Page 33 of The Soul of Archer
He told his secretary where he was going and headed back out to his bike. It seemed things were finally falling into place. Just after he got home from Lance’s house, his guy in Malconi’s crew called and said the location and time had been finalized. The exchange was going to happen at one of the smaller piers on the Houston ship channel at nine thirty Friday night. After this meeting with Jimmy and Cain, he’d be calling the office in Houston to get things set up. Five minutes later, he pulled up outside the Federal building and hurried inside. He met up with Tony and Grant on the elevator.
“Looks like things are shifting in our favor.” Grant said.
“I’ll say. My guy called and said the time and place have been set. Nine thirty next Friday night at Pier 16. It’s one of the smaller piers on the ship channel.” Danny explained.
“I’ll tell Ethan when we get back. Wonder what they found last night.” Tony replied.
The three stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall toward the conference room. They found Wilson, Jimmy and Cain waiting. “What did you guys find?” Danny questioned.
Jimmy took the lead. “After you guys left, me and Cain started looking around the front yard. We had just finished taking some pictures of the tire marks by the curb when a lady approached us. She said she was taking her usual evening walk when this blue car came pulling up. The only reason she noticed was because she had seen the same car sitting near Lance’s place for the last week.”
“Who is she? This lady?” Grant demanded.
“Her name is Sharon Tillman, she lives two houses down from Lance. According to Mrs. Tillman, for the last week, the car had been in the same spot at the same time. She would see the car pull up about five forty-five. She had a view of it from her kitchen window and would see it as she was fixing her husband’s lunch. Her husband works for Morgan Stanley and is out the door every morning by six thirty. Anyway, last night, she said it was the same car. She saw the doors open and ducked behind a tree when she spotted the guns. Two men got out, doors open and the car idling.” Jimmy reported.
Cain continued, “She said both men were tall and big. Like body builder big. One was dark haired, dark complexion, maybe Hispanic. The driver was blond haired, fair skinned. Both wore dark suits. After they emptied their guns into the front of Lance’s house, they got back in the car and sped off. She was about to call the police but Ethan and you guys all started showing up. She waited around for us.”
“And how do we know she’s telling the truth?” Danny asked. “Rule number one of an investigation. First witness, first suspect.”
“That’s usually the rule. We ran her and the husband. They are both Austin natives, have lived in the house since 2013. They are both in their mid-forties, two kids in college. We even asked Lance about her and he says they’re salt of the earth people, wouldn’t hurt a flea. He also confirmed her story about her evening walk. Says, you could time your freaking watch by it.” Jimmy stated.
“You two wouldn’t be so excited about this unless, you’ve identified the shooters.” Wilson said.
Cain laid two pictures on the table. “Meet Branson Fernandez and Carmichael Jackson. Both on the Malconi payroll. We’re going to ask Alora if these are the two men who were with Sam the night she saw him kill that man. If they are, then we have your shooters.”
“And we have our line to the Malconi’s.” Tony grinned.
“Exactly.” Jimmy smiled.
***
Alora leaned back in her office chair. “Yeah. Yeah, those are the two men who held Omar as Sam shot him. Wherever Sam went those two were always close by. Even on our dates, they would be there.”
“Do you remember what kind of car they would drive?” Jimmy asked.
“Um, it was a four door. Maybe a Lincoln? I never paid much attention to it. But those two? Yeah you don’t forget them. They’re big and scary. I didn’t talk to them if I didn’t have to.”
Cain frowned a little, “What do you mean by scary?”
Alora sighed. “Scary by how they used to look at me. It made me feel creeped out. Kind of like how Sam’s dad looked at me the only time I met him. Undressing me with their eyes. There was this…I don’t know…look. Like they…”
Jimmy and Cain got the picture. “Did they ever touch you? Or try to?”
Alora shook her head, “No. But whenever Sam would, they just smiled.”
“Touch you how?” Jimmy asked, confused.
“Sam liked to, mark his territory. We would be out to dinner and it was nothing for him to slide a hand over my ass or brush the side of my boob. It got old fast and if I said stop, he either laughed it off or got pouty. More pouty though.” She elaborated.
***
Lance pulled into the back lot of the shop. After talking to Alora, Jimmy and Cain had told him what she said about Carmichael and Branson. Oh, he was furious. He had immediately hit the gym at Blackout to work out his aggression. Just the idea that Malconi’s hired thugs had even looked at Alora that way made him want to rip their hearts out. He killed the engine and walked to the back door. He was let in by one of the decorators. Lance had agreed to stay at Alora’s place under the condition that he drop her off and pick her up until this ordeal was settled. She agreed.
“Hello Mr. Archer. Alora is over there.” The girl pointed.
“Thanks.” Lance nodded and moved to where his woman sat at a work table rolling out some dough.
