Lost Boy Found by Kirsten Alexander

Author:Kirsten Alexander
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2020-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

The arrival of Gideon Wolf’s lawyer in Opelousas caused a lot of talk. The scruffy tramp who people—for or against—dismissed as poor and luckless had secured impressive legal counsel from out of state. His lawyer, a tall olive-skinned Italian man from California, was part of the powerful Gabino family, whose Bank of Italy had bought Fresno National and the People’s Savings Bank, a background which made him impressive and suspect. Both the lawyer and his assistant were expensively suited and impeccably coiffed.

“It’s the brother,” Judge Roy explained to John Henry, making a whirlpool of his port as he swirled his glass. “He can’t have it. No good for his standing.”

The two men had met once again for dinner at the Starry Lake Resort’s city club. John Henry looked around the room at the long straight line where polished floorboards met thick carpet, at the gilt frames around large landscape paintings, the fenestration, the Steinway. He crossed his legs, felt the rug sink under his heel. After years of wanting, he was where he ought to be. He belonged. And he did not. He caught glimpses of the gentlemen’s faces when he entered the room, and saw how they avoided his eyes.

John Henry took a slow sip and became aware of a pleasing tinkle coming from the piano.

“Beethoven played by a Negro. What next?” The judge belched and patted his stomach.

He told John Henry that Gideon Wolf had a brother named Buck, from whom he’d been estranged for years. Buck had been an ambitious young man, the polar opposite of his brother, and had taken himself to California in search of a better life. Due to hard work and conniving, Buck had built a successful business making and selling oil rigging. He’d amassed a fortune, enough to attract and wed the daughter of oil baron Langston Adler. Buck’s new wife had heard about Gideon Wolf’s arrest—she’d followed the case of the missing boy, fancied herself an amateur sleuth—and, knowing her husband had a brother in the South, she asked if this might be the Gideon, his Gideon? Buck Wolf read the article she showed him and decided the man did indeed sound like his brother.

“So Buck met with his father-in-law to discuss the possible damage to their respective reputations should Buck’s brother be found guilty. And Mr. Adler decided they needed to shut this whole thing down.” The judge caught the eye of a drinks waiter. “Neither of them wants the infamy of having a convicted childnapper in their family. Adler has sent the top lawyer from his company’s own firm to defend Wolf. I suspect he’ll have plenty of money at his disposal to do what needs to be done.” The judge lowered his voice. “Are you confident your man can argue a strong case for you? You’ve gone with Gomer Ellis, yes?”

John Henry glanced around to check for eavesdroppers. “Yes. Do you have doubts?”

“No. He’s good, he wins. But it needs to be convincing. I can’t have—John, it mustn’t appear as though I’ve been compromised.

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