The Chicano war by Gault William Campbell

Author:Gault, William Campbell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Callahan, Brock (Fictitious character), Private investigators
Publisher: New York : Walker
Published: 1986-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

"It's possible," he admitted. "But Fm not sure Chief Harris would agree. We're working with the city on this. The DA seems to think he has a cinch case."

"He would," I said. "He and Harris are spiritual twins."

He smiled again. "You sound like Stan Nowicki. Are you working for him?"

"Partly. But mostly for myself and Ricardo."

"Well, Vogel will be working at the city end. That's where Ricardo lived. I'm putting our best man on our end. I'm sure you'll agree that Vogel is the best man they have in town."

"And consequently overworked," I pointed out. "I was thinking that maybe you could give me some official status."

"You figure I owe you?"

I nodded.

He sighed. "So do I. Brock, don't play it heavy now. I'll back you, if you need it, but not on anything heavy."

"I will be all finesse and discretion," I assured him.

"Get out of here," he said. "But keep us informed!''

"Of course," I said.

It was only a few minutes short of noon, too late for me to alert Mrs. Casey that I would be home for lunch. I drove over to the Boys' Club, less than a mile away, and took Juan to lunch at a nearby Denny's.

He was pretty good on batting he told me, but not too hot on catching.

"It takes time, Juan. I wasn't very good on catching, either. That's why I turned to football when I was young. At least you now have some kids to play with."

He nodded. "How come there aren't any in your neighborhood?"

"Most of them are out of town, at summer camp. The rest of the year many of them go to private schools out of town."

"It's different in my neighborhood," he said. "It's the parents who leave town. Why do they have us if they don't want us?"

I shrugged.

"How come you don't have any kids?" he asked.

"Because I couldn't afford them until it was too late. You're going to visit us once in a while after you move, aren't you?"

He nodded again. "You can be my make-believe uncle."

If it hadn't been for my macho, chauvinistic false pride, Jan had told me, we could have a couple of kids by now . . .

I took Juan back to the Boys Club and drove down to Rubio's Rendezvous. There were only two patrons in the place, drinking red wine and arguing in Spanish.

"No lectures," Rubio said. "Not today."

"That's not why I'm here. I've just come from a talk with Sheriff McClune. I suggested to him that Ricardo could have been framed."

"Any damned fool knows that," he said. "Even Sheriff McClune."

"What we know and what we can prove are not the same, Rubio. I hope to prove it."

"You're going to work on this?"

I nodded.

"I apologize for my rudeness," he said. "Beer?"

"Coffee. Do you know a man named George Culver?"

"I have heard of him. I have never met him." He poured my coffee. "Is he the new Andropolus?"

"I don't know. What did you hear about him?"

"That he's tougher than Andropolus and smarter than Toledo. Nowicki told me that.

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