Black Monday, A Stan Turner Mystery Vol 7

  Chapter 51

  THE FINAL PIECES

   

  Stan called me when he and Besch stopped to get gas on the way back to Dallas. He said they'd learned a lot and were anxious to tell me about it. I told them I had lots to share too. We agreed to meet for coffee at Denny's at Park Central that evening at 8:30 p.m. I looked at my watch and saw it was almost five o'clock. There would be plenty of time to get home, change and have dinner with Bart before the meeting.

  When I got to Denny's Stan and Detective Besch were just being seated. They both looked tired and disheveled from their ten-hour excursion to the ranch. I was glad I hadn't gone with them. They told me about their meeting with Roy Olsen and the arms stash kept at the ranch. I told them about the loan on the ranch being called and the mortgage cancellation insurance that paid off the loan on the ranch upon Don Baker's death.

  "Just before you got here, Paula," Detective Besch explained, "I called my office and they reported that the manager of the motel where Jimmy's body was found remembers seeing Earl at the hotel. Apparently someone's TV wasn't working and the manager went to check it out and saw Earl loitering in the hallway. The manager asked him if he could help him and Earl said no and then made a hasty exit."

  "Is that enough to arrest him," I asked.

  Besch shrugged. "Along with everything else we have I would think so. I'll call the DA's office here in a minute and set up a meeting to review the evidence with them. Maybe we can get a search warrant for the ranch. In the meantime, I've got someone going out to Betty's place to keep an eye on Earl and Margie in case they decide to run."

  "What about Congressman Manning and Speaker Potts?" I asked.

  "I'm going to leave that to the FBI. I'll share with them everything you've told me and then leave it up to them whether they want to do any further investigation of Manning, Potts, and Chamberlain. I suspect they'll do nothing."

  "So we just forget about Huntington and Palmer?" Stan asked.

  "You said they left of their own free will, right?" Besch said. "If that's the case, there's no kidnaping and no reason to keep the file open. I know it seems a little sloppy, but the powers that be won't let me pursue the investigation any further under the circumstances."

  "Okay, then," Stan said. "I guess we've done all we can. It's been a pleasure working with you Detective."

  "Likewise. Maybe we'll get to do this again sometime."

  "I hope so," Stan said.

  We all got up and Paula extended her hand, "Thank you, Detective. Will we see you tomorrow at Jimmy's funeral?"

  "Oh, yes," Detective Besch said. "I suspect you will."