Ocean Prey (A Prey Novel #31) - John Sandford Page 0,119
a lot of expenses and we don’t get loads like these every day. I’m lucky to clear two hundred K in a year of work. In New York, that’s nothing,” Curry said. He looked at Devlin and the search specialist at work with the copy machine. “Why are they xeroxing all that cash? Why are they doing it here?”
“Because you’re going to deliver it to the guys at the car wash and get another brick of dope,” Lucas said.
“What?”
* * *
Wright explained it: Curry was going to get in his pickup and drive up to the car wash and buy another brick of heroin, his usual order, and deliver whatever money he needed to cover it. That money would be delivered to Sansone and then Sansone would be picked up with the cash in his pocket and would go to prison.
“We need to tie him to the dope, and the dope ties him to the murders.”
“Those guys in the garage . . . they’re sorta my friends,” Curry said.
Wright nodded and said, “I know.” She smiled at him. “Tough shit.”
Sophia Curry began crying and then Carol Bruno. They cried for a while and the copy machine kept grinding away in the background.
* * *
Curry said he couldn’t show up with a pile of cash and check out with a kilo of heroin. He had to call ahead to see if it was even available.
“Then call,” Lucas said.
Curry said he had to use a burner phone that he kept hidden in his truck. If the people in the garage got a call from an unrecognized number, they simply wouldn’t answer. Lucas sent him out to get it, warning that the house was surrounded by FBI agents, and that if he tried to run, he wouldn’t get a block. Curry nodded miserably and went to the truck to get the phone. When he was back, Lucas, Wright, and Curry talked about what he’d say. When everyone was satisfied, Curry punched in the number, which was picked up on the second ring.
“Clean N Go.”
Curry said, “Hey, man. This is me.”
“Hey, you. How’s things?”
“Need to get a rapid wash. Got really dirty last night. What’s the situation there?”
“Not too busy. Which wash?”
“I’m thinking the gold.”
“Gold, it is. When you coming?”
“Five o’clock?”
“Make it five-thirty. We got a little line-up.”
“See you then,” Curry said, and he punched off. To Wright and Lucas: “It’s done.”
* * *
Lucas wanted to drive along with one of the SSG members while Curry delivered the cash to the car wash, and left with another bag of heroin. He took a few minutes to change out of the gas company uniform and back into his suit and overcoat, and after Wright issued a series of warnings and threats to Paul Curry, they left the house in the dark. Lucas drove the gas van around the block, where he transferred to the SSG RAV4, and then he and the SSG agent dropped in behind Curry, two blocks back.
The drop was routine: Curry drove into the car wash garage, and ten minutes later, backed out, and drove back toward his house.
“He could have said anything in there,” the SSG driver said. “He could have called anyone.”
“Yeah, but we were afraid to wire him up, and we didn’t have a wire anyway,” Lucas said. “At this point, I’m willing to believe he’s come over.”
“I hope.”
Lucas was dropped at the gas van, which he drove back to Curry’s. The pickup was already parked in the driveway.
* * *
In the house, Curry was telling Wright about the currency delivery and the purchase of the new bag of heroin, which lay on the living room table.
Lucas: “Did it go right?”
Curry said, “Yeah, just like every day. They were surprised that I got rid of a whole kilo last night. I said there was some hunger out there, that the new bag wouldn’t hold me more than a few days. They said more was on the way.”
Wright said, “We have a couple of SUVs coming by to transport the four of you to Manhattan . . .”
“All four? Do we all have to go?” Sophia wailed.
Her mother said, “Shut up.”
Wright: “For seventy-two hours. Then we can arrange for everybody but Paul to be released on their own recognizance. When you get back here, you might want to talk to a Realtor. Sansone won’t know for a while that Paul has agreed to cooperate with us, but . . . you might want to get started on that.”