Justice Lost (Darren Street #3)(47)

“We got something we gotta do,” Roby said after he polished off his second beer and followed it with a shot of tequila.

“Yeah,” the sheriff said, smiling. He was doing his best to keep things light. “We need to deal some better cards my way.”

“Shut up, Tree,” Roby snapped. “I’m serious. I’ve got it all planned out so you won’t have to strain that pea brain of yours. Harley, you’re in because you killed that marine and put us all at risk. You gotta put in some work to make up for that.”

“Work? What kind of work?” Shaker said. “I already helped you get rid of him.”

“That could have blown up in our faces, but what I have in mind is going to settle things down once and for all. We need to do some wet work.”

“Wet work?” the sheriff said as he sipped a beer slowly and sucked on a cigarette. “You’re talking about killing people, Roby. I don’t kill people. You know that.”

“You don’t have to kill anybody, you damned gutless little girl,” Roby said. “But you’re going along. I need somebody I can trust to help me and Harley get away. And you’re right. Some people need to get dead.”

The sheriff looked over at Shaker, who was staring down at his cards.

“I got no dog in this fight,” Harley said. “Y’all got your scams going over here. All I do is fight once in a while.”

“But you killed that Brewer kid. Brought a lot of pressure down on Tree and a lot of pressure on me. I figure you owe us.”

“I don’t figure the same,” Harley said.

The sheriff could feel the tension building in the air. It was dangerous to stand up to Roby, and Harley was making him angry.

“Tell you what,” Roby said. “Either you do what I want you to do or I’m gonna come to your house in the dark of night, and I’m gonna slit your throat, I’m gonna slit your wife’s throat, and I’m gonna kill all three of your children. Then I’m gonna go over to your momma and daddy’s and kill them. I’ll finish up with your brother, your sister, and their families. Hell, I’ll wipe out the whole damned Shaker line. Do you have any doubt I’ll do what I say?”

Harley was obviously shaken by the threat. As he lifted his cigarette to his lips, the sheriff noticed his hand was trembling. Roby noticed, too.

“You better be scared, because I ain’t fucking around here. Stephen Morris is going to get beat in this election. He’s already told Tree he might go to the feds and cop to some kind of deal to save his own ass. If he does, we’re finished, and I don’t intend to allow that to happen. He’s gotta go, and so does his wife, and both of you are going to help me.”

“Why would you want to harm his wife, Roby?” Tree said. “She ain’t involved in all of this.”

“Don’t be a damned fool. You think she hasn’t asked him where all this extra money has been coming from? You think he hasn’t told her? And do you think for a second that she’s going to want to give up the fine lifestyle they enjoy now? She’ll be right by his side when he goes to the feds.”

“But she doesn’t know anything other than what he’s told her.”

“Exactly,” Roby said. “My guess is he’s told her everything. She’s dead, Tree. She may be breathing right this minute, but she’s dead. I’ve made up my mind.”

“I think it’s a mistake. It’s overkill. It’s bad enough that you’re thinking about killing a sitting district attorney—”

“Who’s about to get his ass whipped in an election.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re gonna murder a sitting district attorney and his wife? What about his kids, Roby? You gonna kill them, too?”

“If I have to. And his fucking cat or dog or whatever. Anything that gets in the way gets killed.”

“I’m not gonna be a part of killing kids,” the sheriff said. “If you’re planning to kill his kids, I’m out.”

“You ain’t out unless I say you’re out.”

“I’m serious, Roby. No kids. You can pull that .45 of yours out and blow my brains out right now, but I’m not going to live with the deaths of children on my conscience. I won’t do it.”

The sheriff and Roby engaged in a staring match for several seconds. The sheriff could feel his heart beating hard inside his chest. He hoped Roby couldn’t hear it.

“Fine,” Roby finally said, “but the wife’s gotta go. Harley, you’re gonna take care of her.”

“You’re going to bring every city, state, and federal cop within fifty miles down on us,” the sheriff said.

“Shut up,” Roby said. “I ain’t finished. There are two more that have to go besides Morris and his wife.”

“Who’s that?”

“Morris’s bagman, that asshole named Harrison, and Morris’s junkie girlfriend, the one he takes drugs to so she can sell them and get high for free.”

“And you’re planning on doing this when?” Tree said.

“Saturday night. I’ve been working on it for weeks. Got it all planned out.”

Roby reached to his left and picked up a pad of paper and set in on the table in front of him.