Page 86 of Rest In Pink

Rain spoke up. “So, he’s not a Tin Wolf anymore? Why did he burn the clubhouse down?”

Pete studied her for a moment. “Mickey got out around three months ago. He felt like he was owed big time for the time he did inside.”

“Why?” I asked.

He ignored my question. “The problem was, no one else thought he was owed more in the Wolves. We gave him the usual. A motorcycle and ten grand, a grand for every year inside. About what the VA gives me for my leg, minus the motorcycle.”

“And?” I prompted.

“Mickey wanted a bigger payout and he assumed he would automatically be the leader of our chapter again,” Pete said. “But it doesn’t work that way. Things change in ten years.”

“Like you being the leader,” I said.

“We’re legit now,” Pete said.

Rain scoffed, loudly. She did that well.

“Go on,” I said.

“When our headquarters decided Mickey was rank and file again, he didn’t take that well,” Pete said, sounding as if he were talking about a boardroom and not a motorcycle gang. “It was also suggested, strongly, that they needed more muscle in one of our Michigan chapters. He took that less well. Got a lotta pride, Mickey does. Then our clubhouse burned down and Mickey disappeared. I’m not an inspector or a detective but it wasn’t hard to figure Mickey did it. We been looking for him ever since.”

“Did he feel anyone other than the Iron Wolves owed him?” I asked. I shifted my focus. “Faye? You for example?”

“Why would I owe Mickey anything?” she demanded in a tone that indicated there was some reason she owed her brother something.

Rain spoke up from Faye’s right, causing her to turn. “How did you feel about what those church ladies did to your mother?”

“What?” Faye was confused.

“Mickey was pissed enough to burn a church down when the town made your mother cry,” Rain said. “But you went and got knocked up and married the richest man in town. Sure you two are related?”

She didn’t answer.

I followed with: “Did you give Mickey money? Pay him to stay away? Why does Mickey feel like he’s owed? Does it have something to do with Cleve?”

Watching the reactions on Faye’s and Pete’s faces was interesting but neither spoke.

Rain took her turn. “Why did Cleve, your husband, give the late Senator Alex Wilcox a briefcase full of money?”

“That’s bullshit,” Faye spat. “That’s a lie.”

“I think Thacker got that from Skye,” I said.

“Skye’s aliar!”

Pete reached out and put a hand on her arm. “Easy.”

“Did Mickey come by here demanding money?” I asked Faye. “Was he on his way here yesterday?” I noticed that Pete seemed as interested in the answer as I was.

“I haven’t seen Mickey since before he got locked up,” Faye said.

“You’re lying,” Rain said. “How long have you been hooked up with Mickey’s replacement in the Iron Wolves? Before Mickey got out?”

“None of your business,” Faye said.

“Were you the link between the Wolves and Mickey in prison?” Rain said. “I’ve seen the prison logs. You visited Mickey in jail. I’ve got all the dates.”

Rain hadn’t told me that.

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