Free Murder Miscalculated by Andrew MacRae Page B

the list with the stuff and sweeping it all into a cloth bag. “I’ll pass this on to Talbot’s people, and they’ll get it returned to the rightful owners in a week or so.”
    Our business concluded, I got up to leave. Sammie walked me over to the secret door and triggered it to open.
    “Kid,” he said, as I made to step through the door. Concern was written across Sammie’s chubby face. “Watch out for Doris Whitaker. She’s got all the pickpockets in town working for her now. She’s not going to like you being back in business and not working for her.”
    “You’re the second person to tell me that this morning. She really has all the dips under her control?”
    “Yeah, and she’s got enough muscle working for her that no one’s going to cross her.”
    I thanked Sammie for the warning. Just what I needed as I went back to my life of crime. I tried to give him some assurance.
    “I can handle Doris and her crew,” I told Sammie and left.
    I doubted Sammie believed it any more than I did.

 
     
     
Chapter Fifteen
     
     
    “I’ve got bad news, Kid.” Cochran and I were having coffee at a little shop down near the wharves. It was early Tuesday afternoon. Wolfe’s courier was due to arrive the next morning.
    “What is it this time?”
    “Wolfe’s courier isn’t coming in tomorrow. He’s not due until the day after.”
    Another day of working the street. I considered the ramifications.
    “You know that Lynn really hates I’m picking pockets again, don’t you?”
    Cochran nodded. “I’m sorry, Kid. If I had known what a mess this would become, I would never have suggested your name to Talbot as the person to teach me how to pickpocket.”
    We drank our coffee in silence. Finally Cochran spoke up, and when he did it was with a subdued voice. “I’m not certain how much I should say to you, but I feel like I’ve got to tell you a few things about my boss, Mister Lawrence Talbot.” He swallowed and continued. “I called Riley last night. There are some things about this operation that bother me and, well, he’s kind of my mentor, you know.”
    I nodded but didn’t reply, not wanting to interrupt his flow.
    “Riley tells me that Talbot is straight, but,” his voice trailed off.
    “But?”
    “But he’s also very ambitious. In the Bureau you only have a few years to make a name for yourself, to get noticed by the higher-ups and tagged as someone who can work at the top levels. Talbot’s running out of time on that, and Riley thinks he may be pushing this operation a little too hard in order to get a big win.”
    “I’d say it’s more than a little.”
    “Yeah, it’s starting to look that way to me, too. The problem is there’s nothing you or I can do about it. So far everything he’s done has been within the rules.”
    “Including threatening Barbara with arrest and taking The Book Nook from Lynn and me?”
    Cochran motioned to me to keep my voice down. I did, but I was still pretty damned mad. “That guy comes in and forces me to go back on the street picking pockets. Lynn’s furious, and Barbara’s sick with worry. And you say that’s within the rules?”
    “Like it or not Kid, it is. Look, I said I was sorry, and I meant it.”
    I took a deep breath. I trusted Cochran and knew it wasn’t his fault. “So, did Riley have any advice?”
    “He suggested that we—you and I, that is—document everything so that if things blow up we don’t get burned.”
    “We? How would you get burned? You work for Talbot.”
    “Talbot’s got a reputation for pushing blame off onto those working for him.” Cochran gave a tight smile. “After I talked with Riley I spent a fair bit of time going over the emails I’ve had from Talbot. I noticed something.”
    I raised an eyebrow.
    “I noticed that he always words things so it looks like he’s advising caution, and I’m the one pushing the envelope. That way, if things go wrong, he can cite them to put the blame on me.”
    “And if