but it’s good enough. They’re talking about the means of security for deposits in Archibald’s off shore banks. Tiny—oh, I forgot to tell you, speaking of irony, that they call him
Tiny
Archibald—Tiny’s telling these hoods and spooks how to launder their cash and then how to get it overseas where no questions will be asked. It only runs about seven minutes, but it is ho-ot stuff! Tiny brags all about his connection to big shots on the federal level, he tells them his associate Trammell Weems will take care of all the details.”
Was that it? I waited to hear. This guy had stopped talking. “I still don’t see what that has to do with Crystal and me.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’m disappointed, I took you for a beach-smart individual. Look at it this way. Trammell Weems was married to Crystal Spivey. Trammell drowns off Crystal’s uncle’s boat. No body was recovered. Whose word do we have to take? One Bruce Munger. I saw Crystal and Munger—not to mention you—together at a pool hall in Chelsea just the other day. You seemed to know each other.”
“We do know each other. That’s no secret.”
“Right, that’s my point. How would it look like to you if you were one of those five fuckers under the umbrella?”
My head was spinning.
“So you might be in danger just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That depends on what you know.”
“Nothing!”
“What about Trammell’s so-called drowning? I was hoping you could shed some light on that.”
“What do you mean so-called?”
“I’m saying his drowning was bullshit. I’m saying it had something to do with that tape. What about this uncle? William Spivey?”
“What about him?”
“Could you set up an interview? I went looking for him, but he’s not at his pool hall or at his home. Maybe you could set something up with him. Crystal probably knows where he is. Come on, strictly off the record. In the interests of justice.”
“Yeah, right, justice.”
Chet Bream paused. He began to cover his knees with handfuls of sand. “I’m interested in justice. These guys piss me off. They’re running their own government, arrogant bastards. They rob federally insured deposits with impunity, and who pays? The poor average taxpayer pays. Ma and Pa Kettle, who can barely scrape together enough to make the monthlies on the Bronco, and everybody gets butt-fucked right on down the line. These guys think they’re above the law, and that puts me right off, Artie. I’m a very patriotic fellow, when you get right down to it. I think this is a great nation if it weren’t for the government and the banks and the secrecy. I want to expose it for the corrupt system it is. Of course, I want to be a media star for doing it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in justice. I’ve just cultivated this cynical attitude over the years. Basically, I’m a shocked innocent.”
I watched him bury his knees. I believed him, but what difference did that make? “Where is this tape?”
“That’s the question. Where is the tape?”
“Who made it?”
“That’s an area I can’t talk about.”
“But you’ve seen it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I can’t go into that, except to say that the man who showed it to me had to be identified by his dental records.”
“Terrific. That makes me want to get deeply involved.”
His eyes settled again on mine. “I’m here to tell you you
are
involved.”
I believed him there too, but I held out hope that he was wrong. “What are your plans? Are you going to continue following us around? We’re not going to like that.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t either…Look, let me talk to Crystal. I didn’t want to barge in on her. Women take a lot of shit these days—it doesn’t work to just barge in on them. You introduce me to her. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll go away.”
“And stay away?”
“Yes.”
“Promise.”
He gave the Cub Scout oath sign.
Tiny
Archibald—Tiny’s telling these hoods and spooks how to launder their cash and then how to get it overseas where no questions will be asked. It only runs about seven minutes, but it is ho-ot stuff! Tiny brags all about his connection to big shots on the federal level, he tells them his associate Trammell Weems will take care of all the details.”
Was that it? I waited to hear. This guy had stopped talking. “I still don’t see what that has to do with Crystal and me.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’m disappointed, I took you for a beach-smart individual. Look at it this way. Trammell Weems was married to Crystal Spivey. Trammell drowns off Crystal’s uncle’s boat. No body was recovered. Whose word do we have to take? One Bruce Munger. I saw Crystal and Munger—not to mention you—together at a pool hall in Chelsea just the other day. You seemed to know each other.”
“We do know each other. That’s no secret.”
“Right, that’s my point. How would it look like to you if you were one of those five fuckers under the umbrella?”
My head was spinning.
“So you might be in danger just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That depends on what you know.”
“Nothing!”
“What about Trammell’s so-called drowning? I was hoping you could shed some light on that.”
“What do you mean so-called?”
“I’m saying his drowning was bullshit. I’m saying it had something to do with that tape. What about this uncle? William Spivey?”
“What about him?”
“Could you set up an interview? I went looking for him, but he’s not at his pool hall or at his home. Maybe you could set something up with him. Crystal probably knows where he is. Come on, strictly off the record. In the interests of justice.”
“Yeah, right, justice.”
Chet Bream paused. He began to cover his knees with handfuls of sand. “I’m interested in justice. These guys piss me off. They’re running their own government, arrogant bastards. They rob federally insured deposits with impunity, and who pays? The poor average taxpayer pays. Ma and Pa Kettle, who can barely scrape together enough to make the monthlies on the Bronco, and everybody gets butt-fucked right on down the line. These guys think they’re above the law, and that puts me right off, Artie. I’m a very patriotic fellow, when you get right down to it. I think this is a great nation if it weren’t for the government and the banks and the secrecy. I want to expose it for the corrupt system it is. Of course, I want to be a media star for doing it, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in justice. I’ve just cultivated this cynical attitude over the years. Basically, I’m a shocked innocent.”
I watched him bury his knees. I believed him, but what difference did that make? “Where is this tape?”
“That’s the question. Where is the tape?”
“Who made it?”
“That’s an area I can’t talk about.”
“But you’ve seen it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I can’t go into that, except to say that the man who showed it to me had to be identified by his dental records.”
“Terrific. That makes me want to get deeply involved.”
His eyes settled again on mine. “I’m here to tell you you
are
involved.”
I believed him there too, but I held out hope that he was wrong. “What are your plans? Are you going to continue following us around? We’re not going to like that.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t either…Look, let me talk to Crystal. I didn’t want to barge in on her. Women take a lot of shit these days—it doesn’t work to just barge in on them. You introduce me to her. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll go away.”
“And stay away?”
“Yes.”
“Promise.”
He gave the Cub Scout oath sign.
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