Clint Faraday Mysteries Collection B :This Job is Murder Collector's Edition (30 page)

He looked a little uncertain. “Then more than
one has to be behind it. Who do you think it is?”

“
I said it won’t fly. The ones in on it
from the first, except Fieldman (he looked like he’d been slapped
when Clint used that name), who wasn’t there for any of them
weren’t there for some of the ten or so murders. Faith, Stedmann
and Fieldman were the originators, but you all got into it with
your eyes wide open. I imagine only a few wives or husbands or
whatever could be ignorant of it. Maybe that’s why Wanda had to go.
She caught on.

“
What happened? You were in Mexico
where Truman and Smart got wasted and she began asking
questions?”

He looked grim. He turned his back and went
back to the table with Anne and Gloria. He got into an intense
conversation with them. He soon went to the Richards’ table to say
something to them that included some arm waving. They looked over
to see Clint unconcernedly eating his cheese omelet. Faith got up
and came over. Harry came a few steps behind her.

“
Hello. Clint Faraday isn’t it? I’m
Faith. Faith Richards.

“
What is this conspiracy idea you told
Donald about?”

“
What theory? I didn’t say anything
about any conspiracy theory. I only said I knew a little about your
game, that it’s obvious when you have enough of the facts before
you. I wondered if you were in on it with Fieldman or are just
another person he was using.

“
Actually, if you’re in on it you’re
being used. He’s ‘way out of your league.”

She looked thoughtful. All of them had that
one down pat. Clint wondered if it was an instinctual reaction or
practiced.

“
I’ve wondered about that myself. It
was all a sort of mutual idea, I guess you’d say. Several of us,
some who aren’t here anymore, were in a group and wanted to find
something to make a boring life a little exciting.

“
Mr. Faraday, we don’t bother anyone
not in the group. That’s always disaster!”

“
Frank Carlysle was in the group? I
don’t think so.”

“
And it was a disaster. What he had was
easily explainable as having something to do with a standard kind
of doctor/patient confidentiality explanation. It could have been
passed by as a fantasy, not a reality. That was what started the
problems with the group.

“
A man named Bernard and his wife were
the cause of Carlysle’s death. They’re still around so we fear them
and try to avoid them.”

“
I see. They were also responsible for
Wanda Wentworth?”

“
As I see it, yes. We’re never sure. It
makes the game a little more exciting. Mark was a fool to do
anything that would make it plain who did what to whom.”

“
I see. You still think it’s a matter
among your little group and no one else – even with the examples of
Carlysle and Wanda.”

“
Wanda? What has that got to do with
it?”

“
She was never a member of your group.
The police think that Donald killed her because she found some very
incriminating things.”

She studied him for a few seconds. They all
seemed to have that one down pat, too.

“
She was into blackmail.”

“
I see. Only a total fool will try to
blackmail a hit man.”

She let a grin escape. “How true. Are they
going to let us go on soon? We haven’t done anything they can hold
us for.”

“
That’s up to them. They can hold you
for as long as they like. This ain’t, as I explained to Stedmann,
Texas.”

“
I heard they don’t have to have a
charge to hold you here. Guilty until proven innocent.”

“
Not that. That works very well. The
victim has rights here. They can hold you for investigation because
of the connections with other murders in other places. Stedmann
wasn’t there for the Mexico thing so it’s, as you already
suggested, conspiracy. They couldn’t care less about most
conspiracies. When murder’s involved they do.”

She nodded and said, “It’s been a pleasure,
believe it or not. I could go for you in another time and another
place.”

Clint gave her a short salute and they went
back to their tables.

It was Fieldman. He was sitting in Los
Angeles manipulating even here. Stedmann probably had a suggestion
that he could get away with it. He knows he was set up, but that’s
part of the game. Fieldman was untouchable. It was his invention.
He was running the whole strange show through personality
manipulation. It was something like a few of the horror shows on
late night TV. Some nutcase causing all kinds of bloody mayhem
while staying aloof from it. All of them were caught in a trap –
but didn’t care. Faith was ready enough to talk about it.

Why? Clint grinned to himself. He finished
his breakfast and waved to the two tables, then went to the lobby
to call Pancho. Pancho said he would get the information together
for him as quickly as possible.

He waited, then got a call. It was what he
thought was happening. “Faith Richards makes a call to Los Angeles,
California, every morning at exactly two o’clock. She makes the
call from the lobby telephone.”

He thanked Pancho and said they could maybe
take Faith Richards in for questioning. He called Sergio and asked
what they could do. It wouldn’t be possible to successfully
prosecute any of them from here. Their part was almost all in other
countries. The best they could do now was deport them back to the
states.

Clint’s thoughtful look was better and more
sincere than that bunch. He said to let them know they were going
to be deported to the states as soon as arrangements could be made
through the American Embassy in Albrook. They would get the message
in an hour or less when they would be picked up by the police.

“
Clint? Might it not be a good idea to
include Stedmann in that? We don’t need the expense and aggravation
of incarcerating such as him for the next twenty years.”

“
Might be interesting. Why not? They
didn’t do anything to anyone but themselves here.

“
Sergio, arrange for me to meet with
them before they’re taken out. Today or tomorrow. I want to get the
hell out of Panamá City.”

“
Done.”

Manipulating the Manipulators

“
I just wanted to say a few things
before you’re packed back to the states,” Clint said. The whole
group, those still alive and in Panamá, were there in the
interrogation room. They just stared at him and Faith pointed to
the recorder.

Clint had it taken out of the room. He said
they wouldn’t need anything more to guarantee that the group never
came near Panamá again. No one here needs the aggravation of
dealing with a bunch of lunatics.

“
Your word is totally inviolable. I’ve
learned that,” Stedmann said. “Your word. You’re not trying to get
us to say something to pile on us.”

“
I’m going to explain what’s been
happening to you before you get back to the states. I guarantee you
on my oath that we’re not trying to get more from you. We have a
hell of a lot more than we need. That’s all. I don’t think any of
you know what’s been happening to turn you into a pack of
emotionless killers.”

“
Fire away!” Faith said. “I think I’ve
finally figured out a lot of it. I’ve had too much time to think
here. That opportunity didn’t happen so long as he could keep us in
motion and in new places and situations. I’m not quite as stupid as
I act. It’s just easier if people think I’m a cheap bimbo with a
lot of money and no sense.”

“
Uh-huh. You didn’t use that act with
me yesterday in the restaurant.

“
Do you know what’s happened? How
you’re all nothing but pawns for him to move or discard anyway he
likes?”

“
What the hell are you talking about?”
Donald spat. “I’m no pawn for anybody!”

“
Shit! We all are!” Faith replied.
“Let’s hear what Faraday has to say. I know most of it, I
think.”

“
Pawns? What ... Fieldman?” Stedmann
asked.

“
Exactly!” Anne cried. “I thought so!
He’s the only one we can’t reach so he’s safe!”

“
He may believe that,” Stedmann said
calmly. “Maybe he misses a little detail or two himself.

“
Go on, Clint. I think maybe you aren’t
above a little manipulating of someone else’s pawns,
yourself.”

“
True,” Clint agreed. “You can handle
the situation the same way you were manipulated
yourselves.

“
Stedmann, you were with Faith before
she married Harry here. Harry introduced you to Fieldman,
right?”

“
No. I had a couple of sessions with
him in a psychological group. Some other people were there. I had
as much as forgotten that when Faith introduced me to him. I
remembered the sessions and some other things that came
up.”

“
Oh. He suggested you introduce them,
Faith?”

She nodded. “Several of them. He would give
me their names and how to sort of accidentally meet them in some
place they went regularly.”

“
So it was a little earlier than I
thought, but that doesn’t really change anything. The point is that
the meetings of everyone in the group was a manipulation by him for
exactly what happened. He’s been in control from the first. The
real reason Carlysle is dead is not because of what was in the
package, it was because something in that package connected him to
you in a very dangerous, to him, way. He’s running a sick game
where he can cause you to kill off each other while he stays safe
and sound in a house in LA. If they catch and prosecute all of you
who are left he’s still home free.”

“
Bastard son of a bitch!” Donald cried.
“The slimy cocksucker stayed safe and put us all at each
other!”

“
He’s not safe,” Stedmann said. “He
just thinks he is. He meant for me to be caught here, didn’t he,
Clint?”

“
I think so. It’s as effective a way as
any other of taking you out of the game. He might have been a
little scared of you himself. You must have done or said something
that would make him afraid he was going to lose control of
you.”

“
I did. I asked him what the hell he
thought he was doing in Costa Rica. Wanda wasn’t any part of the
agreement. He sounded upset that I would question him at
all.”

“
He knew you’d understand enough about
the methods to stay alive and a danger to him so he managed to get
you out of the game another way.

“
Faith, have you told him about being
sent back to the states?”

“
No. After breakfast yesterday I
wondered if that would be smart. I’m tired of actually being an
idiot bimbo instead of just acting like one.”

“
Don’t tell the stinking lousy bastard
shit!” Donald ordered.

“
Don’t worry about THAT!?” she shot
back.

“
He made us into some kind of zombies,
didn’t he Mr. Faraday?” Gloria asked.

“
That’s a good description,” Clint
answered. “I think you should all find a way to protect yourselves
when you get back. He’s going to be desperate and he’ll know
something’s wrong because Faith didn’t make her regular
call.”

“
I can call him now and explain that
the police detained us again. I’ll say I’ll call again when I know
what’s up. I don’t want him to know when I’m going to be back! He
might have the plane shot down or something!”

Clint agreed and had a phone sent in. She
said for no one to make a sound. She would act like she had sneaked
away to call him from a public phone.

She called. The first thing she said when he
answered was, “This has to be fast. The cops are holding us all for
questioning and they don’t know I came out here. I think they’re
going to try to make us stay here until Mark’s been convicted! It
could be as much as ten days and I might not be able to get to a
... Uh-oh! He saw me! I’ve got to...” she hung up.

“
Good show!” Stedmann exclaimed. “I
think I’ve finally felt a little excitement!

“
What now, Clint?”

“
You go home. I’m out of
it.”

“
You’re a decent man,” Gloria said. “If
he knew ... we wouldn’t stand a chance of being alive next week. I
just KNOW it!”

“
So be very careful.” Anne said. “I can
get away. You can go with me. I’ve got some secrets he doesn’t
suspect.

“
Faith, you and the guys are on your
own now. We couldn’t work it with more than two and we were never
in deep. That’s what makes us dangerous. He’ll think none of you
can dare to talk. It’ll mean you’re hung by your own words. There’s
nothing to hang us with except that we knew about it and were too
scared to say anything.”

“
You were never scared of anything in
your life!” Donald cried.

“
You know that and I know that. They
don’t,” she said easily. “Thank you, Faraday. Maybe I have a trick
or two up my sleeve that can shake the bastard.”

An officer came to say that the man from the
consulate was there to take them to the plane.

Clint got up and went home. Time would tell
if he was as good at manipulating deficient psyches as Fieldman. He
went back to David to spend a couple of days with friends. He would
then go to Bocas Town and forget the detective business for as long
as he could manage.