The Professor (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers #1)(90)

Tom smiled. “That’s right,” he said. “I made a stop on the way to trial this morning, and we have a little surprise in store for Jameson tomorrow.”





79


An hour after the trial had adjourned, Jack Willistone pulled into the drivethrough of a Burger King half a mile from the Ultron Plant in Montgomery. After ordering, he paid in cash and came to a stop at the curb by the back exit of the restaurant. He flashed his lights and, five seconds later, a man he didn’t recognize opened the front passenger-side door and sat down next to him.

Another man opened the back passenger side door, and stuck a small handgun in the stranger’s side. Jack looked in the rearview mirror at the man in the back, and JimBone Wheeler, wearing a crimson Alabama hat over his now bald head, nodded. Then Jack eased the car out of the parking lot.

“Willard Carmichael, I presume,” Jack said, not looking at the stranger.

“Y-y-yes, sir.”

“Willard, has anyone contacted you about testifying in a trial this week?” Jack asked.

“N-n-no, sir. Like I told him–” Willard cocked his head to the back “–no one’s called me or talked to me since that boy came up a few months ago and asked questions. Your man back there nearly killed me after that and I haven’t heard nothing from nobody since.”

Jack continued to drive, turning left onto a dark street with several trailers lined up adjacent to each other.

“Why we going down my street?” Willard asked, his voice and legs shaking.

Jack laughed, and Bone joined him. “I’ve seen the pictures of your wife, Willard, what’s her name?”

“Sally,” Bone said.

“That’s right, Sally,” Jack said. “Lay down Sally, no need to leave so soon, I been trying all night long just to talk to you.” Jack sang loud, and Bone laughed, raised the gun, and stuck it in the back of Willard’s head.

Jack pulled into a gravel driveway and cut his lights. The beige trailer had a couple of lights on, and a VW bug was parked out front.

“Please, mister, I swear no one’s called me,” Willard said, his teeth chattering.

“Nice trailer,” Jack said. “You think Sally’s in there making dinner for you and Lindsay?”

“Please...” Willard repeated.

“Did you keep any documents from the Ultron plant in Northport before it burned to the ground?”

“What?”

Jack slapped Willard with the back of his hand. “I’m real busy, Willard. I’m not going to repeat myself all night. Did you keep any documents from the plant?”

“No,” Willard said, rubbing his nose. “I swear to God, no.”

“What about Mule? Did he keep anything?”

“I... I don’t know. I...”

“I think I’m gonna take Lindsay,” Jack said, turning to look at Bone. “Haven’t had a virgin since high school. You take Sally, all right?”

“Fine by me,” Bone said. “Want to kill him now or make him watch?”

“Please, I swear I don’t know nothing. You’ll have to ask Mule if he took anything. I–”

“Mule is dead,” Jack said. “Had a tragic car accident.” Jack turned and glared at Willard. “At trial today, the lawyer for the family asked some questions that sounded like he knew the time when Dewey picked up the load. Since all the documents are gone and Mule is dead, the only person he could have gotten that information from is you. Now, before I have you strapped to a chair and force you to watch me take your only daughter’s virginity, I want you to tell me how in the hell that lawyer could know anything about the pickup time or delivery time of that load.”

Willard Carmichael began to cry.

“Willard, crying ain’t gon’ stop me from busting Lindsay’s cherry.”

“I’ve told you everything I know,” Willard said, sounding resigned. “I don’t know how anyone could know anything about that load. I didn’t keep no documents, and I haven’t talked to no one.”

Jack made eye contact with Bone, who shrugged.

“Kill me,” Willard said, his voice almost monotone. “Please, shoot me before you go in there. I–”

“I don’t think that’s going to be necessary, Willard. You’ve convinced me. But... if I find out you’re lying, I think you know what the consequences will be, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” Willard said.

Jack eased the car forward, and Willard let out a relieved sob. Three minutes later, they were back at the Burger King. Jack parked in the back, and looked into the rearview mirror. “Keep him out of sight until I tell you otherwise.”

Bone nodded, and Jack turned to face his terrified passenger. “Willard, our mutual friend in the back is going to be keeping you company until the trial is over. If you do exactly what he says, everything will be fine. If you don’t, then business in the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is going to be up by three. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Willard whined, his hands shaking as they reached for the door handle. “Can I go now?”

Jack nodded, and Willard climbed out of the car with Bone close behind. Before the door closed shut, Jack had his cell phone out.