by J. T. Lewis
Nor did I care at that moment.
But I can truthfully say that starting my own company was the furthest thing from my mind. In reality, it was Abby that had suggested it first, and she had more or less convinced me from there.
Giving it some thought, I soon realized that it would probably be the only way I could continue doing what I was trained to do without finding a job farther away. Even though Allen had eventually offered me my job back, I knew that it could never be the same again, either working for him or with any of the other agencies in the county.
Snapping out of my reverie and taking my seat, I asked Abby and Preacher if they had learned anything from their courthouse visits.
“Not a lot,” Abby started. “Neither Calvin Forrester or Larry Callestrano went through the probate process with their estates. They both had Trusts set up that excluded them from the Probate Court. Both trusts were filed with their respective County’s Recorders however because of the transfer of real estate. Neither of the recorded Trusts were the complete document though, just what was required. The wills aren’t required to be recorded if there is no probate.”
She wasn’t happy looking as she shared the results of her investigation so far. The results were flying in the face of her theory on catching the killer, and she was none too happy about that.
Looking over at Preacher, he was nodding to himself as he seemed to be digesting what Abby had just said.
“You find anything different in Kentucky Preacher?” I asked him, not expecting much.
Snapping out of his own thoughts, he opened up his notebook before somehow once again magically extracting an ink pen out of the bible.
“I came up with about the same thing Gabe, but with a slightly different wrinkle. Again, there was a Trust, but apparently not all of Mr. Hamilton’s real estate got put into it. Since it was held in his name only, these properties had to be run through the Probate Court.”
Reaching over his chair, he lifted a folder off the floor and laid it on the table. “The will and all other pertinent documents had to be filed, including those of the trust.”
Abby’s face lit up as she reached for the folder to look through the papers.
“So, we have everything from Mr. Hamilton, but only some things recorded for Callestrano and Forester.” I summarized.
I mulled this over for a few moments. “It should be no problem to get Calvin’s information from Raven, and then we could compare at least those two for any consistencies.”
We sat silently for a couple of minutes as Abby looked through the papers in the folder.
Suddenly animated, Abby quickly flipped through the pages of her notebook, stopping at one page for a moment before flipping to yet another.
“Crap!”
“What’s the matter?” I asked Abby at her exclamation.
“Oh, nothing, I just saw the name of the issuing company on these trust documents. I remembered that I had recorded the names of the other companies as well, but they don’t match.”
“Mr. Hamilton’s from Kentucky is from the Commonwealth Mutual company. Mr. Callestrano’s is Southwest Federated, and Calvin Forrester’s is through Wabash Central Associated. I was just hoping…”
She seemed defeated, and I did my best supportive dad imitation to try and cheer her up.
“Ok, so we don’t know much yet, but we know a couple of things. We know that these three had their estates set up with some sort of Trust. I’m no expert, but I think that is reasonable considering their financial status. The estate taxes they would avoid would take a big chunk out of any inheritance they would leave their heirs otherwise. ”
“That being said,” I continued, “Even if setting up a trust is a great idea for people of their status; I doubt that everyone well off gets it done. Also, the fact that they were prepared by different companies still leaves us with the reality that all of these men had one. That’s a common factor we didn’t know before.”
We were making headway, but still getting nowhere fast.
“I may have an inkling of an idea,” Preacher piped in.
Reaching down beside his chair once more, another folder appeared in his hand. Laying it in front of him, he opened it to the first page.
“According to the timeline that Abby constructed of the suspected victims, it seems that Barry Hamilton was probably our first victim. That in and of itself may explain the inconsistencies we have found with him so far. The fact that there were properties that weren’t included in the trust could be explained away as a beginner’s mistake.”
I nodded while looking over at the timeline of the victims.
“Maybe our guy made some other mistakes too,” I mumbled distractedly.
A smile spread across Preacher’s face, “Exactly!”
Smiles erupted around the table. “Awesome!” Abby exclaimed. “We need to look into Mr. Hamilton’s past with a fine tooth comb.”
A surprised look crossed her face then. “Hold on a minute!” she exclaimed.
She leaned over and started leafing through the stack of papers to her right.
“His name has come up before,” she mentioned as she pulled out a section of the stack. “Here it is! Remember, I had mentioned that he had been convicted of a white-collar crime, skimming money out of his company’s coffers.”
“An insurance company wasn’t it?” I asked, the apparent tie-in seeming a little too convenient when it entered my mind.
“It was!” Abby exclaimed excitedly when the realization hit her too. Scanning through the stack quickly, she finally came to the information she had been looking for.
“Bluegrass Mutual dammit, I was hoping for a connection to one of the other ones.”
“Still,” Preacher coaxed, “His conviction and the tie-in to an insurance company certainly makes me wonder. I hope I’m not speaking out of turn when I say that looking heavily into this guy’s background would seem to be a good use of our time.
“Agreed,” I said with a grin, as Abby also nodded happily.
“Why don’t you guys spend a couple of days finding out everything you can about our Mr. Hamilton? I also think a closer look into the four insurance companies you mentioned would be worth your time. See if you can find any connections between them.”
“In the meantime, I’ll get Calvin’s estate records from Raven and start comparing them to what you have already uncovered for Barry Hamilton.”
Everyone was smiling as the meeting broke up. There was nothing better for an investigator than having a lead to follow.
As Abby and Preacher decided how to proceed with their end of the investigation, I got up and crossed the kitchen to the phone. Punching in the number that I realized I now knew by heart, I waited for the other party to pick up.
“Good morning Gabe,” Raven said airily before I had a chance to talk.
“Good morning Raven, I need to come over if that is ok. I need to look at any paperwork you have for Calvin’s estate. I will probably need your help finding it too if that is possible.
“Absolutely!” Raven gushed. “But on one condition.”
I cringed inwardly, unsure as to what she could possibly want from me in return.
“Ok, I guess,” I said awkwardly, “What would that condition be?”
“That you stay for lunch!”
Chapter 28
September 18, 1999
It was easy enough to hide in plain sight in the middle of the throngs of people milling through downtown Jakarta. Still, Hector felt exposed.
Waiting for his target to leave the building he was watching, he hated not knowing exactly when the man’s meeting would be over. Taking yet another deep breath to calm himself, he let it out slowly as he kept his eyes glued to the building’s exit.
His return flight would be leaving in five hours, and the delay was stressing him as he wanted to give himself plenty of time to get back to the airport. A rushing individual observed after a crime was a suspicious individual. He wanted plenty of time to l
eisurely leave the country.
“Dammit,” he muttered under his breath.
“Miss?” Hector heard behind him in heavily accented English, “did you drop this?”
Realizing that the voice was meant for him, he turned his head slowly. A liveried doorman from the hotel stood there holding out a passport. Making sure he reacted as his alter identity, he smiled at the man and answered in his best female voice.
“I don’t believe so,” also in accented English, “May I see it please?”
Holding her hand out demurely, the woman took the passport from the doorman and opened it up. The picture inside did indeed resemble Hector’s identity, but luckily, it was someone else. It was bad enough that the doorman had taken note of him at all, had he found the actual passport that Hector was using, he would have had to eliminate him also.
Smiling, the woman handed the passport back to the hapless doorman. “There is indeed a likeness, but it is not mine.”
The doorman shrugged, and then tipped his hat to the lady before heading to the front desk to turn in the lost passport.
Abia Rashid smiled. She loved her job.
Chapter 29
September 18, 1999
Raven met me at the door, the first time that I hadn’t needed to deal with the old butler, James. I momentarily wondered if her sudden personal attention had any hidden connotations as I held out my hand to hers.
Easily brushing by my outstretched hand, she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug, her firm cleavage pressing itself tightly into my chest.
“It’s so nice to see you Gabe!”
I reddened at her sudden familiarity, and to my reaction to it. Taking a moment to return the hug, I then gently pushed her back with a smile.
“Very nice to see you too Raven, thank you for seeing me on short notice.”
She waved this off with a smile, “You are always welcome here.”
Taking my hand, she started walking down the hall with me by her side. “We’ll get the business out of the way first,” she said, looking up at me with a smile as she threaded her free arm through mine while still holding my hand in hers.
Glancing down at her, my eyes involuntarily locked on to the pendant lying on her chest. That same damn pendant again, magically drawing my eyes to her luscious breasts. My reaction was once again instantaneous, and I had to quickly look away to hide my embarrassment. Pretending to look at the paintings lining the wall, I tried to focus my mind on something else while chastising myself for acting like a teenager once again.
Raven giggled as she hugged my arm tighter while squeezing her face momentarily against my shoulder.
“Oh Gabe!” she said when once again looking up, “You’re precious!”
Having been caught in my reactions, I quickly tried to clear my mind and change the subject.
“I must have missed the paperwork relating to Calvin’s estate when I was in his office the other day. Maybe you didn’t hire the brightest bulb in the pack for this investigation.”
Raven laughed gaily at my pronouncement, hugging my arm once more in her delight.
“No silly, those papers are at my desk; I found them and moved them there after Calvin’s death. It’s me that should apologize; I never gave a thought to the fact that you might need them.”
Reaching the door of the sitting room, she let go of my hand to open the door, maintaining her grip on my arm as she led me into the room and closed the door behind us.
Leading me to a small loveseat, she gently pushed me into it while with the same movement slipping onto my lap. My heart skipped a beat when I realized what had just happened. Wrapping her arms around my neck once more, she pulled my face to hers and gave me a sensuous kiss on the lips.
My physical reaction was immediate, and I momentarily closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation before coming to my senses and pushing her away gently.
“Raven?”
She had a smile on her lips and her eyes closed.
“Mmmmm?”
“Raven, look at me please.”
Her eyes fluttered open, the smile still upon her lips.
“Raven, I…”
She put her finger to my lips.
“You don’t need to say anything Gabe. I know the timing’s not right yet.”
A devilish smile crossed her face then as she wiggled her hips a little on my lap. “But I see I can raise a reaction!”
Her face grew more serious, “I just want you to know Gabriel Celtic; I think we would make a wonderful couple. I have never had a closer connection to any man than I have with you, now and before. You make me feel things Gabe.”
Laying her head on my chest, she sighed, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like desert before lunch?”
With a giggle that sounded like it came from a little girl, Raven jumped up, leaning over quickly and giving me a peck on the lips as she held my face gently in her hands.
“Don’t worry, I can wait. I’m not giving up on you my dear, not until you tell me to.”
Giving her statement a quick thought, I smiled back at her. “I’m not saying anything.”
She smiled brightly, “Good!”
Standing up straight and turning toward her desk, I watched as the lovely curves of her body receded away from me.
“I’ll get the ICOD.”
Lost in a haze, it took me a moment to understand what she had said, and to realize I really had no idea what she had said.
“I’m sorry, the what?”
“ICOD,” she stated as she reached down and picked up a nice leather binder and brought it to me.
“In Case Of Death, it’s the estate planner relating to Calvin’s trust and will.”
Handing over the very expensive looking leather binder, I suddenly realized that my body had quickly returned to its pre-encounter condition as I opened the planner and got down to business.
All except my heart rate that is.
It was beating wildly in my chest as I did a cursory look through the book. It wasn’t just that we finally had a complete version of one of the victim’s estates, or that I guessed that it might quickly help point out a connection between all of the murders.
I did know one other thing though that was making my spirit lift at its bounds in excitement.
I had seen the same book at May’s!
Chapter 30
September 18, 1999
Hector wove his way through the throng of people milling around the city, barely keeping his prey in sight. The heat coming in waves off of the sidewalk was oppressive, and added an additional burden to the chase. It was slow going as he tried to maintain his secret identity of Abia. He didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention by forcefully pushing through any people blocking her way.
The idiots!
Another hour had passed before the target had finally left his meeting, and Abia was getting nervous about making her escape cleanly. The man she shadowed was also not letting any grass grow under his feet as he made his way to his next appointment.
Throwing a hard, decidedly unfeminine, elbow into a man who had stepped in her way, she looked demurely back at him apologetically.
“Excuse me,” Abia smiled at the man before turning back and increasing her speed.
Finally she was catching up with the man! Now she must find the best place to finish the assignment.
As if on cue, the man entered a stairwell. Abia’s heart rate increased as she realized that the man was heading to an underground bus station.
The perfect location!
Following the man down into the hot and stuffy confines, Abia/Hector had to abandon any daintiness as he pushed through the throng of people surrounding him to reach his prey.
Finally reaching a point five feet from the man, Hector fingered the shank in the hidden pocket of his sarong with one hand as he quickly fingered his sudden erection with the other.
Excitement flowed through his veins like a drug as he made his way the final few feet. With one final g
lance to make sure he was not being observed, he removed the shank and slid it expertly into the man’s back. Quickly breaking off the handle as he turned away from his victim, he fluidly stuck the handle into his pocket as he worked his way out of the terminal and back to the steps.
Glancing quickly around, he was not surprised that no one was paying any attention to the man now lying on the cold concrete.
Turning back with a smile, he used his right hand on the railing as his left was busily fingering the erection hidden under the sarong. He was glad that his hotel was close, as he would have to take care of this before he left for the airport.
The day seemed brighter as he emerged from the underground confines of the bus station. Even the oppressive heat was less noticeable as he made his way happily back to the hotel.
He loved his job!
Chapter 31
September 19, 1999
I held onto the ever full cup like it was a life-giving force. With each sip of the hot black liquid, I felt it slide down my throat with a rejuvenating effect. I loved this room!
Entering the room was different every time, and this time was no different. When I became conscious of where I was, I found that I was sitting in my chair and holding a warm cup of coffee.
Never quite sure as to the room’s function in my life, I had come to expect it, even feeling like I now needed it.
I glanced over at the always present fire and enjoyed its warmth as I watched it try to climb toward the chimney.
I sighed with contentment even as I felt my eyelids growing heavy. Knowing it was futile to fight it, I set the cup on the table before allowing my eyes to close.
The sudden crack of the lightning lit up my world with brightness as the noise pounded on my ears like a Company of drummers.
I found myself lying on the ground and staring up at the huge tree above me as a lightning bolt danced its way down its trunk in slow motion. As the ground around the tree exploded in bits of dirt and wood, I discovered Betty at my side. Her beautiful blue eyes were twinkling at me as the remnants of the explosion rained down around us, followed closely by a cold wet rain.