Betrayed (Rosato & DiNunzio, #2)(90)

“Please just answer the question.” Judy felt too raw and exhausted to mince words. “We both know what a pain in the ass I can be.”

Detective Boone almost smiled. “Fine. It will be in the newspapers, so I’ll tell you. Estimates are about $760,000.”

“Wow.” Judy didn’t hide her surprise. “Plus the $50,000 that was in my aunt’s house, that’s a major drug ring, isn’t it? Do you think they were dealing heroin?”

“I cannot give you any further details.”

“Did you find any money under the other bins, or elsewhere at the treatment plant? I’ll keep it confidential, you have my word.”

“Not the point. It’s police business, and given that you almost lost your life today, you should understand completely the dangerousness of the criminals we’re dealing with.”

“Please.” Judy thought of Iris and couldn’t let it go. “I know how they killed Iris, but I still don’t know why. Can’t you fill me in on your investigation or your next steps?”

“It’s no longer our investigation. We’ll keep a hand in, but the federal agencies are asserting primary jurisdiction at this point. They will liaise with us, but they’re running the show now.” Detective Boone gestured to the men behind him, and Judy could see from the tightness around his mouth that he wasn’t any happier than she was about the current state of affairs.

“Well, what do you think is going on here, gentlemen?” Judy raised her voice, addressing the room in general.

“Again, we’re not going to discuss that with you,” Detective Boone answered, presumably for all of them.

“I’m no expert, like you gentlemen, but it must be some type of heroin ring, right? We found where they stash their money, or at least one of the places they stash their money.” Judy figured she could think out loud and watch them for reaction, if they weren’t going to tell her anything. She thought of the money stored in her aunt’s house, now safely in the bank, and she remembered what John Foxman had said about banking laws. “So they’re selling heroin and making lots of cash, but they have nowhere to store it. They can’t put it in a bank, so they have to launder it, and I’m betting we found their hamper. Sorry, I found their hamper.”

“Judy, I’m not about to speculate with you.” Detective Boone closed his notebook, but Judy continued talking.

“U.S.D.A. inspections take place at the treatment plant, but the government inspects the treated manure, not the raw manure. Hiding the money under the false bottom was pretty smart.” Judy noticed one of the FBI agents frowning, so she knew she was right. “Now, it seems unlikely that so much money was hidden at the treatment plant without some of the higher-ups knowing about it, and maybe they’re in on it with Father Vega, Carlos, Roberto, or other employees at Mike’s Exotics. Maybe even Mike himself.” Judy realized that some East Grove police could be involved, since that was where Mike’s, the barracks, and the plant were located, but she didn’t say so out loud. She did, however, notice that no police personnel from East Grove were present at the meeting. “In any event, it looks like we have a conspiracy to deal heroin and launder money, right here in lovely Chester County. Boys, you have your work cut out for you.”

Detective Boone set his pen down. “I think we’re finished here, unless anyone has any further questions.”

“Wait, hold on,” Judy said, thinking of Aunt Barb. “Can I ask you a question about Iris? I know my aunt will want to know.”

“Go right ahead,” Detective Boone answered, his voice gentler, and Judy sensed he had a soft spot for Aunt Barb.

“Was Domingo right that if you mix Bonide and muriatic acid, they produce a gas that can kill you?”

“Yes.”

“How does that work, exactly?” Judy would Google it later, but she wanted to get the official version.

“Bonide is a brand name of a common pesticide on farms, and muriatic acid is a form of hydrochloric acid. It’s used in lots of applications, around the house or a farm. Masons use it to clean flagstone and the like. These are common chemicals that, when mixed together, produce a poison gas.”

Judy swallowed hard. “Would Iris have suffered a long time?”

“No, death is almost instantaneous.”

“Almost.” Judy’s stomach turned over. “I bet that’s how she broke her nails, trying to get out of the shed. Look on the floor of the shed, I bet you find the nail tips, little rhinestones.”

“Will do.”

“And the car window. Why do you think it was open? Maybe they thought some gas would cling to her? To her clothes or hair?” Judy didn’t pause for an answer, because she could see that she wasn’t getting one. Her heart ached for Iris, Domingo, and the others. “What about Daniella?”

“We’re investigating.”

“Did you look at the barracks? If they killed Iris there, they could have killed Daniella there, too.”

“We’re looking into it.”

“Do you think she’s still alive?”

“We don’t want to speculate.”

Judy felt another pang at so much loss. “You know what I don’t get? Why did the pathologist say Iris had a heart attack in the autopsy report?”