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Once I got inside, I winced. With all the lights on and no music or titties, the Seven Veils was the most depressing, shabbiest place this side of Calcutta.
There was the other Santa Muerte, still dead, still slumped against the nearest support post. Only difference now was he was outlined in white tape.
At least he was going to get a proper burial. His friend out in the desert was going to be a feast for coyotes.
Over the murmur of the crime techs and the whir and click of camera flashes going off, a familiar voice pierced the air.
“Hey – Jack.”
Shit.
I turned around and saw the one face I didn’t want to see here tonight.
Dan Peters, chief of police.
Tall, thin, hatchet-faced motherfucker with iron-gray hair and the eyes of a jackal.
Greedy. Always with a hand out, always on the take.
Or he was before I became president of the Midnight Riders.
I’m sure there were plenty of good cops in the Richards police department.
But the fish rots from the head down, so to speak.
He walked over and put out a hand. I clasped it and pumped it hard, like he was an old friend and not a fucking politician looking for a ‘donation.’
“Dan… why the fuck did they drag you out of bed for this?”
“Ahh, you know… some desk sergeant gets his panties in a wad, next thing you know I’m getting calls about ‘gang warfare’ between the Midnight Riders and the Santa Muertes.”
He used the tone of his voice to put ‘gang warfare’ in air quotes, like he was laughing it off. No big deal.
Translation: If you don’t want ‘gang warfare’ in the official police report tomorrow – and the papers – I better see some green, buddy boy.
“There’s no gang warfare here, man,” I said.
“Oh, I know, I know,” he clucked sympathetically.
“This is just a simple case of some fuckin’ idiots trespassin’ in a field and not realizing it’s full of landmines.”
“Idiots – plural.”
He looked at me like we shared a little secret.
I scowled. “Yeah, there were two. The other one shot Benjy.”
“And took off right after.”
“Yeah.”
“What I heard was your men went off after him.”
“Some of the brothers went off after him of their own volition. Not on my orders. I was here trying to save Benjy’s life.”
“I know, I know. Terrible thing. Such a young kid.”
“Yeah.”
