The Devil's Eye by Patrick Astre

Author:Patrick Astre
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2015-04-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 43

Ike and Janet left Tulane, followed the road toward Charles Street where they turned left. The sun had vanished, leaving a sky the color of tarnished copper. Laden with moisture, the air smelled of mud out of the river and carps spawning in Lake Pontchartrain. They passed a parked NOPD cruiser which pulled out behind them. Five minutes later the cruiser flashed blue lights on its roof bar and they pulled over.

Ike got out of the car and watched the two officers approach. One was black, the other white, both young, part of the new spate of cops in New Orleans since Katrina. They looked nervous. The white one rested his hand on the butt of his service revolver and approached him. Ike kept his hands open, easy to see. The second cop walked to the passenger side of the car where Janet sat.

"What's the problem, officer?"

"No problem, sir. License and registration please."

Ike complied. The officer looked at it, told him to stay where he was and walked away out of earshot. Ike watched him talking into his shoulder mike. Some sort of decision was reached and the young cop came back to Ike.

"So what's going on?" Ike asked.

"Did you know there's an All Points Bulletin out on you folks?"

"Not a clue. What happens now? You arresting us?"

"No, sir. We're detaining you. You're wanted for questioning by the FBI. They'll be here in a few minutes. Please wait by your car."

They did, and not more than five minutes passed before two dark blue Chevy Blazers with tinted windows appeared. The two unmarked vehicles pulled out of the traffic and parked, one in front of Ike's car, the other directly behind the NOPD cruiser.

A man got out of the passenger side of the front Blazer. Everyone else, whoever might be occupying both vehicles, stayed inside.

The man's build was slender, lean like a cowboy, the kind of physique that hid a certain strength. His face was smooth with the pallor of one who avoids sunshine. He wore a dark suit with a badge clipped to the belt and the leather strap of a shoulder holster visible between the flaps of the open jacket. He stopped a few feet from Ike, and smiled.

"Mister Iskewitz, how are you?"

"Fine, Agent Ruhl, you can call me Ike."

"Yes, that is your preference."

"What do you want, Agent Ruhl? Why are we being unlawfully detained?"

"Oh it's not unlawful, Ike. I assure you of that. We want you to come with us to the Federal building to answer some questions."

"Maybe I want my lawyer present. Are we going to be under arrest?"

"Up to you on both counts. Right now we're looking at you and the lady, Janet Waterman I believe, as persons of interest. For the moment our interest is more as witnesses than suspects. Whether we arrest you or not depends on your level of cooperation."

"Witness to what?"

"You don't know, do you?"

"No."

"At four o'clock this morning, unknown individuals entered Bobby DiCarlo's estate after disabling the security system, which tells us they are highly professional people.

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