"I have been in the Valley of Fear. I am not out of it yet," Murdock said, in a dramatic tone.
The rest of the team and Mike looked at him puzzled. BA had just arrived back from dropping David off to catch the bus to school and Murdock had called them all into the living room.
"Okay, enough with the mystery, Murdock," Face said, getting impatient. "Just tell us what you found out." He'd been on watch when Murdock had come in about three o'clock that morning. Refusing to answer any of Face's questions Murdock had taken a very long shower and gone to bed.
"Very well," his voice wasn't quite Holmes, but the tone was. He started to stalk around the room as he spoke, hands behind his back. "I don't know if any of you have observed it, but this appears to be the whitest town in America." They glanced at each other.
"I suppose most of the people are…" Hannibal said.
"Not most, Hannibal," Murdock interrupted. "All. Think about it, all of you. Have you seen anyone with dark skin since we got here?"
"Well we haven't met everyone in the town," Hannibal said. "Maybe there's some…" He stopped, frowned. Murdock guessed what he was thinking.
"And none of them go to church, do they?" Murdock asked him. "There's no black people, no Asians, no Hispanics. No Hispanics, Hannibal? In California?" They were all looking thoughtful, but a little sceptical. "Look, I know there's plenty of small towns that are nearly all white, but one hundred percent? The population of this place is about three thousand. I read right through that phone book and I didn't find any Spanish names, or Chinese, or Middle Eastern, not one."
"He's right," Mike said. "I never really thought of it, but now he says it, I see it. In the months I've been here I've not seen anyone of a different colour. Not living here."
"And you don't think they're just made to feel unwelcome?" Hannibal asked, serious, seeing the intensity in Murdock's eyes. Murdock seemed very certain about this. "You think it's organised. That it's…" he hesitated a moment looking for the right word. "Policy?"
"I was practically told as much three different times last night." Murdock confirmed. "Anybody the wrong colour is kept out, or driven out if they try to stay. The Heinemann's are the ringleaders of course. There's something very nasty going on here, Hannibal. And it's been going on for a long time. A long time."
"Wait, wait, wait," Face said, raising his hands. "I'm not disputing what you're saying Murdock, you're right, I haven't seen a single black face in this town. But what has this got to do with Mike? If you think the Heinemann's agenda is racial then what have they got against him?" He glanced over at their client. "He's white."
"Yes." Murdock stopped in front of the fireplace, glanced at the family photographs on the mantelpiece. "That’s why I don't think this is really about Mike at all. I think it's about David."
"David?" Face said, baffled. Murdock turned to Mike, who had a look of dawning understanding on his face.
"Mike, you said your wife's family were from Europe. Did they leave because of the Nazis?"
"Yes, Mr Murdock, they did." Mike said. "And I think I know what your next question is. And the answer to it is; yes, my wife was a gypsy."
Murdock gave a satisfied smile, pleased with his deductions.
"So David is half gypsy." Face said.
"Not nearly white enough for the Heinemann's." Murdock said. "But even they couldn't get away with hounding a fourteen year old boy out of town."
"So it was lucky for them that his dad happened to be someone who's a target in himself." Hannibal said. "Not that they would need an excuse anyway. Picking on someone like Mike would come as natural as breathing to those creeps, whatever his colour." He looked at Mike, who was looking very serious and worried. "Don't worry, Mike. We'll settle these guys."
"Yeah." BA said. He'd been quiet and thoughtful as Murdock outlined his theory. He turned to Hannibal. "We have to, Colonel. Guys who think that way, they don't change their minds. I've met enough of 'em to know that."
Hannibal nodded in agreement. "Murdock, did you find anything specific we can nail these guys with?"
"Well, I got a lead that could possibly get us something." Murdock answered. "The last person to really stand up to these creeps was a guy name of Alan Chen. He was a dentist. Came here about two years ago and they came down hard on him straight away, wrecked his office, his car, generally harassed him. The sheriff wouldn’t help him of course. But he stood up to them for nearly a year. Finally left town."
"If we could find Chen," Hannibal said. "Maybe see if he would testify against these guys?"
"Shouldn't be too hard to track down a dentist, if he's still practicing," Face said. "I'll call Amy, she'll be able to do some tracing for us."
"Might not be needed." Murdock said. "Apparently he was seeing a woman here in town. She runs the local beauty parlour. Maybe she'll know where he is?"
"Beauty parlour?" Hannibal grinned and turned to the lieutenant. "Face, I was just thinking you could do with a trim."
"Oh, no." Face said, emphatically. "Absolutely not. I'll do most things you order me to, Hannibal, but I will not let some small town hair butcher hack me about." He crossed his arms, looking defensive. "René would never forgive me."
"René?" Hannibal asked.
"My stylist," Face said. "I know I've mentioned him before." He sighed, exasperated. "I swear I sometimes think you guys never listen to a word I say."
"Oh, René." Hannibal said
"Yeah, Colonel, what's the matter with you? You know, René." Murdock said. BA just grunted.
"Though I could use a manicure," Face examined his nails critically. "Haven't had one for a month."
"Oh yeah," BA said. "I was gonna mention that. I'm getting embarrassed to be seen wit' you." He giggled. The others grinned. Face stood up with an air of affronted dignity.
"If anybody needs me I'll be at the beauty parlour. Can I get a taxi, or am I expected to walk halfway across town? Again."
"We'll give you a lift." Hannibal said. "BA and I need to go follow up on what I've decided to call 'The Great Distraction Tour 1984'." Face rolled his eyes. "Murdock, stay on guard." Hannibal, Face and BA left. Murdock sat down, looked at Mike, who had gone quiet and serious again.
"You okay?" Murdock asked.
Mike looked up, tried to raise a small smile. "This has put a whole different perspective on things, Murdock. I feel like I've put my boy in harm's way, now I know it's not me they're really after."
"We'll keep you both safe, I promise." Murdock said.
"How did you figure out about Elena being a gypsy?" Mike asked.
"Deduction." Murdock said, loftily. Then he smiled. "David called me a 'gage' and I knew I'd heard the word before. Finally it clicked. A guy I knew in 'nam, he was from a gypsy family and he used to say it sometimes. It means non-Romany, right?"
"You know, you could have just asked me that." Mike said.
"I could have, but where's the fun in that?" Murdock said.
"And I'd tan that boy's hide; if I could reach." Mike said. "It does mean non-Romany, but it's not entirely polite either. He thinks he can get away with it, since most people don't know what it means."
"He wasn't being rude." Murdock said. "He's a good kid. I like him."
Mike smiled, then looked up at the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside.
"That must be the contractors from Bridgeport."
BA parked the van in the cover of some trees, a short distance from the roadhouse where the Heinemann brothers apparently spent most of their time. After it had closed up last night Hannibal and BA had paid a visit and done a few hours work. BA had handled the technical stuff and Hannibal had enjoyed himself with a hacksaw.
"The bug working okay?" Hannibal asked.
"Yeah. We'll be able to hear everything going on inside," BA said. He turned on the volume on the receiver. "Sounds like someone's in there now, opening the place up." The sound of glasses clinking, a man whistling, came through the speaker.
They waited, drinking coffee from Styrofoam cups. BA thought about the way the server had looked at him when he'd gone into the coffee shop to buy them. He was used to getting strange looks, with his hair and jewellery and his attitude. But now he was wondering if there was more to it. Would he have got exactly the same stare if he'd gone in there wearing a suit and a friendly smile?
"You think Murdock is right, Hannibal?" BA asked.
"He seems pretty sure about it." Hannibal said.
"If he is…" Hannibal waited for him to continue. When he did he was wearing a deep scowl, but his voice was quiet and very serious. "If he is we gotta slam the lid on these guys for good, Hannibal. And not just 'cause of Mike and David."
"We will, BA." Hannibal promised. "And here comes Jed," The fancy truck was approaching. "Bright and early. Looks like he blew his tires back up." He grinned.
Jed and Zeke got out of the truck and went inside. In a moment their voices came through BA's receiver.
"Mornin', Al, get me a draught." That was Jed. A moment later came the sound of very unhappy machinery and shortly afterwards a spraying sound and a very unhappy Al. Jed and Zeke laughed uproariously. Hannibal and BA smiled.
"There's something wrong with the damn pumps."
Al's voice said. "I'll check the kegs."
"Well get us some coffee first." Zeke said. There was a pause. "What the hell is wrong with this stool? It's wobbling more than Al's ass."
"Use another one." There were scraping sounds as Zeke scratched up the wooden floor.
"This one's the same! Man, this place is a dump. And this coffee is terrible! What the hell is in it?"
"Quit your whining." Jed said. "Put
some music on and let's have a game of pool."
BA and Hannibal looked at each other, grinning. In a moment they heard the sound of pool balls dropping.
And then the noise started. BA and Hannibal could hear it not only over the receiver but also outside. The less than dulcet tones of Lemmy Kilmister assailed the morning air.
"IF YOU LIKE TO GAMBLE, I TELL YOU I'M YOUR MAN, YOU WIN SOME, LOSE SOME, ALL THE SAME TO ME…"
"What the hell?" Jed's voice was just audible under the ear-splitting sound of Motorhead. "Turn it down!"
"It won't turn down!" Zeke wailed.
BA turned down the speaker of the receiver a bit.
"Nice BA. Jamming the volume at maximum, that was a master stroke."
BA giggled. "Good choice of music, man. They needed their tastes widened."
"Yeah, that jukebox had both types of music, country and western."
BA cautiously turned the speaker up a little again.
"THE ACE OF SPADES! THE ACE OF SPADES!"
A shotgun blast was followed by a reduction in the volume of the music. A second blast and it was silenced altogether.
"I do hate to see a grown man give way to temper like that." Hannibal said, with mock sadness. "Think those speakers are worth a lot?"
"Not any more." BA said. "Man, I wish we'd put a camera in there."
"Christ, what is going on here?" Jed's
voice sounded through the receiver. "And where are you going?"
"The john." Zeke answered.
"Okay, BA, let's go say hello." BA grabbed a rifle and they got out of the van. Hannibal paused on the way to the bar to let all the air out of Jed's tires.
When Hannibal and BA burst in, Zeke was just coming out of the bathroom. He was soaked from head to foot.
"The sink, Jed! The faucets came right off! I can't stop the water…"
"Well, it's good to know he washes his hands." Hannibal said. Jed whirled to face them. BA had his rifle trained on Jed, who still held his shotgun, but hadn't reloaded yet. "Hi, guys. I'd ask for a beer, but I hear you're having trouble with the pumps."
"You did this, all of this." Jed waved a hand at the wrecked speakers, at the pool table and the bar.
"Yep, you got me." Hannibal admitted. "And if you don't back off of the Harpers you get more. You get worse." He lit a cigar. "I'm a high stakes player, Jed, and I don't have a limit. Let's see, for my next turn I'll raise you…" He glanced around. "One jukebox."
Jed and Zeke hit the floor as BA sprayed a burst of automatic fire into the jukebox. It exploded.
"This guy is nuts!" Zeke yelled.
"That's right." Hannibal said. "If you're smart, Jed, you'll fold. Now." He turned to leave, BA covering him. Then he turned back briefly. "Oh and if I were you I'd dump that coffee maker and get a new one. I mean you just don't even wanna know…" Jed and Zeke looked sick.
"Now that was fun." Hannibal said as they sped off in the van.
"The kid's records were in that jukebox." BA pointed out.
"Yeah," Hannibal said, with a touch of regret. Then he grinned. "On the bright side Mike will be pleased."
BA drove on for a while. "So what did you do to the coffee machine?" BA asked.
"Never touched it." Hannibal said with a shrug. "I guess Al just makes a lousy cup of coffee."
"So they gonna dump a perfectly good coffee machine?"
"Looked expensive too," Hannibal said, smirking. "About…" the phone rang
"Lou's Delivery… Oh hi, Murdock. Yeah? Okay, right…right…okay we'll be back in about thirty minutes." He hung up the phone. "Head into town, BA, we gotta pick something up to take back."
"Lunch?" BA asked, hopefully.
"A carpenter."
TBC
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