key open?”
“ Not so fast.”
“What?”
“Number one, I don’t trust you. And number two, I won’t give you the key and the location of the object until I’m safely away from Atlanta.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“No.”
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Yes.”
“ The Atlanta bus terminal is one of the largest and busiest terminals in the country; they have hundreds of daily departures. Go to the terminal and purchase tickets to a dozen or more destinations. Make sure they depart late in the afternoon at roughly the same time. But don’t tell me which bus you actually intend to take; you could deceive me further by taking the light rail transit or any of the subway lines that connect the city to the terminal. You could even sneak outside and take a cab. Inside the terminal you will find two levels of concourses. At the entrance to each concourse are walls of lockers. Rent a locker in upper concourse BB for twenty-four hours and stash the key and instructions inside. I’ll meet you there under the lights and in plain view of security. You give me the locker key then catch your bus; after you’ve been on the road for an hour you call me on a disposable cell phone and tell me what locker the key opens.”
“Wow. Good plan.”
“ Tomorrow then, at the bus station you give me the key,” McClure said, scooping the pictures together and placing them in a neat stack.
“What if I need another day to find out what the key opens?”
In a cold and precise way he said, “Then you go to the chair for the murder of a Midtown cop.”
“But you won’t get the object.”
“I have other avenues available to locate it.”
“I see. ”
“Now polish up your demeanor and bring your ‘A’ game to the table for Clay. I’ll be here to personally monitor the interview. Afterwards, I’ll take care of your legal problems. You’ll be out in an hour; then find out what that key opens and call me.”
“ So where’s the other half of your dwarf team?”
“ Huh?”
“ Freckle’s buddy. Little guy with the goatee.”
“ I hear he’s taken an extended leave of absence.”
Chapter 25
Butler swung the door open and Priest and Clay filed in behind him. The war party took seats around the table, and they stared at Trent with an assortment of wary expressions.
McClure set a miniature tape recorder on the table and pressed the RECORD button. He checked that the tape was turning and spoke the date and time, where they were, and who was in the room. Then he rubbed his clean-cut neck and waited.
“I know my constitutional rights,” Trent said angrily. “I want a lawyer; even then I might not talk.”
Clay spoke through clenched teeth. “You haven’t been charged.”
“I’m leaving right now,” Trent said stubbornly.
“Don’t be obstinate, Palmer,” Clay said, “or I’ll arrest you on suspicion of capital murder and put you behind bars.”
Trent held up his handcuffed wrists. “I want these off.”
After a brief silence Clay nodded at Priest. He stood over Trent and turned the key in the handcuff locks.
“ Is this a formal inquiry?” Trent said.
“Of course not ,” McClure said with a smile that said they were all buddies. “Just an unofficial interview among professionals.”
“ Radcliff read me my rights,” Trent said, rubbing the red welts on his wrists.
Clay removed his wire-framed glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He nodded at McClure and said, “That was a formality.”
McClure led the inquisition. First he opened a leather-bound notebook at a page marked by a glossy color photograph. He handed Trent the picture. “This man was murdered in your apartment,” he said in a chummy tone. “Recognize him?”
The mockery was evident and if Trent had had a gun, he would have considered shooting McClure where he sat. “His name was Winston.”
“What do you know about his death?”
“What you’ve told me.”
“No more than
“ Not so fast.”
“What?”
“Number one, I don’t trust you. And number two, I won’t give you the key and the location of the object until I’m safely away from Atlanta.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“No.”
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Yes.”
“ The Atlanta bus terminal is one of the largest and busiest terminals in the country; they have hundreds of daily departures. Go to the terminal and purchase tickets to a dozen or more destinations. Make sure they depart late in the afternoon at roughly the same time. But don’t tell me which bus you actually intend to take; you could deceive me further by taking the light rail transit or any of the subway lines that connect the city to the terminal. You could even sneak outside and take a cab. Inside the terminal you will find two levels of concourses. At the entrance to each concourse are walls of lockers. Rent a locker in upper concourse BB for twenty-four hours and stash the key and instructions inside. I’ll meet you there under the lights and in plain view of security. You give me the locker key then catch your bus; after you’ve been on the road for an hour you call me on a disposable cell phone and tell me what locker the key opens.”
“Wow. Good plan.”
“ Tomorrow then, at the bus station you give me the key,” McClure said, scooping the pictures together and placing them in a neat stack.
“What if I need another day to find out what the key opens?”
In a cold and precise way he said, “Then you go to the chair for the murder of a Midtown cop.”
“But you won’t get the object.”
“I have other avenues available to locate it.”
“I see. ”
“Now polish up your demeanor and bring your ‘A’ game to the table for Clay. I’ll be here to personally monitor the interview. Afterwards, I’ll take care of your legal problems. You’ll be out in an hour; then find out what that key opens and call me.”
“ So where’s the other half of your dwarf team?”
“ Huh?”
“ Freckle’s buddy. Little guy with the goatee.”
“ I hear he’s taken an extended leave of absence.”
Chapter 25
Butler swung the door open and Priest and Clay filed in behind him. The war party took seats around the table, and they stared at Trent with an assortment of wary expressions.
McClure set a miniature tape recorder on the table and pressed the RECORD button. He checked that the tape was turning and spoke the date and time, where they were, and who was in the room. Then he rubbed his clean-cut neck and waited.
“I know my constitutional rights,” Trent said angrily. “I want a lawyer; even then I might not talk.”
Clay spoke through clenched teeth. “You haven’t been charged.”
“I’m leaving right now,” Trent said stubbornly.
“Don’t be obstinate, Palmer,” Clay said, “or I’ll arrest you on suspicion of capital murder and put you behind bars.”
Trent held up his handcuffed wrists. “I want these off.”
After a brief silence Clay nodded at Priest. He stood over Trent and turned the key in the handcuff locks.
“ Is this a formal inquiry?” Trent said.
“Of course not ,” McClure said with a smile that said they were all buddies. “Just an unofficial interview among professionals.”
“ Radcliff read me my rights,” Trent said, rubbing the red welts on his wrists.
Clay removed his wire-framed glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He nodded at McClure and said, “That was a formality.”
McClure led the inquisition. First he opened a leather-bound notebook at a page marked by a glossy color photograph. He handed Trent the picture. “This man was murdered in your apartment,” he said in a chummy tone. “Recognize him?”
The mockery was evident and if Trent had had a gun, he would have considered shooting McClure where he sat. “His name was Winston.”
“What do you know about his death?”
“What you’ve told me.”
“No more than
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