's right, you probably thought we were just out here to burn the weed and take you in. But it's a little more complicated than that. See, the guy was an asthmatic, and he died because of your pot. Now, I'm guessing you treated your crop with all kinds of pesticides and herbicides. And seeing as how you're not exactly a Rhodes scholar, you probably had no idea what you were doing. Your negligence adds up to involuntary manslaughter, at least.”

  Walznick was shaking his head back and forth. “Shit. Shit!”

  Garza was taking his time, enjoying himself. “You could be looking at five to twenty years. Twenty years is a long time, when you think about it, isn't it? Remember when you were eight years old, playing war games and sneaking peeks at your daddy's nudie magazines? How would you like to have been in jail since way back then? That's how long of a stretch we're talking about.”

  Walznick was now breathing very heavily. Just about to talk, Garza thought.

  “Charles, any second now, one of my men is gonna holler out. That will mean he's found the first of your plots. I'm sure you've got small ones all over the place. But I'll make you a deal. If you start talking before one of my men hollers, telling me the whole story about your little farm here—who you deal to, who helps you with the operation, how you got the money to buy this place—I promise you…” Garza paused. “Look at me, Charles.”

  Walznick's head came up out of his hands and he looked Garza in the eyes.

  Garza continued. “I promise you, I'll do what I can to help you out. I mean, it seems obvious to me that you didn't intend for the guy to die. But if you don't talk, I'll make you a different promise. I will do everything in my power—everything—to fuck up your life. I'll make sure you get sent to Huntsville for a good, long time.”

  Walznick nodded his head just in time, as one of the men whistled loudly from a few hundred yards away.

  ROY SWANK FINALLY joined Oscar by the pool at nine-thirty. The weather was still and cool, in the fifties, and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful Texas autumn day, with plenty of sunshine.

  Roy said good morning to Oscar and sat down next to him. Oscar nodded, but did not look up from his newspaper. The Colombian had a portable radio on the table and was singing along with it…something about being “too sexy for his pants.”

  Roy was in a bathrobe and slippers, and began to feel a little self-conscious sitting there with no conversation. He sipped orange juice and waited, sensing that something was wrong. Maybe it wouldn't be such a great day after all.

  Just as Roy was about to speak, Oscar turned the radio off and asked, “Who are Red and Billy Don?”

  Swank was puzzled. How did Oscar know those names? For some reason, Swank always felt like he should lie to Oscar, thinking the less the Colombian knew, the better. But it seemed an innocent-enough question, so Swank told him that those were the two men who had helped him take the deer back from Phil Colby.

  “And where are they now?” Oscar asked, still not looking up from the paper.

  “Hell if I know. I'm done with those two. Like you say, you gotta deal with professionals only, and those guys are rank amateurs.” Swank was making an effort to appease Oscar, his way of saying, See, I've been listening to you, and I'm trying to do things your way.

  Oscar folded the paper neatly and placed it on the table. “What would you say if I tole you that they are locked up in your house right now?”

  Swank smiled, and then his mouth fell open as he realized Oscar was telling the truth.

  Oscar continued, his voice beginning to rise. “Yes, the two men you have trusted before, men who know things they should not know, came to your house lass night. I believe their intention was to steal back the deer, for whatever reason. Maybe to milk more money out of you. But they have too much whiskey and become clumsy and loud. I shoot one of them, and…”

  “You shot one of them?” Swank echoed in amazement.

  “Yes, but he ees fine. Just a small wound. Big man like that, ees no problem for him.” Oscar paused and looked at the sun rising over the oak trees around the pool. “Also, who is Thomas Stovall?”

  “He's one of my neighbors. Why?”

  Oscar recounted Thomas Stovall's tale at the tavern the night before, and told about breaking into the game warden's vehicle to retrieve the white powder.

  “Shit. This whole thing is coming unglued,” Swank said.

  “You are right, my frien’. These men, we cannot have them running around causing trouble. Now is the time for me to call in some of mis amigos from my country.”

  “What for?” Swank was getting wound-up, but he was determined not to let it show.

  “Something must be done with all of these…what you call loose ends. This Red and Billy Don. The game warden and his frien’. We must find a way to convince them to leave us alone, to go about our business. My frien's, they are experts at convincing people in such matters.”

  The last thing Swank wanted was a bunch of swarthy thugs running around his property. So he tried a new approach with Oscar: brashness. “Fuck your friends,” he said, pounding his fist on the table. “That damn game warden doesn't know a thing. I already told him we're giving the deer back, so he'll get off our backs after that. Like you said, he ain't got nothing on us without the powder. And Red and Billy Don, hell, we just pay ’em a few bucks and they'll go on their merry way. I don't see why we need any of your buddies up here.”

  Swank looked out of the corner of his eye to see how Oscar would react. Swank had never spoken that forcefully to Oscar before. The Colombian merely smiled. Then he spoke in a calm, collected manner. “Who is running thees operation?”

  Swank hated to answer that one. It was always an unspoken understanding that Oscar was the boss, but Swank hated to admit it out loud. “You are,” he said bitterly.

  “Yes, I am,” Oscar said. “And I am bringing in some help. Some men I can trust.”

  At that point, Swank truly didn't give a damn anymore. Frankly, he was tired, and he didn't want to deal with any of this mess. His mind was humming, thinking that if Oscar's men could find a way to end all these problems, then what the hell. “Fine,” he said, still trying to sound like the decision was a mutual one. “Bring your boys on up. Let ’em help us out a little bit.”

  Oscar went inside to call his men, while Roy Swank sat on the patio, wishing he had some men of his own. He had an uneasy feeling that he might need some soon.

  Oscar was surprised. Swank had reacted more bravely than he had anticipated. If Swank could show a little machismo, without panicking, maybe there was still a way to salvage the remaining merchandise. After all, the game warden named Marlin no longer had the drugs. Popping the truck door open was easy, and the glove box wasn't even locked. These Americans were far too trusting…but that was a fortunate thing in this case.

  So all the game warden could really say was that he had found a white powder on the ground. The federales from the DEA would ask: How do you know it came from the deer? How do you know the powder was drugs? Marlin would not only be ridiculed, he wouldn't even be able to get a search warrant. Especially not with Swank's connections. So Oscar felt confident that Marlin would do nothing.

  The thing to do now, Oscar decided, was to continue with business
as usual, with one exception. Bring no more merchandise to the Circle S Ranch. Simply unload what's already here, and then abandon Swank for another wealthy American who was equally greedy.

  And if Swank objected to that, Oscar's men would be here to deal with him.

  Marlin stuck his head into the hospital room, expecting Phil Colby to look pretty awful. He wasn't disappointed. But his best friend was awake, thank God, and that's what really mattered. Colby was lying back, hand on the remote control, watching a Spurs game on TV.

  “Knock, knock,” Marlin said, swinging the door open.

  Colby looked in Marlin's direction. “John?”

  “Who were you expecting, the Pope?” Marlin said. Maybe some light humor would keep him from getting choked up.

  Marlin walked up to the bed and the two men clasped hands. “Goddamn, buddy, you look pretty lame. You'd think you've been in a coma or something.”

  “You don't know the half of it,” Colby said, easing himself up a little straighter in bed. “My head feels like I been kicked by a mule. They say I still have a pretty good concussion. But they don't want to give me any painkillers until they know I'm gonna be conscious for a while.”

  Marlin eyed the heavy bandage across Colby's forehead. “I guess you got some stitches….”

  “About twenty. Right behind the hairline, though, so it won't mess up my movie-star looks. Plus a little double vision, vertigo, and I get a little confused now and then and think I'm a Vegas showgirl.”

  Marlin grinned from ear to ear. It was the old Colby, cracking jokes and taking things in stride. Damn, what a nice thing to see.

  Colby griped a little about the hospital food and the boredom that came with watching TV all day, but it didn't take him long to get around to the big question: “So where's Buck?”

  Marlin had been contemplating just how much to tell Colby about the last few days. He didn't want to load Colby down with a bunch of worries when he should be concentrating on getting better and getting out of the hospital. So Marlin had made up his mind on the way to the hospital to keep the details to a minimum. At least he could tell him the truth about Buck. He told him about the message from Roy Swank, and added that he felt confident that Swank wasn't pulling a fast one. “When he returns Buck, believe me, I'll keep an eye on him personally until you get home. The only thing I'm wondering is how Buck got back over to Swank's place. He said that Buck just showed up one day…”