Chapter One. Chapter Three. Chapter Four.
Who knows how people come to haunt their own lives?
Warner had been in some kind of band, then out wandering the street for fifteen years. He’d emerge from time to time with ideas. Harry noticed three new crosses behind his left ear and a long, purple scar on his right hand.
—
‘It’s free if you guys want it. That’s what I’m saying.’
‘People meet every night. That’s free?’ Harry asked.
‘This ain’t it, Harry’ Wylie said, standing up. ‘You guys want a drink?
‘What I’m giving you. Something’s going on. Guys in Bremerton. The construction guys. Everybody knows.’
‘Knows what?’
‘I can’t tell you all of it. I don’t know. You sit there all night and they give you $75. That’s real fuckin’ money.’
‘What I’m tellin’ you is you get $20. For showing up. $50 for the night.’
‘That’s $70. I need a place, Warner. Names.’
‘You smell like shit, Warner. Don’t touch my desk.’ Wylie handed him a Red Bull.
‘I don’t have to be here.’ A long pause. Warner looked down at his feet. ‘Oliveira.’
What’s he look like? Harry asked.
Brown guy. Glasses. Like a banker. Short hair. He speaks German too. Good English.’
‘And you guys work?’ Harry asked.
‘You ask around. You show up but nothing happens. They take one group of guys, and disappear. Like a Penske truck. Illegals. Then it changes.’
‘What changes?’
‘The place. You gotta know someone, then it’s somewhere else. But you gotta know someone.‘ They pay out, man.’
‘German?’ Wylie asked, staring.
‘Yeah, it’s fuckin’ German.’
‘Get me in,’ Harry said.
‘Ronnie’s on 4th near the stadium.‘ $500 now and $500 when we’re done.‘
‘$100′ right now and we talk when it’s done’ Harry said, handing Warner a bill. I’m good for it.
‘Tonight,’ Warner shuffled out staring at Wylie.‘You can’t come, asshole,’
‘Text me, Harry. I got like five phones.‘ He shouted from the hall.
—
‘Oliveira’s Portugese’ Harry said. ‘Popular name.’
‘There are Germans in Brazil. Supermodels.’ Wylie said.
‘Lots of places to learn German’ Kathy was standing in the doorway. ‘I’ll check AI, incarceration, sex offenders, construction companies. Brazilians just replaced my neighbor’s roof’
‘II’ll talk to Skoda. He does data privacy. Maybe he knows something.’ Wylie said.
‘Lots of companies unloading on the Island.’ Harry said. ‘Fifteen million is serious money.’
‘There was a strike last year. Remember the Asian front food company near Georgetown?’ I can’t remember the name….lots of fraud’ Kathy said walking out. ‘My friend knows someone who works delivery. I’ll look that up, too.
‘Who makes money on each shipping container?’ Who touches these containers?’
Who was Oliveira?
