head in agreement. “We all had a bet going that someone would snatch Phyllis up quick after Charlie died. That’s one fine woman. Never did figure out why she married Charlie. She always seemed like a bit of a wild card, and Charlie was the most uptight guy I’ve ever known. He was always one for rules and regulations. I don’t know how you stayed his partner for so long. It would have driven me to drink.”
I winced at that. I’d always thought the same thing, but it was upsetting to hear it coming from a total stranger.
“If I recall,” Vince said, “everything drives you to drink. Charlie was a good cop, and he was a good partner. And I’m lucky I got a second chance with Phyllis.”
“Oh, right,” Jimmy said, his grin sly. “I forgot you two had a thing for a while after she and Charlie split up.”
I squeaked and slapped a hand over my mouth. I didn’t really remember my parents splitting up. But I do remember Vince always being a part of our lives. That nugget of information was definitely something to delve into later.
Vince shuffled his feet and changed the subject. “Who won the pot?”
“Stuart Marcel,” Bruce growled. “Won three hundred lousy bucks. None of the rest of us figured you’d make a move again since you’d already ridden that merry-go-round.”
“Some things are worth a second visit,” Vince said. “Being a cop was some of the best years of my life, but it seems I wasn’t able to leave all of it behind me. I’ve had some close calls recently. That’s why I called you. There are very few people I can trust right now.”
“You know you can trust us,” Jimmy said. “Whatever you need, we’re here.”
“I appreciate that,” Vince said, letting out a breath so deep even I could see.
“We heard through the grapevine that you started digging into the RICO case again,” Bruce said.
“If you guys have heard it through the grapevine, I can only assume everyone has,” Vince said. “That would explain the sudden close calls.”
“There’s no honor among thieves,” Jimmy said, shrugging. “The second you started sniffing around and requisitioning old informants the information made its way down the food chain. Some of those informants are still active. So yeah, I’d say everyone knows what you’ve been doing at this point.”
“That’s why I need help,” Vince said. “I’m being watched, and I can’t move as freely as I’d like. Someone is trying to kill me.”
“Man,” Bruce said, his hands moving animatedly. “This case is twenty years old. And we closed it up tight. We sent people to prison. I don’t think you want to open this can of worms. We knew back then we didn’t round up all of the players. If you start digging you’re going to have more than a close call. And I’m not ready to go to your funeral just yet.”
“I wish I could let it go,” Vince said, dropping his head slightly. “But we didn’t get the right guy. And I have the proof. Or at least enough to start a new investigation. And apparently that’s starting to piss some people off.”
“Look, man,” Jimmy said. “I love you like a brother, and we all worked our tails off on that case. It is what it is, and I’m telling you to leave it alone.”
I held my breath. The tone had changed and the atmosphere in the room was heavy.
“Where’d you get proof?” Bruce asked.
“Charlie always had a feeling things were off with that case,” Vince said. “I never believed him. I told him to drop it, just like you just did to me. But there was something that never settled right in Charlie’s gut about that case. Even after he retired he kept files and was still working the investigation on his own. I found his notes. And then I found the key.”
“Key to what?” Jimmy asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in slightly.
“A storage locker,” Vince said. “And I hit pay dirt. I called you here because y’all worked the case with me and Charlie all those years ago, and I don’t know who else to trust. I can’t turn this over to the cops.”
“Why not?” Bruce asked.
“Because Carmen de Salva had arms of his operation everywhere. Including the police department.”
Bruce whistled. “You think the cops are dirty?” He and Jimmy shared a look.
“Somebody is,” Vince said. “So will you help me?”
“Sure,” Jimmy said, shrugging. “Where’s this storage locker you found?”
“Whiskey Bayou,”