Reggie moved so fast, Quinn barely had time to make it over the desk and pull him off Taggart. Taggart flat on his back, smiling and laughing, the laughter turning into slow giggles as he curled up into a tight ball. Reggie backed away, knocking down a white grease board hanging on the wall. Cleotha’s inspiration of the day written in red ink. DON’T LET NO MAN STEAL YOUR JOY.

“Sorry about that, Sheriff,” Reggie said.

“About what?” Quinn said.

Quinn stepped back and Taggart lifted his head and stared dead-eyed at Quinn. “I bet you and your buddies up in Oxford sure would like to know how a man like J. K. Vardaman done beat the money folks in Jackson. Goddamn establishment machine sure didn’t want a wild card like that old nut running this state. Went against his own people and not only triumphed but lived to see another goddamn day. It’s a hell of a story. Inspirational as all get-out. Maybe better than some of them Bible tales or one of them Left Behind novels I read on the toilet.”

“Vardaman and your people,” Quinn said. “Sounds like a hell of a tall tale, Taggart.”

Taggart grinned again. “Your fine little piece of tail got some supper on the stove for you?”

“Yep,” he said. “And it’s late. Raining like hell outside. And that high-dollar lawyer of yours ain’t coming tonight. Or tomorrow.”

“Funny how it works,” Taggart said. “Everybody’s all pals while the money’s flowing. But you make one little mistake and everyone’s running for the hills with their hands covering their peckers.”

In the conference room, they could hear the sound of rain hammering the roof. In the few seconds of Taggart not running his mouth, a long, grumbling thunder shook the windows.

“I want a sit-down with you and the Feds,” Taggart said. “I think those boys will go pretty damn far if I draw them a little diagram between Jackson, Biloxi, and Memphis. What I call a triangle of sin. Everybody done turned their backs on Vardaman, thought he was the goddamn oddball long shot in this election. All that talk about states’ rights and a return to more decent times. He was a damn punch line on Jay Leno.”

“Jay Leno retired,” Reggie said.