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Valdez pointed to the green backpack, which Coleen cradled in her lap “Those photographs are all I have left”

“How’d you get your hands on that stuff?”

“Jansen was always sloppy He trusted me far more than he ever should have He and I were quite friendly back then”

“Which you took full advantage of,” I asked

“It’s my nature I can’t help it Jansen should have known that” He pointed again at the backpack “Of course, I don’t like being cheated”

“You’ve gone a long way to ain,” I said “You must really need money”

“I am in short supply at the moment I was thrilled to learn, when I called Reverend Foster, that he still had his coin”

“How did Castro like the one you gave him?”

“He was quite pleased”

“Lucky for you the FBI had one available”

“That was one of those fortuitous things Jansen was my handler and mentioned how they’d surreptitiously found two of the rarest coins in the world during one of their infaally, Oliver opted to keep the them to the Treasury would have only raised questions When I was asked to perform my services for Bishop’s Pawn, I named my price One of the coins”

“I don’t give a daive him the coin We have the files And let him tell me about my father”

“You and your father both said the coin was mine now,” I reminded her

“Give him the damn coin”

“You can’t be that naive?” I asked

She seemed puzzled

Then it hit her

Oliver and Valdez had teamed in Palm Beach to kill us both out on the water Sure, Valdez wanted his coin, but Oliver wanted the files No matter what Valdez had just said, his job was to retrieve both

“I’ll give him the files,” she made clear

That I did not want to hear

“When you called me,” Valdez said to Coleen, “I was direct I mentioned the words Bishop’s Pawn and I told you a little about the FBI I even advised you to stay away froood advice We made a deal I honored my part” He faced me “I told you e first met, Lieutenant Malone, that I may be the only person in this world you can actually trust I meant that”

“Yet I double-crossed you anyway”

The server returned ater and bread for the table I decided, what the hell, and enjoyed a few bites I figured it was going to take a few minutes for the food to coive iances I sat straight and strong in umption

“I’ve had few opportunities to ever discuss this,” Valdez said “I’m sure Senora Perry is anxious to know the truth”

“I am”

I wasn’t, given what her father wanted, so I asked, “Tell us about James Earl Ray”

“Quite a personality He so wanted to be important”

“He got his wish”

Valdez nodded “That he did He thought hih the years, I’ve read several of the books Ray published while in prison Quite the writer Ilike the man I knew He wanted the world to think he was an innocent patsy, used by others” He shook his head “Ray was a sadistic racist, through and through He hated blacks, especially ones who thought the He also had little regard for woave him money to buy a lot of expensive cameras When he was in Mexico he tookOvert Obvious Nothing about them sexy or provocative That was Ray Overt and obvious It was easy to get him to do what I wanted”

“Why was it necessary to kill King?” Coleen asked

He shrugged “I have no idea Jansen passed the order on to ht froent would have ever made that call I simply did what they wanted”

“You were the mysterious Raoul,” I said “The one Ray ulti on?”

“It was the name I used with him”