by David Archer
“I’d love a cup,” Noah said. She was back a moment later with a mug and then pushed the sugar bowl toward him. “You need cream?”
“Nope, I’m fine.” He added a couple of spoons of sugar and stirred, then picked it up and took a big drink. “Okay, now that is some very good coffee. Can I ask what brand?”
“I don’t know what it’s called,” Jimmy said, “but it’s imported. I tried some once when I was on a trip and liked it, so I have a standing order in all the time. Comes in these big three-pound bags. I’ll give you one.”
“See?” Ralph said. “This job comes with perks, man.”
Noah had just shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, so he chewed quickly before answering. “I’ll say,” he said. “If you guys eat like this every day, I’ll show up for breakfast all the time.”
“Marlene wouldn’t mind,” Jimmy said. “She seems to think she needs to cook for a small army every day, anyway. I hate to think about how much food gets thrown out this house every week.”
“Not very much at all,” Marlene said loudly. “How can it, with you guys here? Jimmy, you could eat more than most baseball teams all by yourself.”
Jimmy laughed and slapped his belly. “That must be why I’ve got this,” he said, still chuckling.
Noah laughed along, keeping up his act. “Ralph,” he said a moment later, “what’s on your agenda for today?”
“I’m going down to see Ronnie,” the boy said. “We talked a little bit yesterday about some of my ideas, especially about liquid pot and things like that, so it’s time we decide how we’re going to handle the transition. He’ll be introducing me to his crews today, letting them know I’m taking over.”
Noah looked over at the boy’s father. “Anybody on that crew I need to be aware of? Anybody you don’t trust?”
Jimmy shrugged. “The way this bracket works,” he said, “is you put your lieutenants in place, and then you trust them to do their jobs. I don’t know who Ronnie has working for him, but I’ve never heard of any issues. I’m thinking that Ralphie will have to make some of those decisions on his own.”
“I can handle it, Pa,” Ralph said. “Anybody working under me will understand real quickly that I don’t play games. It’s my way or the highway, nothing in between.”
“That’s good,” Noah said, “but I don’t want you alone with any of them until they’ve proven themselves. You keep Forney and one of his boys with you at all times today, okay?”
Jimmy Morgan looked up at him. “What are you going to be doing today?”
“My wife and her brother got in at two o’clock this morning,” Noah said. “There are couple of things I need to take care of today, but I’ll be with Ralph and Forney most of the time. Is there anything particular you want me to do?”
Jimmy shook his head. “Nope. Just wondered where you’ll be. You know, if the wife just got in and you need the day off…”
“I don’t,” Noah said. “I made sure to get some sleep before they arrived last night so that I’d be all right for today. The job comes first, and Angie understands that.”
Jimmy grinned at him. “I do like a man who knows where the bread comes from.” He swallowed his last swig of coffee and scooted his chair back. “Well, you boys have a good day. I’ve got some things I need to attend to, so I’ll be tied up for a good part of it. Call me if you need anything.” He rose and turned, then stalked out the door without another word.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Ralph said. “He likes to give the impression he’s some kind of badass, but the truth is that he just likes power. If he’s got something to attend to, it’s probably something to do with one of the dozen or so women he keeps on the string.”
Noah met Ralph’s grin with one of his own. “Rank does have its privileges,” he said. “It’s good to be the king.”
“That’s what he always says,” Ralph said, chuckling. “And now he calls me the crown prince. I guess it’s good to be that, too.”
Noah smiled. “I guess so. I know I’m glad to be the prince’s guard. Best job I’ve ever had, I can tell you that.”
A sound behind him made him turn his head, and Scott Forney walked into the room. “Hey,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“Going great,” Noah said. “Got here in time for breakfast, and it’s good.”
Forney smiled. “I know, I’ve had Marlene’s cooking before. Hey, Marlene.” The housekeeper came to him and gave him a hug.
“Sit down, Scotty,” she said, “and I’ll bring you a plate.”
“Oh, no, Marlene,” Forney said with a grin, “I’m already full. Janet fed me waffles this morning.” He leaned close to her and stage-whispered in her ear. “But I’ll make sure I save room tomorrow, okay?”
“Tomorrow we’re having pancakes,” Marlene said with a grin. “Janet will get jealous if you start eating here every morning.”
“And you think that’d stop me?” Forney let her go and stood facing Noah. “Anything special today, Chief?”
“I might need to do some running around sometime today,” Noah replied, “but not a lot. He’s planning on spending time with Sneed, and I want you to watch all the guys on his crew. If anyone seems nervous or fidgety, get ’em away from Ralph. Nobody new, either, nobody gets close to him without you knowing who they are.”
Forney nodded. “You got it. I know most of his people, anyway, so if I don’t, they get patted down before they come in.”
“Right,” Noah said. “We still don’t know who paid Benny for the hit. Until we do, and he’s dead, everyone is to be considered a potential threat. No exceptions.”
“No exceptions,” Forney repeated back. “Best way to handle things. Hey, did the wife make it in?”
Noah grinned and nodded. “Yeah, about two this morning. She’s sleeping in today. That’s one of the things I need to take care of today. She’s never met my sister. Katie was gone before I met Angie, and I need to get them together and see if they’re gonna get along.”
There was a bit more small talk around the table, but finally Ralph was ready to go. Forney relieved Brendan, and he took his men with him as he left.
“Ralph,” Noah said, “you’ll be riding with Scott today. I’m going to follow along, but I’ll just be watching from the car.”
Ralph shrugged. “Don’t make no never mind to me,” the boy said. “I just think it’s cool I get my own personal chauffeur out of this deal.”
Noah chuckled, then walked over to his car and climbed behind the wheel. He waited until Forney started his own and fell into line behind the two men he had brought along. The three-car convoy moved along the driveway and out onto the county road, then headed toward Berryville. Ronnie Sneed conducted his business from an old used-car dealership on the east end of town, and Noah kept a close eye on surrounding traffic until they got there. The place still sold cars, mostly cheap ones such as Ronnie’s primary clientele could barely afford the weekly payments on. In fact, most of them came from those same clients when they were desperate for the money to conduct the other sort of business.
No one seemed to pay any attention to the little motorcade, however, so he simply parked near the entrance of the lot, facing the main road. In his rearview mirror, he watched Ralph and Forney enter the brick office building. The other two men sat on the hood of the car they had ridden to the place in, one of them facing the road and the other facing the building’s door.
A moment later, two men came out, both of them looking angry. Noah tensed slightly as they stomped past the two bodyguards, but neither of them said or did anything alarming. When they drove away, Noah took out his phone and dialed Forney.
“Couple of guys who owe money,” Forney said as soon as he answered. “I told them to come back later; we had other things to occupy us for now.”
“No problems?” Noah asked. “They looked pretty pissed.”
Forney chuckled. “They were only pissed because Ronnie’s been letting them have some stuff on credit, and
Ralph told them that’s all over. Cash and carry, no charge accounts anymore. Ronnie and Ralphie are arguing about it now.”
Noah let a chuckle of his own escape. “Ralph is in charge now,” he said, “so he’s probably gonna start out by showing everyone who’s the boss. If he looks like he’s going to make new enemies, try to steer him a bit, but don’t piss him off.”
“Will do,” Forney said, and Noah cut the call off. He settled back in his seat and contented himself with watching the traffic go by.
It was almost three hours later when Ralph came out again, and he walked directly to the Charger. Noah powered down his window and looked up at the kid. “How’d that go?” he asked.
Ralph grinned at him. “Old guys like Ronnie—he’s as old as my Pa—they don’t like it when the kid comes in and starts giving orders, but we got through it. He’s calling all his people now, to come in after lunch so we can meet. I’m thinking of going over to Eureka for lunch, that cool?”
“Sure,” Noah said. “I’ll follow you guys.” He sat up and started the car as Ralph walked back toward Forney’s Buick and got in. The bodyguards were already in their own car, and Noah fell in at the rear of the line once more.
They were almost to the edge of town when his phone rang, and he saw that it was Sarah calling. “Angie, baby,” he said. “You decide to get up at last?”
“Ha-ha,” Sarah said. “I’ll have you know I’ve been up for more than half an hour. How’s your day going?”
“Pretty decent,” he said. “All I’ve been doing so far is sitting in the car. Chilling and taking it easy.”
“Must be nice. Neil and I are about to start unloading the trailer. Don’t suppose you want to come home and help, do you?”
“Leave the heavy stuff for me and Neil. I’ll probably be home around four, but I’ve got another appointment later, remember that.”
“No problem, babe. Hey, who picked out the dishes and stuff?”
“That was Katie. She helped me figure out what all we’d need.”
“Yeah, I remember you telling me that. I was just surprised that they’re so nice. I was pretty sure you didn’t pick them.”
Noah laughed. “No, the ones I wanted were big and heavy and looked like they were meant for a campfire. Katie reminded me that I had married a girl, so I let her use her own judgment. I’m glad you approve.”
“And speaking of your sister,” Sarah said, “when do I get to meet her?”
“Tell you what. After lunch, I’ll run by her place and get her and bring her out. I can help unload the heavy stuff then, that work?”
“Awesome, baby. Can’t wait.”
“See you then,” Noah said, and then he ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. He followed the others all the way to Eureka Springs and was surprised when they stopped at a little place called Carol’s Kitchen. He parked the car away from most of the others and got out, locked it, and followed them inside.
With the waitress’s permission, they pushed a couple of tables together, and the five of them sat down. Ralph seemed to know the place pretty well and ordered a buffalo chicken sandwich without even looking at the menu. Noah picked one up and glanced at it, then decided to try the same sandwich.
A few of the customers recognized Ralph, and one or two knew Forney. Noah was introduced—as Rex, of course—to several new people. Ralph referred to him as “my new babysitter,” while Forney simply said he was “the new guy.” Apparently, most people understood that being “the new guy” meant working directly for Jimmy Morgan.
The sandwich wasn’t bad, and they were finished at just a little after twelve thirty. Noah had told them he had to run home for a little while after lunch, and Forney had assured him that everything was under control. He paid his tab and left them standing at the register, walked out, and got into the Charger and headed back to Berryville.
Kate was home and still up. When Noah tapped on the door, she yelled for him to come in.
“Hey, bro,” she said. “Angie make it in?”
“Yep, and she sent me to kidnap you and drag you out of the house. Something about making you help her unload the trailer.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll be right there. Tell her not to wait, though—it’s okay to go ahead and get started.”
Noah grinned. “Actually, she wanted me to bring you out so the two of you could meet. Are you busy?”
Kate smiled back at him. “Give me ten minutes to change,” she said. “There’s coffee if you wanted, or there’s pop in the fridge.”
Noah opened her refrigerator and took out a bottle of orange-flavored soda, then twisted off the cap and took a big drink. He licked his lips and looked at the label, but it wasn’t a brand he recognized. By the time she came out of the bedroom again, he had finished it and set the bottle on the counter.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Kate announced. “I’d better just follow you out; I don’t need to get stuck out there all afternoon. Some days, I go in for a little while in the afternoon to help the programming manager. I’m supposed to be there about three thirty, today.”
“No problem,” Noah said. He went back out to his car and got behind the wheel as she backed her own out of the driveway. Noah had to pull into her driveway to turn around, and then he actually followed Kate’s car out to his place.
Sarah and Neil were standing at the back of the trailer when they pulled in, and Noah quickly made the introductions. It took less than two minutes for him to realize that the two girls were going to get along quite well, so he let them go on inside and start getting to know each other while he helped Neil carry some of the bigger boxes and packages into the house.
“Rex, you just wait into you see this new 3-D printer I’ve got,” Neil said. “It is absolutely awesome. With a little bit of work, I could actually 3-D print entire pieces of furniture.”
Noah grinned at him, conscious that Kate could be looking in their direction at any moment. “I think I’ve already got enough furniture,” he said. “What do you need something like that for, anyway?”
Neil pretended to be shocked. “Are you kidding? The stuff this thing uses for raw material doesn’t cost nearly as much as you’d think. Say I wanted a bicycle, I could either go out and buy one for a couple hundred bucks, or I can print out the frame, the wheels, just about every single part, and then all I’ve got to buy is a couple tires and a seat. It’ll be lighter than what I could buy and won’t cost half as much.”
“I see,” Noah said. “And how long would it take you to print it out?”
“Couple hours, maybe three. But if I was using a bicycle for an example, I could literally make just about anything. You’ve heard of nanotubes?”
“Yeah, makes a super strong material, right?”
“Yep. Well, this stuff takes that several steps further. It uses something called nanosheets in a polymerized matrix to transfer all the strength of the nanotubes into the entire object it makes.”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “And this is important because…”
Neil chuckled. “That means I could print out a razor blade with this stuff, and you could shave with it. The funny thing is that you could probably shave with it a hundred times before it got dull enough to throw away.”
“Cool,” Noah said. “That’ll save me a lot of money buying razors.”
Neil leaned close to him. “And, of course, we have the added advantage that the stuff makes incredibly fine shrapnel when we use it in our own special ways.”
Noah nodded but said nothing. They carried the large case into the house and down the hall to the room Neil would be using for his office.
“What happened to the bed and stuff that was in here?” Noah asked.
“I took it down and carried it out to the storage building,” Neil said. “But don’t worry, I wrapped it all in plastic real well.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
By the time Neil and Noah were finished, Sarah and Kate were comfortably sitting on the couch and ta
lking like old friends. Noah kissed Sarah goodbye and promised that they would have Kate over for dinner soon, then said he had to get back to work and left. He called Forney while he was leaving the driveway and was told that they were back at Sneed’s office, but that everything was going well.
“Either Ralph or I know all of these guys,” he said. “I’m not going to argue with the kid when he says he can trust these people, but unless it’s somebody I know well enough to trust in myself, I’m not going to let my people relax around them. Oh, and by the way, Billy Martin called a while ago. He thinks they may have a lead on whoever it was that paid Benny. I told him you might want to talk to him about that, was I right?”
“Damn right,” Noah said. “Text me his number, will you? I want to call him now.”
“You got it.” The line went dead, and a moment later Noah got the chime that signaled an incoming text message. He opened it and tapped the number it contained with his thumb, and the phone dialed it automatically.
“Billy Martin,” the deputy answered.
“Deputy, this is Rex Madison. Scott Forney said you may have a lead on the person who hired Benny?”
“Hey, Rex. Yeah, there’s a guy named Justin Haggard who’s apparently been heard saying that something is going to happen to Jimmy and Ralph. Don’t have anything concrete, yet, but word on the street is that Haggard’s been working with some out-of-towners with a lot of money.”
“Out-of-towners,” Noah repeated. “We talking about the mob, here? Like in New York and Vegas?”
“That’s kinda what it sounds like,” Martin said. “At the moment, though, that’s all we’ve got. We’re looking for Haggard now but haven’t found him yet.”
“I don’t suppose you could send me a picture of him, could you? I’d like to make sure my guys all know who he is.”
“No problem at all,” Martin said. “Give me just a few minutes. Can I send it straight to your phone?”
“Absolutely. And I appreciate it.”
Noah ended the call and held the phone in his hand as he drove. It chimed again a few moments later, and he found himself looking into the face of a man who reminded him of Schwarzenegger, when he was younger. The same iron jaw, the same emotionless expression; if Hollywood ever went looking for a new Terminator, Noah would have happily nominated this guy.
