Page 3 of Saltwater Promises
“No, I haven’t had a chance.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure that it was Lenny who came after me.”
“Oh. Lenny again, huh?”
“Yeah. So I’m thinking that whatever Lenny – ”
“Now tell me again, Mike. Why were you hanging around with Lenny when you’re supposed to be retired?”
“I wasn’t hanging around with him. I’ve gotten into art during my retirement.” A slight lie. Mike had always been into art. Retirement had reignited the flames. “They spotted me at a gallery in Queens.”
“I see.” Ned was quiet for a moment. “Well, I think that it’d be best if you left New York City for a while. This funeral with the fake Gary will help. You can start over somewhere else.”
“And if they follow me?”
Ned laughed. “Why would they? We’ve got things under control, buddy.”
Mike shifted. “They were still looking for me, Ned. Whatever they’re doing, it’s – ”
“I can’t comment on any ongoing investigations. I’m sorry, bud, but you know that.”
Bud.
Ned spoke again. “Why don’t you buy yourself a fisherman’s cap and get busy with that retirement?”
Mike gritted his teeth. There were a lot of great things about working for the FBI, but not the bureaucracy that allowed people like Ned to climb the ladder. The guy was a schmuck.
There was no use in pushing it. He thanked Ned and hung up.
For whatever reason, Ned had no interest in pursuing any of the organized crime leads. He made that clear when he shut down all of the mafia-related undercover assignments out of the New York office.
It probably wasn’t nefarious on Ned’s part. The most likely scenario was that it was political and Ned was trying to get ahead by putting agents into new and exciting projects. Projects that would bring quick results. He didn’t care about crime – not really. He cared about what made him look good.
The mob was too hard to break into. It could take months or years before an agent started getting reliable information. That was far too long for Ned. All he cared about was getting a big story, a press conference and, of course, his next promotion. The FBI was nothing if not a huge bureaucracy.
If only Mike could move on as easily as Ned. It’d be better for his health. He’d get shot at less, that’s for sure.
But it wasn’t possible for Mike to just “let it go.” He wasn’t the type, and this case was too important. Plus, how could he lose interest in Lenny when Lenny hadn’t lost interest in him, or in San Juan Island?
He booked a flight back to Seattle. He was on his own.
