Coolly, she’d asked, “Has the previous owner been identified?”
Although she’d known the answer, of course, she hadn’t been entirely braced for Bowie’s reply. “The late Roland Malone.”
ThelateRoland Malone? Malone wasdead? Her knees had gone weak.
“Obvious homicide,” Bowie said. “He owned a restaurant but was reputed to have some shady business dealings, including illegal drug trafficking. Too slippery ever to be indicted.”
He’d then gone on to describe the crime scene, which hadmade her both physically ill and deeply disturbed. Someone had wanted Malone not merely dead, but dead in a way that sent a warning.What did this portend for her future?
Having heard the juicy details, everyone else besides her and Lear began dispersing. Still playing dumb, she’d asked Bowie why anyone would send Mitch Haskell a restaurant owner’s pinkie finger, ring and all.
“I intend to put that question to Mitch myself. That is, as soon as I can locate him,” he’d said, his annoyance plain. “All I know is that Mitch has had Malone in his sights for a while.”
“For what?”
“He attributed Randy Nelson’s execution to Malone.”
“Ahh,” Lear had said. “So Mitch thinks it was Malone who killed the two found in Bayou Coeur this week?”
“Yes, but keep that under your hat. DEA is trying to connect Malone to a local drug cartel. They’re after a bigger fish than Malone.”
“Has Darcy been told about this?” Lear had asked.
“Yes. I’ve filled him in.”
Bowie had then taken a picture of the grisly package with his cell phone, assigned one of their crime scene techs to preserve it for evidence to be turned over to the New Orleans PD, then had announced that he would be gone for a while but wanted to be kept informed of any developments.
He’d left, Nix assumed to search for the elusive Mitch Haskell.
For the past two hours, she had tried to look busy at her desk, behaving as though Malone’s ghastly murder had been of no importance to her. In reality, she was in turmoil. Her only line to Oz’s cartel had been cut, leaving her adrift in turbulent waters.
Now, while reviewing open cases that didn’t require her review, her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but from the day that Malone had placed her in this position as his mole, she had grown accustomed to seeing “Unknown Caller” in her phone’s readout. But who would be calling her now?
She was unsure it was even safe to answer. The call could be a trap. Did the police have Malone’s cell phone? Had they found her number in it?
Don’t borrow trouble until you have to. Tamping down her misgivings, she answered with her customary brusqueness. “This is Nix.”
“Barbara, isn’t it?”
The smooth male voice sent chills down her spine. Out of caution, she didn’t respond, but she didn’t disconnect, either.
He said, “Ah, you’re being circumspect, which indicates to me that you’ve learned about the demise of a famous restaurateur we both knew well.”
“Yes.” That single word was all her tight throat could muster, but it was a neutral reply that conveyed neither joy, sorrow, nor panic over Malone’s death.
“Our acquaintance spoke highly of you,” he said. “You’ve been in place for a while and did a good job for him. It really is remarkable that you’ve been able to deceive your police department cohorts so thoroughly and well.”
While the praise was gratifying, she didn’t say anything.
“By now you’ve probably guessed who this is, and your reluctance to speak suggests that you’re at risk of being overheard, so I’ll get right to the point. You’ve proven yourself to be discreet and capable. Because of our friend’s sudden demise, I have a vacancy to fill, and time is of the essence. Are you prepared to work for me directly, without an intermediary?”
Her heart leaped. “Yes,” she said on an expulsion of pent-up breath. “Absolutely.”
“Wonderful. You can begin immediately by telling me if Mitch Haskell received a parcel this morning.”
“It was delivered, but he wasn’t here. John Bowie took a picture of it and has gone in search of Haskell.”
“He hasn’t resurfaced? Before our mutual acquaintance… died… he mentioned that Haskell was out of pocket. It’s assumed he’s with his therapist.”
