Free Clint Faraday Mysteries collection A Muddled Murders Collector's Edition by CD Moulton Page B

here, is and find out
if he’s with Bernardino, independent or something else.
    “ He’s
trying to set Bernardino up for you to knock over for some
reason.”
    “ Okay.
Why the sudden concern for my welfare and that of some dumb
shitball like Bernardino? I’m getting through to you?” There was a
laugh in his voice.
    “ Nah! I
want to set it up so you take each other out, making the world a
better place for the kids I don’t have any of.” “That you know
about,” Marko said quickly. “What’s it about – and are you
serious?”
    “ I don’t
know. I don’t like being manipulated so I’m doing the manipulation.
Judi can send you a picture of this Al character. He hit a turkey
called Alvin Myers in a whorehouse here and tried to set it up to
where we’d think you did it because he was working for the
Bernardino mob trying to find you so they could remove you as the
major thorn in their side.”
    “ Viny
Myers? He was working for me. Mole in the Bernardino ... so! Both
ends, huh?”
    “ Maybe
both ends and the middle? It will depend on who Al Stewart really
is and who, if anyone, he works for.”
    “ Or with.
I’ll find out damned fast. Manny will be there with his wife this
weekend and I’ll let him bring you whatever news you need to
know.
    “ Thanks,
Clint. I really do plan to go straight there. Swear.”
    “ If I
didn’t believe that you wouldn’t come here. It would be easy to
guarantee that!”
    “ If you
could see me you’d know you‘re getting the one finger salute!
Caio!”
    “ Well?”
Judi asked.
    “ Getting
better. Almost.”
    “ You’re
making ME sick now!” Judi shot back. “Have you got a clue
yet?”
    “ Lots of
them. Trouble is, they tend to point in several
directions.
    “ Judi, I
screwed up when I brought you into this. This Al character is
pissing in his pants – and a scared thug is damned dangerous. He
could think you know too much. Like an idiot, I had you call Marko
with him sitting there. I’m NOT that damned STUPID!
    “ Usually.
    “ Why
don’t you visit your sick aunt somewhere?”
    She stared at him a minute. “How about this
Puerto Armuelles you keep talking about?”
    “ That
should do.” He looked grim.
     
    Clint watched the people get off the
Aeroperlas flight. “Manny” and his wife, Sylvia, came out on the
tarmack with Sharon and Bill from Bohmfalk’s. Judi was right about
how different he looked. If he hadn’t seen him earlier with the new
look he wouldn’t have recognized him. He waited until he was
through the customs crap and picked him up in the Jeep to head for
the apartment he’d booked for them out near the cemetery. It was
quiet there, reasonably comfortable and the kind of place people on
a medium budget would take. He saw a gringo who was lazing around
the airport entrance check a picture and shake his head, so it
would be reported that “Manny” wasn’t Marko. That would put Judi in
more trouble, but she had gone to, so far as anyone here knew,
Puerto Armuelles. She was actually in Concepcion. She wouldn’t be
found there and would change her appearance enough that she would
pass for a typical China. There were a lot of Chinese in the
area.
    Okay. That was covered.
    Marko explained that Al was really running
scared, but he couldn’t find out why. All he knew was that he had
made someone a promise that he couldn’t keep because of the time
when he came to the aid of Clint’s Indio friend.
    “ Manny –
I’ll call you Manny all the time so I won’t slip up at the wrong
time – it doesn’t make any sense. Is there anything to tie anything
else to ... anything?”
    “ Not
really. Maybe it has something to do with that obsequious snob who
was killed awhile ago here in Bocas. Henry Elmore.”
    “ Well,
that’s a place to start, I suppose,” Clint replied, sourly. “I’m
running around in circles with this mess. None of it makes any
sense.”
    “ Sometimes that happens in life. Got to get somewhere I can
wrap my leg.