Hooligans Part 58

"He's got a bullet in his brain."

"His doctor should be here any minute."

"The man's the color of wet cement, his fever's rising like fresh bread, and his blood pressure's about two over two. Unless G.o.d's on his way here, forget it. You've got a hot potato on your hands, lady, any way you cut it. That's the most powerful man in town dying in there. Somebody's gonna go to the dock before it's over and your case is going to rely on a homicide squad which, if I'm any judge at all, collectively couldn't put their socks on in the dark. Offhand I'd say you need all the help you can get."

That slowed her down a little. I could almost hear the gears clicking inside her brain.

"What have you got to offer?" she said after a minute or two of hard thought.

"Some ideas, a few hunches. All I need is a day or two to see if they wash."

"So what do you need me for, Kilmer?"

"Look, Gavalanti-"

"It's Galavanti," she said. "The 'l' comes before the 'v,' like in 'gal.'"

"Sorry . . . Galavanti. You've got twelve homicides on your hands. Thirteen if we lose Raines. Sooner or later you're going to have to deal with all these cases."

"What're you driving at?" she demanded.

"Maybe I can put them right in your lap."

"You know who's behind all this?"

"I'm getting close," I bluffed.

She laughed. "G.o.d, have I heard that line before," she said. "That the first thing they teach you at the police academy?"

"What have you got without me?" I asked.

"Zero-zero at this point," she admitted.

"Ms. Galavanti, I haven't laid eyes on you before tonight. Twelve homicides and this is the first time you show your face."

"Don't be naive. That man over there's being touted for governor."

"I think if you're smart enough to be DA of this county, you're smart enough not to pay any attention to what the newspapers are saying. You keep in touch with t.i.tan and Morehead and everybody else in town that counts. You know all about the Tagliani connection. "

"You think this shooting is connected to the others?" she asked cautiously.

"Seems likely, doesn't it?"

She pursed her heart-shaped mouth while she mulled over what I'd said.

"I'm also smart enough to know you Feds are after something and murder's not it," she said finally. "Whatever happens, the villains in this piece will go to federal court before I get a crack at them."

"Maybe not . . . " I said and let her fill in the rest of the sentence.

"All right, Kilmer, what's your offer?"

"Before this is over, some RICO cases could be coming down. Between you and me, if murder's involved, too, I'd be glad to turn the culprits over to you on the homicide charges before I take them to federal court."

"Why are you being so good to me?"

"Two reasons. Murder puts them away for a lot longer than racketeering and we can always go after them after you get finished."

"And the other reason?"

"I want a little straight talk in return."

Suspicion put a frown on her face. "About what?" she asked.

"Tony Lukatis," I said.

"What about him?"

"Did you prosecute his case?"

"Yes," she said with a shrug, "although it's nothing to brag about. "

"How come?"

"It was open and shut. We had a corroborative witness."

"His partner?"

"That's right. Gil Winslow."

"I heard the DEA made the arrest. Wouldn't that make it federal?" I asked.

"t.i.tan's people were there. They took the credit."

"So t.i.tan turned the case over to you for prosecution?"

"That's right. Listen, if you're looking to make trouble for Mr. Stoney . . . "

"I'm not looking to make trouble for anybody who doesn't deserve it," I said, and hurried on. "So Stoney took credit for the bust and put the case together. And he provided the turncoat witness."

She nodded suspiciously. "If you want to call Winslow that."

"I don't mean this to be insulting, but didn't the boat belong to Winslow?"

"Mm-hmmm . . . "

"Wouldn't it make more sense to lay it on him, confiscate his boat, take him off the water?"

"None of my concern," she snapped. "Look, Kilmer, what happened, the case came to me with Winslow. His testimony was that Lukatis had the scheme and the financing. Lukatis knew where a ton of pot was hung up in the Bahamas. He offered Winslow fifty thousand dollars' guarantee against a split if Winslow went over there and brought the stuff in."

"On Winslow's boat?"

"That's right."

"How much?"

"One ton."

"Whose idea was it to land on Buccaneer Island?"

"I don't know," she said earnestly.

"What was the other side of the coin? Lukatis must've had a story. "

"Yes. He claimed it was Winslow who approached him."

"And the front-end financing?"

"Lukatis' story was that Winslow did it all; he just went along to help," she said; then her mood became hostile and suspicious. "How come you're so interested in this? Are you going to do something stupid-like try to overturn the verdict in the Lukatis case?"

"Hardly," I said. "Tony Lukatis is dead."

Her reaction told me she didn't know about Tony Lukatis yet. That made sense, since the homicide was being investigated outside her jurisdiction.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We're not sure yet," I said. "Our guess is that he tried another dope run and it went sour."

"Where?"

"South of here. We should have the autopsy report by now. He may have been in it with Longnose Graves."

"What? Never!"

"How come you're so sure he wasn't?"

She held up one finger and said, "Graves isn't in the trade," and than a second, "and if he were, he wouldn't go near Tony Lukatis."

"Why?"

"Because Mr. Stoney wouldn't like it."

"And Graves and t.i.tan get along, that it?"

"An uneasy peace, but it seems to work for the sheriff. That's not my business, anyway, Kilmer."

"You could make it your business."

"Not and stay in office. We're getting off the subject, anyway."

"If Lukatis financed the Winslow run, I'd like to know where he got the hundred grand or so in front money it took. That's what we're talking about, hot off the boat."

"He was financed by his connection," she said with a shrug.

"Did you prove that in court?"

"It's what Winslow testified."

"So he was the main witness?"

"Yes. And the arresting officers."

"Do you think Lukatis was really the guilty one?"

It was an insult, a question I was sorry I asked as the words were coming out of my mouth. Her expression said how big the insult was. She looked shocked and angry.

"I'm sorry," I said hurriedly. "I withdraw the question."

"It was a strong case and a good one and I did the best I could with it, which is how I handle every case, Mr. Kilmer. I talked at length with Tony Lukatis. He was arrogant and uncooperative."

"Which is the way anyone might react if they felt they were being double-dealt," I said.

She hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. "I suppose so," she said. "Anyway, all this is a matter of public record."

I said, "With any luck, I'm going to make you a hero."

"I've heard that song before."

"Not in my lovely alto," I said.

She hesitated a moment longer. "G.o.d, would I like to trust you," she said, half-aloud.

"What've you got to lose? Besides, we've got a deal. You told me what I wanted to know."

We started to leave and a new face appeared in the ICU. He was tall and so painfully thin that he looked anorectic. He was wearing a tuxedo and there was a panicked expression on his face. He stared at us and at the cop sitting at the control unit.

"Who are all these people?" he asked, motioning to us, but looking at the nurses.

"I'm District Attorney Galavanti," she said, and pointing to me, "This is one of my people."

"Can we please clear the area," he said, taking command again. "I'm Dr. George Hanson, Mr. Raines' personal physician."

"Yes, sir," she said. "There's just one thing. I have a small tape recorder on the bar near Mr. Raines' head, in case he should say something . . . "

"Thanks," I said on the way out. "We may end up with zip, but we could score."

"Like I said, Kilmer, I'll believe it when it happens."

We stepped out into the hall and came face to face with Stonewall t.i.tan and Doe Raines.