Special Forces Father - By Mallory Kane Page 0,26

Ole Boys, did you?”

Travis shook his head. “Good old boys as in racist and bigoted with a pre–Civil War mentality?”

“Yeah, in general,” Dawson acceded, smiling. “But specifically, the Good Ole Boys are a group of elder senators and congressmen who are following in the footsteps of Con Delancey. And Con, of course, patterned his entire political career after Huey Long. In their heyday, Long in the 1930s and Con in the sixties and seventies, they each courted the rural folks by such programs as Long’s Share the Wealth and Con’s Work and Receive initiative while pushing more and more power into the governor’s hands and out of the legislature. Did you know Con ran for governor three times and lost? Grandmother was sure that he’d have been elected in 1990 if he hadn’t been killed.”

“I’ve heard some of those stories about Granddad. Not about him running for governor, though. What’s all this got to do with Stamps?” Travis asked.

“Myron Stamps followed right along in Con’s footsteps, only he and several other legislators who have been around for a long time called themselves the Good Ole Boys. These days there are only three left—Stamps, Darby Sills and Gavin Whitley. There have been rumors for years that they’ve taken bribes and kickbacks from businessmen in the import business to keep import taxes low and look the other way when certain illegal substances are brought in through the Port of New Orleans.” Dawson took a drink of his coffee, then continued. “Danielle Canto overheard the men who had killed her grandfather yelling out Stamps’s and Paul’s names. The importer, Ernest Yeoman, was convicted of conspiracy to kill Freeman Canto. Your baby brother Harte was involved in the case.”

Travis nodded. “Kate told me he was shot, but he’s doing okay.”

“Right,” Dawson said. “So, like I said, Yeoman was found guilty of conspiracy, but Danielle Canto’s testimony was the only evidence against Stamps or Paul, so they walked away. Stamps is on leave from the senate now, stating he’s working with his attorney to prepare that temporary-insanity defense that the D.A. is bringing against him for shooting Paul.”

“What’s all this got to do with anything?”

“The other two Good Ole Boys? Sills and Whitley? They’re still going strong. Still in office. Still advocating low tariffs. And they owe their careers to Stamps.”

“Sills and Whitley.” Travis frowned. “Are you saying they’re somehow mixed up in all this?”

“Word is they’d do anything for Myron Stamps. So...” Dawson spread his hands, palms up.

Travis tried to wrap his brain around the concept that three state legislators would conspire to kidnap a child. “Kidnapping a child is a federal offense.”

Dawson nodded.

“Why risk it? Stamps could plead down to simple assault.”

“But that’s still a felony. He couldn’t hold public office.”

“You said he’s out of the senate?”

“Nope. Not out. Just taking a temporary leave of absence. If he manages to make this insanity plea stick, he could be back on the job within a year or two.”

“That makes no sense. He’s probably got the best attorney money can buy. From what Kate told me, Paul is not pressing charges. Why not plead innocent and claim it was an accident?”

Dawson shrugged. “I’m not saying it makes sense. I’m just trying to follow their logic—or illogic—tree. If he pleads not guilty and loses, he’s out of politics for good.”

Travis stood. “Okay,” he said. “If you could put a man on Stamps, I’d appreciate it. But I’m still thinking about having a talk with him.”

“He’ll make you as a Delancey.”

“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

“Let me know what happens.”

“I will,” Travis said. “Listen, Dawson. Don’t say anything to anybody about me being here.”

“I won’t, but I think you’re making a mistake.”

“I know. If it were me, I’d go to Lucas. But Kate believes the guy. He told her he’d kill Max if she told anybody. Any time I try to bring up going to one of my brothers or cousins who are on the job, she gets hysterical.”

Dawson reached for the doorknob. “She was okay with you talking to me?”

At that moment the phone started ringing.

“Don’t answer it,” Travis said. “It’s Kate. She knows I have her phone. She’s called once already.”

“This isn’t Kate,” Dawson said, holding up the phone so Travis could see the display. “It says Private Number.”

“That’s the kidnapper,” Travis said.

Chapter Five

“Should I answer it?” Travis asked.

Dawson shook his head, then held up a finger as he clicked the speaker button with his other. “Hello,” he said.

There was silence on the other