Sting

The fraught silence that followed was broken by the woman beside her, who quietly introduced herself as Jordie’s lawyer. Shaw acknowledged the introduction, but they didn’t shake hands. He had much more to say to Jordie, but there was business to attend to, she wasn’t in the mood to listen, and the real spoiler was that they were on opposing sides of a criminal investigation.

Wiley said, “Was Morrow in on this charade?”

Shaw nodded. “Couldn’t have done it without him. He’s a good man. Once Dupaw and I brought him into the loop, he facilitated everything. Ordered an ambulance, recruited a couple of guys from his department who he could trust to drive it. Got his dispatch operator to call the hospital administrator in Houma to inform him of the near-fatal shooting.”

“He bought it,” Wiley said.

“Good to know. The dispatcher told him it was a delicate police matter, some cock-and-bull like that, and ordered him not to put the media wise to it. Which he wouldn’t have anyway, because it might set him in the hot seat for green-lighting my premature release and making his hospital look bad.”

It had been necessary to take the surgeon into their confidence. He’d reluctantly removed the staples from Shaw’s incision and given him a supply of oral medications and extra bandages to take with him. Morrow had them in his squad car.

Thinking of that, Shaw said, “Morrow remembered to retrieve my boots from the hospital room closet before we left. I was rolled out, bare-assed in a hospital gown and handcuffed to a stretcher. Morrow went into a Walmart and bought me a change of clothes. Here I am.”

“Cover still protected,” Wiley said.

“Hopefully. For the time being anyway.”

“Why isn’t Morrow with you now?” Wiley asked.

“On the way here, he got an emergency call from his office. Couldn’t delegate. Had to turn back. He dismissed the ambulance and drivers. Dupaw brought me the rest of the way in his car. Morrow said to tell you that he’d check in with you as soon as he could.”

“Would have been nice for y’all to let us in on this,” Wiley said.

“Morrow was handier. He’d left my room just a few minutes before Dupaw showed up. Morrow wanted to bring you in, but the fewer people involved in the ruse, the more likely it would work. I convinced him of that.”

“How?”

“By telling him that was how it was gonna be.” He let that settle then glanced at Jordie, who had resumed glaring at him. “Besides, Morrow knew you had your hands full here.”

Wiley’s partner chimed in, “And letting us in on it would have spoiled your big entrance.”

Shaw looked up at him and decided to let the snide remark pass. “You’re Hickam?”

“That’s right.”

“I was denied the pleasure of meeting you yesterday during my arrest.”

The agent looked down at the spot where Shaw’s shirttail was draped over his holster. “Where’d you get the piece?”

“When I asked for my weapons back, Morrow obliged.”

“‘Weapons’ plural?”

“He keeps a pistol in his boot.” That from Jordie, who nastily added, “What kind of hit man carries only one gun?”

Matching her testiness, Shaw said, “A dead one.”

While the smoke was still clearing from that exchange, Joe Wiley asked, “What about the playboy and corrupt state policeman in Mexico?”

“They resisted arrest.” He said it deadpan and nobody commented. “By the way, whichever agency that girl belongs to needs to bring

her in and give her some better training.”

“Girl?”

“The one who left the party with the three of us that night. She hadn’t been at the villa for five minutes before I marked her as heat.”

“Only call girl to leave her clothes on?” Wiley asked.