“Know all about it,” Manning said. “That British fellow came through here. He found me at the barber shop. He went out to Shep’s house. Asking his questions in that snotty, smart-ass way. ‘Just looking for the truth,’ he said. ‘No one should be afraid of telling the truth.’ Fuck him.”

“That’s what I told him,” Shepherd said.

“And I chased him out of the barber shop,” Manning said. “And told Mickey about it. Because I’m a loyal party man. Always been. Even when someone in the party bad-mouths the party and then becomes attorney general and then governor, I’m loyal. That’s what loyalty is, sticking to a friend or a party, even when you think they’re doing something wrong.”

Hell, old wounds sure stay tender. Stop busting my balls.

“I appreciate that, Mayor,” Addis said.

“Glad someone does,” Manning said. “And when someone helps you get something—like, say, a nice big house in Washington—you stick to him, when it’s his turn. Right?”

Joe Rego called you, too?

“I see your point,” Addis said.

“Do you?”

“So how can we help?” Irwin interrupted.

“Just wondering what you remember about Blue Ridge and the airport deal?” Addis said.

“Wasn’t a local deal,” Vaullet said. “They came out of Baton Rouge. We had some meetings. They were buying up land near the old strip. Said they had friends in Baton Rouge who were helping. Had a bank behind them. One of them owned dog tracks down state. Another was in the construction business. They seemed serious. Then the money wasn’t there. That was it.”

“Were any of them connected to Chasie Mason?” Addis asked.

“Now, why are you asking about that?” Manning said.

“I’m just asking.” Addis said. “Covering all the bases.”

“It was a damn shame what happened in that family. Picture it from Chasie’s side. Couldn’t see his own grandson,” Manning said.

“You got to understand something, Mr. Addis,” Vaullet said. “Chasie knew everyone. Knew all of us. I counted him as a friend, and everyone else at this table probably did.” The other two nodded. “Asking if a businessman in Louisiana was connected to Chasie Mason is like asking if one wave in the ocean was connected to another. But the boys on the airport deal never mentioned his name, far as I can recall.”

“Never did,” Manning said. “Can’t blame this on a dead man.”

Did anyone know, Addis asked, about this partnership that sold the land to the Hanovers? No one did.

“Listen, Mr. Addis,” Manning said. “Us codgers at this table saw our share of deals made on the windy side of the street. It’s no different here than in Baton Rouge or where you come from. But I don’t remember anything about this business that would lose me any peace of mind.”

“Why do you think the Hanovers bought the land?” Addis asked.