Hard Cash (novella) by Mike Dennis

Author:Mike Dennis [Dennis, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mystery, Maraya21, Crime, Noir, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction
Amazon: B00872JQVM
Publisher: Mike Dennis
Published: 2012-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

VI

I phoned Madden as soon as I got to my car. He agreed to meet me at this little out-of-the-way bar I knew off Paradise Road. Fifteen minutes later, we sat together at a darkened table. I could see only about a half-dozen customers in the place, all sitting at the bar, buried in video poker. The TVs played various basketball games.

I went to the bar and got us a couple of beers. Madden took an enjoyable drink from his bottle. Then he said, "Traffic called me today. Said they got the guy who ran Lane down. He got pulled over for DUI about a half an hour afterward. Turns out he worked for a landscaping company. Had two sixes of beer with him when he was stopped, along with a bunch of empties on the floorboard, and he was blitzed when he hit Lane. They eventually matched him up with your description of his van, which had minor front-end damage consistent with hit-and-run. Traces of blood on the bumper, too. We're running DNA tests to compare them to Lane's blood, but it won't really matter. He confessed."

I said I was glad to hear that.

"All right," Madden said after another sip of beer, "what've you got?"

I repeated Erica's story. He'd heard most of it from her, of course, but then I told him about the money and the tape recording.

"Ricardo Lane was the bagman in the deal between Blake and the officials on South Padre. Erica told Blake the South Padre guys wanted more, but she most likely saw him as a hungry mark, willing to stop at nothing to build his hotel. I think she wanted the second hundred dimes for herself. Blake refused and threatened Lane's family, so Lane came here right away."

"To get Blake?" Madden asked.

"I doubt it. I think he came to give Blake back his money."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, for one thing, he had the money with him. I think he wanted to do the right thing and protect his family. Figured if he returned the money, Blake wouldn't come after them."

I cleared my throat and drank some more beer. Then, I reluctantly stated in a flat voice, "Frank, I have the money. Lane gave it to me right before he died."

"You have the money? Lane gave you a hundred thousand dollars?"

"Only ninety-five, actually. He wanted me to give it to Blake. Which …" I swallowed hard and said, "which is what I'm going to do."

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