Chapter 49
AFTER WE VISITED WITH his family, Rob Trilling took me on a walk outside.
It was freezing cold, and with no buildings to block the wind, it felt like it was turning both of our faces red almost instantly. But the view was breathtaking. I felt like I was looking at a sweeping scene from an epic Western movie.
It reminded me of when I used to pretend to be a cowboy.
Even as a kid growing up in Manhattan, there were plenty of cowboy movies and shows on TV.
I used to walk into my grandfather’s bar, pretending to be the sheriff.
Any local who was there at three in the afternoon knew to play along.
But I’d had no perspective as a child. The actual West was even more vast than I’d ever imagined.
I knew we were here for more than just a stroll in the great outdoors. Rob Trilling and I needed to have a serious conversation. Privately.
I asked my partner, “Your family seems to be dealing with things pretty well. This isn’t the sort of situation most people ever face.”
“I’m most worried about Pops. He loves that car lot. It’s killing him that Gary is having to go through all this just to keep it.”
“I think you’ll find guys like your grandpa and mine are tougher than we give them credit for.
I know how Seamus feels when I get stuck in a tight spot.
I don’t even tell him about some of the things that go on at work because I don’t want to worry him more.
But guys like them didn’t make it this far by ignoring things or letting things slide.
” I looked back out across the rolling hills.
In the distance I saw what I thought was a horse on one of the low peaks.
It made me imagine what it would have been like to explore this country on horseback.
After a full minute, Trilling said, “What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful. I’m jealous this is where you got to grow up.”
“I mean, what do you think about my brother’s problem with the guy from Los Angeles? The more I hear Arnold Marks talk, the less I think he’s involved in any legitimate business.”
“I’ll reach out to Walter Jackson and see what he can find out for us quietly. He’s careful about not violating NYPD procedures by searching law-enforcement databases. But he still finds out a lot by going through the internet and in public databases.”
Trilling said, “I did some looking through the internet and found out that Marks used to own a real-estate development company. But he’s also listed in a Los Angeles Times story about being present during a shooting at a nightclub.
Marks wasn’t charged, but it sounded like he was a person of interest. What’s our next move? ”
“Considering everything that’s happened and everything we know, we have to assume we’re on our own. It really is sort of like the old Wild West. We can’t count on anyone. There’s no cavalry. And we’re outgunned.”
“What’s the good news?”
I thought for a moment. “We don’t have to follow any investigative rules out here. We’re not making a case; we’re just trying to defend your brother. And ourselves.”
“You mean break the law?”
“Absolutely not. But out here, we’re not held back by administrative rules. This guy, Marks, likes to act scary. That kind of persona takes a lot of effort. He’ll get tired. He’ll screw up.”
“You certainly messed with his head at the car lot. First time I’ve seen the guy so rattled. He always puts on a careful show of being suave and wealthy.”
“I have no doubt he’s got some cash. Just like I have no doubt he’s not actually too suave or all that smart.”
“What sort of things do we need to figure out?”
I said, “It would help if we could determine how many people Marks has working for him here in Montana. At some point that’s going to be important. He seems to be hinting that he’s got a lot of employees in the area. Let’s see if we can nail down a number.”
As usual, I couldn’t tell if Trilling was excited about having a plan or unimpressed. He looked out over the expansive prairie and nodded slowly. His short, dark hair blew in the light breeze. His winter jacket was zipped all the way to his chin.
Finally, I asked him, “What do you think we need to achieve?”
Trilling said, “Lillian deserves justice.”
“Everyone deserves justice. Let’s just hope we can provide it.”