The Big Thaw - Donald Harstad [100]
“Well,” said Lamar, kindly, “you gotta do what you gotta do.”
Blitek had told Gabriel, as it turned out, everything that had been said by Cletus at the interviews. Including the fact that we knew about the phone call from the Cletus Borglan residence to the Cletus Borglan residence, so to speak.
Shit.
He also told us that Gabriel was still planning some sort of major operation for Sunday. Something to do with cash, and banks, but probably not what Cletus had described.
“You mean, ‘had been planning,’ don’t you?” I was fairly certain by then that we had just lost Gabriel again.
It was the only time that a spark of life showed in Blitek’s eyes that day. He had almost a religious fervor about him. “Gabriel says that there’s no way you Zionist puppets can interfere. You can’t stop him. It’s a military operation, and you don’t have a chance.” He kind of giggled, like a kid. “There’s going to be no betrayal this time!”
We decided the best way to find out was to talk to Cletus. By now, both Davies and Attorney Gunston were at the jail. Gunston said we could talk to Cletus, but that he was making arrangements for a doctor to attend his client and perhaps give him a sedative.
“No sedative,” said Davies. “We wouldn’t want you to say that we’d talked to him under the influence of drugs, would we.”
I stood on the front porch of the jail with Volont, Davies, Art, and George. It was the best place for a fast private meeting. Nobody else seemed to want to hang around in view of the grain elevator.
“So, how do we proceed?” George kept glancing at the elevator in the distance. “Well, he’s seen Blitek. He’s got to be aware that everything he’s said has already been given to Gabriel.” Volont looked around. “I’d say he’s just about ripe, if we can protect him.”
“We can’t,” said Art. He’d been a deputy in Nation County long enough to know what our resources were. Now that he was a state officer, he knew what they had available. He was right.
“We can,” said Volont.
He was right. They probably could. For me, it was just a question of whether or not we could convince Cletus of that. I had absolutely no problem with giving him up, in exchange for getting Gabriel. We’d intended that all along.
“I’m not authorized to make deals,” said Art.
“I am,” said Davies.
“Not without the permission of the local prosecutor,” said Art. Knowing full well that, as yet, there really wasn’t one.
“We’ll talk about that one again, after you’ve passed the Bar.” Davies kept his voice light, but there was no mistaking the fact that Art was being shut down. He turned, and looked at me. “I think you and I should do the interview, since you’ve established something of a rapport with Mr. Borglan.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled. “I make him puke.”
“And that a representative of the FBI should also be present, to make the ‘protection’ offer.” He smiled, brightly. “A gesture of good faith …”
Volont, Davies, and I were in the “interrogation kitchen,” as Davies referred to it, and Lamar was bringing Cletus out of his cell. Attorney Gunston was waiting to talk to Cletus before we did, in the secure room.
“Now, let me see,” said Davies. “Paper … pencil … briefcase … vomit bag …”
“Give me a break,” I said. “It was probably something he ate.”
Volont said, “We don’t ask directly about Sunday?”
Davies and I agreed. “How about the banks? How direct for details?” I wanted to have the interview parameters really clear on this one.
“Whatever you need on that,” Volont said. “Don’t forget that Attorney Gunston was at the Borglan farm before he knew Cletus was being charged. I don’t like the possible connection here to the rest of that group.”
“Right,” said Davies. “We should have Cletus pretty nervous right now. Let’s try to keep