Odessa on Ice: A Buck Duran Mystery: Buck Duran Mysteries, #2

By Robert Bogan

International music star Tom Brodie sends his bodyguard Buck Duran on a mission to Odessa, a city built by and for the production of West Texas crude, a city governed by the reckless rules of the oil field. Just as Duran arrives, an epic ice storm strikes the Permian Basin, transforming the level landscape into a dangerous white puzzle. Refugees from this storm stay warm indoors in a variety of ways, some illegal, some lethal. Always in danger of spinning out of control, Odessa on Ice chases bad dreams and ice queens down dark frozen tunnels.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Bogan
• Release date: Nov 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540188861

Book preview

ODESSA ON ICE

A Buck Duran Mystery

Robert Bogan

January 1988

ONE

The close hills that morning hid behind a cold gray mist. Duran could only see the outline of hills beyond veils of rain that swept down the Colorado River valley. He scooped the last spoonful of oatmeal from the bowl he held as he stood listening to NPR. He was anticipating a quiet work day because the boss wouldn’t be going out of the big house any time soon, more than likely. Duran handled security for country music legend Tom Brodie. The triple Grammy winner seemed satisfied with the job he was doing at Las Aguilas Ranch. Eighteen years ago, Brodie promoted Duran first from roadie to chauffeur and bodyguard, finally head of security at the ranch and on the road.

In cultured tones the NPR reporters were discussing whether the voting public seemed at all excited by any of this year’s presidential candidates. To Duran, there was little difference between the two parties’ front-runners: the current Vice-President and the Governor of Massachusetts. Maybe someday, he thought, we’ll have two candidates that are uniquely distinct from each other.

Duran heard Rink Barton’s vintage Willys jeep grind down the trail and stop at his cabin. He set his bowl aside and opened his door. Moving like a sloth with disdain for rain, Barton climbed down from his jeep and crabbed his way towards the cabin.

What up, Rink? Duran said stepping onto the porch.

Hey, Buck. The boss wants to see you right away. Come on, now. I’ll drive you up there.

I need to clean up after breakfast first. You go on back. I’ll ride the Bronco up to the house. Be there in five minutes. The truth was, Buck preferred to control his own movement even around the twelve hundred acres of Las Aguilas Ranch.

Okay, I’ll tell Bob Tom five minutes. So come straight up, Buck!

Yes, sir, go straight there.

Duran rinsed off his face and breakfast dishes and pulled on a jacket. The radio voices were talking about an ice storm that was bearing down on West Texas.

Five minutes later in fact he was parking the red Bronco next to Rink Barton’s jeep on the pad in front of the big native-limestone house Brodie had bought and restored for his bride Lucia. Duran walked onto the broad porch and entered the front door, wiping his boots on the mat outside and the towels inside, probably placed there by Lucia herself. He passed through the trophy room lined with mounted discs and gold statuettes, and lowered his head as he entered the large room where Bob Tom Brodie sat near an energetic fire blazing in the enormous hearth.

Buck! Thank you for comin’ so quick, Brodie said without getting up. Listen, you got any plans for next couple of days? I need you to do a big job for me. It’s my taxes. I was supposed to send everything to Valentine by the tenth of this month and Lucia just now finished putting everything together in a box. She wants me to let her keep doing the taxes but people tell me Valentine is the best.

I don’t think you can do much better than Lucia. She’s smarter than any of us.

Yeah, but Valentine’s got tricks Lucia just don’t know. That’s what everybody tells me. Plus, he provides other services such as investments.

Investments? You have talked all this over with Lucia, right?

I don’t need to when it comes to this level of business. Hell, Buck! You knowd me all these years.

I think Lucia has invested enough of herself and showed her loyalty, she has earned the right to be in on the deal.

Buck, who do you work for?

I work for you, Bob Tom.

Okay, that settles it. You’re gonna run my stuff over to Doug Valentine, or not?

You know I will. Valentine is in Odessa, isn’t he?

Yes he is. Here’s Valentine’s business card with his office address and phone numbers. There’s a second address written on back. So go ahead and jump on over to Odessa with my stuff. And while you’re at it, I want you to look into Valentine’s whole outfit. I hear it’s a big deal. If everything is on the straight-up, I might chip in more to his enterprise if you know what I mean.

I have no idea what you mean. So I guess I better go out to Permian Basin and find out what’s going on.

Permian Basin? That’s where all the oil is, right? The speaker was Brodie’s third wife Lucia who just walked in. She was one of the most attractive people Duran ever met.

Buck here’s says he’ll take my taxes to Doug Valentine in Odessa.

You’re really going through with that? It doesn’t make sense! You should have told me before last night.

Lucia Gomez Brodie wasn’t just beautiful. Her mind was sharp, she was intelligent, charismatic, worldly. Maybe Bob Tom paid his salary but Buck’s loyalty went to Lucia when it needed to, rather than to her superstar husband. At this moment Buck could feel the tension.

Let’s go ahead and load them boxes, said Tom Brodie. Buck better get on his way.

Boxes plural? I just packed one tax box, said Brodie’s wife.

There is also couple of valuable crates that hold my recording masters.

Bob Tom, no!

Why are you sending your masters?

Valentine stressed the value of those masters and said he was able to provide the highest security you can get.

Those recording masters are plenty secure right here at the ranch in that vault I got you to install.

Bob Tom, what are you doing?

Okay, that’s enough of this. One of the rare occasions Brodie raised his voice in this house. My mind is made up. Period! Now Buck, get on your way. I want you there as soon as possible. Them three boxes is at the foot of the stairs. He stalked out of the room without looking back.

I’m sorry you had to see that, Buck. It started last night when we were about to go to bed.

I’m sorry too, Lucia. What should I do?

She sucked in her cheeks and folded her arms. Faint vertical lines gathered between her eyebrows.

Okay. Go ahead. Take Bob Tom’s boxes to Valentine. I thought we had a smooth operation going here, but I guess I was wrong. He used to be so considerate. Her smile held back her tears. Don’t worry, I’ll straighten things out with him. Here, I’ll help you with these boxes. Is your truck in front?

Lucia picked up the box of taxes she had assembled. Duran stacked and lifted the two compact fiberglass crates that held the recording masters, and they walked to the Bronco. He stowed everything in back.

It doesn’t make sense to me to ship all this out to Odessa, she said. We ought to keep it in the family where we can keep an eye on it. We don’t know what we’re getting into here.

"You and Bob Tom are smart as heck, but with you it’s a different kind of smarts.