In The Company of Deceit

Chapter 24 - Procedure

Ted listened to the recording and when it finished he snapped off the switch and rocked back in his chair.

"Same story almost; close enough to be true in each case. What do you think?"

Bruce puffed his cheeks and nodded. "I think it happened exactly the way they told it. Christ, how could anyone get that plastered?"

"Believing you had half a million might have something to do with it."

"What happens to what they did have anyway?"

"Evidence at the moment. The casino's lawyers have been on the phone to the department claiming ownership."

"Well I guess they'll have a real laundering job to do if they get it back; that liqueur was like glue."

"The problem is proof. There's nothing to say that it belongs to the casino. The people they claim stole it never had it in the end, and they're all dead. Not only that, the money Wireton stole initially belonged to the pimp in LA and nobody knows how much that was; maybe that was the money this couple had, our friend High Hat isn't about to lay claim to any."

"There's still the daughter, she'd know."

"The latest word from the hospital is that she has slipped into a coma from the cancer and there's little likelihood she'll come out of it."

Bruce stretched his arms way behind him until his shoulders cracked. Phones rang at different desks around the office and there was a hum of conversation punctuated by the slamming of file drawers and the clack of keyboards.

"What the hell are the odds of all the participants in two different robberies all coming together on a bus and then getting involved with one another because of a crash? It's like a TV show.

"I feel sorriest for the two Mexican illegals. One dies and the other gets deported and they were just trying to come up here and make some money to live off. I wonder what they would have thought if they knew there was half a million plus riding on the same bus."

"So what happens now, we book those two in there or what?"

"Theft of a piece of luggage is all we have; they didn't know what was in it, not that it makes a difference, but it's pretty small potatoes considering."

"I guess Ian will be some time figuring out who shot who in that hotel room."

"We know Belinda shot somebody because of the residue on her glove, but it wasn't her gun, it was registered to that Ralph Kew. Somehow she got it and burned one of them. My money is on Kew killing the hulk though. After that it's a crap shoot."

"You think the act gave the old girl the heart attack or the fact that her bag was missing when she came out of the room?"

Ted laughed. "The money for sure. A broad cold enough to rip off a casino isn't going to wither over shooting some other crooks. Ironic though, isn't it?"

"Say, what about that other broad, what'sername... Semple? She seems to be the only non-involved member of the whole group."

"I have to ask her a few more questions and then we are done; just a matter of typing it all up and giving it to the A.D.A."

******

Kate answered the door and recognized the detective.

"May I come in, Miss Semple, just a couple of clean up questions."

She backed away and let him enter and close the door. The room was all made up and her suitcase was on the bed, closed and locked.

"All set to leave?"