37

At the door of Vince’s mountain chateau, I raised my hand to knock, but before I could the door swung open. It was Adeline.

“Come in,” she said with a smile. She wore a loose, stylish wool shawl and form-fitting jeans. My adrenaline, already running, spiked when she spoke. I hadn’t seen her since she’d left my apartment. She stood in the doorway and beckoned me inside, wry and knowing, in control. Always in control.

I kept my gaze at eye-level and followed her inside. It struck me as I entered the house that I hadn’t seen her and Vince in the same place since the night I met her. She grazed my shoulder with her hand, and I pulled away.

“Vince is in his office,” she said. “I’ll walk you down there.”

We walked through the living room and down the hallway, to his office at the end. He sat behind his desk when I entered, just like last time, and smiled when he saw me.

“Thank you, Adeline,” he said, and she left us alone. She brushed my side as she walked away.

Vince motioned for me to join him. I sat down across from him, just as I did the last time. This time, he drank coffee. He offered me and I declined.

“You’re spooked,” he said to me. “I understand that.” His demeanor was kind, authentic. He smiled honestly. His gaze was soft. Different from before. He was a powerful man, able to flip a switch and convey whatever he wanted. I almost trusted him.

“Well,” I said, “it’s concerning.” I made a promise to myself on the drive up to avoid hyperbole, or extremes in the conversation. Downplaying would be best. “Damon gets arrested, and calls me from jail. And then hours later, he’s gone, and they have no record of him. Just doesn’t add up.”

“I see,” he said.

“And I know I’m not supposed to ask too many questions and mind my own business and all that. But it’s kind of becoming my business. He was the guy I always worked with, and now I don’t know where he is. And if something like this can happen to him, why can’t it happen to me, you know?”

“Right,” Vince said. He sipped his coffee. “Let me do my best to explain the situation to you, because I owe you that.”

“I’d appreciate it,” I said.

“First, I apologize for the stress all this has put you through. You didn’t deserve it, and it should not have happened.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, Damon was pulled over for speeding and arrested last evening. As I understand it, you were near when it happened.”

“I was,” I said.

“The police took him into custody, and I was immediately notified. Believe it or not, this is not the first time one of our drivers has had a run-in with the police. The I-70 corridor is very sensitive. So I got in touch with my contacts on the police force, and worked out a deal to get Damon out of jail. Very simple. This is a procedure we’ve used multiple times now.”

“So, you…paid them off?”

He smiled. “Julian, I’m sure you can appreciate that while I want to be as forthcoming with you as possible, there are certain nuances on which I cannot go in to specific detail. This is one of those nuances. I can tell you that ‘paid off’ is not the accurate way of describing it.”

“Okay, so you somehow just talked to the cops and they let him out of jail.”

“I’ve been working in these mountains for a long time,” he said, the smile fading temporarily. “I have considerable influence around here. That affords certain luxuries.”

“Alright,” I said, “good enough. So where is Damon now?”

“Now?” Vince looked at his watch. Rolex. His smile returned. “I can’t know exactly, but on a highway somewhere, far from here.”

“Far from here.”

“Yes. Damon’s on his way to Phoenix. He has family there. As part of the…agreement I’ve brokered, he needs to be out of Colorado.”

“Temporarily?”

Vince shook his head. “Damon will not be working with us anymore. An unfortunate necessity to make the arrest go away, but an easy decision to make.”

I nodded. “Which is why his phone isn’t working.”

“Correct.”

“And why it won’t work.”

“Correct. He’ll get a new number, but none of us will know what it is. We’ve seen the last of him.”

Quick, surgical, and heavy-handed. But a no-brainer.

“Makes sense,” I said.

“I’m glad.”

“Here’s the thing though: why was he even arrested?”

Vince smiled and took a sip of coffee, his large hand engulfing the cup. “Ah yes,” he said. “And we arrive here.”

“That’s kind of an important part, no?”

Vince thought about it and shook his head. “No. Not for our purposes.”

“I disagree.”

“It’s not important,” he said, “because you already know the answer.”

And there was the sweat. And the adrenaline. And the clammy palms and the increased heart rate. Time and time I thought I was out of these things, that the tank was empty, and each time they returned.

I said nothing, and felt for my knife.

“You know we aren’t just hauling electronics in those trunks, Julian. And I know that you know, and I would venture a guess that you know that I know that you know.”

I did not know that he knew that I knew.

“Heroin,” I said with a dry mouth. It was poker, we had both placed our bets, and I had laid my cards down on the table.

He nodded and looked at the table. “Mostly. And now we reach the part in which I owe you a second apology, for willfully deceiving you about the contents of those cars. I do it to all of my drivers for reasons you can probably understand. But most of my drivers are average in intellect, and do not run the risk of putting themselves in harmful positions by inquiring and investigating. You of course are not this way, which I knew when I brought you in and which was also the reason I had a plan for you.”

“A plan?” I tried to swallow but could not.

“But that’s neither here nor there, at least not now,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Now I must tell you I’m sorry I deceived you, but what’s done is done. The two of us must handle the situation presented to us.”

“How did you know…I knew?” I asked.

He waved his hand again. “Please. If I can get a narcotic trafficking charge completely removed with no legal maneuvering, I think I can monitor my own operation.”

I nodded.

“But now,” he said, “we must be very careful about what happens next.”

“I think I should leave,” I said, probably too quickly. “Just quit the job altogether. It’s probably the best solution. I could even leave the area if you think it’s necessary. It’s…you know, it’s compromised.”

He frowned and shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not a possibility.”

“Which part?”

“Any of it.” He waved his hand. “You see, I understand why you’d like to just cut ties. From your perspective, that would be the best solution. But you and I are in this together now, like it or not, and we must find a solution that works for both of us. You up and leaving, unfortunately, does not work for me.”

“I’m sure you can find plenty of other qualified candidates to drive a car from Grand Junction to Summit County.”

“Of course,” he said. “But the matter doesn’t simply end there. Your knowledge of my operation puts me in a problematic position.”

“Meaning?”

“Do I really need to connect the dots for you, Julian? You were a stockbroker in a previous life.”

I inhaled deeply. “So your saying you’re afraid if I leave the operation, I’ll go to the police.”

“The police, a friend who will go to the police, a family member. There are just too many inherent risks.”

“I see,” I said.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said.

“But if I wanted to go to the police, wouldn’t I have done it by now? Why does it matter if I’m working for you or not?”