One Good Deed(68)
“Is he here?”
“He lives in a cottage over near the trucking warehouse. White house with green shutters.”
“Right, but what about Malcolm Draper? I was told he was your husband’s business manager of sorts. If anyone knew it would probably be him.”
Marjorie took another drink of her whiskey. “Yes, of course, that’s right. I was actually counting on Mr. Draper to help me navigate all of Hank’s affairs. He came on about a year ago. He would most certainly know.”
“Does he live on the grounds?”
“No, he has a room at the Derby.”
“Does he?” asked Shaw, who cast another glance at Archer. “Well, we won’t bother you anymore. We’ll go see Duckett and find out what he might know. And then we’ll talk to Draper in town.”
He stood, along with Archer. Marjorie, showing a nimbleness that Archer certainly had not expected, rose off the davenport, came around the table, and put a hand on Shaw’s arm.
“What am I to do about these debts and such?”
Shaw looked taken aback by the query. “Ma’am, I don’t know. You’d have to check with someone. I suppose your husband had a lawyer.”
“I think he did.”
“And he owns the bank,” added Archer. “They might know something, too.”
Marjorie looked unsure. “Yes, but I’ve never had to deal with those people.” She gripped Shaw’s arm tighter. “Do you…do you think these people might come here? These people from Las Vegas? Am…am I in any danger?”
Shaw said firmly, “If anyone comes here and makes any threats whatsoever, you let me know immediately. Don’t know about Nevada, but we frown on that hereabouts.”
“Yes, of course, thank you.”
As they walked out of the house Shaw said, “That poor woman looked like she just saw a freight train coming right for her.”
“Let’s hope it’s not coming our way, too,” replied Archer.
Chapter 28
NO BUSINESS PAPERS around here that I know of,” said Sid Duckett.
They’d found him sitting on the front stoop of his small cottage smoking a fat cigar.
“So Mr. Pittleman never gave you anything like that? To hold for him or whatnot?”
“Naw. If something needed doing, he just told me, and it got done. For papers and such, you’d have to ask Mr. Draper that.”
“And where is Mr. Draper now? At the Derby?” Shaw wanted to know.
“Don’t know. Not the man’s keeper.”
“If you see him, will you let him know I want to talk to him?”
“Sure thing, Detective.”
Archer said, “Draper carries a gun. He said it was because of the warehouse.”
“That’s right.”
“But the other guys at the warehouse weren’t carrying guns,” noted Archer as Shaw looked on.
“Don’t know what to tell you about that. Man wants to carry a gun, he can carry a gun.”
“You don’t,” said Archer.
“Never saw a need to.”
“Mr. Pittleman ever mention any money troubles to you?” asked Archer.
Duckett laughed. “Money troubles? Hell, he’s the richest man around here. Maybe the whole state far as I know. I mean, just eyeball that house ’a his. Look to you like the house of a man with money troubles?”
“Well, looks can be deceiving. Your wages ever been late in coming or not come in full?”
“Not one time.”
“Well, rumor has it they might not make full payroll this week at the slaughterhouse,” retorted Archer.
Duckett now showed more animation than he ever had before. “The hell you say. What else do you know about that?”
Archer was about to say something when Shaw interrupted. “You tell Draper if you see him, I want to talk to him, you hear?”
“Yes sir.”
They drove back to Poca City. Along the way Archer said, “The man was spooked about Pittleman maybe not being rich and the wages not being paid.”
“Yeah, he was. But listen, Archer, you can’t go around telling folks stuff they don’t know unless you got a damn good reason to do so.”
Archer shot him a glance. “You think I messed up back there by mentioning the money problems?”
“I don’t know, son, maybe so.”
Archer looked chagrined and said nothing more on the trip back.
Shaw dropped him off near where he had met him.
“What about Draper?” asked Archer.
“I’ll check to see what room he’s in. If he’s there, I’ll talk to him. You go get some rest.”
“You mean that, or you just don’t want me messing things up any more?”
“Maybe a little of both. You sure you got a place to stay the night?”
“I’m good.”
“You gonna go back to butcher hogs tomorrow?”
“Not sure. I don’t like working for free.”
Shaw rolled an unlit stogie around in his mouth before sticking it under his hatband. “How about I pay you the same rate as they do, if you go back there?”
“What, why?”