saw a side door for the garage, tried it and found it unlocked. He shook his head, entered.
“ We got no warrant,” Peeps said.
“ This woman’s in trouble,” Mouledoux said, “and it’s our job to help if we can.”
“ You’re saying we shouldn’t do what you said, you know, take her back the hospital.”
“ Fuck no. I find her, I’m gonna advise her to get a one way ticket to Rio and to never come back.”
“ But what about the chaos you said would happen?”
“ It’s gonna happen anyway.”
“ I don’t understand.”
“ You think that lot back there can keep their mouths shut? Christ, that Dr. Shaffer promised Eisenhower he’d keep her secret, then as soon as he possibly could he has Romero call us and he spills his guts. If he can’t keep his word to someone he respects and used to be in love with, you think we can trust him just because he says we can?”
“ I hadn’t thought about it.”
“ And that fucking lawyer. I’ll give you odds he’s got a half dozen P.I.s on the job looking for her.”
“ Look.” Peeps pointed.
“ Smashed her iPhone,” Mouledoux said. “She’s on the run.”
“ So what now?”
“ You’re the senior detective. How should I know? I’m the new kid on the block.”
“ You can spend the next couple three hours digging into her past,” Peeps said. “Find out if she’s got friends she trusts. I’ll check with the granddaughter’s ex, see if I can get a line on her.”
* * *
Peeps Friday knew an opportunity when it knocked and this one was banging away at his door with a sledge. He didn’t believe for a second the preposterous story about that old bat getting young again, but this was exactly the kind of information Mansfield Wayne paid good money for and if there was one thing Peeps Friday coveted, it was good money.
He shivered a bit as he got on 395 and headed south. It had been a long time since he’d been out to the Wayne estate and he was always apprehensive when he went there. Going through the gates was like entering the embassy of a foreign country. Maybe it was only four or five acres at the top of Saddlehorn Drive, but inside those gates old Manny Wayne was the law and his security guards, who were fiercely loyal, would skin you alive and serve you to his Rotweiller guard dogs if he asked them.
Maybe he should have called first, Peeps thought as he turned onto Mount Rose Highway. He’d gone back to the hospital and gotten the disc from Dr. Shaffer, telling him he’d copy it and get the original back to him. Shaffer hadn’t wanted to give it to him, but he’d had no choice. Neither had Peeps, becasue Manny needed to see the disc. Manny, like himself, may not believe what was on there, but maybe he would. One thing was for sure, he darn sure wouldn’t believe the story if Peeps told him over the phone. Seeing is believing, he told himself.
But he didn’t believe it.
But he hoped Manny Wayne would.
* * *
Mansfield Wayne was just leaving the john, which because of his enlarged prostate he was visiting a lot more than he liked, and about to make his first martini of the evening, when Gerald, the major on duty, he liked to give his guards rank, rang him and told him Peeps Friday was at the gate. It was 5:00 and he had his first drink at 5:00 straight up and his second at 6:00, seven nights a week, without fail. He spent the two hours, from 5:00 to 7:00, in thought. He didn’t like to be disturbed and those who knew him, knew this. So, he carried a touch of irritation with him when Peeps showed up at the door.
“ Mr. Mansfield, I have something for you,” Peeps said.
“ Mr. Friday, you know about my private time.”
“ This can’t wait, Mr. Mansfield. Because of the hour I was going to take this to your son, but with all due respect, sir, this is too big for Tucker. I had to come straight to you and I had to come as soon as I possibly could.”
Mansfield Wayne was a quick study and what he saw told him Peeps was
“ We got no warrant,” Peeps said.
“ This woman’s in trouble,” Mouledoux said, “and it’s our job to help if we can.”
“ You’re saying we shouldn’t do what you said, you know, take her back the hospital.”
“ Fuck no. I find her, I’m gonna advise her to get a one way ticket to Rio and to never come back.”
“ But what about the chaos you said would happen?”
“ It’s gonna happen anyway.”
“ I don’t understand.”
“ You think that lot back there can keep their mouths shut? Christ, that Dr. Shaffer promised Eisenhower he’d keep her secret, then as soon as he possibly could he has Romero call us and he spills his guts. If he can’t keep his word to someone he respects and used to be in love with, you think we can trust him just because he says we can?”
“ I hadn’t thought about it.”
“ And that fucking lawyer. I’ll give you odds he’s got a half dozen P.I.s on the job looking for her.”
“ Look.” Peeps pointed.
“ Smashed her iPhone,” Mouledoux said. “She’s on the run.”
“ So what now?”
“ You’re the senior detective. How should I know? I’m the new kid on the block.”
“ You can spend the next couple three hours digging into her past,” Peeps said. “Find out if she’s got friends she trusts. I’ll check with the granddaughter’s ex, see if I can get a line on her.”
* * *
Peeps Friday knew an opportunity when it knocked and this one was banging away at his door with a sledge. He didn’t believe for a second the preposterous story about that old bat getting young again, but this was exactly the kind of information Mansfield Wayne paid good money for and if there was one thing Peeps Friday coveted, it was good money.
He shivered a bit as he got on 395 and headed south. It had been a long time since he’d been out to the Wayne estate and he was always apprehensive when he went there. Going through the gates was like entering the embassy of a foreign country. Maybe it was only four or five acres at the top of Saddlehorn Drive, but inside those gates old Manny Wayne was the law and his security guards, who were fiercely loyal, would skin you alive and serve you to his Rotweiller guard dogs if he asked them.
Maybe he should have called first, Peeps thought as he turned onto Mount Rose Highway. He’d gone back to the hospital and gotten the disc from Dr. Shaffer, telling him he’d copy it and get the original back to him. Shaffer hadn’t wanted to give it to him, but he’d had no choice. Neither had Peeps, becasue Manny needed to see the disc. Manny, like himself, may not believe what was on there, but maybe he would. One thing was for sure, he darn sure wouldn’t believe the story if Peeps told him over the phone. Seeing is believing, he told himself.
But he didn’t believe it.
But he hoped Manny Wayne would.
* * *
Mansfield Wayne was just leaving the john, which because of his enlarged prostate he was visiting a lot more than he liked, and about to make his first martini of the evening, when Gerald, the major on duty, he liked to give his guards rank, rang him and told him Peeps Friday was at the gate. It was 5:00 and he had his first drink at 5:00 straight up and his second at 6:00, seven nights a week, without fail. He spent the two hours, from 5:00 to 7:00, in thought. He didn’t like to be disturbed and those who knew him, knew this. So, he carried a touch of irritation with him when Peeps showed up at the door.
“ Mr. Mansfield, I have something for you,” Peeps said.
“ Mr. Friday, you know about my private time.”
“ This can’t wait, Mr. Mansfield. Because of the hour I was going to take this to your son, but with all due respect, sir, this is too big for Tucker. I had to come straight to you and I had to come as soon as I possibly could.”
Mansfield Wayne was a quick study and what he saw told him Peeps was
Similar Books
