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Chapter 11
A week later
Margot was sitting at her new desk when Detective Rick Radcliff came in and sat down across from her.
“I don’t think you have an appointment.”
Radcliff smiled, “Do you like meeting clients here instead of at the bar?”
“I actually haven’t met any clients yet. I’m doing some leg work for Shaw while I learn the ropes around here. Is this business or pleasure?”
“Seeing you is always a pleasure.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I was on this side of town and thought I’d drop in and take you to lunch, if you have the time.”
“I do.”
“I also thought I’d tell you Marv is up and awake.”
“Did you tell him I told you about the bodies?”
“I don’t think you have to worry about him being sore about that. After we explained how Manny tipped off Brantley and then had his boy try to delay you so he could get there, Marv wasn’t feeling much loyalty to his old M.C.”
“He talked?”
“Yeah. A lot. Hell, he was ready to talk before we even got to the part about how Manny was going to hand Mal over to The Cowboy.”
“Speaking of Mal, any word on him?”
“Still in the wind. I suppose I don’t blame him. When the body count gets that high, self-defense becomes a hard sell even if it's true. Especially if you stuff three of them into freezers and take off. You going to look for him?”
“No. What would I do if I found him? Turn him in? I’m playing it straight from now on. I’m leaving Mal out there until either you find him or he turns himself in. Makes it a lot easier not to make a bad decision.”
Radcliff nodded. “Probably the best way to go.”
“Did anybody ever find out if someone at Norco tipped the cowboy off?”
“Those guys don’t talk much, but a dude with a cartel connection made a call to the burner phone we found on The Cowboy. All he said was ‘say hi to Marquez,’ but I’m guessing it was some kind of code.”
“I noticed you still called him ‘The Cowboy.’”
“Yeah, a name has been hard to come by. The guy doesn’t seem to exist.”
“I guess as long as he stays nonexistent, it doesn’t really matter.”
“You really going to try to play it straight? Stay out of trouble?”
“Yeah.”
Radcliff smiled. Margot got the feeling he didn’t believe her.
