I wanted to properly grill him on his fellow detectives, but before I could ask anything more, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a text from Jagger.
You okay? What’s taking so long? Jagger
I shot him one back.
Nothing wrong. I’ll explain later. I’m on my way. B
“I gotta go, Detective. I won’t compromise Boyd Newton. If you happen to find out where Danny Bolls is hiding, call Sparky and tell him. I’m trying to keep my brother from getting his nuts in a vice.”
Spitzer politely extended his hand for me to shake. “I’ll be in touch, Gregory. Be safe.”
After I released his hand, I retrieved my helmet from the saddlebag and pulled it on. “Always.”
With that, I was on my way.
The drive to Jean, Nevada, was only about thirty minutes from Sparks Bail Bonds. I didn’t say anything about Detective Spitzer tracking me to Sparky or Jagger while we were in the office. I was still trying to process everything the man had told me earlier.
Jagger had the windows rolled down in his truck, which made it hard to have a decent conversation, plus it was ball-meltingly hot.
“Can we roll up the windows and turn on the A/C? It’s hot as hell in here.” It was the end of summer, and Vegas in September was like a fire pit.
“Oh, uh, sure. I’m not a fan of air conditioning, but if you’re hot…”
Jagger rolled up the windows while merging onto I-15 South. “So, what took you so long to meet me at the office?”
I turned in the seat a little. “Do you know Detective Christopher Spitzer? He’s the narco cop who has Boyd Newton as a snitch.”
“Oh, I think he’s a buddy of Greeley’s. I’ve gone out for drinks with the group, and he’s been there. He’s the one Newton is working with?”
“Yeah. The cops want the Viper Kings and the Víbora Cartel out of Vegas. Boyd told us about the X and Molly. The night Thomas got the blackmail text, Boyd was in Palm Springs at the Víbora compound taking pictures for the narcotics team.”
Jagger sighed. “There’s something that’s been bothering me. Does the governor always keep a million dollars in the mansion? From what I remember, it takes a while to accumulate that much cash, and there are all kinds of forms that must be filled out when anyone withdraws more than ten grand from the bank at a time.”
That was something I hadn’t thought of, though I wouldn’t say I was a financial scholar.
Where did Thomas come up with that much cash?
Chapter Ten
Jagger
I could see Bailey was upset after my question about how the governor had managed to pull together a million dollars in cash if he’d just been texted a blackmail threat during dinner with his brother and his wife.
During my days as a Nevada State Patrol officer, we would, on occasion, stop speeding vehicles carrying loads of cash, firearms, and drugs. The tip off that something illegal was afoot was usually the driver’s immediate demeanor when we approached the car: were they acting suspicious or overly nervous? If so, we called for backup and ran their plates.
It was common knowledge that if someone was hauling something they shouldn’t be, they were more likely to act out in self-preservation. That fact alone made them much more dangerous than the average traffic stop.
Bailey sat quietly for a few minutes before he picked up his phone and dialed.
“You want me to pull over and get out so you can have some privacy?” I always tried to be cordial to everyone, but especially to Bailey.
He put the phone on speaker. “I have nothing to hide from you, Trooper.”
“Hello, Bailey. How are you, son?” It was a very proper female voice I didn’t recognize.
“I’m good, Mom. How are you?” He made small talk with his mother, and his smile told me he really loved the woman.
One of us should love their mother.
