Page 91 of Nightshade

“Killing you is sort of extreme, don’t you think?”

“You don’t know these people like I know them. They do whatever they want, and I’m fucked.”

“All right, Henry. This is what I can do. If you tell me what happened up there with the buffalo, I’ll go to bat for you. I can’t promise you a deal that keeps you out of jail, but I will protect you here. Tomorrow morning when the DA is here for court, we’ll sit with her and she’ll evaluate what you have and make a deal or not. You understand how that will work?”

“That’s bullshit. I need something solid. I need you to get me off the island and to someplace safe. My wife too.”

Stilwell shook his head.

“It doesn’t work that way. I can put you in a cell here overnight. Monika Juarez, the deputy DA who handles court here, will be coming in tonight for court tomorrow. I’ll meet with her either tonight or first thing in the morning and we’ll try to work something out. But before we get to that, you need to tell me what you can give her to make a deal.”

“Fuck me.”

“Yeah, that’s about right. But you need to choose which wayyou want to go. Should I leave you here to think about it? I can bring in a phone if you want to call your wife to talk it over.”

“No, man, I talked to her. She’s scared to death they’ll go after her to get to me.”

“That seems unlikely. We’re talking about a dead buffalo.”

“No, man, I know more. I heard things. This is big, man. This is the Big Wheel. Him and the mayor had their meetings out at the barn, and I was there.”

“The mayor? What are you talking about? What meetings?”

“I’m not saying till I have a deal.”

“Henry, we’re talking in circles here. There is no deal; we’re not even going to talk about a deal until you tell me what you can provide. It’s called a proffer. I take it to the DA and then she makes the call on what she’s willing to do. Understand?”

“Fuck me.”

“Yeah, you said that. Now you have to decide if you want my help or not.”

Gaston raised his hands and wearily rubbed his face. He was all over the place but Stilwell was intrigued about what he was hinting at—the things he had overheard, his mention of the mayor. And then the tip Stilwell had received from Lionel McKey about the Big Wheel project. Stilwell felt as though he was fishing in dark water and something down there was nibbling at the bait. He could feel it. He had to be patient and wait to set the hook.

“I’ll let you think on it for a while,” Stilwell said. “Just knock on the door if—”

“No, man, I don’t need to think anymore,” Gaston said. “Let’s do this. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“You sure, now?”

“I’m sure.”

30

STILWELL HAD HIShead down, eyes on the text he was writing to Tash, when Monika Juarez approached him in the small lobby of the Zane Grey.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she said.

He looked up. He had been sitting here waiting for her, knowing her weekly routine of coming out to the island the night before court.

“Monika, hey, did you check in?” he asked.

“About to,” she said. “What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you about a case. A deal, actually. Why don’t you check in and I’ll finish this. Get into your room and come down when you’re ready.”

“You sure? We can do it now.”

“It might take a while to walk you through everything. Go ahead, check in, and I’ll be down here.”