The man raised the gun until it was pointed at Chris’s face, but before he could pull the trigger he was shot three times in the side, then he fell to the floor, while dying.
Chris looked to his left and saw Velma still lying on the floor, her right hand was buried inside her pocketbook, a pocketbook with a curl of smoke escaping from the hole shot through the bottom of it.
After kicking the gun away from the fallen man, Chris rushed over and helped Velma to stand up.
“Are you all right?”
Velma worked her jaw back and forth, as she answered.
“Yes, other than a sore jaw and a ringing in my ears, what about you?”
“I’m alive, thanks to you.”
The garage attendant came running over and Chris told the man to call the police, then he took out his phone.
“Who are you calling?” Velma said.
“My brother.”
***
Jake entered the garage at a dead run and rushed over to Chris.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Chris said. “Where’s Granddad?”
“He’s out of the office, he was meeting Uncle Tom for lunch, you know, Tommy’s granddad, so what the hell went down here?”
“Velma saved me, Jake. That man was about to blow my brains out when she shot him.”
Jake walked over and stared down at the dead man. “Son of a bitch, it’s Deke Stoddard,” Afterwards, he walked back over and spoke to Velma. “Thanks for saving my kid brother.”
“It was my pleasure.”
“It’s funny though, you know? I thought my mother hired you to be my bodyguard, not his.”
Velma opened her mouth in shock, but before she could speak, two police cars entered the garage with sirens and lights.
Jake sent her a hard stare.
“We’ll talk later.”
***
“All right, I admit it. I hired her to look out for Jake,” Gail Caliber said.
She sat in the old man’s office, on the sofa against the right wall. Seated beside her was Chris, and beside him, sat Velma.
The old man was behind his desk, while Jake paced in front of the sofa.
“I’m a grown man, Mother; I don’t need looking after.”
Gail stared up at him with defiance in her eyes.
“I won’t apologize for my deception. You nearly died last month, baby; I wasn’t about to let that happen again.”
“What? You mean when I got shot during the Banner case? Mother that bullet barely creased my scalp.”
“Yes, but what if it had been an inch lower, one inch lower and you would have died. I knew that I could never talk you into quitting, but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t look out for you, and so I hired Velma to come here and guard you.”
“Why her?”
“She’s good at what she does, which is to protect people, and she is Velma’s niece too. I knew that meant that your grandfather would have a soft spot for her.”
“Velma’s niece or not, you had no damn right to send her here. Goddamn it I can take care of myself, lady!”
The old man shot up out of his seat.
“Hey boy! You don’t talk to your mother that way. Do you hear me?”
Jake sighed, as he calmed down.
“I hear you, and Mother I apologize; I know that you were only looking out for me.”
Gail stood and kissed him on the cheek.
“I love you and I couldn’t stand to lose you, not like I lost your father.”
“I understand mother, but I’m who I am, you know?”
“Yes dear, but at least I won’t have to worry about one of my boys. Christopher received word earlier that he got the job he wanted, sight unseen. They were so impressed by his heroism at the coffee shop that he doesn’t even have to pass an interview.”
“Um, about that,” Chris said. “I decided not to take the job.”
“What? Why not, dear? They’re the best firm in the city.”
Chris stood and took his mother’s hands.
“I want to work here. I want to learn the family business, from Granddad.”
Gail shook her head vehemently.
“No! No absolutely not, not you. Why do you think I moved us to California years ago? It was to get away from your grandfather and this culture of machismo that he exudes. I want you to live a normal life, a life without guns and danger.”
Gail rushed over to scream up into the old man’s face.
“Damn you, Jake, you tell him no. Tell him that he can’t work here, that he has to be a lawyer; that he has to lead a safe life.”
“A safe life?” the old man said. “You mean like the cook that died at the coffee shop? There’s no safe, Gail, and Christopher is a grown man. You have to let him make his own choices.”
“Goddamn you!” Gail cried, as she began beating her fists against the old man’s chest.
He gathered her in against himself and kissed the top of her head.
“I’m not the enemy, daughter. I know you miss my son and worry over his, but these two boys are men now, and they have to live their own lives.”
Moments later, Gail straightened up and grabbed a tissue from a box on the coffee table, after blowing her nose; she spoke.
“If Chris is working here, then I’ll be moving back in town too. I’ll simply have the woman I hired to run this place run the L.A. office instead.”
Velma rose from the sofa.
“I suppose that makes me odd man out, so to speak, and Mr. Caliber, I’m sorry for the deception.”
“The job is still yours if you want it.”
“Really?”
“Not only are you Velma’s niece, but you saved my grandson’s life. As far as I’m concerned you got a job here forever.”
Velma smiled.
“Thank you.”
Jake tossed his grandfather his fedora and then grabbed his own.
“C’mon everybody, let’s go out to dinner; I’m starving.”
His mother pointed to a pile of brightly wrapped boxes.
“I thought Chris was going to open his gifts first, but I guess there’s no point since he’s not taking the job.”
Chris grabbed one of the boxes. “I’m still starting a new job, Mother.” He tore the paper and opened the gift to reveal a briefcase. “Thank you, Mother, it’s beautiful.”
“I only hope that someday soon you decide to use it.”
When Chris opened the next box, he laughed. Afterward, he held up a new trench coat. He then smiled at his grandfather and brother.
“Thanks guys, I can’t be a real P.I. without one of these, can I?”
There was one box left, and Chris held it up.
“That’s from me,” Velma said. “I hope you like it.”
Chris tore open the gift and found a new fedora.
After he placed it on his head, Velma walked over and adjusted it, while standing near enough to kiss.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Yes, how does it look?”
Velma grinned.
“It makes you look like a tough guy.”
Chris sent her a wink.
“Thanks, doll.”
CHAPTER 6
Velma was in the office with Chris, along with Jake 3 and Jake 5, as she liked to think of them.
Chris had been on the job for little over a week and his brother and grandfather had made sure that he had his own desk, just as they had done for Velma. The room was large enough that it didn’t feel cramped, but Velma noticed that the two Jakes seemed a bit edgy at times.
She empathized; things had been slow ever since Deke Stoddard’s failed attempt at revenge and a little action would free all of them from the growing sense of boredom.
There was a knock on the door and then Kelli stuck her head in.
The old man smiled at her.
“What’s up, doll?”
“I just received a call from downstairs; they think they have something that might be a Red Case.”
“They think?”
“It’s a bit odd they say, but they’re sending the client up now.”
Jake the fifth walked over to her.
“Please bring him in when he arrives.”
“They say it’s a she.”
“Even better,” Jake said, and Kelli sent him a disapproving look before closing the door behind her.
She was gone barely a minute before returning with a young woman. The woman was petite, with dark curly hair, and large blue eyes. The dress she wore displayed her shapely legs well. When she spotted Chris, she sent him a shy smile before taking the offered seat before the old man’s desk.
Kelli made the introductions and told them that the woman’s name was Mira Asher, and then she excused herself and went back to her desk in the outer office.
“How can we help you, young lady?” the old man said.
“Oh, well I explained everything downstairs, didn’t they tell you?”
“We’d like to hear it for ourselves.”
She grinned at him.
“Can I just say, sir, that it’s an honor to meet you. You’re one of my heroes. The History Station shows that footage of you leaping in front of the President all the time. It’s so brave how you took that bullet for him.”
“I didn’t leap; I tripped.”
“What?”
“I tripped. I’d forgotten to tie my shoes that day.”
Mira Asher looked aghast.
“Really?”
Jake spoke up.
“I’m sorry, Miss Asher, but my grandfather likes to kid.”
Mira Asher waved a hand at the old man.
“Oh, oh, that was naughty of you, Mr. Caliber.”
The old man looked her over, including a lingering look at her legs.
“Yes, at times I can be naughty.”
“Um, Miss Asher,” Velma said. “Please, tell us your story.”
“It’s Reuben, my ex-husband, he’s been terrorizing me.”
“In what way?” Velma asked.
“He follows me. I never see him but I know he’s there. Plus, every time I go on a date, the men, they’ve all been mugged afterwards. The last one was beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalized.”
“How many men are we talking about?”
“Three of them, I’ve reported it to the police, but they say that there’s no proof that Reuben is behind the muggings, and so they can’t arrest him.”
“Have they questioned him?” Velma asked.
“Yes, and they say he denies everything.”
The old man rubbed his chin for a moment before speaking.
“We can help you. I’ll have one of my grandsons pretend to be your date while we follow your ex. When he makes his move, we’ve got him.”
Jake walked over to Mira.
“We’ll go out tonight, while Velma and Chris follow your ex around. Do you like Italian?”
“Chris will be her date, Jakey, not you,” the old man said.
“Why’s that?”
“You’ve got more experience at tailing suspects.”
Chris walked over and smiled down at Mira Asher.
“I hope you don’t mind the substitution?”
Mira smiled.
“I don’t mind at all, Mr. Caliber.”
“Call me, Chris,” he said, and then he and Mira gazed at each other.
Velma broke the spell.
“Miss Asher!”
“Yes?”
“Your ex-husband, Reuben, please tell us everything you know about him.”
And for the next half-hour, Mira Asher did just that.
***
Reuben Smith, Mira’s ex, turned out to be a personal trainer. Jake and Velma began surveilling him as he ate at a restaurant in Queens. Smith was easy to keep an eye on, because the restaurant had huge glass windows facing the street. He was alone now at the bar, but when he had arrived, he met with another man. The two of them had drinks, mixed with what looked like a heated conversation, but then the other man left the restaurant and Smith ordered dinner.
Jake returned to the car and handed Velma a coffee he had just gotten from a corner bistro.
“That’s good coffee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome, did I miss anything?”
“He got a phone call just as his meal arrived. It must have disturbed him; he hasn’t touched his food yet.”
“So tell me something Velma, what’s the story with you and Chris?”
“Story?”
“My kid brother has a thing for you, but you don’t give him the time of day, why not?”
“I like to keep things professional with the people I work with.”
“Nah, I ain’t buying it. You almost looked jealous today when Mira was making goo goo eyes at him.”
“I was not jealous. I was simply—”
“Hold that thought; Smith is on the move.”
“But he hasn’t even eaten yet, something’s up.”
They watched as Smith rushed from the restaurant and into the parking garage next door. After he handed his ticket to the parking agent, he paced back and forth.
Velma’s phone beeped and she checked it.
“It’s a text from Chris. He picked Mira up from her dress shop and now they’ve just arrived at her apartment. Maybe someone in the building is keeping tabs on her for Smith and just let him know that another date had arrived.”
“Something’s up,” Jake said. “He seems frantic to get his car back.”
Reuben Smith finally retrieved his car and began driving towards Mira Asher’s apartment in a hurry.
***
The apartment was in a ten-story building on the upper west side of Manhattan, near 68th Street.
As Mira placed her key in the lock, the door across the hall opened and a young man looked out.
“Oh, hi Mira, how have you been?”
“I’m good, Sammy, and say hi to Chris. He’s a friend of mine.”
Sammy looked Chris over from top to bottom.
“I wish he was a friend of mine.”
“He’s not your type, honey, bye bye.”
“Bye bye, and it was nice meeting you, Chris.”
“Same here, Sammy,” Chris said.
Mira closed the door and leaned back against it.
“Sammy can talk your ear off if you let him.”
“I think I’ll talk to him soon and find out if he’s seen your ex hanging around.”
Mira smiled up at him.
“How about some coffee?”
“Sounds good.”
They drank their coffee in the living room, as Chris sat in a chair facing the front door and Mira sat across from him on the sofa.
“I saw you on the news, Chris. It was amazing the way you stopped that robbery.”
“Thank you, but I was just at the right place at the right time.”
“Can I see it?”
Chris hesitated a moment before he said.
“See what?”
“Your gun.”
“I don’t have one yet. I still have to finish my training and then there’s the matter of getting a carry permit.”
Mira looked surprised.
“You don’t have a gun? How will you protect yourself when Reuben tries to attack you?”
“Don’t worry; my brother will stop him before anything happens.”
He had his phone set on vibrate, and after it purred against his hip, he took it from the holster on his belt and answered it; in the background, he could hear traffic noises.
“Hi, hold on a second,” he held up his coffee cup to Mira. “Could I get more coffee, please?”
Mira smiled at him as she took his cup.
“Of course.”
After she left the room, Chris continued his conversation.
“What’s up, Velma?”
“Hi, listen, Reuben Smith is headed your way in a big hurry and he’s nearly there. Wait ten minutes and then leave the building with Mira and begin your fake date.�
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“What if he wants to come up here?”
“If he rushes upstairs, we’ll follow, but Ms. Asher said that all three men were assaulted after the date ended, so if he holds to pattern, he should follow you home tonight. When he tries to assault you, we’ll have him.”
“And in the meantime I get to enjoy a nice Italian dinner in the company of a beautiful woman; I knew I was right to take this job.”
“Just remember that it’s only a pretend date and that she’s a client.”
“As tempting as she is, don’t worry. This is my first case. I’m not about to screw up.”
“Good, and oh, one more thing, Smith had drinks with someone and it wasn’t pleasant. I’m sending you a picture of them together; see if Mira knows who the man is?”
“All right, anything else?”
“No, but remember, leave in ten minutes, and keep your eyes open.”
“Right, see you later.”
Mira returned with the coffee, and a question.
“Was that about Reuben?”
“Yes, he’s almost here. We’ll give it a few minutes and then go down to my car, also, there’s a picture I want you to look at.”
Chris brought up the picture of Reuben Smith and the unknown man on his phone and handed it to Mira.
“That’s Reuben and Gary, Gary Rollins. Gary is Reuben’s best friend.”
“Best friends? I was told that they were arguing?”
“Oh, it was probably just a tiff over some sports thing. They sometimes root for different teams.”
“How do you two get along?”
“Okay I guess, but of course I’m persona non grata now that Reuben and I are broken up.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It’s his loss. Who were you talking to before, your brother?”
“Actually, it was Velma.”
“The blonde? Are you and she...?”
“No.”
“Is she dating your brother? Is that why they’re together while you’re up here?”
“No... they’re not dating.”
Mira grinned.
“You don’t sound too sure about that, or happy about it, if it’s true.”
Chris leaned back in his chair with a furrowed brow and Mira headed back into the kitchen.
“Let me make sure the coffee pot is turned off and then we’ll go.”
“Right,” Chris said, as he became lost in thought.
A few moments later, he heard a sound behind him. As he turned his head to look, the world went black.
Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 1 Page 4