“You know that there was some controversy around my election... that people died,” she said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes, I know,” Parrish said.
“Then you know the name Lucas Davenport?”
“I read all the clips. He was the cop who led the investigation,” Parrish said.
“A year or so after the investigation, he was appointed to be a U.S. Marshal,” Grant said. “He got the job because Smalls and the former Minnesota governor...”
“Henderson, the guy who ran for vice president.”
“Yes. They pulled some strings in Washington, got him the new job,” Grant said. “I don’t know what his position is, except that he was involved in a major shoot-out down in Texas last year. Anyway, guess what? Smalls has him on your accident case.”
“He won’t find anything,” Parrish said. “There’s nothing to find. I’ve read the West Virginia State Police files now—I had aguy get copies off their computers—and they’ve officially determined that it was a one-car accident resulting in minor injuries to one person and death to the other. No alcohol involved, no charges pending. Routine. Case closed.”
“Happy to hear it. But I need to know what Davenport’s doing,” Grant said. “He is intelligent and he is dangerous. When I say dangerous, I mean a killer. You think your superspies can handle that?”
Parrish didn’t like the sarcasm, but he said, “Sure. I’ll need some money.”
“We have a family office in Minneapolis,” Grant said. “There’s a man there named Frank Reese. I will send him a message, telling him to expect you or one of your associates. He will give you whatever amount you need, in cash, but I expect it to be accounted for. I’m not cheap, but I won’t tolerate being chumped.”
“I understand,” Parrish said. “When you say send a message...”
“Thoroughly encrypted, to a site that only Reese and I know about,” Grant said.
“Good. I’m impressed,” Parrish said. “Look, if this gets complicated, would it be better to ask Reese for a big chunk all at once or better to go back to him several times?”
“How much do you need?” she asked.
“I don’t know. If every time we go back, it could be tied to a particular... event... that could be a problem. We may need several events over the next couple of years.”
She nodded. “I’ll tell Reese to give you a half,” she said. “How soon can you look at Davenport?”
“Half of what?”
“Half a million,” she said. “Is that going to cover it?”
Impressed again, though Parrish didn’t say so. “I’ll fly out toMinneapolis this afternoon. I’ll want to handle Reese myself. Keep the loop tight,” Parrish said. “I’ll have somebody on Davenport right away, figure out where he’s staying.”
“He probably doesn’t have a hotel yet. I’ve been told he won’t actually get here until tomorrow or the next day.”
“Where are you getting this information?” Parrish asked.
“I have a friend in the Smalls organization.”
“Huh.” Impressed again. “If Davenport’s flying commercial, we can pick out his flight and spot him at the airport when he gets here.”
“Do that.” She waved him toward the door. “Stay in touch.”
On the way out, Parrish paused, then turned. “You want to know everything, so I have a proposition that you might be interested in. Or, you can kill it.”
“What?”
“If this Davenport guy wasn’t investigating the incident, who would be?”
She thought about it, and said, “I don’t know. Maybe nobody. Davenport has a personal problem with me. He thinks I had something to do with the murders around my election. He wants to get me. Nobody else, that I can think of, has the same incentive, except maybe Smalls himself.”
“Still, he’s a small-town cop, right?”
