In The Company of Deceit

Chapter 14 - Dogged Determination

Ralph Kew grew annoyed at the amount of time it took to eliminate the Mexican in police custody from his list as to where Del Darrigo might be. He sat in his hotel room with a large legal pad and made columns of known facts and suppositions. Where the hell did the extra passenger come from? He accounted for the eight then he ran his eye down the list again and stopped at Virginia Stahl. Where then hell did she come from?

He cursed for having missed her earlier and causing him to waste so much time with the Mexican in custody. If Del Darrigo had walked away from the accident, which was the popular belief of the police and now his own, he would have continued north to Salt Lake, it was the largest city in the area and connections across the country were available by all modes of transport.

Kew had feelers at the bus stations, rail and airports. He didn't really believe Del Darrigo would use any of them; the man was bold enough to walk out of the casino so that didn't make him stupid enough to leave a travel trail. Kew believed he got a ride somehow, but to where. He thought he would step up his hunt locally and see if any of the passengers had any information. Maybe they talked on the bus or at stops. It was worth a shot.

Braddock had been on the phone whining about the news story and cautioning him about drawing any more undue attention. Ralph had heard it all before. Big talk when they begin and as the job goes on, the feet are very uncomfortable getting wet. He tossed his notes on the bed and headed for the lobby. He didn't like losing challenges.

Kate was looking at the hotel's list of amenities on the board by the front desk when the sharply dressed little man strode up and asked the clerk which rooms the bus passengers from the accident were being accommodated. The clerk instinctively flashed her a look and Kate saw the man turn to her with interest.

He adopted a pleasant smile and walked over to her, light blue eyes twinkling over a slim, straight nose. She waited, wondering if he was police, bus authority or insurance company rep. His dark suit fit too well for a cop, she thought, and the haircut looked a tad expensive for a bus company rep. He stopped in front of her and introduced himself by name only, asking if she was one of the passengers from the bus.

"I'm trying to find some information on the passenger, Edwin Del Darrigo, who disappeared after the accident. Did you speak with him at all during the trip?"

Didn't even want her name, Kate noticed. "Sorry, no. He sat behind me but he slept most of the time; snored horribly." She laughed but Ralph didn't.

"Did he talk with any of the others that you noticed, maybe ate with someone at the stops?"

"Nope. Always alone as far as I saw. I didn't really pay him that much attention. All I did notice was he was very protective of an old briefcase he carried." She held his eyes for a response.

Ralph looked hard at her for a moment giving her a strong feeling of unease, then the smile returned and he thanked her before returning to the clerk. He received the same information from Virginia, Benjamin and Belinda and when he couldn't find Mickey after bribing a maid to let him in his room, he went back once more to the desk.

"Mickey Wireton in three-sixteen, where is he?"

"He was in his room as far as I know, sir."

"Well he isn't now so where would he go?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea, perhaps the police are speaking to him. From my information they are thinking of charging the driver with careless driving, so they may want the passengers for witness testimony."

Ralph thanked him and went to the elevators, taking the first one down to the garage. He stood inside the cold space and looked around at the different cars and smiled as he noticed the red dot of light from the security camera aimed at the exit. Another was aimed at the car exit but Ralph ignored that; he was taking another trip to the front desk.

The clerk gave him a stern look and advised him that the hotel security tapes were not for public viewing, that was why they were called 'security' tapes and by what authority did he think he could access them. Ralph leaned across the counter and imparted some wisdom to the clerk, who, visibly shaken, led Ralph around the counter and into the rear office where Ralph examined the tapes at leisure.

A crisp picture of Mickey carrying his pack and leaving by the exit door at four-twenty-nine, according to the time stamp, gave Ralph his next line of pursuit. Why would Mickey secretly be checking out at that time? There was no public transport operating in the area at that time so unless Mickey was a hiker, he would have found a taxi ride somewhere.

Ralph checked his phone book for the taxi companies and began a series of calls and waits until he sat up, neck tingling when the female dispatcher for one company provided a logged call for one of their drivers several blocks from the hotel at four-fifty that morning. Ralph asked her to send the driver around to pick him up and thanked her for her cooperation.

******

Kate, Virginia and Benjamin left the police station; the ride that had been provided to bring them down was not available now that their assistance was no longer required. They had repeated their statements in front of representatives from the bus company and their lawyers for the record and advised that when and if the case went to court, they could be called as witnesses, although the statements were likely all that was necessary.

Belinda was at the hospital and would be interviewed when it was convenient.

Benjamin had failed to make any hay with Kate; she wasn't the least interested, spending more of her thinking on her next move. Virginia, still smarting from the collapse of her big show, became his secondary target and when he found out about her situation he knew he could commiserate, be the ear she needed; they were two of a kind at that moment.

The three of them found a place for lunch and spent some time just talking, musing about the possibility of a class action against the bus company. Certainly Belinda had a good case as did the family of the illegal Mexican, they felt. They could join on grounds of lost employment and trauma.

They talk petered out as the day wore on and Kate, realizing her status as a third wheel, excused herself and said she was just going for a long walk. Finding a soul mate who could really feel her pain along with his own, Virginia made no objections to returning to Benjamin's room at the hotel and further exploring commonalities.