Page 87 of Gem Warfare

“I don’t recall. Hey, maybe I remember he got a job out of state a couple months after, said he was looking for a change.Gave his week’s notice.”

“Did he say where he was going or anything about the job he took?”

“No, I don’t think so. Or maybe he did, and I don’t remember.”

“Did he show a lot of interest in the jewels at the museum?”

Huff took another long slurp of Coke. “I think everyone was a little curious but I don’t recall Tim being any more so than anyone else. There was a lot of specu.. Speckle… what’s the word?”

“Speculation,” I supplied.

“Yeah, that. A lot ofspec-u-lationafterwards,” he said, careful to pronounce the word. “I gotta write that one down. I’m trying to improve my vocabulary.”

“The file says you were talking about leaving and buying a boat somewhere,” said Garrett.

Huff laughed and spread his arms out. “How do you like it?” he asked, then shook his head. “A pipe dream. I talked a lot of crap back then.”

“Where did you plan on getting the money for a boat?”

“I didn’t really think about it much. Like I said, my pipe dream. I don’t even like the sea that much but I did like playing the lottery.” He unwrapped the second candy bar and bit into it, making “Mmm” noises. “So why all the questions about Tim? Did he have something to do with it?”

Garrett ignored that, asking instead, “Did he ever mention having a kid?”

“I have no idea, man.”

“You had a little girl, right? You never spoke about your kid?”

“My little girl is all grown up now. You know how many times she’s come to visit me? None. Her mom poisoned her against me a long time ago.”

“Sorry to hear that,” said Garrett. “So you never sat aroundchatting about the kids?”

“I don’t know, maybe. It was too long ago. I couldn’t tell you what I asked the guard twenty minutes ago. I sure as heck can’t tell you what I had a conversation about twenty years ago.”

“Did Timothy leave you a forwarding address?”

“Can’t say he did. He never came back to the city to visit either but we weren’t best buddies. I don’t think I’d even seen him for a while before I got pinched.”

“So he left the crew some time between the museum robbery and you getting arrested for the paintings theft? That was, what…” Garrett flicked through the pages casually, “a few months later?”

“Uh… I don’t know. I guess so? Maybe? You should try asking one of the maintenance crew supervisors. Even better, ask Tim!”

“We would but we recently found a body that we believe to be his.”

Huff stopped chewing. “How’d you know it’s him?” he asked, his mouth full.

“We were able to make a match from a medical database as he had a pin in his leg.”

“How’d he die?”

“He was shot.”

Huff pushed out his jaw, pursing his lips, and nodded. “That’s rough. Like I said, he never visited so I can’t tell you what he’s been doing or who he’s been hanging around with. You know, now I think about it, he did have a few rougher friends. Those loan shark kind of guys. Fancy themselves as the mafia. Yeah, I reckon I saw him hanging with some guys like that back in the city. Maybe he owed them money or something. Or had a thing with one of their wives. He was a charming guy. My mom, rest her soul, would say he was the ‘smooth-tongued sort.’”

“And you didn’t think to mention it earlier?” asked Garrett.

“It’s been a long time and I’m telling you now. Guess you justjogged my memory.” He seemed to remember the candy bar he was holding and took another bite, pointing the reminder at me. “Mighty nice of you to get this for me. Wish I could be more helpful. Sorry to hear that about Tim. You said he had a boy? Can’t be nice for him. Can’t say I know why you’re asking me all this stuff though. I’ve been inside for a long time. Maybe you should find someone who knows him now.”

“Timothy Wright was killed a long time ago.”

---