Short Straw Read Free Page A

couldn’t get here earlier,” Wolf said. “I was held up in a meeting at Centurion Studios.” He looked around. “The place is gorgeous.”
    “Thanks, Wolf. Sit down.”
    “You look beat. Big crowd?”
    “Big crowd, but that’s not why I’m beat.”
    “What’s going on?”
    “Your former sister-in-law left town this morning after wiring a little more than a million dollars of my money to an offshore bank. She’s in Mexico City, I think.”
    “Oh, my God, Ed.”
    “Yeah.”
    “The good news is, I stopped another four million from being wired from my brokerage account before she got her hands on it.”
    “It’s like Julia all over again, isn’t it?”
    “It is.”
    “I feel responsible; you’d never even have met Barbara if…”
    “None of that, pal; we’re both victims, that’s all.”
    “Ed, I turned in the negative of my new movie this morning and got a big check. If you’re short…”
    “The bank will come through with some short-term money, I think. But thanks.”
    “If they don’t, or if the terms are unacceptable, I’m good for a million or two.”
    Eagle grinned. “With a friend like you, who needs friends?”
    “I mean it. I can actually write you a check on my brokerage account right now.” Wolf patted his jacket pocket.
    “Thanks anyway, but I’m okay. Can I buy you dinner tonight?”
    “No, but I’ll buy you dinner. Are Jane and Sara here?”
    “No, Jane had some work to do this weekend. They’re staying in L.A.”
    “It’s just you and me, then.”
    “You and me.”
    “Santa Café at eight?”
    “Sure, I’ll book. I’ve got one more call to make, now; have a look around, and pardon all the dirty glasses.”
    “See you later.” Wolf left, closing the door behind him.
    Eagle picked up the phone and called the FBI.

Four
    T HE SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE SANTA FE FIELD office of the FBI was somebody Eagle had dealt with fairly often and knew well. Carlos Rodriguez was a native Santa Fean who’d been sent to his hometown office because he was good and because he would look good in the community.
    “What can I do for you, Ed?” Rodriguez asked.
    Eagle explained what had happened.
    Rodriguez emitted a long sigh. “Well, Ed, I’m sure you already knew this, and it’s just as bad as you thought. The woman is your legal wife, isn’t she?”
    “Yes.”
    “And she was an authorized signator on both accounts?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then what you’ve got here is a civil matter.”
    “You mean she hasn’t committed a crime?”
    “Not unless she failed to file the federal form for moving more than ten thousand dollars, but the bank probably did that automatically. Anyway, I don’t know of anybody ever being arrested for failing to file. That charge is usually lumped in with others in these cases. So you’ll have to sue her to get your money back, like in divorce court. You are divorcing her, aren’t you?”
    That brought Eagle up short; he hadn’t gotten that far, yet. “I expect so.” That sounded funny to his own ears. Twelve hours before, he had been in love with the woman.
    “Then bring it up when the property settlement is discussed. Take it out of her share.”
    “Thanks, Carlos,” Eagle said, then hung up.
    There was a knock on his door, and Eagle looked up to find Judge Eamon O’Hara standing there, accompanied by two lawyers he knew. He had thought all his guests had left. “Come in, judge,” he said. “Take a chair. Can I get you a drink?”
    The judge and the two lawyers went to his sofa and sat down. “Thanks, Ed, we’ve already had one. You know Dan and Enrico, don’t you?”
    “Of course. Glad to see you, fellows.” He pulled up a chair. “What’s up?”
    “You know James Reardon, don’t you?”
    “Sure.” Reardon was a local lawyer.
    “Well, Jimmy just blew his brains out in the courthouse men’s room, about four hours ago.”
    “I hadn’t heard,” Eagle said. “Has he got a family?”
    “Wife and a child. He shot them at