Chapter 6
An Enlightening Meeting
At Lynn’s house, Tinker greeted them both enthusiastically. They spread the Chinese food on the table together. Lynn sat down with two Diet Pepsis, placing one in front of Sotello. “Okay Jim, how many languages do you speak?”
“Five,” Sotello replied, “French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Italian, and of course English. I can communicate in Vietnamese in a pinch, but not very well.”
She looked at him in silence for a moment, as he popped their soda tops, and he took a sip of his. “You give me an inferiority complex.” Sotello laughed, and almost choked on his soda.
“I’m serious Jim. You’ve been like the Energizer Bunny your whole life. I feel like I haven’t done anything. I think I’m beginning to hate you. Why are you not earning a salary in the six figure bracket, and living with servants and a mansion?”
“I arrived at this place in my life, with the knowledge I have, by taking a particular path. The journey could not end with servants and a mansion, because I am not that kind of man,” Sotello explained simply. “I have the good life, Lynn. The knowledge and experience I have gained over the years came to me through my own desire. I am goal and money oriented, but money comes if I pursue what I love to do, and I do it well. I told you I have invested wisely. My wealth may not be enough for mansions, and servants, but I have enough to give my kids a good start in life.”
“How do you know those people at the Chinese restaurant so well?”
“Another one of these interconnected threads in life, which always astonish me. When you mentioned Chinese food instead of cooking dinner, and then Craig showed me Sanders involvement, I start feeling like I’m trapped in some kind of pre-fabricated tapestry. Ellen loves Chinese food, so I would go over and get it where we got tonight’s dinner, once every week or two, from the time she was ten. I found out the proprietors speak Mandarin, so naturally we struck up a friendship. Three years ago, Craig and I took Ellen there for her birthday dinner, when in walks Sanders’ leg-breaker. It seems he had set up a protection racket with the businesses in the area, without Sanders’ knowledge. They did not have the money he wanted, so he started to make a scene. I stopped him. Afterwards, I met Sanders. The Mings and I became very good friends. You can see how all of this can get a little weird with so many roots from the same tree. I don’t try to overanalyze it, but it always amazes me.”
“I can sure understand that,” Lynn agreed. “How did you stop the guy?”
“When I interfered with his little tantrum, he began to pull a gun. I took it away from him. He looked at my kids, and told me if I wanted to keep them healthy, I would mind my own business. He broke three vertebrae in his neck when I body slammed him through a table and into the floor. Sanders called me the next day. I went to meet him, because I knew of him. We came to an understanding.”
“What kind of understanding?”
“We agreed there would be no retribution, the protection racket would end, and he would handle his employee after he left the hospital. In return, neither the Mings nor I would press charges.”
“What did he do to the guy?”
“I don’t know, nor do I care,” Sotello answered.
“Wow, we live in a small world, huh Jim?”
“Sometimes too small,” Sotello smiled. “It can get downright tiny. This particular episode appears to be approaching freaky small.”
“How so?”
“I have never been a big believer in coincidence, and my mind has not finished absorbing this one. Anyhow, we meet with Sanders after we pick up your case file from Craig in the morning. We go to the restaurant, and you leave me to do the talking. Say nothing unless I bring you into the conversation. Offer only answers to direct questions, and do not elaborate. He will probably have already decided on what he wants to do. Sanders probably knows everything we will be telling him about your part in all this.”
“Why meet with him at all then?” Lynn asked.
“As I said, I think this all seems a bit too pat. If everything appears to be on the up and up tomorrow morning, the fact he already has the knowledge of your part would make this meeting appear to be a test. I would have to assume this has all been a set up from the beginning. Anyway, let’s eat and forget about this for now.”
“It all looks delicious. Your friends are very good at what they do,” Lynn commented.
Sotello nodded. “They are the best. This will ruin you for Chinese food from anyone else.”
__
Sotello sat in one of the easy chairs in Gillingham’s living room, drinking tea. Lynn had poured herself some wine and sat on the loveseat near him. “Do you drink Jim?”
“Sure, I have a couple once in a while. I pick my spots.”
“And my place is not one of those spots?”
“Actually, anyplace I’m driving a car. If I drink, I don’t drive. This probably disqualifies me for any hard drinking detective parts, right?”
“I imagine you wouldn’t take a part anyway. You could drink if you want tonight. You can stay here.”
“I’m flattered, but that would be one more complication this case does not need.”
Lynn put her wine glass down, and took Sotello’s teacup from his hand. She slid onto his lap without breaking eye contact, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn’t protest as she closed the distance between their lips slowly. She brushed his lips lightly with hers, neither one of them closing their eyes. Lynn felt his arousal right through her dress, as he kissed her back. Something she did not count on happened. His kiss electrified her. Far beyond passion, Lynn felt the shock of a hunger and intensity, which catapulted her back in time. She returned his kiss with unexpected ardor, grinding herself closer. Sotello rose to his feet easily with her in his arms. He pulled away gently, as he set her down, forcing her away to arm’s length.
“Jim,” she said breathlessly. “I know you want me.”
“I want many things Lynn,” he replied. “As I explained to you, I’m not Magnum, P.I. Please don’t be offended, but I do not do anything fast. I definitely don’t take on a client in this kind of complicated and dangerous matter, and then sleep with her the first time we’re alone.”
“We’re both grownups Sotello,” she said exasperatedly. “I promise to respect you in the morning.”
“I’m not worried about what you think about me in the morning Lynn.” Sotello smiled. He released her, and turned to the door. He bent down and petted Tinker, who had followed along with him. Turning back to where she stood with her arms folded, he gave her a little wave.
“I will stop and pick you up tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM, if that’s okay.”
“That will not be necessary Mr. Sotello,” she replied coldly. “I will meet you at your office at 7:30 AM.”
“Very well. Goodnight Lynn. I will see you in the morning.” Sotello left her still standing silently behind him. He was suddenly glad he had loaded the shotgun, and put it up in her room. Things were getting very exciting, he thought. He drove directly over to his office, hoping to catch his son before he went home. Sotello saw some light from the side of his building. He parked the Dodge in the front when he noticed Craig’s Camaro across from the office. Inside, Craig met him at the door to the back. Craig smiled knowingly.
“So, old man, your charm has grown old along with your body huh?”
Sotello laughed at his son’s jibe. “No, unfortunately, she was very taken with me, or so it seemed.”
“Well what the hell are you doing here?”
“Not letting my dick do my thinking for me. A method of living I highly recommend to you.”
“She was gorgeous Dad. Wear some protection if you’re worried about your health.”
“Exactly, she is gorgeous. Remember those old Matt Helm novels I encouraged you to read when you were a little younger, and you liked all the secret agent stuff?”
“Yea, I… oh, I see,” he replied nodding. “If a beautiful woman finds you irresistibl
e, and you are not; then you must remember two things: one, you are still not irresistible, and two, she wants to use you for some nefarious purpose you are unaware of.”
“Well put, Number One.”
“Have you not heard,” Craig instructed, “the old line about ‘you can use me until you use me up’?”
“I invented it, but I don’t let it get me killed. This Sanders guy does not play well with strangers, and there are too many little interconnecting pieces in this puzzle.”
“You’re getting me excited now. What happened to the old ho hum detective business?”
“I don’t know Craig, but I plan on getting it back once we settle this. The short hairs on the back of my neck are standing straight up. I will be watching very closely when I introduce Sanders to Ms. Gillingham tomorrow.”
“You don’t mean you think… come on Dad. You’re starting to make this sound like a James Bond movie. Relax, have a little fun.”
“Not this time Bub, and not with these people. Too much appears to be at stake here for me to start acting like I’m irresistible.”
“Mom picked you right out, and that didn’t stop you,” Craig reminded him. “You weren’t pretty then either.”
“Maybe not, but your Mom didn’t have me acting as intermediary between her and a mob boss.”
“Good point. In any case, come on, and I will show you her accounts, and the way I have them for presentation. It appears on the surface she did get conned, and he hit her pretty good.”
“Those get rich quick schemes will do it to you every time. I hope she has been on the up and up with us.”
“You could just drop the case Dad.”
“Yea, I could, but where’s the fun in that?”
“Now you’re talkin’. Come on in the back, and I will show you how Ms. Gillingham moved a couple of steps further away from the Fortune 500.”
“Hey, did you talk to Ellen?”
Craig shifted his face into an Ellen imitation flawlessly, with one hand on his hip. “Oh Craig, when will he ever realize we have grown up?”
Sotello was howling in laughter. “You… you better not… let her catch you… doing that. Oh God… Craig, you should try show business.”
“Do you remember when Mom caught me imitating her for you and Ellen?”
“I thought she would tear your little arms and legs off.” Sotello started laughing again at the memory, with Craig joining in.
Sotello put his arm around his son. “Come on, and show me your stuff, so you and I can call it a day.”
Craig immediately led the way in a perfect John Wayne hunched forward pigeon toed walk. “C’mon pilgrim, we’re burnin’ daylight.”
Sotello followed, again convulsed in laughter.
__
The next morning as Sotello was having coffee with his son, the outer office motion detector announced Lynn’s arrival. He went to meet her. She smiled self-consciously at him as he entered the front office. She wore a navy blue, conservative dress, and she had pulled her hair back tightly from her face. Sotello thought she looked as good as any woman he had ever met. The memory of her on his lap the night before made him cringe inside.
“Good morning Counselor,” Sotello said, smiling back. “Did you sleep well?”
“I could have slept better,” Lynn replied. “I’m sorry about last night Jim. I had no right to…”
“Forget it,” Sotello interrupted. “Come on back and have some coffee while we go over Craig’s work.”
Sotello held the door for her. Craig had already poured her a cup of coffee. They shook hands like old friends, and Lynn sat down opposite the two men. Craig placed a folder with his presentation in front of her. She sipped her coffee as she looked over his sheets. She looked up at Craig a few minutes later.
“You really have talent Craig. If I were going to a bank for a loan, instead of a mobster to beg for my life, I would be excited going to this meeting. I will have to settle for well prepared.”
“Thanks Lynn, I’m sorry you were taken like you were. He must have really been a good con.”
“He was indeed,” Lynn sighed convincingly, as Sotello watched her closely, “but if I were not the gold digger he thought I was, I would still have my money.”
“You seem to have too much going for you to fall into a thing like this,” Craig commented, “but I’ve been on the verge of a few dumb things myself.”
“It puts other parts of my life in a better perspective,” Lynn replied. “If I live through it, I will accumulate more money. I just have to get back to work.”
“Would you excuse Craig and I, Lynn? I want to discuss some business with him.”
“Sure, I’ll stay with the coffee pot.”
Craig followed his father over to the conference room. Sotello closed the door after Craig walked inside.
“What’s up Dad?”
“I can spot an Oscar winning performance from a long way off.”
“You mean: ‘if I live through it’?” Craig imitated Gillingham perfectly, including the sigh.
“My God boy, you are good. You make those dweebs on Saturday Night Live look like raw amateurs.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“I want you to go over there before us, and bring the long range camcorder with you. Leave now, and take a movie of Sanders and any of his crew he brings with him. He will come in style, so you will have no trouble knowing when he gets there. He would be in his early to mid-forties now, graying hair, about six feet tall, medium build. I’ll tell Lynn you had to go to class.”
“A lie?”
“I’m teaching you the detective business. Class is now in session.”
“Okay. Do you want me to stay and film him on the way out?”
“Only if you miss him going in. Go ahead and take off.”
Craig nodded and left, stopping in the computer room to pick up the camcorder. Sotello went back to the kitchen.
“Where’s Craig?”
“He has an early class today. I’ll catch up with him later on.”
“You’re worried, aren’t you?” Lynn asked.
“I’ve been worried ever since they were born,” Sotello answered.
“I meant about the case.”
“Nope, only about my kids, everything else just happens.”
“I guess from your perspective I’m just another liability,” Lynn commented.
“Not unless you make yourself one. Right now, you’re a client, who I am trying to help. Now, let’s go over this stuff a little, and then we will head on over to the restaurant. I think we should be right on time.”
__
As Sotello turned into the parking lot, he looked all around for Craig’s Camaro, but could not see it. He hoped his son had been able to record Sanders already. He could see only one limousine, so he assumed Craig had been able to record the arrival and leave. Taking Lynn’s arm, he guided her through the front entrance. A young woman came right up to them as they entered.
“Mr. Sotello?” the young lady asked, smiling brightly, “let me take you to your party.”
“Thank you,” Sotello replied. He smiled inwardly, wondering how Sanders had described him so this greeter would know him as soon as he entered the door. They followed her to a section partitioned off from the rest of the restaurant. Sanders sat at a table alone. Two other men were at another table on the opposite side of the room. They had stopped talking, and watched Sotello guide Lynn to the Sanders’ table. Sanders stood up, holding out his hand, which Sotello grasped.
“Mr. Sotello, how nice to see you again. I trust your family enjoys good health.”
“Yes, thank you,” Sotello replied, and gestured to Lynn. “This is my client Deborah Lynn Gillingham. Lynn, may I present Darren Sanders.”
Gillingham held out her hand, which Sanders shook gently. Sotello saw the look passed momentarily between the two, and he sighed. Sanders looked at him curiously.
“Anything wrong, Mr. Sotello?”
“I ha
te to throw a wet blanket on this little get together, but I’m too old to play games. If you two wish to play some more, fine, but I find it insulting. Hell, do I look like I got off the bus yesterday? Why don’t we sit down, have some coffee, and you two can tell me what this is all about.”
Lynn began to protest, but Sanders held up a hand to her, smiling. “That’s enough Lynn. I too am past playing games. I told her you would not be fooled Mr. Sotello. I found out much about you since our last meeting. You are very good at what you do.”
“So are you,” Sotello replied. “I find it a little irritating you know me well enough to approach me as you did. Was it fun for you?”
“You would never have agreed to meet with me, Mr. Sotello, and Lynn happens to be in as deep as she has told you.”
“I admit I would probably not have taken you on as a client, but this has to be the most convoluted scheme to get a guy on a job against his will I ever heard of.”
“Granted,” Sanders said, motioning for Sotello and Lynn to sit down. “It appears ridiculous now, but the insights Lynn told me you have had since she met you, make me believe all the more you are the right man for the job. Your rates, I understand, are quite high. I can pay them.”
Sotello began to laugh, shaking his head. “Mr. Sanders, you have made me feel like Humphrey Bogart in the Maltese Falcon. Just for that reason alone, I will hear you out, but you have no idea the price it would cost you to actually get my help. Now what in the world has this Phillips guy got on you?”
Sanders signaled for coffee all around, which a waitress standing next to the other men’s table rushed to get. After it had been served, Sanders leaned back with his cup. Sipping carefully, he nodded and set the cup back down on the table. “He has my daughter. She went with him of her own accord.”
Sotello: Detective, ex-FBI, ex-Secret Service (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 1) Page 6