Clint Faraday Collection C: Murder in Motion Collector's Edition by CD Moulton Page B

killed Lesterinni and tried to make it look like
a hate killing. Either that or someone like Franconi.”
    “ WHA..!!
What do you know about Franconi?!” Dickerson almost screamed.
Cathy-darlin’ looked like she’d been slapped in the puss with a
rotten fish. She said, “How do you even know about ... the name,
Franconi? He’s a cheap hood in, er, Arkansas. He was going to tell
the ... go to ... someplace. Some people.”
    “ He’s a
cheap hood right here in Bocas Town at the moment. We checked on
his type first thing.”
    “ He’s in
BOCAS TOWN?! Oh, god! We’re dead! All of us! He’s a professional
killer for the mob in Chicago!”
    “ Make up
your mind. He’s a second-rate thug from Motown, not from Oklahoma
or Kansas or Arkansas,” Clint replied. “Why do you think this is
eighteen hundred and these are hick yokels from Podunk
investigating your little murder? These guys are more efficient
than most places in the states.
    “ You can
give me a straight story or I can dig it up. It’s what I do. Each
one of you who ends up dead tells me a little more.”
    Sergio came out and asked Clint if he should
arrest the lot of them for questioning or would they cooperate.
Clint replied that they weren’t legal. They were hiding from
somebody who, apparently, found them.
    “ Well, I
don’t think more than eighty percent of the gringos living here are
legal. I don’t care so long as they stay out of trouble and don’t
bring this kind of thing here. I can’t protect anybody who doesn’t
even tell me what they have to be protected from . That’s asking far too much.
    “ Clint,
you’ve always come through for the Policia Nacionál here. You’ve
donated millions of dollars, billions (Judi told him about that),
to the Indios and everybody else. We deeply respect you for being a
true caring person. I will act on your advice here.”
    “ Okay.
Let it ride for now. I have to check on a thing or two. One person
in Bocas Town seems connected and may be our killer, but he may not
be.”
    “ Fair
enough. If you wish to return to Bocas I will cadge a ride with
you. The investigation boat will be here for another hour or
so.”
    “ We can
go in about ten minutes.” Sergio went back inside.
    “ Just
like that? You have enough influence to control these people just
like that?”
    “ I don’t
control anybody. I respect them, they respect me. Life’s a lot
easier for that.
    “ I’ll
check on Franconi and try to get him to decide he’d like to see
Panamá City or David or something. He’d fit in certain sections
there. Maybe Colón, but he’d live maybe a day there if his
attitude’s anything at all like yours. I’ll be in touch.” He walked
inside and signaled to Sergio that he was ready to go. They headed
back to Bocas Town. Clint wanted to know a thing or two more about
Franconi. The reaction was expected to be a little shock or
something. It was far too much.
    Franconi was sitting on the deck at The Reef
having a beer and chicken and rice. Clint slid in across from him.
He looked up, grinned and said, “Faraday, isn’t it?”
    “ Yeah.
What’s up with that bunch of arrogant obnoxious trailer trash on
Bastimentos that’s so important you had to kill one of
them?”
    He laughed. “I haven’t killed anybody. I
don’t know what’s going on with the cruds. All I’m supposed to do
is hang around to keep an eye on them. I work for a group who ... I
don’t know what it’s about, only that they have to be watched until
some kind of solution can be found to the problem, whatever it is.
If I’m to contact them or anything I’ll get orders.
    “ It’s not
the kind of thing I do. I don’t like being here. I made some bad
moves when I came and got too many people against me. I acted like
this is Chicago or LA. Stupid as all hell! I know better!”
    “ Now it’s
LA, too? I learn things.”
    “ Lucerne
and Bianco are from the area. I’m not drunk or running my mouth or
anything. I was told in no