There was a scratching hiss, then, “You are here now, yes?”
“Goscha? How are you? How is the child?”
“The baby, ah, ah, the baby. Please, you must help her.”
“But the money isn’t ready yet, Goscha. Do you understand about the money?”
“I am overhearing conversations. Bad things are happening, and right now. You must come.”
“Goscha, who is behind the kidnapping?”
“This also I am wondering. I hear Reiner Klatz speak to his wife. You know Klatz?”
“Erin Brandt’s manager.”
“They say ten million dollars is coming.”
Kirsten inspected the cracked stone wall in front of her face, searching for understanding. “They told Dale five. I’m sure of it.”
“Ten million. Herr Klatz, he says something about new instructions. Please, you are helping now, yes?”
CHAPTER 49
The Wilmington district attorney’s office was attached to the police station and city lockup. All were built of the same Carolina brick, with slit windows and an air of grim functionality. The DA’s appearance was a perfect fit to her voice-big-boned and heavy, a shiny black force that cleared everything from her path. She greeted Marcus with, “Hamper Caisse would not be doing a trial of two would-be robbers down in Wilmington. How many cases does he have running at any one time, thirty?”
“More.”
“Call it thirty cases to stay conservative. Even for a DUI he’d be clearing five hundred dollars a pop. Bound to have five or six cases on a decent day.”
“Somebody else is pulling Hamper’s strings,” Marcus agreed. “Did you call the Raleigh courthouse?”
“Just like you suggested. Judge Sears is a fine lady, by the way. Sends you her regards. She heard me out, then brought Hamper into chambers and put me on the speaker phone.” She had a brilliant smile. “I tell you what, that made my day. He hit a high note. Several of them, in fact.”
“Is he coming?”
Wilma Blain ushered him down the hall and into her office. “Made a lot of noise about how we had to put this off. So me and Sears, we struck Hamper with a double whammy. Sears ordered him down, just like we hoped.” She pointed Marcus into a chair. “I told him we were opening the case again, starting from scratch, seeing what else we could hit these guys with. Man didn’t even let me finish. Soon as he realized this was a happening thing, he was up and headed for the door.”
“A happening thing.” Marcus returned the grin. “How did I ever miss working with you up to now?”
“Shoot, you’re too busy chasing dragons from what I hear. Got your guns loaded with high-velocity heat-seekers.”
“I’m just another Carolina country lawyer.”
“You can go sell that one down the street.” She settled into her chair. “I hear Charlie Hayes was a friend of yours.”
“That’s right.”
“Says a lot for you. He was a good man.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry. Don’t know what else I can say except we aim on tracking down the killers and putting them away. You can take that to the bank.” She gave him a full-on inspection. “Straight up, now. Did Dale Steadman murder his wife?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Dale Steadman held two fund-raisers for me at that Disney castle he built. Went out of his way to help me when most of the wealthy citizens of this good town would just as soon have shown me the back of their hand.”
“If I was his judge and not his lawyer, I’d be telling you the same thing. Dale Steadman is innocent of everything except loving his child.”
“I believe you.” She tightened her gaze. “Ain’t that a shocker? A DA admitting such a thing to a defense attorney.”
“It’s the nicest compliment I’ve had in a long while.”
“Okay. Enough of the talk-talk. Here’s what we got.” She opened the files. “Local boy, James Walker, aka all sorts of silly old names, most recently going by the highly original guise of Studley.”
“Studley Walker. I can see him already.”
“Boy’s so smart he thinks Cheerios are doughnut seeds. Been arrested a grand total of nineteen times, not bad for somebody still making a grab for twenty-five.” She stabbed the second file. “Skyler Cummins. Altogether different ballgame. You run across him before?”
“No.”
“You must not do much criminal work. He’s from Durham originally, then Raleigh by way of Chicago. Extortion, assault, battery, armed robbery. Two stints of hard time.”
“A bad one.”
“You’ll see.” She closed the files. “So let’s hear your impression.”
“Two-bit was approached by the heavy.”
“Looks that way to me as well.”
“Heavy is the only one who knows who’s behind this. Which means we have to turn him.”
“I want to work on Studley first. One thing we might use. When I spoke to our chief jailer about the visitor’s log, he mentioned James Walker had words with him a few days back. The begging kind. Like he’d be willing to do something if it meant getting him away from his present digs. At the time, the jailer didn’t give it much thought, seeing as how we were dealing with a simple B amp;E.” She motioned to the coffeepot. When Marcus shook his head, she asked, “So how do you want to play this one out?”
“This is your turf.”
Wilma Blain shook her head. “I like your style, counselor. Help me out here.”
“I like the fact he’s already approached the jailer. A lot.”
“Our man James may not be the brightest penny in the roll. But he’s managed to smell out something’s not right with this picture.”
“Or he’s been threatened.”
“That thought crossed my mind as well.”
“So have the jailer bring him over, and on the way let it slip about these visits Hamper made to the other man.”
“I’m with you.”
“The jailer might even mention how talking to you without his lawyer present isn’t possible unless he first dismisses Hamper.” Defense counsel was required by law to be present whenever a representative of the opposition wished to speak with the accused, unless of course the accused fired his counsel. “Bring the guy out here. Hold your meeting in a courthouse chamber. No manacles. Leave the guard outside the door.”
“You mean, when he talks to us.”
“Do you have a room with one-way glass?”
She showed surprise for the very first time. “You want to hide yourself away?”
“Only,” Marcus replied, “until we spring our trap.”
“Reiner Klatz.”
“Reiner, this is Kirsten Stansted.”
There was an astonished silence. “You are finding me even at ten thousand meters?”
“What?”
“Never mind. I had hoped for the pleasure of never hearing from you again.”
“The feeling is mutual, Reiner. Now tell me about the other offer.”
A pause. “Please?”
“The other offer, Reiner. The one not coming from Dale Steadman.”
A muffled curse sent Kirsten bounding off the bed and shooting for the corner of the hotel room where she had stowed her empty suitcase. “Ten million, do I have that right?”
“Goscha,” he muttered. “It could only be.”
“Focus, Reiner. It’s either answers or the police. Take your pick.”
“No police!” The man moved to high falsetto and stayed there. “I am told the baby will die!”
“Who’s talking with you, Reiner?”
“I know nothing! Nothing! First I am slave to Erin Brandt, now to mystery men who have her child! I am an opera manager!”
“Slow down, Reiner. Tell me what you know.”
“Did you not hear me? I know nothing at all! I receive a call from people, bad people. They say they have the child. They tell me you will be coming with money.”
“Then what about-”
“You just wait! Then I receive another call.”
“Same people?”
“Who am I to know? They are not giving me answers to anything! They say forget you and forget Dale’s money. Now there will be other money.”