now?”
“Wait until the storm dies down, then have Johnny take you out in the boat.”
Watts was being paid twice his annual income to do Laney’s dirty work, and he loved it. He hadn’t had as much fun in years.
Chapter 27
The storm hadn’t subsided by the time dusk came. Watts was anxious to get paid. “I don’t mind going now, Mr. Laney.”
“I’m still waiting on Mr. Ellison to call and confirm the transaction was recorded with the state. Last thing I want is for some government employee to need one more signature and Hollie’s at the bottom of the ocean.”
“So…Mr. Ellison doesn’t know anything about your…extracurricular activities?”
Laney stared daggers at the hired gun. He was beginning to have second thoughts on hiring the man again. Watts had his uses, but something about him made Laney uneasy. It was prudent to keep such men at arm’s length. Watts already knew too much. “Henry Ellison and I go back to our toddler days. He is a fine and upstanding lawyer, as honest as the day is long. My father once told me that there are only two things a businessman needs, God and a damned good lawyer.”
Watts smiled. Hearing his employer talk of God made him want to laugh. He and Laney were cut of the same cloth. Do what you need to do to get the job done. “You just tell me when.”
+++
An hour later, Max Laney had finally lost patience and placed a call to his attorney’s office. The secretary answered, “Ellison and Garvey.”
“Max Laney for Mr. Ellison please.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Laney, but Mr. Ellison isn’t back yet. We thought that maybe he was still with you.”
“Um, no. He left hours ago. Maybe he had other appointments?”
“No, sir. Mr. Ellison had us cancel the rest of his appointments when he scheduled yours.”
Laney stared at the wall. “Well, when he gets in will you please have him give me a call?”
“Yes, sir.”
Henry Ellison missing. Maybe it was the storm.
Laney dialed another number.
“Defuniak Springs Police,” answered the dispatcher.
“Max Laney for Chief Knox, please.”
+++
Darryl Knox was just sitting down for dinner when his phone rang. He groaned when he saw it was dispatch. It had been a long day dealing with the havoc caused by the storm. “I thought I told you I was busy for the next two hours.”
“Yes, sir, but I’ve got Mr. Laney on the line. He says it’s an emergency.”
Knox put his glass down and got up from the table, motioning for his date to continue eating. Once in the lobby, Knox asked for Laney to be patched through.
“Chief Knox.”
“Chief, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“Not a problem, Mr. Laney. How can I help?”
“Do you now Henry Ellison?”
“The attorney?”
“Yes. Mr. Ellison was here earlier in the day, and I’ve been waiting for his call. I just talked to his office and they say he never returned. I wonder if maybe he ran off the road somewhere.”
“It’s been happening all day. I can’t remember the last time we had to call Eddy’s Towing so many times.”
“Would it be possible for you to send out a couple units to look for him? He’s a very old friend. I would hate it if anything happened to him.”
Knox closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, wishing he could get back to dinner. “I’ll get right on it, Mr. Laney.”
+++
Patrol cars scoured the routes to and from the Laney residence, spotlights shining off the roadways. They found Henry Ellison’s car an hour after beginning their search. Chief Knox called Max Laney from the scene.
“We found Mr. Ellison’s car.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s not in the car, Mr. Laney. The first officer on the scene found the car off the road, crashed into a tree. The driver’s side door was open, but no sign of Mr. Ellison.”
Laney’s face paled. Of course he was concerned for his friend, but he was more concerned with the purchase contract. He’d already transferred funds into a pair of
“Wait until the storm dies down, then have Johnny take you out in the boat.”
Watts was being paid twice his annual income to do Laney’s dirty work, and he loved it. He hadn’t had as much fun in years.
Chapter 27
The storm hadn’t subsided by the time dusk came. Watts was anxious to get paid. “I don’t mind going now, Mr. Laney.”
“I’m still waiting on Mr. Ellison to call and confirm the transaction was recorded with the state. Last thing I want is for some government employee to need one more signature and Hollie’s at the bottom of the ocean.”
“So…Mr. Ellison doesn’t know anything about your…extracurricular activities?”
Laney stared daggers at the hired gun. He was beginning to have second thoughts on hiring the man again. Watts had his uses, but something about him made Laney uneasy. It was prudent to keep such men at arm’s length. Watts already knew too much. “Henry Ellison and I go back to our toddler days. He is a fine and upstanding lawyer, as honest as the day is long. My father once told me that there are only two things a businessman needs, God and a damned good lawyer.”
Watts smiled. Hearing his employer talk of God made him want to laugh. He and Laney were cut of the same cloth. Do what you need to do to get the job done. “You just tell me when.”
+++
An hour later, Max Laney had finally lost patience and placed a call to his attorney’s office. The secretary answered, “Ellison and Garvey.”
“Max Laney for Mr. Ellison please.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Laney, but Mr. Ellison isn’t back yet. We thought that maybe he was still with you.”
“Um, no. He left hours ago. Maybe he had other appointments?”
“No, sir. Mr. Ellison had us cancel the rest of his appointments when he scheduled yours.”
Laney stared at the wall. “Well, when he gets in will you please have him give me a call?”
“Yes, sir.”
Henry Ellison missing. Maybe it was the storm.
Laney dialed another number.
“Defuniak Springs Police,” answered the dispatcher.
“Max Laney for Chief Knox, please.”
+++
Darryl Knox was just sitting down for dinner when his phone rang. He groaned when he saw it was dispatch. It had been a long day dealing with the havoc caused by the storm. “I thought I told you I was busy for the next two hours.”
“Yes, sir, but I’ve got Mr. Laney on the line. He says it’s an emergency.”
Knox put his glass down and got up from the table, motioning for his date to continue eating. Once in the lobby, Knox asked for Laney to be patched through.
“Chief Knox.”
“Chief, I’m sorry to bother you.”
“Not a problem, Mr. Laney. How can I help?”
“Do you now Henry Ellison?”
“The attorney?”
“Yes. Mr. Ellison was here earlier in the day, and I’ve been waiting for his call. I just talked to his office and they say he never returned. I wonder if maybe he ran off the road somewhere.”
“It’s been happening all day. I can’t remember the last time we had to call Eddy’s Towing so many times.”
“Would it be possible for you to send out a couple units to look for him? He’s a very old friend. I would hate it if anything happened to him.”
Knox closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, wishing he could get back to dinner. “I’ll get right on it, Mr. Laney.”
+++
Patrol cars scoured the routes to and from the Laney residence, spotlights shining off the roadways. They found Henry Ellison’s car an hour after beginning their search. Chief Knox called Max Laney from the scene.
“We found Mr. Ellison’s car.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s not in the car, Mr. Laney. The first officer on the scene found the car off the road, crashed into a tree. The driver’s side door was open, but no sign of Mr. Ellison.”
Laney’s face paled. Of course he was concerned for his friend, but he was more concerned with the purchase contract. He’d already transferred funds into a pair of
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