A fraction of a second before I speak, inspiration strikes me. If I have Brody Royal by the balls, I’m a fool not to ask for everything I can get. After all, the APB is inextricably tied to the dead trooper. “I need two things from you,” I say, and then another possibility hits me. “Three, actually.”

“I’m all ears, son.”

“First, there’s a Louisiana State Police APB out for my father and a man named Walt Garrity, accusing them of killing a state trooper. I want that rescinded tonight.”

“I see. What else?”

“The death of that trooper will have to be written off somehow. Blamed on drug dealers or whatever else you can make work. I’m almost certain he was a dirty cop, but one way or another, you kill that case.”

“And the third favor?”

“I want Viola Turner’s case closed. To get the Natchez DA to do that, you’ll probably have to sacrifice a Double Eagle. I don’t care which, but you’d better pick one fast.”

Brody takes a deep breath, then nods amicably. “Is that it?”

“That’s it.”

The multimillionaire gives me an expansive smile, then chooses a chicken salad sandwich from the tray, takes a bite, and washes it down with Maker’s Mark.

“Mayor, I can see you’re upset. All I can say to you is, I wish you’d come to me sooner. Because you’ve come to the right place, if you want a situation handled in Louisiana. My daddy worked hand-in-glove with Huey Long, and I worked with Earl K. and Russell myself. When the public officials couldn’t quite make the mare go, I worked with the Little Man and his family in New Orleans. Hell, I’ve worked with every senator and governor all the way down to Edwin Edwards and his successors. I even dealt with the colored congressmen, these past few years. You’ve got to have an open mind to thrive in my state.”

Royal is actually bragging about working with Carlos Marcello, one of the most powerful Mafia chiefs in America during the twentieth century.

“Listen,” he goes on, “getting that APB canceled shouldn’t be more than a matter of making the right telephone call.”

Having come in ready for a pitched battle, I blink in surprise. “Even on the murder of a cop?”

Royal makes a clicking sound with his mouth. “That complicates matters a little. But Mayor, your father has treated me and members of my family many times during emergencies over the years. I can personally vouch for his integrity in the highest quarters. Why, I can’t understand how a decorated veteran and pillar of the community like Tom Cage could be caught up in such a sordid business.”

“How fast can you make that APB go away?”