Nothing but Trouble_ A Kevin Kerney Novel - Michael Mcgarrity [117]
“How’s it going?” Kerney asked as the young man stepped nervously inside.
“The only criminal activity I’ve seen so far is a few of the crew members smoking pot.”
“You’re just getting started,” Kerney said, motioning at the couch. Stiffly, Bratton sat on the edge of a cushion. “Is this your first undercover assignment?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
Kerney settled into the easy chair that faced the couch and smiled warmly at Bratton. “Just a guess. How long have you been with the agency?”
“I’m three months out of the academy. They sent me here from Laredo, Texas, on special assignment. I go back when it’s finished.”
“Did you know the murdered agent?”
“No.”
“Have you learned anything more about Mendoza, the Motor Transportation officer, and his van?”
“Mendoza checks out clean. But Agent Fidel still thinks he might be our guy. Mendoza had a cousin staying with him for a week, when you were down here last. The guy’s name is Paul Rangal. He lives in San Diego and works as an apprentice machinist at the naval shipyards. We took a close look at him. Nada.”
“Are you looking at anyone else as a suspect?” Kerney asked as he got up.
“Agent Fidel thinks Ira Dobson, the guy who manages the water-works for the town and the smelter, may be involved.”
“Fidel still thinks the smelter may be being used as a safe house for smuggled illegals?”
“That’s his theory,” Bratton replied.
Kerney walked Bratton to the door. “Good luck with it.”
Bratton smiled. “Thanks. I’ll keep you informed.”
After Bratton slipped outside into the night, Kerney thought about what he’d just heard. It made sense to use an undercover rookie agent, assuming he’d been well coached and adequately prepared, to bust up a smuggling ring. Cop shops frequently used novice officers in such roles. But Bratton seemed completely out of his element and totally uncomfortable in his assignment.
Why would the Border Patrol bring in a second fresh-faced rookie after the first one had been killed? That didn’t make any sense, especially if the smuggling ring included dirty cops. The circumstances called for experienced investigators to be working the case.
Kerney realized that he actually had very little specific information about the case—he didn’t even know the murdered agent’s name. The more he thought about it, the more he questioned why Fidel had asked for his assistance.
Could it be Fidel was playing him? There was no compelling need for Bratton to pass information to Fidel through him. Bratton could easily reach Fidel directly by cell phone without drawing attention to himself.
The night of his meeting with Fidel the agent had managed to get Kerney to help short-circuit Officer Sapian’s investigation. Then he had kept the murder covered up and the victim’s identity hidden from everybody, including Bratton. Kerney found himself wondering if the dead man on the highway was actually a cop at all.
He went over his conversation with Bratton one more time. Fidel had the kid concentrating primarily on Mendoza and Dobson as suspects, in spite of no hard evidence to support it. None of it made any sense.
Kerney decided to check into Agent Fidel’s operation a bit more thoroughly before cooperating with him any further.
An early call had Kerney up long before dawn. Reluctantly, he woke Patrick, who had no desire to get out of bed, and after they were dressed the two of them went outside into the chill of the desert night, where the sky was a flat dark slate. Under a big tent in the mercantile-building parking lot a long line of people was queued up for the buffet breakfast. It seemed that the size of the film company had doubled overnight. He checked the call sheet for the day and discovered that several street scenes, requiring a large number of extras, were scheduled to be shot by the second camera unit, while Usher continued filming at the Jordon ranch.
He looked around for familiar faces and saw Buzzy and Gus, the gaffer and the key grip, hurrying off toward loaded equipment trucks. None of the leading or featured actors