A Dubious Artifact (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 6)

by Gerald J Kubicki

  “You can come in now,” he heard her say. It was her sexy voice and Banyon found himself moving towards the bedroom like a fly to honey.

  The first thing that he noticed was that all the furniture had been moved. Next, he saw that Loni’s clothes were thrown all across the room. She was very messy with everything and didn’t seem to care where her things went. Since Loni had moved in to Banyon’s house, the part-time housekeeper, Elizabeth, had become the beneficiary of a fulltime job just cleaning up after Loni. Banyon was shocked to see that the far end of the bedroom now had a half-circle, floor-to-ceiling curtain covering the corner of the room. He was becoming concerned that Loni had done something crazy, but when he looked around the room, he couldn’t find her.

  “I’m over here,” she called, stepping out of her personal walk-in closet. As she had many times before, she took is breath away. Her hair was still in the ponytail, but she was dressed in a sheer pink negligee and nothing else. She posed by the door and then runway walked over to him. Her eyes were riveted on his. She grabbed his hand and led him to a small leather couch that was set in front of the curtain. Banyon didn’t recall owning the bright red leather couch. She pushed him down on the cool leather.

  “Loni, what is going on?” he managed to ask.

  She stood before him, hip cocked and with a sly smile on her face. “Remember that I told you that we should have more spice in our life?”

  “Vaguely,” he mustered.

  “Well, I was reading the paper the other day and found an advertisement that will work,” she told him like it was a necessary thing.

  “What advertisement?”

  “An advertisement to teach woman pole dancing,” she said. “The class was very crowded and I learned some really cool tricks. My instructor said that I am a natural. I’m going to give you a pole dance and then a lap dance. They taught us that, too.”

  Banyon was completely shocked, but before he could say anything, Loni danced over to the wall and turned on the in-house stereo; blasting, rhythmic beating exploded into the room. She then pressed two more buttons on the wall. The curtain flowed open from the middle, revealing a small, wooden parquet floor. In the middle of the floor stood a floor-to-ceiling, gleaming, brass pole. Colored lights flashed from recessed cans in the ceiling.

  “Colt, it’s the latest thing. Don’t you just love it?” she asked with the excited enthusiasm of a teenager.

  “I’m speechless,” he replied, meaning it.

  “Looks just like a strip club, doesn’t it?” she said, proud of her work.

  Forgetting all his worries and agreeing with her, Banyon quipped. “How would you know? You have never been to one.”

  “Have so. Where do you think that we practiced?”

  Stunned again, Banyon asked, “With real men?”

  “You’re the only real man I know,” she coyly replied. “Now watch.”

  She came up on her toes like a gymnast and launched herself at the pole. She grabbed it about halfway up and spun around, causing her negligee to fan out. It allowed her perfectly rounded rear end to show. Banyon suddenly started to enjoy the show. Loni then clamped her strong thighs around the pole and leaned backwards, hanging by her legs from the pole. Banyon knew that she was very athletic and also very flexible, but marveled at her performance. He was becoming excited. Her pole dance really worked, he thought to himself as he watched her straddle, twirl, and spin on the brass phallic symbol. All too soon, the song ended and Loni dropped to the ground facing him. She was breathing hard and her body was flush from excitement. His was too.

  “Want me to do it again? It is so much fun.”

  “For me, too,” he said as he got more comfortable in the seat.

  “Why don’t you take some of your clothes off? I want to see if this really works on you, Colton Banyon.” Banyon knew to never argue with her when she called him Colton. The shirt and pants and underwear were quickly gone.

  Another song started and Loni went into another act. She pulled the headband off her head and threw it at Banyon as she whirled around the pole. Her long, black hair now spread out and trailed after her every move. Banyon noticed that she was watching him very carefully, looking for the proper reaction. When the song ended, she dropped to the ground and glared at him with a smoldering look.

  “Loni, I think that it’s working,” he croaked.

  “Good. Now, I’m going to give you a lap dance,” she announced, gliding over to the leather couch just as another sexy song started. When she reached the couch, she tossed off her sheer garment and, facing him, climbed up onto his lap.

  About halfway through the song, Banyon grabbed her ass and stood up. He deposited her on the nearby bed.

  “Well, I guess I need to service me a cowgirl,” he said with a cowboy twang.

  “I love it when you talk like a cowboy,” she said from her prone position.

  Chapter Two

  It was late afternoon when Banyon finally sat up and said, “That was a real surprise and a good one, too.”

  “I was right then,” she announced. “It did spice up our day.”

  “You are incredible; I’ll just have to keep you around for a while longer,” he joked.

  “You’ll never get rid of me,” she said seriously.

  Ignoring her statement, Banyon said, “I’m hungry. Why don’t I make us something to eat, maybe a little shrimp over pasta?”

  “You go cook, I need to shower,” she said. Loni was many things, but a cook wasn’t one of them. Banyon didn’t mind doing all of the cooking as he got to choose the meals and he was good at cooking. He got out of bed and threw on a golf shirt and shorts. He headed for the kitchen.

  ***

  He had made a small salad and was waiting on the pasta to finish boiling when she slipped into a seat at the kitchen island. Her hair was wet and she looked very small and fragile. She immediately started to chatter.

  “Do you think that we should get a pole for the condo?”

  “It can’t become an everyday thing or it will lose its attraction,” Banyon reasoned without looking at her.

  “You know, they have a school to teach sexual bondage,” she offered. “I could learn that, too.”

  “Do you even know what you’re saying? Do you know what that is about?” Banyon chided her as he turned around and stared at her.

  “Well, no, but I can learn,” she replied sheepishly.

  “With bondage, you would be a victim. The purpose is to break your will. It is not your style. Besides, I don’t need you tied up to have my way with you,” he said with a lecherous grin on his face.

  “I just want to make you happy,” she said with frustration. “I’ll do anything to keep you interested in me.”

  He turned to look at her, “Loni, sex with you makes me happy, that is true, but you are so much more to me. At my age, your companionship is more important to me. Don’t worry about it. Fuggedaboutit,” Banyon said jokingly in his best New York City accent. He spread his arms open for emphasis.

  With sudden tears in her eyes she wailed, “So you don’t think that I am sexy enough to keep your attention?”

  “Oh, my God, Loni, don’t think that,” he said as he turned off the stove and went over to her. He gathered her in his arms. He knew that he had to say something, but what? “Okay, you can have a pole in the condo.”

  Suddenly smiling, she said, “Well, at least I know that there is that option.”

  Realizing that she had completely manipulated him, he shrugged as he returned to the stove and finished making dinner. “You do make me happy. Since you came into my life, every day is Valentine’s Day.”

  Banyon had met Loni when he was working his first case. She worked for the FBI then and had an incredible chip on her shoulder. They had become friends because Banyon had stood up for her when she had been impulsive. As time passed, they became more than friends and started a detective agency together. It was called the LCH Detective Agency, LLC. Since he was a student of history an
d she was an aggressive researcher and an accomplished fighter, they specialized in finding artifacts. It paid well and on occasion, they were able to bring justice to the world. She had quickly moved into his house, becoming his lover as well. He considered himself to be extremely lucky.

  Now content, she eyed the mail. “By the way, you received a certified letter today,” she said, holding up the envelope.

  “Yeah, I saw it. But do you see who it is from? I don’t want to open it. Nothing good can be in that envelope,” he replied.

  Loni gasped when she saw the return address. In the upper left hand corner the return address said, “Homeland Security”.

  Both Banyon and Loni had had several bad experiences with the secretive federal agency. In past capers, Homeland Security had confiscated artifacts that they had found, had them followed, and had bugged their house and office. People from Homeland Security had threatened them with imprisonment, quoting the “Patriot Act”, and Banyon suspected that the agency was responsible for several of their gun battles over the years.

  It wasn’t the agency per se, but it was a few rather nasty people in high positions in the agency. The people were all part of a highly secretive organization called the Effort that was attempting to take over America. They were well-financed and had members in many high-profile positions in nearly every major industry and in the government.

  The Effort had been started by the Third Reich in Germany before the Second World War as a plan to stop America from entering the war. They had not been able to prevent America from entering the war, but they had successfully managed to infiltrate American society. Now they intended to take over America politically. Homeland Security was one of their vehicles. Many current members were second and even third generation fanatics. They were a very strong conspiracy.

  Loni dropped the letter like it was a hot potato. “Yuk,” she uttered. “I don’t even want to touch it.”

  “Well, I’m busy cooking, so you open it and find out what they want?” Banyon pointed a wooden spatula at her.

  Loni opened the letter and began to read. “It is from some audit department in Chicago. They have been doing a routine audit of some records and would like to interview you and see if you can shed some light on the subject.” Loni’s small forehead developed a large crease as she concentrated on reading the letter.

  “Does it say which records?” Banyon asked as he dished out the food.

  “I think that the letter is intentionally vague,” she answered.

  “When?”

  “They want to see you tomorrow at nine-thirty in the morning. Why the big rush?”

  Banyon quickly asked, “Who signed the letter?”

  “It is signed by a Thomas Cruickshank Jr.”

  “Never heard of him,” Banyon said.

  “I wonder what this is about.”

  “Well, there is only one way to find out,” he replied.

  “You mean, go there unprepared?”

  “No, I need to ask Wolf,” he said.

  “Well do it after dinner; I’m hungry.”

  Chapter Three

  It was after eight o’clock in the evening when Banyon finally got to work on some answers. He had made a Stoli and tonic, his favorite drink, and prepared himself to talk to Wolf. He didn’t need a phone. Wolf was a spirit that was tied to Banyon by a curse set up when Banyon finished his first mystery. Wolf was in a kind of limbo and could see everything going on in the world. He could also research history. Banyon was at first reluctant to talk to him, but learned over time, that the spirit could provide him with valuable information. The only restrictions were that he had to ask questions and he could not ask about the future.

  Banyon sent Loni to do some research on her computer. He wanted to know everything that he could about Thomas Cruickskank Jr. Meanwhile he would talk to Wolf.

  “Wolf, are you there?” Banyon spoke to the ceiling.

  The reply came immediately and filled the room, but only Colton Banyon could hear Wolf. “As always,” the spirit said. “I have been waiting to talk to you.”

  “About what exactly?”

  “About your next case, of course,” the spirit replied in his cultured voice. Whenever the spirit talked about a new case it always concerned an old Nazi. The answer made Banyon shudder. The hunt for old Nazis almost always included violence. They didn’t give up easily. Wolf was dedicated to hunting Nazis. Eventually when they caught enough Nazis, the curse would be fulfilled and Wolf would go to his final destination. Banyon would then be free of the curse as well.

  “What case? I have questions of a more personal nature.”

  “They are tied together, Colton.”

  Chapter Four

  Loni was sitting at Colt’s desk in his finely appointed office at the front of the sprawling ranch house. She was banging away his computer, when he suddenly bolted into the room and started searching for something in the bottom draw of his credenza.

  “What’s going on, Colt?” she asked.

  “I’ve got to find something. It is very important and may be why I was ordered to appear at Homeland Security tomorrow.”

  “Well, what is it? Can I help?”

  “No, I haven’t seen it in years, but I know what I’m looking for.”

  “Well do you want to hear what I have found out? I can talk while you are looking.”

  “I’m listening,” he said as he threw things out of some draws.

  “Well, this may be just a coincidence, but Thomas Cruickshank’s father and your father both served in World War II in the same regiment. It was called Merrill’s Marauders and after the war they both lived on Eastern Long Island,” Loni noted.

  “I know,” replied Banyon.

  “How do you know that?” she demanded.

  “Wolf told me.”

  “Did you know that they were MIA? That means missing in action for six days while fighting the Japanese in Burma?”

  “Knew that too,” he said with his head buried inside the credenza.

  “They were both decorated war heroes. Your father was awarded many medals,” Loni continued.

  “I’m looking for those medals right now and there is something else that I have kept with them,” Banyon replied.

  “I also looked up Thomas Cruickskank Jr.”

  ***

  “Okay,” Banyon responded absently.

  “He is listed as historical researcher for Homeland Security. He has been there since Homeland Security was founded. His job is to look into the official and unofficial records of World War II. What do you think that he wants to talk to you about?”

  “I have a good idea,” Banyon remarked.

  “What?”

  “This,” Banyon said as he came out of the credenza holding a cylindrical object and plopped it on the desk top next to Loni.”

  “An ashtray?” she exclaimed. There was a slight glint of distain in her voice.

  “It’s not an ashtray. It is disguised as an ashtray,” he noted.

  “Well what is it?” she asked with her arms spread out in question. She seemed more nervous than she should have been.

  “Wolf told me there are formulas written on the surface.”

  Loni picked up the object and studied it. Her hands had a slight shake as she held it and she quickly put it down on the desktop. “It looks like it was made from a cannon shell to me. I do see some designs around the face of it,” she informed him. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. They both stared at the item for several minutes.

  Finally Banyon spoke. “It was meant to look like that to disguise it further. It is really a document on how to make something.”

  The now very concerned Loni quickly asked, “Can you tell me what the formula is for, Colton?” She eyed him with just the corner of her eye. She only called him Colton when she was nervous or angry.

  Banyon turned and stared at her for some time. It unnerved her. “Before I tell you, I want you to do some research first. Then I have a few questions fo
r you personally to answer,” Banyon said with a very serious face. She searched his eyes for some clue as to what he was talking about, but he held a poker face.

  She hesitated for a moment and then asked him what he wanted her to research.

  “I want you to research ‘Alchemy in China’,” he said as he watched her face for a reaction.

  “Oh my God. You know,” she wailed. “Wolf told you.”

  Chapter Five

  She was sobbing uncontrollably now. Tears rolled down her pretty face. Banyon was not sure of what to do. “You hate me now,” she cried out. “Wolf has told you everything, why did he have to do that to me?”

  Banyon took her by both arms, “Loni, listen to me.” Banyon spoke to her in a reasonable and calm voice. “Wolf only told me you held all the answers. He said you were a good, loving, caring person and I should let you explain everything to me. I think he was trying to help you. I agreed to keep an open mind.”

  “Oh, Colt I love you so much, please don’t hate me,” her small body shook with pangs of sorrow. She sat with her head down in shame. Her usually exuberate attitude had turned into a defeated mask of pain and worry. Banyon was shocked by the transformation and knew he had to do something.

  “Here come sit on my lap and tell me everything,” he offered with his arms open for her to come to him.

  She literally leaped from her chair like it was on fire and placed herself in his larger lap. She curled up into the little ball that he had seen before, but continued to sob, with her head on his shoulder. He began to stroke her silky black hair and hugged her close to him with his other arm. After some time she began to calm down enough to speak.

  “Do you promise to not hate me if I tell you everything,” she whispered in her singsong voice. Banyon wondered if she was negotiating, like before.

  “Loni, I love you truly, nothing you have to tell me will make me love you less,” he said as reassurance to her.

  “Okay,” she said between small sobs. “I’ll tell you everything, but can we go to the living room and sit on the couch, this may take a while.”