Blind Justice. Don Pendleton

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      Chapter 5

      His name was Vigo Stone. He worked for Senator Tyrone Kendal. His job demanded he be available 24/7. Kendal had a direct cell-phone line to the man if they were not in hailing distance of each other—which happened from time to time when Stone was working a special assignment. Those around Kendal viewed Stone with caution. The man was not the kind who would be termed sociable. He displayed a remoteness that kept men at a distance and females feeling uneasy. None of that had the slightest effect on Stone. He worked for the senator, but not for his official position.

       Stone was around forty. A man of medium height, lean and with the presence of a prowling big cat. His quiet demeanor matched his looks. A hollow-cheeked face with a slim, slightly hooked nose and wide, thin lips. His eyes never rested. They moved constantly, seeing everything, probing, curious. His smooth skull was shaved, the skin showing a faint sheen. He dressed well. Always in a suit, tie and immaculate shirt.

       He entered Kendal’s office and sat facing the senator’s desk. No words were exchanged until Stone had fully read the slim file Kendal passed to him.

       “I take it there has been no success finding Logan? Or his wife and brat?”

       “Nothing. Bishop and his people have found nothing.”

       “Bishop? The man’s a dinosaur. He has no idea.”

       “Which is why I want you to handle this. Do what you do best, Vigo. You take charge. Run it however you damn well want. Bishop will take orders from you directly. Hire who you need. Pay off who you want. I want this to go away before it bites us all in the ass. I’ll do what I can to keep Koretski at arm’s length.”

       “Koretski has dealt himself in?”

       “He has a vested interest. He is my partner in this venture. Hell, more than a partner. If Logan’s information falls into the wrong hands we’re all going down the toilet, Vigo. And there are a lot of important people in the mix. So we need to suppress anything that damn cop has dredged up.”

       “You know how I work, Senator. No interference. No directives. I run my own show.”

       Kendal smiled. “Vigo, I don’t need reminding, and I have no worries on how you do your job. Never have in the past, so why should things be different this time? You will have access to the open-ended account as usual and we will settle up when it’s all over.”

       “Is there any current information not in the file?”

       “Our pet cop, Captain Fitch, informed me his two bloodhounds, Brenner and Dunn, passed along something that might be useful.”

       “Brenner and Dunn—the pair that let Logan run?”

       “Not their finest hour,” Kendal said.

       “I’m surprised they can stand up and walk without the need of an instruction book. So what was their information?”

       “One of the cops in the squad is a close friend of Logan. He’s also Logan’s partner. Name of Marty Keegan. Dunn and Brenner have a feeling he’s been in contact. Couple of times he’s taken cell-phone calls and been cagey about anyone listening in. Could be nothing, but on the other hand maybe not.”

       “It’s a start,” Stone said. “I’ll need details. Keegan’s home address. Anything that might help.”

       Kendal nodded. “No problem,” he said. “Give it a half hour and I’ll have all there is to know about Lieutenant Marty Keegan.”

       “Good.” Stone stood, adjusting his jacket. “I’ll need a vehicle.”

       Kendal picked up the internal phone. He spoke to one of his assistants. “Bring it around to the front in half an hour,” he said finally. He nodded at Stone. “Fixed. Anything else?”

       “I’ll wait for the Keegan information in the library.”

       “You want tea?” Kendal asked.

       “Why not,” Stone said and left the office.

       Kendal picked up the phone again and instructed refreshments be sent to Stone. The man only ever drank tea. He never touched coffee or alcohol. Come to think of it, Kendal mused, the man didn’t smoke, rarely smiled and only spoke when it really mattered. He wondered how Stone related to women and sex. What the hell, Kendal decided. The man was good at his job. That was all he was concerned about.

      TWO HOURS LATER Stone was on the road behind the wheel of a high-spec Chevy Impala, sitting in quiet comfort as he negotiated the traffic. The satnav system was directing him to Marty Keegan’s address as he was already planning his course of action. He understood what needed doing. The senator had a crisis on his hands. One that had the potential of destroying his world and himself. As far as he was able, Stone would take steps to prevent that from happening. His association with Kendal went back a number of years and over those years Stone had engineered a number of what he termed rescues on behalf of the man.

       Tyrone Kendal was a powerful man. A good friend, in the loosest sense of the word. He expected total loyalty from his people and in return he looked after them and paid generously. On the other hand he was not a man to cross or threaten. When that happened, Kendal struck out with considerable force. He would not tolerate any kind of attack on himself personally, or on the grandiose plans he involved himself in. To help in reducing threats to a minimum, Kendal had a tight group around him—advisors, lawyers and specialists in a number of skills, many of them with dubious pedigrees.

       And his ultimate weapon.

      Vigo Stone.

       In his ethereal world, Stone’s rivals referred to him as The Enforcer. His reputation preceded him. Hard men, no beginners themselves, walked around Stone. They measured their words in his presence. He was not given to loose talk, especially about himself. There was no need. Those in the know were fully aware of his past deeds, and none of them had any desire to find they were under his eye. As much as possible they stayed well clear.

      MARTY KEEGAN LIVED near Seattle’s waterfront in one of a number of older buildings converted into separate residences. Rolling the Chevy along the street, Stone passed the address, then turned down a side street that let him view the rear of Keegan’s building. Easy access and exit from the place. At the end of the block Stone spotted a parking lot and drove in. He paid for the maximum stay and displayed the ticket on the dashboard of the Chevy before lifting his laptop computer bag off the rear seat. He locked the Chevy, slung the bag from his left shoulder and casually walked out of the parking lot, turning down the sidewalk that would eventually return him to the front of Keegan’s place.

       He shifted the computer bag on his shoulder. There was no laptop in the bag. It held Stone’s work kit, as he called it. The tools of his trade.

       The information Kendal had supplied detailed, among other things, Keegan’s current shift timetable. The cop was due to finish in a half hour and unless he had other plans he would drive home. Stone acknowledged that fact was one he could not plan for. He was going to have to wing that part. But he had great faith СКАЧАТЬ