“Charlie, we have to get back. I would like to ask you some questions if you don’t mind.” The disapproval in Charlie’s face had me wanting to shrink in my seat, but I stood my ground and my posture never faltered, as he considered my request.
“Ladies, how about you give Dallas and me a moment. The bar will be happy to accommodate your every need.” I nodded to Maddie and Red, giving them the okay they needed to leave us. I watched them walk away, and as soon as they were out of hearing distance, I addressed the real reason I was here.
“How much money did you loan Frankie and do you think it was enough to convince Stacy to kill me?”
“I never discuss my business, Dallas. If you believe Stacy tried to kill you, then it should not matter how much money he was offered. If you have doubts about him, he must be guilty.” Charlie was right. It didn’t matter how much money was on the table. Did I really need a motive for him to kill me if I was going to accuse him of it anyway? This was the favor I was allowed, so I might as well be straight with him.
“I shouldn’t have asked. You’re right. I don’t believe Stacy is capable of something like that, but money can make people do the impossible. I need to know what happened that night. Frankie told me himself that he tried to poison me, but I don’t know how he went about doing it. He had to use someone to get close to me, and I had a drink with two people that night, Tammy and Stacy.” I sighed, and took a drink of my wine, waiting patiently for the silence to be filled with Charlie’s voice. It was so easy to talk to him. I felt like we were back at the bed and breakfast once again.
“Where did you have a drink?” Charlie asked, pulling his phone from inside the lapel of his suit.
“First with Tammy at Kingston’s, then at the Abbey with Stacy, about two hours later.” I watched as Charlie looked at his phone before placing it back in his pocket, and returning his attention to me.
“Frankie has a connection at Kingston’s. My theory is that he paid someone to slip something in your drink and neither one of them were Frankie or Tammy. The payment was probably made in the form of drugs. My best guess would be crystal-methamphetamine, since that was Frankie’s drug of choice. That should tell you what kind of people you are dealing with. You can request the footage from video surveillance from that night, but my advice would be to let it go. This person holds no ill feelings toward you, nor will you get any kind of satisfaction by eliminating them.” I was flooded with relief, but kept my guard up knowing that Charlie had said this was his theory.
“What are the chances of you being right on this?” I asked, knowing Charlie didn’t like to be doubted, but thinking that, in this situation, he really couldn’t blame me.
“I’m always right, Dallas, but I understand that you need proof. You will have what you need before you leave tonight. While we are here, is there anything else you would like to talk about?” Was it just that easy? I started to question Charlie on just how he was going to retrieve that proof, but thought better of it. I didn’t care how he got it, as long as he did so. I did have another question; one that Charlie couldn’t possibly know the answer to, but into which he could give me some insight.
“The club was paid to protect me until I was twenty-five. Do you see any reason why my father would choose that particular age?”
“The contract your father had with the mayor was for two million dollars and a stretch of land valued at twenty million, with the increase in value estimated to range between thirty-five and fifty million over the course of ten years. The money was paid to Luke in increments of ten thousand dollars a week. There is absolutely nothing significant about the age of twenty-five, it just so happened to be your age when the money ran out.” I sat in shock, staring blankly straight ahead. I couldn’t believe my ears. Two million dollars? That sleazy son-of-a-bitch Mayor Kirkley. That was why he kept throwing out my age-he didn’t want me to know the amount of money that was involved. Was that how much the club had made off of me? And the ol’ ladies had the balls to give me shit about having to follow me around? “Dallas?” Charlie’s voice cut into my thoughts, and I blinked rapidly, allowing my eyes to regain focus before I grabbed my wine to finish off the glass.