Chasing Justice by G. J. Berger

Author:G. J. Berger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: G. J. Berger
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Frank

A

fter I lost Yegor, I tucked into a pay phone. Had to check with Sam, see if he’d let me set up another meeting with Melvin. Sam didn’t answer, but Melvin surprised me by taking my call and saying I could come right over, that whatever I wanted to see him about was his number one priority. I said I had to check with my boss and would call him back.

When I found Sam, he said, “Good work. Sure, see what Melvin says and let me know and write it up ASAP.” Sam laughed. “That Ruskie buddy of yours is sure full of shit. If they did it, putting it on us is what they’d do.” Sam’s tone said he expected nothing much to come of anything Melvin knew. “Hey, Frank, the bottom line’s not moved. Whoever killed Mrs. Brookfeld will never see any formal charges, and it sure wasn’t your Ruskie buddy—and not Melvin, either.”

When I called back, Melvin must have sensed that something had changed in what we knew, what we had. “Let’s get out to the Mall by the Lincoln Memorial, the steps. Good to get out of the office,” he said. “I’ll bring an umbrella.”

For early fall it was steamy, a hot wind filled with moisture blowing up from the south. Thunderstorms could hit any time, like on the day Madeline left work for the last time.

Melvin looked tired, worn, open collar with no bow tie.

“Well, Agent Maier, what news have you for me this time?”

We walked along the reflecting pool, its surface trembling in the wind. I told him of the pieces, most of them, of Jug Bay, the FBI forensic report, Yegor Kaminev’s behavior and the navigation chart in Yegor’s garage. Then, “He said a couple times it’s not what I think. No one picked up your wife for a good time, he said. Wouldn’t tell me more, anything really. Said I should ask you.”

Melvin stopped, looked out over the water, then again started walking along the straight edge, his head turned toward the other side. Then, “How much do I value my life, now that Madeline is gone? How much do I value the lives of my kin? How much can I tell you before what happened to her happens to me, to others close to me? Can you answer those questions, Agent Maier?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Brookfeld. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You are not in on it?”

“Never heard of it, and I’m not in on anything. I’m just an FNG—that’s fucking new guy. The agents call me that. I’m just trying to learn my job, do what I’m asked, and maybe get lucky and do what’s right.”

“How can I be sure? But then one of the great impossibilities is proving a negative, isn’t it? How do you prove to me that you are not part of it? How to prove not one tiger runs loose in Manhattan’s subways is very, very hard.”

“You’ve got me there, sir. I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.