“Nothing, nothing at all.”
“Ronny Baca, you better tell me or I’m going to get mad.”
I rubbed my forehead and said, “Mortay’s dead.”
There was a moment’s silence, “Did you shoot him?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
“Well, I had these Tic-Tacs…”
**
I hung up after another ten minutes with Hunter and went to the bathroom. Before I could finish, the phone rang. I hurried to zip up, then grabbed a paper towel, trotted over and picked up the receiver.
“Ronny Baca, waterproof private investigator.”
“Baca is dirt under leg of dog.”
“Hey Rakes, nice of you to have Simon drop in. Get it, drop in?”
“You make big mistake. I protect people who vork for me.”
“You did a bang-up job with Ichabod Crane there. Looked like he thought he was a seagull the way he flapped his arms when I sent him off the roof.” I actually heard Rakes growl.
“The days are numbering for you and friends. Sissy boy in hospital three five-teen room vill be easy, and you, and voman in Vashingtown.”
“Talk’s cheap.”
“Is not talk.”
“What do you think you’re doing then, miming? Words are coming out of your mouth. That means you’re talking. Is it too hard for your pea brain to digest?”
“Remember vhat I say. Your nose belongs some other place. You leave the veemin alone, or same happenings to you as boy-girl Meekee.”
My grip tightened on the phone but I kept my cool, “How about if I just put my nose in what the women brought across the border? How about that?”
“Is not to bother the veemin! Stay away for dem. I varn you to go in other direction or you die from my hand.”
“There you go again, yabbering like a parrot. Rakes want a cracker? Awwkk!”
“I ged you!” Rakes slammed down the receiver.
Boy, some people. But it worked and got me more information, because he was mad than I would get any other way.
Mortay worked for Rakes. That was interesting. Rakes deliberately let appearances indicate he was the subordinate, rather than Mortay. Rakes was smarter than I thought. He also knew what room Hondo was in, and that Hunter was in DC. He knew the people who had the juice, that was clear. And it worried me.
I went through the door into Archie’s gym and saw him in his office. I went in and closed the door.
He said, “I saw what you’ve been driving. What happened, your whale have a guppy? Haw!” Arch was so happy with that little piece of wit he slapped the top of his desk. Pens and a paperweight bounced up in the air.
“It happens to be a loaner. Gets a gazillion miles per gallon. It’s good for the environment.”
Arch barked a laugh, “Ronny, don’t give me that crap. You’d drive a tank if it was legal.”