The Fallen (Amos Decker #4)(111)

Her face crumpled. “Hell, I had a hard enough time getting this one.”

“And maybe hire a good lawyer,” added Decker.

“What!? Why?”

“Because you just never know.”

He and Jamison walked out and Decker phoned Kemper.

“We got a runner,” he said, filling her in. “I know this isn’t exactly your jurisdiction, but for all I know Norris is connected to all the other crap going down in this town. And you might want to have some people start digging through his business records.”

“On it.”

“And the other thing?” he asked.

“Nearly done.” She clicked off.

Decker put his phone away.

“What other thing?” Jamison asked.

“Something I tasked Kemper with. I’ll fill you in later.”

“You think that asshole was part of the gas sabotage at my sister’s that nearly killed us?”

“I would be stunned if he wasn’t. It happened pretty quickly after we spooked him. And now he’s on the run.”

“So what did he get out of all this?”

“Money. His normal commission plus something on the back end. But we can find out for sure.”

“How?”

He glanced at her. “You up for another carrot cake muffin?”

*



Linda Drews called out to them as they walked into her café.

“Couldn’t stay away, could you?” she said, smiling.

“No, we couldn’t,” replied Decker. “We’ll take two more of the carrot cake muffins and some coffee.”

“To go or you eating in?”

“Better make it to go. And before you handle any hot coffee, can I ask you some questions?”

She smiled, though her look was perplexed. “Sure.”

Her smile vanished when Decker showed her his cred pack.

“FBI? Am I in trouble?”

“That depends. We met with Mr. Norris. He wasn’t very forthcoming. I’m hoping you’ll be better at that.”

Drews put a hand on the counter to support herself.

Decker leaned against the wall. “Your son never should have been able to get that life insurance policy; do you know that?”

Drews lips started to tremble. “Guess I do now, mister.”

“But Norris made it happen?” said Jamison.

“It was his idea. I guess I should’ve told you before, but I didn’t know you were with the FBI. He came to me after Keith injured his back. I’ve known Willie a long time. Got my car insurance through him. And my house insurance, when I had a house. He said in crazy times like these, it’d be a good idea. I wanted to get me a policy too and have Keith the beneficiary, but Willie said with all the drugs I’d done they’d never approve me.”

“I think that was a good thing for you,” said Decker ominously. “So, Norris filled out all the paperwork?”

“Yeah, and he had a local paramedic do the medical exam.”

“A paramedic?”

“Yeah, they can do the exams, Willie said. He said the insurance companies contract out with them, and also with a local lab to do the blood work and such.”

“So all local players. Interesting. Did Keith tell the paramedic about being injured and being on painkillers?”

“I don’t know, ’cause I wasn’t there.”

“Did Keith mention anything to you later?” asked Decker.

“Do I need a lawyer, mister?”

“That might depend on your answers.”

“Look, Keith wasn’t really on them painkillers no more. And his back was a lot better when he got that policy.”

“But a million bucks in life insurance? That’s a lot. He wasn’t even employed.”

“Willie said Keith was so young that that would help. He wouldn’t die for a long time.”

“Uh-huh, well that turned out to be wrong. How was he going to pay the premiums? Even if they weren’t that much, your son had no income.”

“I was gonna help him, well, if I could. And…and Willie too.”

“So Norris was giving Keith money to make the payments on the insurance policy that Norris sold him?”

She nodded, her skin as pale as the napkin she was holding.

“Did you know that was illegal?” said Decker.

She shook her head. “No sir. I just thought Willie was being a good friend.”

“And then Keith got hooked on opiates and died?”

“Yeah.”

“But you said he was off the painkillers,” Decker said in a dubious tone.

“Well, he was mostly off ’em.”

“You said he overdosed because he mistook fentanyl for heroin?” asked Jamison.

“That’s right.”

“And where did this happen?” asked Decker.

“At a friend’s house.”

“And the friend wasn’t there to give him Narcan?” said Decker.

“No, he was alone. I didn’t find out till later. Cried my eyes out.”

“Did the insurance company investigate the death?”

“Yeah, they did. But Willie was on top of that too. He told me he wasn’t gonna let them cheat me outta my money. And he came through all right. They paid out a few months later.”