by Amy Shannon
“Don’t worry about that.”
“This case, though,” he sighed. “I wonder if it’s related to the one I was working on.”
“You never said what the items you were looking for were in that case,” Savvy said. “And your report isn’t done yet.”
“Right, sorry,” he stood up. “I’ll get right on that.”
“No, Strick, wait. Why do you think it’s related?”
“The collection that was stolen from the pawn shop was also rare and it wasn’t on display.”
“What was it?”
“He called it the proof of evil collection. Basically, it was a piece of the rope that hanged Saddam Hussein, the finger bone of Muammar Gaddafi, the eye glasses of Pol Pot and the tooth of Idi Amin.”
Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Pol Pot?”
“Pol Pot murdered over 4 million Cambodians. He was the Prime Minister of the Khmer Rouge and then he renamed the country to Kampuchea,” Strick explained. “And if you didn’t know who Idi Amin is… was, he ruled Uganda for eight years and was responsible for killings and corruption.”
“And you know all this?” Savvy smiled. “Not that I thought you were dumb. I thought you were only into Presidential and military history.”
Strick stood up and kissed her cheek. “I’m a man of many talents,” he smiled. “But I did my research when I took the case.”
“Savvy, do you believe that Stein has Adolph Hitler’s skull or did have it?”
“I don’t know if it’s real or not. There have been so many hoaxes over the years and different theories over his method of suicide, or even if he was truly dead, but the skull, which he proves he was, is of a man,” she opened the folder and exposed the photo of the skull. “And it’s been stolen. Our job is not to question the validity or credibility of the item stolen but find the stolen item. He has a certificate of authentication, but that just shows me that he didn’t rob someone’s grave and steal it. I’ll do whatever it takes to find this man’s skull. I don’t care if it’s Hitler’s or someone close to Stein and he’s keeping it for whatever reason. And I like what he said.”
“What’s that?” Strick asked.
“Proof that evil can die,” she smiled. “I want to do some research and take this money to the bank before my tea with Angelica.”
“What did he write on the fee schedule?” Strick asked.
“He rewrote my fees and included this money here and…” she sighed. “He wrote two totals. One if we find it in 30 days and one if we find it beyond that. Of course, he’s covered our fees even if we never find it.”
“A lot?”
“Our highest paying case yet,” she sighed. “More than Angelica pays when she loses one of her man servants and needs another background check on a new one,” she snickered. “Or when she loses…”
“A dead husband?” Leonard chuckled lightly.
“Yeah, that, too,” she smiled. “Now, don’t you two have work to do?”
“Right,” Leonard smiled, sitting behind his desk. “If you need help with research, let me know.”
“I’d like to see more info about that museum Strick was telling us about.”
“I’ll look it up and see what I can find,” he smiled. “Oh, Strick, that book you ordered should arrive any day now.”
“Thanks,” he smiled. “I’m looking forward to reading that.”
“Which one is that?” Savvy asked, standing up to pour herself another cup of coffee.
“Dead Presidents by Brady Carlson,” Strick said. “I’ve heard it was good.”
“Sounds interesting,” she smiled. “You going to work on that case?”
“Yeah, I got a lead I’m going to check out. I’ll do the report on my other case later if you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine,” her eyes flicked to Leonard, who was focused on his laptop screen.
5
Savvy got out of her car and walked up the steps to the large mansion. She eyed the grounds as she always did and noticed Harold Margolis’ crypt at the far end of the grounds. It was Harold’s missing dead but preserved body that led Angelica to her services and after the investigation, they remained good friends. Angelica was an older woman, who loved to be surrounded by her buff young 20-something man servants, but she was also happily on her second marriage, to Joseph, who also learned that he loved Angelica for more than her wallet. Savvy knocked on the door and smiled at the half-naked man who wore a black bowtie collar around his neck, a leather vest that covered his rock-hard chest and black linen pants. “Angelica is expecting me for tea,” she nodded. She didn’t bother remembering their names as they changed periodically based on Angelica’s whim or something that they did wrong. After a while, they started to blend together, even though she always did the background checks for anyone Angelica hired.
Savvy followed the man-servant to the parlor where Angelica was sitting. Angelica stood up from her lavish white chair and walked over to Savvy, where she kissed her cheek lightly. Angelica wore a black dress that was two inches above her knee, but it had a modest neckline. Usually, Angelica wore clothes that were much too young for her, but she realized she could have her own style, inspired by Savvy. “It’s so good to see you. I was hoping you’d have time for our weekly tea.”
“I always make time for our tea and anything for you, you know that,” Savvy tugged lightly on her braid.
“I see you dressed up,” Angelica smiled as she sat in the chair and crossed her legs.
“Very funny,” Savvy sat after Angelica did. She crossed her legs and rubbed her hands lightly on her purple corduroys. “Well, you know me. I did buy new sandals,” she laughed slightly.
“Doesn’t matter, you look good in whatever you wear. When I called, I noticed that Mr. Davis seemed kind of sad.”
“Oh?” she sighed. “He is, but we still haven’t heard about what happened with Ryan.”
“It’s terrible,” she sighed. “He’s such a nice young man.”
“Yeah, the best. I hate that he’s hurting so much,” Savvy said. “So, this week, our tea is earlier than normal. We usually meet on Thursdays and this is the first time we’ve met on a Monday.”
“I hope you didn’t get pulled away from anything.”
“I have a new case, but I have time for you. You know that. Is something wrong?”
“I’m looking to retire,” she sighed.
“Oh, what are you going to do? I know you spend a lot of time on charity work and Joseph is running the corporation.”
“I don’t want to keep doing that. I was thinking of selling most of the companies off, except for Harold’s architecture firm. He loved that, and Joseph runs it well.”
“Angelica, do what makes you happy. You know that. You’ve always done that. You no longer sit next to Harold in his crypt. You leave him alone and place flowers outside it on his birthday. You know how much your very eccentric late husband loved you. You and Joseph worked things out and if you don’t want to run a bunch of companies, don’t.”
“I guess I needed to hear it was all right,” she sighed. “I know I’m an adult, but I always seem to second guess myself.”
Savvy sipped her tea and then placed the cup on the coaster. She leaned forward and took Angelica’s hands. “You know I’m here for you and I’ll always be here for you. I support you, but you don’t need my permission or blessing.”
“Well, there is one more thing,” she sighed.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“I want to give you the block you live on.”
“I don’t understand. The block? I own my building.”
“I know, but from the unoccupied storefront right next to you, all the way to the corner, Harold owned, well, I own. The other direction was sold to your father, Harry, years ago. That’s why he owns the bar at the corner to where the alley is next to your building.”
“I knew what Harry owned and…” she stopped. “So, when I finally bought my property, I bought it from Harold?” she smiled.
>
“Well, more like me,” she smiled. “I didn’t realize what I owned until Mr. Davis went through all of the paperwork with me a few months ago. He has all this legal knowledge yet he’s not a lawyer.”
“He likes where is he is, but he could take that exam at any time and be a lawyer. I personally think he should at least take it. Doesn’t mean he has to practice it. Or practice it all the time.”
“Well, he is very smart. All of you are and you all are my friends, my family,” Angelica said. She reached over to the coffee table and picked up a folder off the table. “There are six buildings. Three are empty and those three are closest to your Agency. You can rent them out or expand your own business. Lord knows you’re growing and you could use the room. Anyway, it’s all yours. The other six have occupants and they would just pay you their rent.”
“None of these were owned, right?”
“No, they were all leases, so you’d collect the rent and I can also give you the contract to the maintenance that keeps up the rented buildings. Storefronts on the bottom, apartments on the top. There are a couple storefronts that have bottom apartments that lead to upstairs rooms. Not all apartments are filled. This folder gives you all the information.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Savvy said. “I don’t need the money or space.”
“It’s a gift. Please, take it. You could even hire people to take care of it for you or expand your Agency. It’s up to you.”
Savvy hugged Angelica. She didn’t want to take the gift, but she knew to always accept Angelica’s gifts. It was her way of expressing herself and her feelings. Savvy was Angelica’s only true friend. “I may need some of your advice,” Savvy kissed her cheek and sat back down in the chair.
“Of course,” she smiled. “Savvy, I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy. I have you. I have Strick and Leonard and even my brother is around, and we’ve been getting along, well, as well as we can get along. I have Harry and Tim. And as I said, I have you,” She sipped her tea.
“And I have you,” Angelica smiled.
6
Savvy, Strick, and Leonard got out of Savvy’s car and headed across the parking lot and down the alley toward the front of the Stein Building. Strick took her hand. “You sure Angelica gave all that to you?”
“Yes, mainly to us, all of us,” she said.
“It’s yours,” Leonard said.
“No, it’s all of ours. I told her to make it all of ours. We’re partners. Equal partners.”
“Uh, we’re three people. Can’t be totally equal,” Leonard said.
“Well, two of us will get 33 percent and one of us will get 34 percent. You two can decide or we can vote on it,” she smirked.
“You get the 34 percent,” Strick said, looking at Leonard, who nodded in agreement.
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “I want us all to look at the paperwork she gave me and then we’ll figure out what to do. She thinks we should expand the Agency.”
“Maybe we should,” Leonard said. “Our office is a little cramped. I’ll come up with some ideas,” The three of them approached the front of the building.
Savvy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned toward Leonard and Strick. “I have no idea what to expect.”
“That makes all of us,” Strick looked at Leonard, who nodded.
“Let’s do this,” she knocked on the unimposing white door.
Mr. Stein, holding on to his cane, looked through the small peephole and then opened the door. “Oh, good, you’re all here.”
“I thought this was going to be a storefront or something. The windows are pretty much covered,” Savvy noted, following Mr. Stein into the large room. Strick and Leonard followed closely behind. “I didn’t even realize the building was yours.”
“I’m sorry for the darkness,” he reached up and pulled a string, turning on the overhead light. “As for the building, it was my grandfather’s and then my father’s. I inherited it from him. My son, Oscar, doesn’t want anything to do with this legacy. He wants my money but not my assets. He’s 25 and thinks the world, or at least I owe him,” he sighed. “I’m sorry. You aren’t here to listen to my family problems.”
Savvy eyed the room, acknowledging all the entrances and exits. There were three glass counters, one on each side of the room and one at the far end of the wall. A gray door was behind the counter at the far end of the wall, with a sign saying no admittance. Savvy noticed long dark curtains were hung in the windows that faced the sidewalk outside, but there were some displays of old weaponry.
“When I’m not open, I close the curtains. I only display and show the people on the street what I want them to see. That goes for everything in this room as well. I have another room off this one and I keep that locked. It’s behind the bookshelf on that wall,” he pointed to a large brown bookshelf, filled with books, positioned against the wall behind the display case. “That is my private collection. I show prospective buyers pieces they may wish to buy, only after I’ve shown the piece’s photo from my binder,” He slowly walked over to the counter and opened a black binder. “This is my inventory of private pieces. I have three binders and I keep track of every single piece that I have. I keep my authentications in a safe in my basement.”
“When you show the piece,” Strick scanned the room. “How do you show it?”
“It depends,” he walked behind his counter that faced the far wall. He patted the glass case. “For instance,” he explained. “This display case only shows some pieces that I have regarding Presidential assassinations. Some are small bullet fragments, some are items, such as the handkerchief used to hold against President Reagan’s wound, or even a Secret Service pin worn by one of the agents during the Kennedy assassination,” He bent down and opened a cabinet, pulling out a blue velvet display platform. He put on a pair of white gloves and then reached into the cabinet. “This was a button from one of President Kennedy’s jacket,” He carefully placed a small button on the display. “I tell a story and show the piece.”
“No secret service items before that assassination?” Leonard asked.
“Well, I do have some items that pertain just to the Secret Service,” he carefully put the button back in its case. “The Secret Service was established in 1865, but it was primarily part of the Department of Treasury,” Stein walked over to another display case. He pointed to the display of Secret Service pins in the case. “Each pin shows how the department had changed. It wasn’t until 1901, that the Secret Service was given the duty of Presidential protection. That’s when McKinley was assassinated.”
“I’ve read about that,” Strick said. “I’m very fascinated by Presidential history.”
“Well then, I have a binder that shows all my pieces of Presidential history. I’d love to show it to you.”
“I’d love to look at it,” Strick eyed Savvy. “But first, Savvy needs to look at the area where your skull piece was removed.”
“Oh, of course,” he sighed. He walked over to the front door, limping slightly as he held on to his cane. He locked the door. He walked over to the bookcase against the wall and pressed a button. Slowly, the bookcase moved to its right, sliding on rails electronically, exposing a large steel door, with a pin-pad.
“So, you have to enter a code?” Savvy asked.
“Yes, ten-digit code that changes every 30 days. It beeps if I don’t change it. And it can’t be the same set of numbers for the past six months,” He entered his code and opened the door. “It’s hard to remember, so I use an old phone book. Every time I need to change it, I use a ten-digit phone number from the phone book. I keep that locked in my safe,” Once the door was open, it exposed a small hallway and then another door. “The second door also needs a pin, but it’s the last four digits of the previous pin and that changes at the same time,” He opened the other door. “My pieces are in here. Please follow me.”
“Strick, will you and Leonard stay out here?” she sighed.
&n
bsp; He nodded, knowing he and Leonard were her back up, especially since she could end up being locked in that small room.
“I’ll leave the door open,” Mr. Stein said. “I do have an emergency button in the room, that opens both doors.”
“Sorry, I always like knowing there’s a way out,” she sighed. “Please, keep the door open. But when you normally show a piece, do you close the door?”
“Just the outside steel door, not the inside door,” He limped into the room and used a key to unlock the frosted-glass display cases. “The skull was right here,” he sighed, pointing to an empty velvet covered display platform. “The indentation is still there. I gave you the photos, right?”
“Yes. Do you have security cameras?” she asked, eyeing the room. The room was outlined with frosted-glass, locked cabinets. Only shadows of the displays could be seen.
“In the other room, but the cameras were disabled about an hour before the theft and turned back on an hour after.”
“An hour exactly?” Savvy raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, exactly. Like it was timed or something.”
Savvy pulled her notebook out of her bag and took some notes about his answers. She also sketched the room and the displays. “I see that there are some shadows here, but not over here. Are all the displays full?”
“No, some are on loan right now. The only one missing is the Adolph Hitler skull. Well, there are a few smaller pieces, but they weren’t in this room or as valuable as the Hitler skull.”
“You used a key to unlock the case. May I examine the lock?”
“Yes,” he closed the case and moved to the side, so she could examine the lock.
She took out her magnifying glass and scanned every inch of the lock. She opened a plastic bag and used a toothpick to drop metal shavings into the bag. She looked out the door toward Strick. “I need photographs of this room, with all the displays closed and of each of the locks. Starting with this one. Then, I want to see the displays on each side of the empty one here. I want to know what displays were overlooked. Maybe if we can figure out why just this one, we can get a strong lead,” She looked at Mr. Stein. “Can we step out, so he can photograph this room?”