by DK Cassidy
Lucien will be in soon, and I want the transition to be smooth. Perhaps a change of subject is best. “Maybe we should talk about the case, Judy.”
She turns to look at me and smiles; the shoulder rub is working.
“You’re right.” Her shoulders relax. “We can come back to the partnership later. So tell me how it went last night. I’m always interested in your cases.”
Too tired to go over every detail of the prior evening, I give Judy the condensed version of the events. If she wants to know more, she can ask me.
“We flew to New Chicago to see if Jennifer was at the PharmiCor offices.”
She perks up at that. “You were able to get last-minute tickets? They must have cost a fortune.”
“Well, no. Lucien has a private space shuttle.”
Judy gawks at me. “Seriously? Just how rich is this man?”
“Very rich. Come on, Judy. CEO of a pharmaceutical company? Anyway, once we got to his office, we searched for Jennifer. We finally found her in the women’s locker room in the gym.”
“Wait, they have a gym at work?”
“It’s not important. She shot at us, then locked us in a closet. After a bit, Grant found us and let us out.”
“Whoa, whoa, WHOA! She shot at you? Are you okay?”
The look of concern on Judy’s face is heartwarming.
“Yes, none of us were injured. We came back to New New York to regroup and come up with a plan to track her down.”
Judy refills our coffee mugs in silence. I hope she’s thinking about what I told her rather than the partnership. Feeling antsy, I walk back and forth in front of her, the fingers on my left hand drumming on my thigh.
“So, any ideas, Judy? What do you think our next step should be? I could use some help.”
Another broad smile from Judy. She must have an idea. “Have you tried looking up Jennifer’s background yet? I mean other than her employment records. Where was she born, what schools did she attend, has she ever been married?”
This isn’t what I was hoping for.
“Don’t give me that look, Lily. I’m not finished yet. Does she owe money to anyone? Any addictions? The answers to each of these questions will draw a picture of Jennifer.”
Much better. I like the way Judy is thinking. I give her a hug before answering.
“Hey, who’s the PI around here? Those are good questions. If she owes anyone money, that could be her motivation for smuggling maxxolonium. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t ask your new boyfriend. Oh, sorry. I meant ‘partner.’”
Snarky Judy is back.
“How many times do I need to tell you, Lucien isn’t my boyfriend.”
She looks skeptical but drops the subject. “Do you want me to do the research to answer those questions? I don’t have anything else to do right now. Other than refill your coffee cup.”
“Hey!” I protest.
“Pfft, it’s not a dig, it’s just that other than the Jennifer Spion case, there isn’t any work.”
That’s a thought. Maybe I should give Judy some actual responsibilities. Up to now, she’s been more of a confidant and gofer, not an actual PI assistant. Time to change that.
“Judy, I’d like you to start taking on some of the workload. Well, when there is a workload. How about if research is one of your duties from now on? You can do that while I do the field work. Does that seem like a fair deal?”
Judy looks surprised and pleased by my offer. She nods and heads to her desk with a slight smile on her face. I’m still not sure how she can stand to work in such a tiny room, but it seems to suit her. It’s barely bigger than a closet but holds everything she needs. Maybe it helps that she goes to her enormous apartment in the evenings. For sure she’s slumming it when she comes to work.
Now to get back to the partnership conversation. I’m dreading bringing it back up. Judy has already given me her opinion. How am I going to change her mind? Maybe if she spends more time with Lucien, she’ll begin to like him.
“Before you begin your research,” I call from my office, “let’s talk about the change to my business again.”
Judy’s lips tighten into a thin, firm line. She crosses her arms across her chest and looks at me. Damn, she’s not giving an inch.
“What more could you say? You know how I feel. It’s unlikely there’s anything you can say to change my impression of him.”
“You can’t even say his name?”
She shakes her head.
“Let me ask you this. Do you trust me?”
Judy nods.
“Are we best friends?”
She nods again.
“Then I think you should give me the benefit of the doubt here. I’ve made foolish decisions in my life before. You know that. But I’ve learned from past mistakes, especially about men.”
Judy looks angry again. The pink dots reappear on her cheeks. “I suppose he’s going to throw his money around and take over everything. Move the office and get rid of me. He’s used to being in charge. Now he’s going to act like your boss. Why the hell does a freaking CEO want to be a partner in our tiny little PI business anyway? Doesn’t he have a company to run?”
Judy doesn’t know that I’ve been wondering the same things. Unless I stand my ground about the money, it’s likely what she’s worried about will come to pass.
“Don’t worry. I told him I wouldn’t take any of his money. We’re forming this partnership on my terms. Oh, and you are part of the package, so he’ll never fire you. I won’t let him. Give this a chance. If not for any other reason, then for our friendship. I can’t lose you, but I’m determined to make this partnership work. Okay?”
No answer. I don’t want to choose between Judy and Lucien, but if I have to, I will.
Chapter Twelve
I can feel someone’s eyes on me. I look up and see Lucien standing in the open doorway of my, I mean, our office. I need to get used to saying “our.” Judy and I were so deep in conversation, neither of us was aware he’d arrived.
“Good morning, ladies. Am I late for a meeting?”
Lucien is charming as always, and I find myself smiling as he speaks.
“No, Lucien, we were just chatting about… Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I didn’t think you’d be in until nine a.m. That’s usually when I show up. Got an early start this morning. Want some coffee? There’s a fresh pot on that table over there.”
This is my not-so-subtle way of announcing I won’t be serving him. And neither will Judy. At least not yet.
“I’m fine. Already had coffee and breakfast.” Lucien stands awkwardly, waiting for me to say something.
“We should finish formulating our plan this morning. Sit over here and let’s get started.”
“So, where should I put my stuff?” Lucien looks around the small office, trying to figure out where to put his bag.
“Judy, would you take care of finding a desk for him, please?”
She gives me one last disapproving glance before standing up. “Let me take care of that, Mr. McAvoy.”
“Please, call me Lucien.”
“Not a chance.” Judy moves the coffee machine from its rickety table to the top of my filing cabinet. Then she places the “desk” in the corner of the room, facing it away from the window. In a final act of defiance, Judy grabs a box and slides it over to the table for his chair.
Oh boy. I thought I’d calmed her down, but she’s still really pissed. Maybe if I involve her in this, Judy will begin the process of accepting Lucien. It’s worth a try. Choosing between the two of them is something I don’t want to deal with.
I clear my throat. “Lucien, Judy is great at analyzing clues. Why don’t we have her be a part of the conversation?”
Judy watches Lucien, waiting to see his reaction.
“That’s fine with me. If you trust her skills, then so do I.”
Judy stands up and without a word goes into her office and shuts the door.<
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I sigh. “Well, that’s our answer,” I say.
Lucien shrugs. I’m surprised how easily he gives up. “Maybe she’ll change her mind, but we don’t have the time to wait. Did you come up with any new ideas?”
I pick up my tablet and go to the file with my notes. I beam them to Lucien’s device and wait for him to read them. After ten minutes, he looks up.
“Interesting. I hadn’t thought about Jennifer’s financial situation. Glad you thought of that.”
“The credit goes to Judy. She came up with quite a few good ideas. In fact, I’ve changed her duties to include doing research for us. Since we’re partners now, I probably should have consulted with you, but it’s a good decision.”
“I trust you on this,” he says. “You’ve known her much longer than I have. What’s next?”
He looks funny sitting on a box. Maybe I should get him a chair and a proper desk. Or maybe he can supply his own. He must have thousands of pieces of office furniture available to him. Another compromise on my part, but I can’t afford to shop.
“Is there someone you can call to bring you something more suitable for working on? I know I said I didn’t want any charity, but you look ridiculous. Plus you must be uncomfortable.”
Lucien pulls out his communicator and sends a text to someone. He gets a reply almost immediately. He smiles. “All set. I’ll have proper furniture in a half an hour.” He leans back slightly. “I’m surprised you’re letting me do this. I thought I had to make do with what was available here. Thank you for compromising.”
That’s going to be the theme of our partnership. Compromise. I took a hard stand about not using Lucien’s money, but I’m also practical. I just have to be careful how much I let him spend, but some things are going to be out of my reach financially, so there it is. I do need him.
“Enough housekeeping,” I say. “One other thing. I think we need to sign a contract to make things official. I know we’re in a hurry to find Jennifer, but this is important as well. Shall we write up a simple one now? Your lawyers can draft something later, but I think it’s in both of our interests to get something on paper immediately.”
“Sure, I get that. Why don’t we each jot down something on our tablets, beam it to each other, then go from there.”
I nod and get to work, trying to decide what is important to me. It doesn’t take long before I have the terms I want. Looking up, I see Lucien is also finished. His contract shows up on my tablet a few seconds later. I’m surprised to read he has pretty much what I want. The only thing I disagree with is his point about working hours. There’s no way I can guarantee that we don’t work weekends.
“If you’re going into the PI business, you have to realize that crime doesn’t happen Monday through Friday. Guaranteeing weekends off is not going to happen. Other than that, I agree to your terms because they’re essentially the same as mine.”
Lucien is quiet for a few seconds. Is he about to back out of our arrangement? The thought of him changing his mind is almost a relief. Almost. It surprises me how much I’m looking forward to working with him, but I know it will be simpler if I don’t.
“Don’t you have a personal life? We’re working weekends too? One of the reasons I want to be your partner is to experience something exciting and different. I’m tired of working 70-80 hours a week. Never feeling like I have any time to myself.”
“Look, I don’t want to work seven days a week either, but it may happen depending on the case. Until this enterprise becomes profitable, we have to take any case that comes our way. Maybe in the future we’ll have the luxury of weekends off, and vacation time. I haven’t had a vacation since I started this business.”
More silence. I admit I’m completely baffled. For someone in Lucien’s position, he must be used to working long hours. Or does he have his minions do it all? I’m about to find out. While I wait for his answer, I go over to Judy’s door and knock.
“Hey, may I come in?”
Silence. No one is talking to me right now. One is pissed and the other is gawking at no Saturdays and Sundays off. I try again and knock.
“Come on, Judy, I need to talk to you.”
There’s a quiet response from her to come in. When I enter her office, I’m surprised to see her engrossed in something on her tablet. She isn’t moping; she’s working.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” she says. “Have you been waiting outside my office for long?”
“No, not really. You doing all right? Are you still mad at me?”
Judy looks surprised. “I can’t stay mad at you, girlfriend. I had my say, now I’m moving on.”
“What are you working on?”
She laughs, then holds up her tablet. “You’ve forgotten already? I thought I had new duties now. That’s what I’m working on, boss. The research you assigned me. Have to say, it’s fascinating. Jennifer has a huge addiction.”
I snort. “You mean to men? Or is it something more serious?”
Judy laughs again. It’s good to see her happy. “Well, there’s that, but no. Jennifer is addicted to gambling. Big time. She owes over a million uni-chits. A million! Those must be some high-stakes games she’s betting on. I’m still trying to find out if it’s cards or races. Those are the usual suspects.”
Shock. That’s the only way to describe my reaction to her news. A gambling problem? I thought that didn’t exist anymore. There have been so many new therapies since the twenty-first century. One session in the therapy machine and the desire to gamble vanishes. I suppose it could happen if she never told anyone. She’d have been sent to a psychiatrist immediately, and that would have set off red flags on any background check, including one done by PharmiCor. This woman is a master at keeping secrets. The only addictions left are physical ones like drugs. That and coffee, as I can attest to.
“Good work, Judy. Would you beam whatever you have so far to my tablet? If you don’t want to come out, I can give you Lucien’s email address so he can read your research. Or here’s a novel idea, you could follow me and beam him the file.”
Judy’s frown returns. Oh damn, I’ve blown it again.
“Okay, okay. I’ll come out there, but I’m not calling him by his first name. Agreed?”
I nod and turn away. One step at a time. She’ll change her mind about him eventually. I hope.
When I enter my office, I’m surprised to see that Lucien has his eyes closed. Maybe he didn’t sleep last night. I know I’m tired, and I slept four hours. Not wanting to wake him, I go to my desk and begin reading Judy’s research. Soft snoring comes from him. So, Mr. Perfect snores. Not what I was expecting.
Judy walks over to Lucien, and with obvious glee, shakes him awake.
“Mr. McAvoy.”
“What? Where…?” He looks up at Judy, somewhat dazed. “Oh, I was dozing. Sorry, how unprofessional of me. Didn’t sleep at all last night. Too excited. I couldn’t shut my brain down. Good to see you’ve returned, Judy.”
Judy holds her tablet up, pointing it at Lucien’s.
“There you go. Some research I’ve been working on. Did Lily tell you I’m in charge of research now?”
Not waiting for an answer, she moves to the farthest point in the office away from him and leans against the wall. But before I go on, there’s still the little matter we’d just been bickering about.
“Hey, before we do anything else, I need your decision, Lucien. Do you agree to my terms?”
“That’s what I was thinking about before I fell asleep. Who needs time off, right? Not me. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself. Yes, I agree. No guarantee of weekends off. But I will be doing my best to drum up business so we can be in the position someday to have more leisure time. Are you going to be okay with that?”
That works for me, so I agree.
“You can read all the details in the file later, Lucien. The big reveal is that Jennifer Spion is a gambling addict,” I say.
His calm facade crumbles when he hears th
at. This is news to him, and he’s shocked. Interesting. She hid that from him as well.
“That’s not something I expected to hear. Thought that kind of thing didn’t exist anymore.”
“I had the same thought.”
I look at Judy, and she nods but says nothing. At least she’s not frowning.
“It gets worse. Jennifer owes one million uni-chits. That may be pocket change to you, but I can’t wrap my head around owing that much money.” I sit down, shaking my head. “This gives us a motive, but it doesn’t tell us if she is working alone or with others. We already know Jupzi is somehow involved, but is it of his own free will? Maybe… maybe he’s addicted, and she’s his source.”
Someone knocks on the outer door, interrupting our conversation. That must be the new desk and chair. It takes a couple of minutes to make the delivery. Fast and efficient. Without a word, they leave us to finish what we were talking about.
Lucien looks to Judy. “Judy?”
“Okay, this is what I think,” says Judy. “Jupzi is a liar and a cheat, and he must be working with her.”
“Well,” he says, “he was—”
“He’s double-crossed you, Mr. McAvoy. You aren’t a very good judge of character. Seems that should be something for you to work on if you’re going to be part of this business, don’t you think?”
He blinks, a bit taken aback by her hostility, but then he nods. Lucien sends another text. He goes back and forth with whomever he’s communicating with for a couple of minutes. I hope he tells me what this is about.
“We’re set to meet up with Grant at the Luna Coffee Shop in half an hour. I emailed Judy’s file to him so he can get up to speed.”
Now I’m pissed.
“You set up a meeting without consulting with me first? Uh, partners, remember? Do I need to define the word for you? We need to consult with each other before we make any sort of move. Including meeting with Grant.”
He sets his comm down on his new desk. “I apologize. To be honest, I’m not used to sharing decisions. My reflex is to act on ideas as soon as they come to me. This will take practice, but I’m determined to make this work. Just give me some time to adjust.”