Free The Devil's Necktie by John Lansing

met.”
    â€œJack!”
    She was right. He was headed straight for Niagara without a barrel. He changed course.
    â€œThe pilot light is on the bottom of the water heater. If you can’t find it, call the gas company and they’ll be happy to come out and relight it for you.”
    â€œOkay. Are you all right, Jack? You sound a little . . .”
    â€œI’m fine.”
    â€œJeremy! Okay, Jack, call your son.” And she hung up.
    Jack reached for the green bottle of Excedrin he kept within reach of his bed. While he tucked the phone into its cradle he popped the top with his free hand, tilted the bottle back, and dry-chewed the first two bitter pills that fell into his mouth.
    The phone rang again.
    â€œWhat!”
    â€œDid my ex-wife just call you?” It was Kenny Ortega, laughing on the other end of the line.
    â€œUn . . . fucking . . . canny,” Jack said, a little embarrassed he’d gotten caught on the short end of his emotions. “You kill me, Ortega.”
    â€œI can read you like a book, Bertolino. Anyway, your tone was male, primal, and all lawyers’ guns and money. Speaking of which, are you hooked up with an attorney?”
    â€œTommy’s on the case. He offered to fly here, but I told him to keep his powder dry until I sorted a few things out.”
    â€œOkay, here’s what I got. Alvarez started bawling when I told him about Mia. Jabbering in Spanish, carrying on. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying and I habla .”
    â€œDid you believe him?” Jack asked.
    â€œIt was Oscar worthy.”
    â€œJudas cried too. What does that prove?”
    â€œI’m just saying.” But Jack knew Kenny wasn’t convinced.
    â€œHas he been getting many visitors?”
    â€œMia was a regular up until a month ago. Did you know she hung in with him after we closed down the case?”
    That made Jack think. “Didn’t have a clue.”
    â€œStrange, and no one else has asked him to the prom yet, but someone claiming to be part of his legal defense team visited twice in the past three weeks. Name didn’t match any of the partners or associates. I’ve got a blurry image we’re trying to match with a name. The man was aware of the cameras and tried to obscure his face.
    â€œAnd it looks like Mia was planning a permanent move, Jack. She shut down her penthouse and all of her bank accounts. We’re trying to follow the money, but the banks aren’t being forthcoming. Speaking of which, I had a conversation with the owner of the house on Vista Haven and his buddy Greg Stavos. Didn’t have much of value. Greg was the connection. Said Mia wasn’t hurting for cash. Picked up a three-hundred-dollar lunch at Escopazzo and offered to write a check for the guest room. He said Michael turned down the offer. Must be nice.”
    â€œDo we think Alvarez is still running his game from the inside?”
    â€œThat’s affirmative . . . word is, Alvarez’s developed a relationship of convenience with the Mexican Mafia. Protection and whatever. Drugs are probably running in both directions. Can’t keep a good entrepreneur down.
    â€œHey, have you rung up Gene McLennan? He’s retiring at the end of the year but still firmly in the game out on the West Coast. He’s a good resource. I remember you two got along on that task force deal.”
    â€œHe’s on my list,” Jack said. “Can you e-mail me that picture of Alvarez’s visitor? Maybe I can ID him.”
    â€œI’ll scan and forward it. I should have more on Mia posthaste. FYI, a lot of the men here feel terrible you’re jammed up and are willing to work off the clock to do whatever they can.”
    â€œThanks, brother.”
    â€œ Hasta la bye-bye. Fight the good fight, Bertolino.” And Ortega clicked off.

12
    Gene McLennan had just gotten off the phone with Kenny Ortega from the