Fat Tuesday(107)

Promise me you'll make yourself scarce if anyone suspicious comes around. Be on guard."

"Okay, okay Aw, hell, there's the phone."

"I'll see you in a couple of days if not before."

Dredd headed back toward the shack, cursing either the ringing telephone or Burke's admonition, Burke wasn't sure which. He was fond of the older man. If anything happened to Dredd, he would never forgive himself for involving him.

"Burke!

He'd covered only about twenty yards when he heard Dredd's shout above the boat motor. He turned and looked, Dredd was signaling him back.

He brought the boat around, shouting, "What is it?"

"Telephone for you." His heart lurched. Had he miscalculated his timing? Had Duvall traced the call that quickly? Was he on his way here now? Adrenaline kicked in.

He leaped onto the pier before the boat came to a full stop."Who is it?"

"Your brother."

Burke drew up short."Joe?"

"How many you got?"

"What's he want? How'd he know to reach me here?"

"Shouldn't you be asking him?"

Burke jogged back to the shop and was breathing hard when he reached the telephone."Joe?"

"Hey. Can't believe I'm actually speaking to you. I was calling to leave a message with Dredd for you to phone me if you showed up at his place."

"You okay?"

"Hell, big brother, I'm fine. You're the one who's supposed to be in trouble. At least everyone seems to think so."

"What are you talking about?"

"For starters, Doug Pat shows up here yesterday morning just after daylight. He'd been driving most of the night and was about as glum as anybody I've ever met."

"Over what?"

"Your mysterious disappearance. He hem-hawed around before coming right out and saying that you were in a jam. Asked me did I know where you had gone."

"To which you told him ..."

"The truth. I didn't know. I told him I might have a hunch, but family loyalty being what it is, I wouldn't share my speculations."

"Good. Thanks, Joe."

"Hold it. There's more. While Linda was entertaining him in the kitchen, I took a phone call in the den. It was Mac Mccuen."

"Jeer. What did he want?"

"Same thing. His hints were a little more exaggerated "

"That's Mac."

"But I told him exactly what I told Doug Pat that I couldn't help him. After Pat left, I tried twice to reach Dredd on the outside chance you were at the fishing camp and the two of you had been in touch. Neither of those calls was answered. I got sorta spooked, and thought maybe you were in danger."

"I'm not."

'"Then why are Pat and this guy Mccuen convinced you are?

Mccuen doesn't take no for an answer."

"How well I know."

"He called again in the middle of the night, sounding even more strung out than before. I told him to f*ck off."

"Good."

"But, Burke, he called again this morning. By now, Linda's freaking out, thinking you're dead or something. Mccuen's begging, swearing he means you well, vowing that if I didn't tell him what he needed to know, we'd be planning a funeral. He said that if I didn't shed light on your whereabouts, you were as good as dead. So I did."

"Did what?"

"Shed light."

Burke backed into the wall, thumping it hard with his head.

"What's going on, Burke? Did I do the right thing?"

Burke couldn't fault his brother for divulging information to Mccuen.

Mac was persistent and persuasive. Joe's heart had been in the right place."Don't worry about it."

"What's up? Is there something I can do? Pat said it was a confidential police matter."

"Something like that."

"Burke, if you're in trouble ..."

"Listen, Joe, I'm sorry, but I haven't got much time." His mind was clicking along at a furious pace. Now he began speaking just as rapidly.

"Don't interrupt, please. Just do what I'm telling you. Get out of town for a few days. Take the family. Go by car, pay in cash. No credit cards, no public transportation."

"What the hell "

"Do it!" Burke shouted."I love you, Linda, the kids. Do it."

After a moment, Joe reluctantly agreed."Okay. For how long?"

"I'll call your office and leave a message on voice mail. Get a new retrieval code. Don't let anyone know where you're going. Clear?"

"Clear."

"And, Joe, call Nancy Stuart."

"Kev's widow?"

"Right. Tell her to take the boys and go somewhere. Same instructions.

Same urgency. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Thanks, Joe. What time did Mac call this morning?"

"Less than an hour ago."

"From New Orleans?"

"I suppose, yeah."

"Did you give him directions to Dredd's?"

,"NO. He wanted to bypass Dredd's and go straight to our cabin."