Lifeguard - James Patterson [76]
“Mine, too, sir.” Ellie looked him in the eye.
“Right,” the ADIC said. He cast a glance to Ficke and Harpering.
“The way things are right now,” the lawyer said, “Stratton walks away and we’re left with the biggest cleanup mess since the Exxon Valdez.”
Cole rubbed his temples hard. “Just for the sake of conversation, Special Agent Shurtleff, what exactly would you need to do this job?”
“I’d need it leaked that Moretti didn’t talk. That he didn’t say a word about Stratton. And that I’ve been taken off the case. That I’m under investigation.”
“That won’t be hard,” Cole said.
“And something else,” Ellie went on, since she was on such a hot streak.
“What’s that?” The ADIC rolled his eyes impatiently.
“This could get a little unorthodox, sir. . . .”
“Oh, and it’s been going along so ‘by the book’ up to this point.” Cole couldn’t help but smile.
Ellie sucked in a breath. “I’ll need Ned Kelly, sir.”
Chapter 94
I WAS PLAYING GIN at the house with Sollie.
We were outside, in the covered cabana by the pool. I’d been confined to Sollie’s until my role in what happened at Ellie’s house was fully resolved.
A little matter of having violated my bail agreement—possession of a firearm.
I knew Ellie was in trouble. I knew what we did could cost her her job. Everything was out now: my dad’s involvement, what Ellie had found out about Moretti, our conversations with Liz. Me.
With Liz and Moretti dead, we didn’t have much to hang on Stratton. He had orchestrated everything perfectly. That made me the angriest of all. That, and my father. Frank thought he was squaring things with the Man, but the irony was that by pulling the trigger, he had let Stratton go free.
“You keep throwing me hearts, I keep taking them,” Sol said with an apologetic sigh.
“I guess I’m not much competition today,” I said, drawing a card.
“Competition? This is rehabilitation, Ned. I promised the judge. Besides, at this rate I’ll have made back your bail by tomorrow afternoon. Then you can get the hell out.”
I smiled at the old guy. “I’m worried about Ellie, Sol.”
“I can see that, kid, but you know, I think it’ll be all right. The girl can handle herself fine.”
“She tried to help me, and I got her in trouble. I want to get Stratton, Sollie. I was sure we had him nailed.”
“I know you do, kid.” Sol laid down his hand. “And my guess is, you’ll still get your chance. Let me tell you something about guys like Dennis Stratton. You know what their weakness is? They always think they’re the biggest fish in the pond. And trust me, Ned, there’s always one a little bigger.” He was looking straight at me. “But first, there’s something more important you got to do, Ned.”
“What’s that?” I grinned. “Deal?”
“No, I’m talking about your father, kid. . . .”
“My illustrious father is the reason we’re in this mess,” I said, picking my hand back up. “Without him, we’d have someone to testify against Stratton. Don’t think for a second he was acting nobly.”
“I think he was doing things the only way he knew how. The guy’s sick, Ned. Jesus, kid, fours. . . .”
“Huh?”
“You passed on my four of spades. You’re not thinking, Ned.”
I looked at my hand and saw the jumbled mess I was playing and realized my mind was a million miles away.
“Take care of your own business, son,” Sol said, still talking about my dad. “This Stratton thing, it’ll work itself out. But while we’re on it,” he said, fanning out his cards and catching my eye. “I might be able to help you a bit.”
“What are you talking about, Sol?”
“Discard, kid. . . . It’s all about the fish. We’ll talk later.”
I tossed out a ten of diamonds.
“Rhythm!” Sollie eyes lit up, laying down his cards. “This is too easy, kid.” He pulled in the score sheet. His third straight gin. “If this is the way it’s gonna be, I’m gonna let you go back to jail.”
Winnie, Sollie’s Filipino housemaid, came out, announcing that we had a visitor.
Ellie followed a few steps behind.
I jumped up out of the chair.
“Your ears must be burning, dear.” Sollie Roth smiled. “Look at your boyfriend. He’s so worried