The Case

by Lee Cunningham

  The team then began discussions about the unknown subject who placed the note on Shane’s car. No one had an acceptable theory about what any Friday would bring, and no one had found a clue to the subject’s identity. The consensus was that Shane should lay low on Fridays, until they discovered something, and the team would immediately increase security at the O’Leary estate, and surveillance from the house near the Magadinno compound. Lee also requested that Shane, Kate, Walter and Pete not leave the estate on Fridays for now. They would wait to see what was going to happen this first Friday, if anything, and then modify the plan going forward.

  Lee then ordered round-the clock” counter surveillance in a 1-mile radius around the estate, and handed out shift assignments. Shane suggested Lee also maintain a rolling surveillance on all Magadinno personnel who left the compound on Fridays.

  Walter and Pete requested a new surveillance team be added to track Undersheriff Brian Grant, and Shane quickly agreed. The newly discovered information on Grant had been deeply troubling him. Lee made additional surveillance assignments to handle the tasks. The team was now stretched very thin.

  When the meeting ended, Lee began planning all the next day operational details for the teams, and Shane spent an hour getting to know his back-up team and his bodyguards. Kate left with Walter, Pete, and their own team, to go to Pete’s house and retrieve some things Pete would need for his stay at the estate, starting tonight. They decided to retrieve Pete’s computer files of the investigation that were locked in his safe. It was only Thursday, but everyone was nervous, and no one wanted any mistakes.

  Shane felt conspicuously out of place in the house, without Kate. He walked to the garage and talked with some guards in the attached guardhouse, making himself familiar with their equipment and tasks. He retraced an earlier tour of the grounds, and then walked through the large house once again to make sure he had every door and window down in his mind. He then found himself back down in the garage before Kate had returned.

  Next he surveyed all the cars in the structure, finding two classic Jaguar XKE’s and a very nicely restored 1960 Ford pickup. But the car that brought back memories was a candy-apple red, 1965 Ford Thunderbird convertible. The car was also a classic, but it brought back visions of very special times to Shane. He couldn’t resist the urge to sit in it, and reminisce being with his dad in his old T-Bird convertible.

  Shane ran his hand over the upholstery, caressed the steering wheel, and pressed himself into the seat, trying to remember driving with his dad in a similar car many years ago. The car seemed strangely familiar. He opened the glove box. To his surprise he found an old bible that looked like his old family bible. He removed the book and slowly opened the faded cover. Then he saw it. The bible was a gift from his grandmother to his own father. Shane read, “Patrick Shane Beckett.”

  Shane read the name again aloud, and added, “This can’t be.” He turned the page and saw his family tree with each name filled in by his mother, the way families of that era had done for generations. Shane grabbed for documents resting beneath the bible, and found a current Minnesota State vehicle registration in his own name.

  He sprang out of the vehicle and checked the license plates. They matched the registration. Shane read the older registrations, placed in the plastic sleeve behind the most current one, and found his father’s name. This really was his dad’s old car. Shane could only stare at the car, and wonder how and when all this happened, and what more secrets about his family he would eventually discover.

  “And why Minnesota?” Shane said aloud, to himself.

  Pete’s voice came from the doorway to his right. “Because it’s a hell of a long way from California and Nevada…and the Magadinno crime family.”

  Shane turned to find Pete grinning at him. “Amazing isn’t it? It’s just the way you remember it, only better. Everything we could find and collect, we bought and saved to put together with the old car, so it would be as original and personal for you as possible.”

  “Your dad left instructions to give it to you when the time was right. I thought you would like to have it to share with your own family someday and relive some of the good memories with your own kids. I remember, so many times, watching you and your dad take off, just to drive anywhere in this old car.”

  “You both loved this car so much, and you loved your time riding in it together. I told Walter about the car, as he was learning about our family and I was learning about his. He tracked down a specialist in T-Bird restoration, and we had it completely restored. I hope you don’t spoil the surprise. He plans on us making a presentation of it to you when the time is right.”

  Shane looked at Pete in disbelief. “But where has it been all this time?”

  “Well, that’s a simple question, with a complex answer. Your dad had given me some instructions in case of both his and your mother’s deaths. He knew they were both in grave danger. He asked that I move the car to my storage unit in Encino, California. It was a full garage-size unit where I stored some sensitive and older case files I didn’t want in my office.”

  “Walter eventually had the car shipped to the restoration company in Wisconsin. That process took almost nine months. When it was done, we didn’t want to ship it back and title it in California or Nevada, where your name, on your dad’s old car, could be easily discovered by some biker bitch working in DMV on Franky’s payroll.”

  Pete’s frankness shocked Shane briefly, as he had rarely heard Pete, the consummate gentleman, use any vulgarity or colorful language.

  Pete continued. “Walter had a home and guesthouse near Leech Lake in Minnesota, with a private airstrip on some acreage. Walter and I spent a lot of time there, just fishing and talking, when we first started getting close, and you were in college. Do you remember calling me back east when you were in school?”

  Shane answered, laughing, “I do. And I always wondered who was keeping you back east so much.”

  Pete continued, “Claire loved it on the lakes in the summer. She would spend hours each day reading, while Walter and I fished, travelling to some of the lakes nearby. There are more than 4500 lakes in the State, you know. She had well-deserved vacations, while Walter and I became inseparable in those days.”

  “That’s where Walter came up with the plan to create the LLCs with himself, Claire and I, as full partners that would eventually transfer ownership of businesses and property to you kids. Once he seized on the idea, there was no stopping him. Walter is a business machine when he wants to be, and he isn’t used to taking ‘no’ or ‘you can’t’ for an answer.”

  “After the car was restored, we had it moved to the home in Minnesota, where it was stored in the garage. Walter and I had it shipped here for you a few weeks ago, after it was registered to you in Minnesota.”

  Shane understood Pete’s words, but needed more information in order to be comfortable with this turn in his life. “Why would a total stranger do all this for us? It’s hard to believe, Pete.”

  Pete laughed. “Total stranger! For you, this is all an overnight development, so he is a total stranger. For Walter and me, this relationship was born more than 12 years ago, and developed slowly, aging like a fine wine. You only see the end product, not the life the product led to get here now. And, there is one other important detail you need to think about, Shane.” Pete’s face turned serious.

  “Walter lost his only son, Kate’s father, just as you lost both your parents. You need to realize that when he came to me, and we started the idea of tracking down our families’ killers, we spent more than just a great deal of time together. We became obsessed with our two families, and keeping them safe. The bonds grew incredibly strong between all of us. You just didn’t see what had happened, even though it involved you.”

  “Walter is, perhaps, the most unassuming, genuine soul I have ever met. He thinks of you as a grandson. He thinks of me as a son. His life for the last 12 years has been devoted to our two families, which have become one in his mind.”r />
  “The money, the protection, the planning is all great, but his only true love is the people he cares for. That’s pretty much wrapped up in you and me and Kate, now that Claire is gone. We are all he lives for. The money from the businesses and investments just makes it all work.”

  “And one other thing, Shane, you need to know that I feel the same love for Walter and Kate. They are my family, just as you are my son.” Pete looked deadly serious and Shane knew to not question any of this family’s motives any further.

  “What about Heath? How does he fit in?” Shane’s eyes searched for an answer, but Pete, uncharacteristically, dodged both the answer and Shane’s gaze.

  Pete avoided the question, saying, “Maybe another time we can travel down that road, but not now. There is too much at stake right now, to complicate it more with Heath. And we need to go now…but first, I have something for you.” Pete reached into his coat pocket and retrieved an envelope. He handed it to Shane, ceremoniously, and said, “Now remember, you don’t know about the car.”

  Pete placed a hand on Shane’s shoulder and led him out of the garage. Shane knew that he had just been handled, and he wanted answers about Heath, but he allowed the maneuver to work for now. His suspicious mind knew something was wrong, and he wasn’t used to leaving problems unresolved. Shane knew he must confront Pete quickly about his brother Heath, so he had no distractions while he worked. Otherwise, he feared the problem would continue to grow out of control in his own mind.

  Once back in the house, Kate rushed up to Shane and took him by the arm. “I’m glad I found you. We have some time. How about a dip in the pool? We just have to change in our room and go down.”

  Shane smiled, as they walked to their room together. He liked the sound of our room, when Kate said it. When he looked back at Pete, the smile on Pete’s face told him that Pete liked it, too.

  Once in the room, Shane walked to a chair by the bay window, where he sat down to open the envelope. It held a letter from his dad written just a week before his dad had been murdered. Shane froze on reading the first words aloud, “Dear Shane,” his eyes afraid to move any further.

  Kate came to him immediately, and asked, “What is it Shane?”

  Her voice was filled with the concern that Shane had come to appreciate and love. He needed her caring for him, now more than ever. He choked out, “It’s a letter from my dad, written just before he was murdered.” He read the letter slowly aloud, as Kate knelt by the chair, her hand on his knee.

  “Dear Shane, I hope you know, and will always remember, how much your mom and I love both you and Heath. Any father wants to love his children equally, but you and I had a very special bond, that was just ours. I had plans to watch you grow into a wonderful man, and looked forward with your mother to seeing you complete all of life’s challenges. I wanted to see you graduate from college, pursue a career, maybe even with me, in our own law practice, and then, marry and raise a family of little Becketts your mom and I could spoil. I often dreamed about the future we would all share together.”

  Shane’s expression softened, as his dad’s dreams sprang to life in his own mind.

  He continued, “If you are reading this letter, then my fears have come to pass, and your mom and I aren’t with you anymore. If Pete is still alive, and has managed to take you boys to safety, he will finish the job of parenting your mom and I could not. Pete is much more than a good man, Shane. He’s the best man I have ever met. He won’t let you down. But he also won’t let you know about the details of our deaths for a long time. I have given him very specific instructions on how to raise you boys, what to tell you and when.”

  “My request to Pete is far more to ask of another man than any father has a right to, but Pete has always been there for me, your mom, and you boys, and he has consented to our wishes and happily agreed to take on the responsibility. And Pete will have had a far greater responsibility than you may fully appreciate, by the time you read this or discover the details of our deaths.”

  “Pete’s number one priority has been, and is still, keeping you and Heath safe, and giving you both help, but only when you need it, and in the manner he sees fit to provide the help. He is the executor of our estate, and has a timeline of instructions about money we have left for both of you boys. He can deviate from our wishes only if he thinks it is in your best interests.”

  “You will find that our estate is not divided equally between you and Heath. There are reasons for this that you may never understand or agree with, but this is both your mom’s wish and my wish, and Pete cannot deviate from these instructions. He also cannot tell you the details of our deaths until he knows you are ready to digest everything and react appropriately. And, the decision about when you will be ready is left up to him. We want you to have a normal life, Shane. To us, that wish is more important than any feeling you might have now, about when you think you were ready to learn everything.”

  “Remember that, as much as I love you, I know you even better. I believe I know you and understand you, even better than you know and understand yourself. If your mom and I have been murdered, and if you knew the details of our deaths at an early age, I am sure you would spend a lifetime seeking revenge.”

  “If you do ever go up against the people who killed your mom and me, you have to win both the battle, and the long-term war. I couldn’t bear you losing. And to win, you have to be the best, far stronger and smarter than the people you will be fighting and maneuvering against. You must have total focus, with no distractions, and you must be fully prepared. You can’t afford to have a myopic mind, forged by grief and revenge. You can’t allow revenge’s power to twist or consume you. Remember this, you can never make up for the loss of your parents.”

  “Pete will know when the time is right, and he will tell you what you need to know then. Don’t give him a hard time. Don’t judge him. He probably will have gone through quite an ordeal, especially with Heath, by the time you are reading this.”

  “Remember Shane, Heath isn’t as strong as you are, and he doesn’t have your good character. Heath doesn’t have your pure heart...at least not yet. Maybe someday, once he has gone through the trials I fear he will face, then and only then, will he be able to develop into a man who possesses the kind of character I wanted for him.”

  “Everything has always come too hard for Heath, with him fouling the situation, and suffering the consequences, before the tough lessons made sense to him, and he changed for the better. Heath will take much more time to come around, if he ever does. Remember that, Shane…and remember, there will come a time when even you can no longer bail your brother out of trouble.”

  “And most of all, remember this one most important rule: Always, and I do mean always, trust Pete. He has become your father more than your uncle by now. And, to care for you and Heath the way I know he will, he has invested his life, not in his own dreams, but in our family and in you two boys. You are his family now. Always take Pete’s advice very seriously. I always did, and it always served me well.”

  “Now, this is my advice. Have a good life, with the right girl when she comes along. You’ll know who the right girl is by her character. Don’t settle for anyone less than the perfect one for you. She must love you for who you are, support you in all that you do, and be willing to give her life for you. And you must do the same for her, as your mom and I taught you, and showed you with our lives. Marry the right one, and make babies for your mom and I to enjoy from heaven. We will be watching.”

  “Remember, Shane, you are my very special boy. Your mom and I are so proud of you. We could never have asked for a more perfect son for us. We both love you, son.”

  “Remember, also, that trust is earned by doing the right thing when nobody is watching. You have always shown us we could trust you. And we believe in you. Demonstrate your love of truth and fairness in life. Don’t worry about us. You worry about your life, and the lives of your family. Pete and Heath are family. You will extend that family to
your wife, her family, your few closest friends, and hopefully, your own children. You worry about all of them, and nothing else.”

  Both Kate’s and Shane’s eyes had filled with tears. He looked at Kate, kneeling on the floor in front of him. He reached over and gently wiped the streaming tears from her cheeks. A lump in his throat prevented him from speaking as he struggled to form words.

  Shane’s voice cracked with anguish, as he finally said, “It’s signed, “Love always, Dad.”

  Shane could not hold back the tears. He let them flow. Kate came into his arms and he held her tightly, as her tears fell in huge, grief-filled droplets onto his chest. It went on for a long time, as neither could stop crying, try as they might. Years of anguish and pain, once released, flowed freely, no longer inhibited by practiced composure.

  When the tears slowed, and they once again controlled their breathing, Shane and Kate stood up together, supporting each other as they rose. They leaned together, drawing strength from one another, drained by emotion. Shane kissed the final tears from Kate’s soft cheeks. He wanted to take away all her pain, momentarily forgetting his own sorrow, but there was nothing to do now, but hold on…to each other, and their future together.

  Shane tried to redirect their thoughts, saying they should get ready for the pool. He began to fold the letter to place it back in the envelope, when he noticed more writing. On the back of the second page were these words, in his dad’s hand: “P.S. Enjoy our car. Remember to care for it as I always did, and do the maintenance the way I taught you. Trust me on this. It’s very, very important to do the maintenance exactly as I did, when the time is right. If you do this, it will serve us both well. The car will care for you and protect you in return. Remember the lessons. Remember well. Love always, Dad.”