Rain Gods (Hackberry Holland 2)

?Where do you think he went??

?One thing is for sure. He didn?t go out the other side.?

?Then where is he??

?Probably watching us.?

?No way. From where??

?I don?t know. The guy has been killing people for twenty years and never went inside.?

?This blows, Tim.?

They were outside the cave now, the stucco house still in shadow, the morning cool, the wind ruffling the mesquite. The three men stared at the surrounding hills, looking for the glint of binoculars or the lens on a telescopic rifle sight.

?Who are we supposed to check in with??

?The guy who ratted out Collins. His name is Hugo Cistranos.?

?What are we gonna do??

Tim slipped the Glock from behind his belt and strolled down the gravel path from the cave to Preacher?s compact car. He circled the car, taking careful aim, and shot out each tire. He went inside the house and closed all the windows, like a man securing his home from an impending storm. He found a candle in a kitchen drawer, lit it, and melted the wax in a pool so he could affix it to the drainboard. Then he shut the front door and turned on the propane stove and shut the kitchen door behind him as he exited the house.

?Let?s fang down some frijoles,? he said.

SHERIFF HACKBERRY HOLLAND had just picked up Danny Boy Lorca for public intoxication and locked him in a cell upstairs when Maydeen told him Ethan Riser was on the phone.

?How you doing, Mr. Riser?? Hackberry said, picking up the receiver on his desk.

?Can?t you call me Ethan??

?It?s a southern inhibition.?

?You were right about the origins of your mystery caller. We think his name is Nick Dolan. He was a floating casino operator in New Orleans

before Katrina.?

?How?d you ID him??

?His name was in Isaac Clawson?s notes. Clawson figured the Thai murder victims for prostitutes somebody was smuggling into the country, so he started running down anybody with major ties to escort services. It appears Clawson was giving Arthur Rooney a hard look and decided to check out Nick Dolan at the same time. Evidently, he interviewed Dolan at his vacation home in New Braunfels.?

?Why are y?all just finding this out??

?Like I told you, Clawson liked to work alone. He didn?t put everything he did in the official file.?

?But so far you?re not absolutely sure Dolan is the same guy who called me??

?Dolan knows Rooney. Dolan has been mixed up with prostitution for the last two years. Clawson had him in his bombsights. Also, Dolan just dissolved his partnership in his escort services and fired all the strippers at his nightclub. Either Clawson scared the shit out of him, or Dolan has developed problems of conscience.?

?You haven?t interviewed him yet??

?No.?

?You?re putting a tap on him instead??

?Did I say that??

?I think you?re calling me because you don?t want me to find Dolan on my own.?