Read Gagliano,Anthony - Straits of Fortune.wps for Free Online

enough. Now he was in a prison up in central Florida, doing time for insider trading. After the FBI caught up with him, the Mexicans wanted to keep his boat. The bank had disagreed with that and called in Captain Tony. It was good money, but we had almost gotten killed. "I understand you have a kayak," the Colonel said. "That's right. So?" "You'll need it to get back once the boat sinks." "I'd have to take that boat out at least five or six miles, into the Gulf Stream. That's a long way out." "You're making excuses, Jack. We're wasting time on all this. Are you going to do it or not?" "The thought of jail fails to intrigue me, Andrew." "I don't see why. You'd be able to lift weights all day long. Now, look: We can bullshit here all day, Jack. Yes or no?" I looked across the table at him and shook my head. I stood up. The Colonel seemed crestfallen, deserted, as though his best hope had left him. All I wanted to do was get out of there, away from all of them, but the look on the Colonel's face ate into my resolve. "You don't expect me to believe the blackmail story, do you?" I asked. "And don't give me that crap about your friends getting the video. First of all, you don't have any friends, and second of all, if you did, you wouldn't give a rat's ass what 31
    they thought. Besides that, nobody who knows Vivian thinks she's been in a convent the past ten years, so why don't you tell me why she really shot Matson?" The Colonel looked me over carefully and nodded ap- provingly. "You're a good man," he said. "I'm sure if you hadn't shot that other officer, you'd be a detective by now. You're right, the smut wasn't the only reason, but it's the only one I'm prepared to provide you with right now--that and a hundred thousand dollars." "Where's Vivian?" I said. "Maybe she'll tell me what's going on here." "I don't know where she is." "I hate calling you a liar twice in the same day, Colonel, but I'm kind of getting used to it. Save your money for your daughter's lawyers. By the time they're through, a hundred grand won't even pay their bar bills." I stood up. The Colonel gazed at me and shook his head slowly. Then he stood and, despite the fact that it was not his habit, extended his hand. The gesture caught me off guard. "Sorry I brought you out here, old friend. No hard feel- ings," the Colonel said. He wore the faint smile of a man who is trying hard to be brave. "What will you do now?" "That's no longer your concern." I thought for a moment. Something he'd said earlier was bugging me, and I'd almost forgotten it. "You mentioned that Vivian had stolen some of your re- search," I said. "Supposedly for Matson. He used the film for leverage, is that it?" "Yes, that's right." "What would Matson want with your work? The closest he ever came to chemistry was working behind the bar at Monty's." 32
    "Good-bye, Jack. It was nice of you to come. I hope I haven't wasted too much of your time." Suddenly I was the one who wanted to protest. My cu- riosity was winning out over my common sense. I wanted to know more, but I knew damned well I should get out of there. The trouble fuse had been lit, and it was just a matter of time before the whole thing blew. I knew it, and yet it still took considerable effort to walk away. "So long, Colonel," I said, forcing the hollow words out. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you out." "I was a fool to think you would." I started to say something, but he had already turned his back and was staring out at the yacht. I watched it with him a moment. Then I turned and walked toward the house and left him sitting there with the sunlight, the yacht, the bottle of scotch, a lot of money, and no way around the fact that he had a daughter who would probably have to go to jail. I was walking away from a lot of trouble, and I knew it. I only wished that doing it were easier than it felt. Williams was outside standing by my car when I came out. The sun was in my face, and I lowered my shades. "I told him you wouldn't do it," he