by R Weir
“You certainly aren’t slow to send it.
My cell phone chimed, for the incoming email likely from Barry. Shortly it was followed by the tone of someone calling. It was King.
“Someone just stopped by and served Mandy some legal papers.”
“From whom?”
“WANN systems. It came from Bristol & Bristol.”
It was my turn to curse.
“Did you know about this?” I asked.
“Hell no. Do you think they run their law cases through me? I’m just a lowly gumshoe like you.”
“Do you know what they are for?”
“Not yet. Mandy wanted to wait until you came by. May need a lawyer to read it, though. You know how these legalese documents go. Can’t make heads or tails of half of it.”
“Lucky for me, I have a lawyer present. Barry, do you feel like taking a drive?”
He pulled out his phone and went to work.
“You bet. More easy money. Let me start the clock again.”
Good thing my client could afford it, because Barry’s meter wasn’t cheap.
Chapter 44
When we arrived at Mandy’s, I let King take off for the day, since his shift was almost over. I called for pizza to be delivered, while Barry grabbed the papers and went to the kitchen table to read them over. It was several pages and, like King said, was probably written to confuse the layman. The time it took him to go over every word was the time it took for the pizza to arrive. I sat the two boxes down, while Mandy grabbed some drinks. Barry had a slice before talking.
“Jarvis, can I talk with you privately for a minute,” he said while standing.
“Sure,” I replied. I stood as well, grabbing a piece to take with me.
“Pardon us, Mandy. This will only take a minute.”
Barry led me out into the living area. He spoke softly so Mandy couldn’t hear him.
“Were you aware of some type of agreement Mandy had with WANN that involved payment?”
“She mentioned to me they offered to pay a year’s salary as a benefit because of his death.”
“Did she mention any stipulations in the agreement?”
“No. I figured it was hush money, but never asked if there was some type of contract involved.”
“Well you should have, because there was. I would say from what I read it was more than a year’s salary. Unless computer engineers make a whole lot more than I’m aware of. The payment was for five hundred thousand.”
I wanted to yell out. I looked over at Mandy who was slowly eating, trying to act like she wasn’t interested in our conversation. But now I suspected otherwise. I took a bite of my pizza, which wasn’t too bad. Even the worst pizza was normally edible.
“She did tell me money was not an issue. Now I know why. Did they pay it all up front?”
“No. Fifty thousand a month over a ten-month period. Do you want to know the stipulation?”
“Let me guess. Payment in lieu of not pursuing any legal charges against WANN for wrongful death?”
“Exactly. So long as she leaves them alone she gets paid.”
“So, this is a cease and desist order?”
“Yes. And they are using her hiring you as being an act of defying the agreement. That your job is to find fault with the company.”
“I can’t argue that. At least finding fault with who killed Aaron, which certainly seems to be someone at WANN. So they have a strong case, then?”
“I would say so.”
“How much have they paid her so far?”
“Four months. She is due a payment next week. But they are withholding it and wanting the other money returned if she continues to hire you to find her husband’s killer. And of course legal fees on top of that.”
I took two more bites. The pepperoni had some kick to it, so I required a drink and needed to talk with Mandy. We both walked over and sat down, and I tried to cool my palate with some iced 7-Up.
“Mandy, it appears you’ve neglected to tell me something again,” I said.
Her eyes averted downward. She appeared to know what was coming.
“These papers here are saying we must stop searching for your husband’s killer,” I said.
“We can’t. We are getting close to finding who did it.”
“You signed a paper saying you wouldn’t go after WANN,” said Barry.
“No, I didn’t. All I signed was papers paying me his salary.”
“He made five hundred grand a year?” I asked.
“They added a bonus.”
“Yes, they did. Not to pursue WANN.”
“It didn’t say that.”
“Did you read it?” asked Barry. “Or have a lawyer read it?”
“No. But they promised.”
“They lied. They included a copy. It specifically says that you are not to implicate WANN in any wrongdoing in Aaron’s death.”
“But we haven’t.”
“Not yet,” I said. “But we are digging into their business. Looking for a killer that likely works there, at the very least. At the most, possibly a conspiracy high up in the company. This document is to protect themselves from what we are pursuing.”
“That is not what they told me.”
“It may not matter,” said Barry. “We would have to prove they manipulated you in an emotional state, to try and buy you off. But that is hard to convince a judge or a jury of.”
“We can’t stop now; we are so close.”
“They will drag you into court and try to take back the money they paid you, along with court and legal fees.”
“How much time do we have?” I said.
“Knowing the court system, and how backed up it is, probably several weeks,” replied Barry. “But you won’t be receiving any more checks from them.”
“I have plenty of money. We need to finish this.”
“Even at the cost of them suing you?”
“Yes. Can you help me? I don’t have a lawyer.”
Barry looked at me and I nodded.
“Sure. I will need a retainer from you. I can stall for time, possibly get it pushed back some. But Bristol & Bristol have a lot of pull in this town with the court system. They can get things done few others can. I figure four to six weeks before we go in front of a judge. But they could have us there in two.”
“I need to see this through. I need both of you and will pay what it takes. If we prove them complicit in his death, it could be worth more than five hundred thousand. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Barry looked at me and smiled. I could see the dollar signs in his eyes. The question was, if we continued would we live to collect?
Chapter 45
Barry left a happy man, with a big check in his wallet and several pieces of pizza in his stomach. Law, food, and money were his passions. For me the pizza was filling, but I wasn’t as thrilled. More issues to deal with on another messy case. Life was not boring, but I was missing boredom, if even only for a lazy Sunday. It seemed in the distant past when I had a solemn afternoon with nothing to do but relax.
Mandy went back to work on cracking into the WANN network, with the information I’d provided her from Lyndi. So far she had not made it in, and had to take her time, since too many wrong attempts, ten within thirty minutes she told me, would lock out the account for an hour. If this happened too many times it was a red flag to the WANN security. So she had to take her time. She showed determination working away, noting each password she tried, the time it was tried and the number of failed attempts during the time frame. She was patient, never trying to do too much, too quickly. It was like being on a stakeout waiting for something to happen. If she could learn to shoot and fight, she might consider the occupation of detective as a second job.
As darkness and fatigue set in, the clock nearing ten, we called it a night. Even with exhaustion consuming me, I didn’t sleep too well, as my mind went over the whole case, piece by piece. From the first day Mandy and I met, to today with Barry and learning so
mething else she had kept from me. She lied to me, and I lied to the police. It was a string I wished I could break, but likely wouldn’t. Working in the shadows of deception sometimes was necessary. But it made for acid reflux and hair-trigger responses. I sat between a slow and painful, or sudden and bloody, death each and every day. I had to adapt, but was finding it challenging. My professional and personal lives seemed to always be in a state of flux.
When I woke up, it was still dark, the digital red numbers showing 2:17 a.m. I went to take a pee, drink some water and got back to the sofa, finding a return to slumber hard. Women now occupied my brain. Those early in life, up to the present. Each had their good and bad traits. I still could name them all. Well, at least the important ones that shaped my life. There had been a few one-night flings, where the names would escape me. Many of the women had brought pleasure to my life. Only a couple being quite bad. Balance had been good, but not enough to fulfill me to mend my eye-wandering ways.
Three had captured my attention this time. Lyndi, who seemed to strictly be looking for a physical encounter. Jessica, who was much the same. Both had been frank, maybe Lyndi more so, about what each wanted from me. And of course April, who could talk and act dirty, yet seemed to be looking for maybe a little bit more than sex, though was never shy about enjoying it. All had provided temptation. But still I felt the longing for the one I’d lost because of my indiscretions. She filled my waking thoughts and sleeping dreams. The faint hope that somehow she could see her way back to me. Even awake, the dream seemed unrealistic that I’d be one with Melissa, ever again.
Time passed, sleep came and I sensed someone moving around me. It was light but I didn’t want to wake up, even though I’d grown tired of the couch. I smelled coffee, which I hated, and fried bacon that I loved. I heard the front door open and I jumped up to my feet in one motion. It was Adam King walking in, time for his shift, the digital numbers reading just after eight.
“Hopefully I didn’t wake you from a pleasurable dream,” he said.
My head hurt from the sudden rush of adrenaline from my quick arising. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, or what little I’d experienced.
“No dream. It was a void of darkness before you came in.”
“You look terrible,” said King. “Not that you were a day at the beach before. Still, if I were you, I’d go home and take a nap.”
“Need to sleep in my own bed for a night or two.”
“Or a bed in general. Preferably with someone naked lying next to you.”
King was showing a little humor. Not something I’d often seen in him.
“Do you think you can cover a night shift or two?”
His smile turned to a frown.
“I’m already pulling enough time on this. Sitting doing nothing, short of catching up on my reading. Besides, I can’t sleep on a sofa, and I doubt our client will allow me in her bed.”
“Not in a million years!” yelled Mandy from the first floor office.
I needed a break. I would work on finding someone to stay the night. April’s brothers looked like my best option.
“There is a familiar car out front,” said King. “Looks like Cong and Lok’s car.”
I went over to the window to check. Sure enough, it was sitting outside about a house or two down.
“Who was inside?” I asked.
“Couldn’t tell. Those tinted windows are impossible to see through from a distance. Hard to tell even up close.”
I was tired and feeling a bit cranky. Being confrontational was not a smart idea, but I didn’t care. The mood I was in didn’t matter. I got dressed, went to the bathroom and grabbed some of the remaining bacon, with a glass of OJ. With shoes on and .38 tucked in my back belt I headed outside in the warm morning sun, walked right up to the window and knocked on it. It slowly eased down and it was Lok sitting there, looking as if he’d eaten glass for breakfast. A glance in the back showed he was alone.
“Good morning, Lok,” I said. “Mind telling me what you are doing here?”
He didn’t return the greeting, only looking at me with cold eyes that had frozen many a victim. Since he didn’t speak much, if any, English, I knew it would be a one-way conversation. It didn’t matter, as I liked to hear myself talk and there would be no point-counter-point debate.
“If you are here to try and scare us off, it’s not going to work. I’m sure a busy guy like you has better things to do than sit out here in the hot sun all day long. Go and karate chop some three-quarter-inch planks.”
His eyes seemed to recognize some of what I was saying. He answered me back in Chinese, but I didn’t have a clue what he said. The gist of it was, he didn’t give a flying fuck what I thought.
“Fuck you too!” I said.
He flipped me off, the F-word one expression he recognized, and I walked back to the house. I’d had all I could take. I told Adam I’d be back tonight, hopefully with someone to cover the night shift. I then went and talked with Mandy.
“Any luck?” I asked.
“Nothing yet. I’ve been through a lot of combinations for the 49ers. May need to move onto the Giants.”
“Try Golden State,” I suggested. “They won a championship recently. Since they are the hot team in town, it might make sense. Team nickname is the Warriors.”
“Sure, I can go with them after I’ve exhausted my 49er options. I will break through eventually. Only a matter of time.”
“I may have someone else take the night shift. I need to get some better sleep.”
“Not King, I hope!”
She still didn’t think much of him.
“No. If it’s anyone, it would be a cop I know. So you’ll be safe. If I can’t find someone I will be back.”
“There is a spare bedroom upstairs.”
“I know. But being down here is better for hearing anyone breaking in. Upstairs I wouldn’t know until they are inside. And I don’t want that to happen.”
She understood and I said my goodbyes. No reason to tell her about Lok. I didn’t think he’d try anything and was only there to intimidate. As I headed home, the wind blowing in my face, the open helmet shield letting in the breeze, I decided I needed company, either for lunch or dinner. When I walked in the door I pulled out my cell phone, looking at the number several times, uncertain what the outcome would be. But I wanted to be bold. I dialed the number and heard the familiar voice, getting an answer I’d hoped for.
Chapter 46
I needed rest before my late lunch. I always had a hard time sleeping during the day and made my bedroom as dark as I could. Still, I was only able to truly get about an hour before waking up, my mind a jumble of activity that I couldn’t bring myself to focus on. So I went to workout, which often got my mind back on the right track. After that a long shower and I was dressed ready to go shortly after one.
We were meeting up at Ted’s Montana Grill on West Alameda Avenue. I arrived early, before two, and got a table. I was nervous but happy she’d agreed to have lunch with me this Sunday afternoon. For now, I ordered iced water, waiting. At about five minutes after two, she walked in. I stood up to greet her, giving her a gentle hug that she didn’t shy away from. She was dressed in light colored shorts and tank top, with flip-flops on her feet. Her hair was longer and somewhat bleached looking, her skin tanned from the sun. She seemed to be out a lot enjoying the rays and heat of the summer. Melissa sat down, with a nice smile, appearing happy to see me. I certainly was happy as well.
“You look great,” I said. “It appears you’ve been basking in the sun a lot this summer.”
“I have been staying as busy as I can. Riding my bike, going for walks, lounging some on my deck. A lot of me time, which I needed.”
“I’m glad.”
The waitress arrived and we both ordered drinks. She wanted iced tea, which I decided to have as well. When asked about an appetizer, we decided on the Bison Nachos.
“I’d like to say you look good too,” stated Melissa. “When you cal
led you sounded tired, which is how you look as well.”
“Been sleeping on a couch, providing protection for my client. Not at all comfortable, to say the least.”
“Then working during the day?”
“Yes. Except for today. I needed a break. Something where I wasn’t looking over my shoulder, wondering what might be coming my way.”
Our drinks and nachos arrived. Melissa had asked for some extra lemons, and was squeezing them into the tea, then stirring and tasting until she got it right. I enjoyed a couple of nachos, finding the sodium content on extra high. We weren’t ready to order just yet, so the waitress said she’d check back shortly.
“So you called me,” said Melissa.
“Yes. I was glad you agreed.”
“I almost didn’t. I’m still hurting from what happened. Seeing you is difficult, but it was such a sudden break…” She stopped, trying to find the words. “I missed seeing you every day. The feelings are still there, both of love and of anger. I hope to find a middle ground.”
“I understand. Going cold turkey without seeing you is painful for me as well. All I can do is blame myself for messing up and say I wished it never happened. But time travel isn’t possible. So I trudge on, hoping to do better.”
Melissa looked at me, her eyes moist. She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at them.
“Someday I may be able to forgive you,” she said. “For now it hurts. But I do want to stay in contact. Hopefully be friendly, if not friends.”
“Someday I hope to forgive myself. Yes, I would like for us to remain friends. I don’t have many, so I need all of them I can come by.”
Melissa reached out her hand and touched mine. Healing was beginning, that I was happy for. I’m sure she’d still hold mistrust in her heart at my ability to commit to a faithful relationship. Hell, I mistrusted myself as well.
“What else have you been doing this summer?” I asked.
“Working and what I already told you. I will be starting back to school in a few weeks. I’ve decided to cut back my hours at Bristol & Bristol and try to finish up this year and be ready to take the bar exam by next summer. Tony has been supportive of my decision. Even willing to pay me nearly at my normal rate, though I would be working ten to fifteen hours less per week.”