computer. Several photos of sports teams adorned the walls, some new and some old—Warnock was a Cincinnati Reds and a Bengals fan. In the corner, two chintz chairs framed a small coffee table. Warnock sat in one and I took the other.
“You from Cincinnati?” I asked.
“Originally. Been living and practicing here in the Charleston area though since ‘seventy-two.”
“You must like it here then.”
“It fulfills my needs.” He reached for a box on the table. “Cigar smoker?”
“Never took it up.”
“Ah, don’t blame you. I like a good Macanudo every now and then myself. Mind if I indulge?”
“Be my guest.”
He opened the small wooden box on the table and took his time preparing the cigar and lighting up.
“That’s nice,” he said at last, once he’d had the first couple of puffs. Smoke drifted toward the curtains covering the French doors. I noticed there was a double set and that one was thick and colored a deep red.
“How long had you known Chester?” he asked.
I thought about it for a minute. “Five or six years, I guess. I met him when he first approached Toronto about falconry sponsorship.”
“Sure, right, right. This Toronto fellow, he work for you?”
“Jake works for himself. He and I collaborate from time to time.”
He flashed a toothy grin between puffs. “Collaborate … you make it sound like some sort of academic relationship.”
I shrugged.
“You and he were detectives together in New York, weren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Got into a little trouble, from what I understand.”
I smiled. “Some people thought so.”
His turn to say nothing.
“You asked me down here because you said you wanted to see that I was compensated for helping Mrs. Carew.”
“That’s right. That’s right. But there’s something more important I want to talk to you about.”
“And that would be?”
“To begin with … West Virginia.”
“The state?”
“Our sovereign land.” He waved his cigar for a moment as if he were conducting an aria.
“What about it?”
“Ever been over here around Charleston before?”
“A few times to go hunting. Once looking for a skip trace that didn’t pan out.”
“So you don’t know a whole lot about our people or our economy.”
“I don’t know a whole lot about a lot of things, Mr. Warnock. What’s your point?”
“Just that if Betty insists on your looking into Chester’s death, well, I hope you’ll take your time and familiarize yourself with all the local channels before you go off and—”
“Step on anybody’s toes?”
“Exactly. Step on anybody’s toes.”
There was a soft knocking on the door.
“Come in,” the attorney said.
Penny Holt entered carrying a large leather-bound portfolio. “The checkbook you asked for, sir.”
“Thank you, Penny.” She handed it to him and he took it and placed it on the coffee table before him.
“Anything else you need? Something to drink maybe?”
Warnock looked at me, but I shook my head. “No, that’ll be fine for now,” he said.
The assistant excused herself and left the room, closing the door with a soft thud behind her.
“Tell me something, since you’ve lived around here a long time and all. How much do you know about the Stonewall Rangers Brigade?”
“Stonewall Rangers? They’re one of these extremist groups you hear about. You know, blame everything on all the blacks and Hispanics and Jews. But like I said, they have rights.”
“Free speech and all.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Chester Carew had been to a few of their meetings?”
“Betty told me.”
“Apparently they were after him to play some kind of war games on his land.”
“Huh.”
“May I ask what type of law you practice, counselor? Any area of specialty?”
“No particular specialty. I do all kinds of work, from estates, as you see with Chester and Betty, to corporate work, other types of civil litigation, even some criminal work. It all depends.”
“Depends on
“You from Cincinnati?” I asked.
“Originally. Been living and practicing here in the Charleston area though since ‘seventy-two.”
“You must like it here then.”
“It fulfills my needs.” He reached for a box on the table. “Cigar smoker?”
“Never took it up.”
“Ah, don’t blame you. I like a good Macanudo every now and then myself. Mind if I indulge?”
“Be my guest.”
He opened the small wooden box on the table and took his time preparing the cigar and lighting up.
“That’s nice,” he said at last, once he’d had the first couple of puffs. Smoke drifted toward the curtains covering the French doors. I noticed there was a double set and that one was thick and colored a deep red.
“How long had you known Chester?” he asked.
I thought about it for a minute. “Five or six years, I guess. I met him when he first approached Toronto about falconry sponsorship.”
“Sure, right, right. This Toronto fellow, he work for you?”
“Jake works for himself. He and I collaborate from time to time.”
He flashed a toothy grin between puffs. “Collaborate … you make it sound like some sort of academic relationship.”
I shrugged.
“You and he were detectives together in New York, weren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Got into a little trouble, from what I understand.”
I smiled. “Some people thought so.”
His turn to say nothing.
“You asked me down here because you said you wanted to see that I was compensated for helping Mrs. Carew.”
“That’s right. That’s right. But there’s something more important I want to talk to you about.”
“And that would be?”
“To begin with … West Virginia.”
“The state?”
“Our sovereign land.” He waved his cigar for a moment as if he were conducting an aria.
“What about it?”
“Ever been over here around Charleston before?”
“A few times to go hunting. Once looking for a skip trace that didn’t pan out.”
“So you don’t know a whole lot about our people or our economy.”
“I don’t know a whole lot about a lot of things, Mr. Warnock. What’s your point?”
“Just that if Betty insists on your looking into Chester’s death, well, I hope you’ll take your time and familiarize yourself with all the local channels before you go off and—”
“Step on anybody’s toes?”
“Exactly. Step on anybody’s toes.”
There was a soft knocking on the door.
“Come in,” the attorney said.
Penny Holt entered carrying a large leather-bound portfolio. “The checkbook you asked for, sir.”
“Thank you, Penny.” She handed it to him and he took it and placed it on the coffee table before him.
“Anything else you need? Something to drink maybe?”
Warnock looked at me, but I shook my head. “No, that’ll be fine for now,” he said.
The assistant excused herself and left the room, closing the door with a soft thud behind her.
“Tell me something, since you’ve lived around here a long time and all. How much do you know about the Stonewall Rangers Brigade?”
“Stonewall Rangers? They’re one of these extremist groups you hear about. You know, blame everything on all the blacks and Hispanics and Jews. But like I said, they have rights.”
“Free speech and all.”
“Yes.”
“Did you know Chester Carew had been to a few of their meetings?”
“Betty told me.”
“Apparently they were after him to play some kind of war games on his land.”
“Huh.”
“May I ask what type of law you practice, counselor? Any area of specialty?”
“No particular specialty. I do all kinds of work, from estates, as you see with Chester and Betty, to corporate work, other types of civil litigation, even some criminal work. It all depends.”
“Depends on
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