The Night Monster_ A Novel of Suspense - James Swain [22]
The answer, I quickly discovered, was no.
I called Boone, Weaver, and Burrell. After I told them what I’d learned, each detective told me an arrest in Sara’s case was imminent and hung up. They had almost sounded like they were reading from a script.
My next call was to Chief Black Cloud, leader of the Seminole Indian nation. The Seminoles owned the Hard Rock Casino and were one of the richest tribes in the country. Chief Black Cloud had single-handedly built the casino and made his people rich. Recently he’d been forced to step down as president, but his smiling photograph remained on the tribe’s website, and I knew that he still ran things.
I had visited the Hard Rock plenty of times as a cop. Its glittering casino was a magnet for runaways, and I’d pulled many off the casino floor and returned them to their parents. I had done this without disrupting the casino’s business, or alerting the press. I’d respected the tribe, and as a result, I had a good relationship with Black Cloud.
A secretary patched me through, and Black Cloud picked up on the first ring.
“Good afternoon, Jack,” Black Cloud said.
“Good afternoon, Chief,” I replied.
“Che-Han-Tah-Mo, Ah-hee-tho-sta.”
“Shtongo, edama-he-do.”
The Seminoles had two traditional languages. The chief had greeted me in Creek, and I had responded in Miccosukee, a few lines of which I’d learned growing up.
“Not bad for a half breed,” Black Cloud said.
I would have taken offense, only I knew Black Cloud was a half breed himself.
“So what can I do for you today?” the chief asked.
“I’m calling to ask a favor.”
“Are you looking for a job? I heard you were no longer a policeman. I could set you up right now to run our security team. You would fit in well here. Say yes, and I’ll make the call.”
Black Cloud had offered me several jobs over the years, all of which I’d turned down. It had nothing to do with the money, which was excellent, or the people, whom I liked. His casino had no windows, and being stuck inside a building without sunshine for eight hours a day was for me the equivalent of going straight to hell.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m on my own now,” I said.
“Still finding missing kids?”
“Yes.”
“You were good at that. What can I do for you?”
“Two nights ago, a man was spotted in your casino stalking three women from the Florida State women’s basketball team. One of those women was later abducted from her motel room. With your permission, I’d like to visit the casino’s surveillance control room, and see if I can spot this man on your surveillance tapes. If I can identify him, it might lead me to the missing girl.”
“I don’t know, Jack,” the chief said. “The surveillance control room is off-limits to everyone but a handful of people. Even I have a hard time getting in there.”
“I need for an exception to be made. A girl’s life is at stake.”
“How soon would you like to come in?”
“Right now.”
“Will you be bringing any policemen with you?”
“No, I’ll be by myself.”
“Do the police know about this man who was in our casino?”
“The police have another suspect in custody who they’re going to charge with the crime. I told the police about the man in your casino, but they refused to listen.”
“This sounds personal, Jack. Is it?”
Through my mind flashed Sara Long’s abduction and the beating I’d taken, the police’s unwillingness to listen to my story, and finally Karl Long’s blistering accusations that I was lousy at my work.
“Yes, it’s personal,” I said.
“I will see what I can do. Give me a number where you can be reached.”
I gave the chief my cell phone number and thanked him for his help.
CHAPTER 13
decided to grab lunch while waiting for Black Cloud to call me back. A number of fast-food restaurants were located around the arena, and I opted for a McDonald’s Value Meal, a twelve-hundred-calorie artery-clogging feast for a