Case of the Secret Life

by L C Lang

  Danvers had a few items in his hand that he probably got from one of the paramedics. First, he cleaned the wound and the blood off my arm. I cringed at the pain it caused, but I knew he had to clean it. Then he placed an ointment on top of the six inch long wound. Next, he placed a large bandage on top of the wound and taped it to my arm. Then he looked at me.

  But I beat him to a question I had on my mind. “Did you call the New York city field office?”

  Danvers nodded. “Yes, I did. Turns they have a long list of charges against both Peters and Hanover. Even found what you had printed out about the short time they were in Los Angeles. These two have so many charges against them, they will never see freedom for the rest of their lives.”

  I nodded. “Good place for them.”

  “Yes, it is. How about we take you to the hospital? The ambulances are going to be crowded. The EMT’s are not going to be happy, but one agent is going with them inside the truck. Once they get you fixed up, I doubt you will have stay overnight, because you will not have to have surgery. We would still like to get the gemstones today, if you feel up to it.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I can do that. I am sure you need to take control over them. I just hope they give me some pain medication.”

  Danvers laughed. “I am sure they will.” He laid his hand on my left arm. “I know what you are going through. It will be painful for a while, but it will heal. And the pain pills will help you get through the worst of it.”

  Thank goodness for that. I was sure they would have to stitch the wound closed, which means I will have to find a local doctor to take them out later. I decided it was time to stand up. I handed my gun towards Agent Danvers, who took out a plastic bag from his suit coat pocket and I dropped it inside. He stood up and then helped me to stand up. I leaned against the doorframe. My arm was burning, so I held it tight against my side. Then I thought of something.

  “Since I shot Mike Peters, twice, will someone need to check my gun?”

  Danvers nodded. “Yes, but I witnessed him shooting you and you shooting back, so no charges will be brought against you. Since this is a federal case, I will take control of the gun for now and have it checked. Give me a few days and I guarantee I will get the gun back to you.”

  “Thank you. Just let me know and I can come up there and pick it up.” After this, I think I am due for some shopping.

  “That will work too.”

  I looked over at Peters and Hanover. The paramedics are still working on them, but now two gurney’s are sitting in my living room. A few minutes later, two cops helped the paramedics load the men onto the gurneys and agents handcuffed them to their gurneys. Then, they wheeled the gurneys out of the house, with four agents following them out the door.

  Detective Donovan approached me. “I have locked the back door for you. You might want to think about getting deadbolts on both doors.”

  I nodded. “I thought about that after Hannah and her friend broke in. I just hadn’t gotten it done yet.”

  Detective Donovan smiled and nodded. “I know someone who can do it for you at a good rate. I left his information on your kitchen table.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “And I will need to get your statement. How about tomorrow?”

  I nodded again. “That will be fine. Just let me know when.” Hopefully, I will be dosed up with pain killers by then because that meeting will not be pleasant. Cops do not like it when someone else solves their case for them.

  “Time to get you to the hospital,” Agent Danvers said.

  CHAPTER 24

  I grabbed my purse from my office chair, which already had my keys inside. I flipped the switch on the front door, waited until everyone walked out and then I walked out, pulling the door shut behind me.

  Then the two agents walked me to their car parked on the street. I got into the backseat, while the two agents got in front. Fifteen minutes later, after a fast ride with their lights going, we walked into the busy emergency room. Twenty minutes later, a nurse took me to a curtained off room to be checked out by the ER doctor.

  An hour an a half later, after two shots, one to numb the pain and one to prevent an infection, my arm now has twenty stitches and covered with a large bandage. They also gave me a package of pain pills, enough to last me a few days. And, I am not to move to move my arm much for the rest of the day. To make sure I don’t, they put my arm in a sling and told me to leave it on.

  Danvers stayed with me the whole time, which the ER doctor was not happy about, but he had no choice. Danvers had shown him his badge, so he was not going anywhere. Agent Mikelson went to check on Peters and Hanover. Both were in surgery. They won’t be leaving the hospital for a while and they will have at least one F.B.I. agent with them at all times until they transport them to jail. No way are they going to allow them to slip away again.

  Danvers took my arm as we walked out of the hospital, with Agent Mickelson following. We got back in their car and headed for the bank. I wasn’t sure how this situation was going to work, but once we got to the bank and Danvers took out his badge and with my approval, they allowed Agent Danvers to go into the room with me.

  Once the bank employee left the room, I pulled open the box. Danvers took out the box and laid it on the small table in the room. I opened the lid and began taking out the bags. First, I pulled out the four bags from the box in the rented apartment.

  “These are the other four jewelry bags I found in the box I told you about. Each of the other fifteen bags has only one type of gemstones inside each of them. There are three bags each of the alexandrite and tanzanite. There are three bags of the pink diamonds. The other three gemstones are in two bags each.” I paused a moment. “The manager at the rug import store said the rugs come from some kind of export company where the Persian and Chinese rugs are shipped from. I got the idea the company was some kind of broker to sell the rugs. What about that export company? From some research I did, the gemstones would have come from several areas. Has anyone over there caught onto whoever has been stealing the gemstones in those countries?”

  Agent Danvers smiled and nodded. “Yes, they have. I just got word this morning that Mercedes Import store was one that was getting the gemstones, along with another rug import store located in Los Angeles. Agents there are working on that problem. And, you are right. They smuggled the gemstones from at least three areas that we know about. The gemstones came in to the export company who sells the rugs worldwide. They are the ones who put the gemstones inside the rugs. Took authorities over there a couple of days, but they found paperwork that confirms who got what and how much they were paid. They caught the men who smuggled the gemstones and they have shut down the export company. So there will be no more smuggling of gemstones from there.”

  I nodded. “I am glad to hear that. Guess it will not go well for those men.”

  Agent Danvers laughed and shook his head. “No, it will not. More than likely, they will serve hard labor for many years.”

  “That is a good place for them.” I shook my head. “If I remember right, the pink diamonds come from Russia. If any of those men are Russian, they will not be free from hard labor for the rest of their lives.”

  Danvers nodded. “I am sure they won’t. My boss contacted the State Department and the countries over there will be getting their gemstones back.”

  “I am glad to hear that. When I found out how much value these rough gemstones have, you cannot believe how nervous that made me. That is why I put them in a safe deposit box.”

  Danvers laughed. “I can imagine you did get nervous. Thankfully, we have a secure place to keep them until we can send them back.”

  “I sure hope they will be sent back with an armed escort.”

  Danvers nodded. “Oh, yes. They will be going back with at least four heavily armed men. They will be happy when we notify them we found at least some of what was smuggled. Agents are in their stores right now going through everything. That job is going to take a few days.”


  I nodded. They do a big job ahead of them. The gemstones make beautiful jewelry, but that illegal export denied the countries of much needed money to support their own countries. Stealing from a country never ends well. Then I thought of something. “Did you hear what they said to me in the house?”

  Danvers nodded. “Part of it. What I did hear, is that they were the ones getting in the gemstones and that is the proof we needed. I did hear Hanover say that those bags of gemstones were in two deliveries, so you were right.”

  I nodded. “The paperwork proved that too. I have no idea why they shipped that many at once.”

  “I don’t either, but if the men that ran the export company knew they were close to being caught, then they may have wanted to get rid of the rough gemstones they had on hand.”

  “You could be right. At least it is stopped now.”

  “Yes, it is.” He paused a moment and looked at me. “We appreciate you coming forward and giving us further evidence. It is going to take a while to finish off the case and find all of the illegal gemstones, but at least the men behind it will be in jail for the rest of their lives.”

  “I am just glad this case is solved.”

  “We are too. Oh, you will not believe how shocked and happy our boss was of getting proof against Peters and Hanover when I told him.”

  “I am glad to hear that. I am just glad I found the clues.”

  “So are we. Okay, let’s get these bags out and then we can get out of here.”

  Danvers put as many bags as he could into his suit coat pockets and I put the rest into my purse. I now have an empty safe deposit box, but I already have some ideas of things I should put in it. Then I put the container back in the drawer and pushed the drawer closed, making sure it clicked shut. I grabbed my bloated purse and we walked out of the room.

  Ten minutes later, we were back at my house. I pulled the jewelry bags out of my purse and handed them over the seat to Agent Danvers, who put them on the floor. Then he got out and escorted me to the front door of my house. I looked at the dark blue SUV still sitting in my driveway.

  Danvers placed his hand on my left arm. “We have made arrangements for someone to put their SUV on a flatbed. We need to check it out too. I heard the truck is on the way right now, so it shouldn’t be much longer. You aren’t planning on going out anymore today, are you?”

  I shook my head. “No, I am not. I am going to order a pizza and crash on the couch.”

  He laughed. “Sounds good to me. Thank you again for helping us.”

  I thanked him for his help, he promised to get my gun back to me soon. Then we said goodbye. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. I leaned against the door. It is all over.

  Then I looked around. My new rug now has a few blood stains on it, but I will get it cleaned. No blood on the couch. The cushions that were tossed are now back on the couch and side chair. Wonder who did that? Thankfully, there are no holes in the wall, so the flying bullets had hit their mark. I just have to find the bullet that went through my arm and into my office.

  It is now two o’clock in the afternoon. I missed lunch, but after all that had happened, I am not really hungry. Although having a pizza for dinner sounds good. For now, I will have a cold drink and open a package of cookies. I walked into the kitchen, got my cold drink and a stack of cookies and walked into my office.

  I realized I hadn’t checked my email the last couple of days. So, I sat down in my chair, opened my laptop and turned it on. Then I put in my password and the main screen came on. Then I clicked on my email. I realized I hadn’t emailed my parents since they left, so today sounded like a good day to see how their move to Arizona went. Before I did that, I checked my business email. I was surprised to find I have two more background checks to do and there is a response from the CEO of the pharmaceutical company. I opened that message first and then read it.

  The CEO thanked me for doing the background checks. They had suspected those same three people. When he confronted them with what I found on them, the three admitted to what they had done. So, right now they are in jail. Now, the company has three openings and they are in the process of interviewing replacements. But, before they hire anyone they will be using my service to make sure they are who they say they are. I now have five accounts. Works for me. I will do the two background checks tomorrow. Tonight, I just want to rest and watch television.

  Before I order my pizza, I have one more thing to check. I got into my account in my bank in Indianapolis and found that the pharmaceutical company had made the final payment. Now, I have more money I can transfer to my business account here in town. Maybe I can take Sandy out with the kids for lunch and do some shopping. They might all like that. Besides, I am sure she saw the police action here today. She will have a lot of questions to ask me. Oh, the story I will tell her.

  CHAPTER 25

  The next day, it was almost eleven o’clock when I heard a knock on the front door. When I answered, I found it was Detective Donovan. I’d been waiting to hear from him. Not looking forward to an interrogation, but what choice do I have?

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Not too bad. They gave me pain pills, which help. And so does the sling they gave me. It takes the pressure off the injured muscles.”

  He nodded. “Glad to hear it. How about lunch? Since I was last here, I have been busy finishing off the case. There are a few questions I need to ask you.”

  I nodded. “That will be fine.” This came as a surprise. I figured he would want me to go to the police station to answer the questions. Oh well, I am getting hungry, so I guess that means I am getting better.

  I went to the couch and grabbed my purse. Then I grabbed my keys, walked to the door and locked it, and then we walked out the door. We headed for Detective Donovan’s car parked in the driveway. Then, he opened the passenger door and I sat down inside. Then he closed the door and walked around the front of the car. I wondered what questions he wanted to ask me. More than likely it was about what I had found. Especially the gemstones, which he heard me mention.

  Detective Donovan got inside the car and then pulled out of my driveway. It was a quiet ride. Ten minutes later, Detective Donovan parked in a parking space half a block from the diner. Then we got out. We walked quietly towards the diner. He was quiet, although I was not sure why. Still, I was sure he would begin talking and I was not sure I am going to like it.

  Inside, we found an open booth and sat down, across from each other. Just as Detective Donovan was about to say something, Cindy came with two glasses of ice water and two menu’s, which she laid down in front of us. We both looked at the menu and made our choices. Cindy thanked us and walked away. She would not be gone long and will be coming back with our drinks. Still, I knew Detective Donovan had something on his mind and would not wait any longer.

  Detective Donovan intently looked at me. “Why didn’t you tell me you are a private investigator?”

  And there it was. I was sure Agent Danvers mentioned that fact when he called Detective Donovan about finding Benton Williams’ truck. “I didn’t think it would make any difference.”

  “And that is why you did your own investigation?”

  I took a deep breath and blew it out. The man has a wounded ego, but I didn’t care. I laid my arms on the table and shook my head. “No. I investigated Benton Williams because Hannah Williams would not give up hounding me that I was her husband’s girlfriend and had killed him. Not to mention, she also claimed I broke into her house. Have you told her yet what happened?”

  He shook his head. “No, not yet. We got the last of the information in today. I thought maybe you could go with me when I tell her after lunch.”

  I sat for a few moments, as thoughts raced through my mind. There is one thing that even Detective Donovan does not know. Telling Hannah Williams about what Benton has really been up to for the last five years will be fun. Then I got an idea something that I want
to, but I will not tell Detective Donovan about it yet.

  Just then, Cindy came back with our drinks. She told us our meals would be here soon. Then she walked away. I took a long drink, trying to cover my beginning excitement of telling Hannah about her two-timing husband. This is going to be fun.

  I looked at Detective Donovan and nodded. “Yes, I would like to go with you.” Of course, I could not tell him what I have in mind. I am not sure he will agree with it, but that is what I want to do. And since I found it, I should be the one to tell her.

  “How long have you been a private investigator?”

  “Five years. I wanted to go into law enforcement, just as my father used to be, but when I graduated from college, he offered me a job in his office. He used to be with the police department here and then in Indianapolis. After a man shot him on the job, he decided to retire and then he started his own private investigation company. I went through the required training and got my license. I recently got my business license here in town, so I will get the business going here soon. I have five accounts where I do background checks for their new hires. And hopefully, I will get my own cases.”

  He nodded. “You left your father’s business?”

  I shook my head. “No, he decided to permanently retire. We’d had an especially difficult case right about the time my grandmother died. So, after we finally solved the case, he closed the business and my parents moved to Tucson, Arizona. I got all of his books and files, and I have them in my office.”

  Just then, our meals came. For the next few minutes, we quietly ate. I figured he would ask my side of the story of what I had found, but maybe the F.B.I. gave him a copy of what I had told them. That’s fine, but somehow I doubted that will be enough for Detective Donovan.