by Matt Lincoln
He paused and read the email again. “I think that you’re going to have to talk to the Judge personally, Header, to try to get some sort of scope on this thing. If she’s willing to speak directly to you, that might give us some insight on where we go from here.”
Xavier’s right, Rosa added. Talking to her is the only chance we have of knowing if we’re getting played or not. We need to make sure this isn’t out of our league, as well.
“Since when has that ever stopped us?” I tossed a grin at Rosa.
Good point. Rosa smiled and got up off the couch. Well, I don’t know about any of you, but I’m starving. I say we order in and focus on the evidence we do have. We’ll manage this end while you go make that call to the Judge, Header.
She was correct about trying to get everything we could tonight. I dialed in the number from the email and excused myself to my bedroom. I grabbed a pad of paper and a pen to jot down anything that might stand out in her wording, tone, or information.
I settled in at the desk in my room and turned on the lamp. Making a note of the time, I started the call. The other end picked up seconds after the first ring.
“Hello? Mr. Header?” The voice had traces of exhaustion and nervousness intermingled with a firm and commanding sound.
“Yes, Judge Fu. This is Jake Header. Thank you for speaking with me on such short notice.”
“Thank you for calling me. I’m sorry that the email we sent couldn’t contain more valid material for you. I’m sure that you can understand the reasoning giving the position we’re all in.” I could hear her scribbling a note of some kind on her end.
“I do understand, Your Honor. But it has left my team and me at a disadvantage. Without more information, we can’t justify a motive or begin to track down points that could help us find Arik. Right now, all we know from your email is that it might be a revenge kidnapping from one of your prior cases or rulings.” I wanted to be tactful, but we needed more to go on. “Do you personally have any suspects in mind, or have you received any, forgive me for being forward, threats that stand out as…?”
“Abnormal?” She had a soft, chuckling kind of laugh that seemed a little too practiced. “I understand your meaning, Mr. Header. And no, there have been no extraordinary threats lately. Just the garden variety kind I collect daily.”
I made a note of that, even though it wasn’t startling news. “And has Arik ever been the target of any threats that you are aware of?”
“Not for many years. He’s had to be placed into private schools for his protection, but that hasn’t been an issue in, oh, I’d say, three years? No. He’s no longer in the spotlight to be a target for more.” Her voice twinged just enough to be noticeable. That needed to be addressed.
“So then, can you think of anyone specifically affected by your actions that would have the means and opportunity to take Arik at his location? I know that you placed a bodyguard with him, and that tells me that you were at least aware of a potential hazard.” I wanted to see what she’d tell me given her previous response.
“Simon Chorley had been with my family since Arik was a baby. I trusted that man not only with my life but with my son’s. I relied on his superior judgment of character, and I know if something had been amiss, Simon would have told me about it.” The Judge seemed defensive, and I wrote that down on the pad.
“Okay, good to know. And what did Mr. Chorley tell you about Arik’s run-in with this Hemez guy? The one he got the fake IDs from?” I needed to know if he was the “connect” from the email.
There was a pause on the Judge’s end. She cleared her throat and tried to explain. “I believe that this was due to the influence of that Mia woman. I’m certain that she took advantage of my son in his current state and manipulated these conditions to be more in her favor.”
What did she mean about that?
“Simon only ever mentioned that Arik had asked him for money to buy some girl a present. I was completely against it. At first, I thought that he’d met a fellow patient and was enamored. As inappropriate as that might have been, it was worse when Simon told me that Mia was one of the nurses in Arik’s facility.” The Judge was trying to be prudent about her comments, but it was easy to hear the truth.
“Is that how you found out about Hemez? When Chorley told you?” I needed to know how these were connected.
“Only after Simon called me the second time and informed me that Arik had used his half-day pass to visit some warehouse at the docks. He himself was worried because the woman had gone with Arik. She seemed to expedite the whole ordeal.” Judge Fu’s answer changed everything.
“Your Honor, do you think that Mia has something to do with the kidnapping?” I was making notes as quickly as I thought them up.
There was a sigh on her end that made me wonder about her own motives now. The Judge could be heard scribbling again. “I don’t have firm evidence for that conclusion, but I do know that everything escalated the moment Arik met Mia. Up until then, Arik’s rehabilitation was going well, and the doctors gave me their full faith that his treatments were going well and were a benefit to him.”
“I see. That’s good to know.” At least that meant that the kid had been trying and wasn’t just dumped here to save mom the embarrassment. I wanted to know more, though. This was a new line none of us had considered. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how soon did Mia appear on the radar before Arik started to react?”
“I don’t know the exact dates. The doctors only let me talk to him once a week, and my son,” her speech got distinctly uncomfortable at this point, “was resentful that I’d sent him there.”
There may have been something like a choked back sob, or it could have been a blip in the line. International calls were not always known to be perfect quality. “Mr. Header, my son has been a constant joy to me throughout my life, and yet there are times when his actions don’t match his intentions. Arik is spontaneous and also effortlessly influenced by anyone he wants as a friend.”
The Judge took a sip of something and swallowed it hard. I could tell that she was trying to compose herself. “If this Mia had flirted and shown him special attention, then yes, I do believe that she could have gotten him to act far outside of his best interest. Even Simon couldn’t have matched the influence of a pretty girl and the hormones of a teenager.”
I didn’t like to add this to the list, but it was something we’d have to think about. “I’ll have my team look into this, Your Honor, but I have to say that we all saw Mia get taken too. She fought to get away and is just as much of a victim in our eyes as Arik is. If we find out otherwise, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thank you, Mr. Header.” I heard her blowing her nose on the other end. “I just want to get my son back home. I’m so terrified that whoever did this will use him to attack me. There’s no greater pain or fear for a parent. To be incapable of helping your child. To be rendered impotent in protecting him.”
She sniffled, and I could hear a sob easily this time. “Please, Mr. Header. Do everything that you can to bring him home safely. I cannot imagine my life without him.” She paused briefly and continued, a little shakier in her tone this time. “This line you called me on? It's my secured, private line. Please call me at any hour when you have even the slightest bit of news.”
“I will, Your Honor. Thank you again for your time. I’m going to go give this information to my team and get started on it right away.” Then I slipped in the burning question we all needed to know. “By the way, how closely do you want us collaborating with Agent Ozoa? I’d like to have some clarification on that if it's not too much trouble.”
“Oh,” the Judge sounded surprised. “I assumed that you were all working together already. Is she not there with you?”
“I guess there was some confusion starting out. We’ll get all of that worked out in no time. Thank you, Judge Fu. And I hope to be calling you with good news soon.” I hung up and peered down at my notes. It was time to get to work.
Chapter 9
Eve
I flew into Aeroporto das Lajes and stepped off the private Cessna Skywagon 185 into a world of overwhelming greenery and fragrant ocean breezes. This introduction would never be rivaled again by any place as long as I lived. It was my first trip to any Atlantic island, and I was going to make the most of it. Just flying into Angra do Heroismo had been such a thrill that I swear, I almost teared up.
There was a line to check-in and pass all the necessary customs and legal requirements, but even that was kind of fun. It had been such a long time since I’d traveled on anything other than a bus or subway that I was claiming all this as part of a grander quest, even if it was technically a business trip.
Once I got to my hotel and checked into my room, I put my phone on the charger and took a shower. Next, I changed into something fresh and more befitting my planned outings for the rest of the day. I threw on a gray tank top, my peach-colored butterfly shirt, and my classiest pair of shorts. They were dark, pleated, and had some stylish embroidery along the hems and pockets. I thought I looked quite ready for whatever I found out there.
My hotel room was magnificent. The bed was right beside the double doors that led to the balcony. There were flowing, ethereal looking curtains that swayed with the slightest breeze. Everything was bright and pristine, in subtle hues of tans and grays and whites. There was a couch, a workspace, the customary dresser, night tables, and two chairs, all a little too similar for my tastes.
The view on the terrace was unbelievable. There were hanging plants and trellises separating the rooms for privacy and fragrance. There was a wicker chaise lounge in the corner which I promised myself to nap on later. It had a view that was unobstructed and looked straight to the beaches. I never wanted to leave this city!
I braided my hair and twisted it up to keep me nice and cool. I took my phone and saw that it was fully charged and ready to go. After a quick check at my emails to let the Judge know I had safely landed and checked into the hotel, I got down to business. I dialed Jake Header’s number, which Judge Fu had sent me, and I waited.
Three rings in, and a deep, virile voice answered, “Hello, who is this?”
“Hello, Mr. Header. This is Eve Sarabia, Judge Fu’s attaché and lawyer. We’ve exchanged emails but never spoken directly on the phone. I wanted to let you know that I am currently here in Angra do Heroismo and that I’m very much looking forward to meeting with you to discuss Arik and your findings.” I was quite practiced at speaking distinctly, abruptly, and with confidence, and for it not to sound like it was rehearsed. “When would be an appropriate time for us to meet, Mr. Header?”
There was a brief mumbled conversation on the other end where I only understood the words ‘lawyer,’ ‘maybe,’ and ‘dinner.’ The strong voice came back on the line in full force after a few moments. “Ms. Sarabia, I’d like to meet you at your hotel and sit down for a conversation about where we are with Arik’s abduction. Could you be ready for a visitor in about, say, twenty minutes?”
“I will be. Could I please get a description from you, so I know who to look for?” My mind was running wild with what I was already envisioning.
“Black hair, wearing black cargo shorts, a white tank, and a solid navy short-sleeved button-down. I’ll be in a black European convertible, but I’ll come into the lobby to meet you first.” He sounded very intense. “And on your end? Oh, and the name of the hotel?”
“Oh, I’m wearing a peach top and dark shorts. Black hair in an updo. Is that enough to find each other?”
“I think it’s enough to go on.” He wasn’t setting off any alarm bells, so I felt okay about this all so far.
I gave him my hotel name and thanked him, then hung up. I had a bit of time before I needed to get to the lobby. I went back out to the balcony to drink in the air and beauty of the place. There was a host of old churches and forts on the archipelago that I was determined to see. I wanted to have an itinerary mapped out, but I knew that the situation with Arik was not going to allow it. Work needed to come first and foremost, with fun and adventure afterward. That may have been my own personal mantra, sadly.
Fifteen minutes after the call with Jake Header, I went down to the lobby and stood next to a huge plant with red blooms and skinny, long leaves. I had no idea what it was, but I wanted to take one home with me. I searched the trio of open rooms for any man matching the description he’d given me. This hotel was full of business types, and people probably not on vacation. I had a feeling I’d fit right in.
The furnishings were set in dark reds and blues with tarnished gold fixtures. It gave the rooms a lush and old money feel. There were plants and foliage at every turn, some with blossoms, others just organic and plain. The floors had a dark marble look to them that was a bit intimidating to walk into all at once. Still, it was beautiful and gorgeous, and it set the flavor and tone to be impressive to just about anyone.
I wasn’t left waiting too long before a tall man fitting Mr. Header’s account of himself came into view. I had imagined him all from his voice, but I had not done him justice. The unkempt black hair fell in the way that most women could only dream of obtaining for our own hair. He was well-toned and obviously worked out. I mean, of course, he did. He was like a SEAL/Agent/pirate hunter, right?
I took all of this in before I approached him. I wanted to remember my first impression later. As I took a few steps forward, he saw me and cocked his head.
“Ms. Sarabia?” There it was, that voice. He stuck out his hand, and I took it.
“Guilty as charged.” What a terrible opening. “I’m guessing that you are Mr. Header?” I smiled and tried to be super professional about this.
“Last time I checked.” He returned the smile, and I hoped I wasn’t staring too much.
“Well, I’m incredibly pleased to meet you. And please, just call me Eve from here on out. Let’s keep the formalities to a bare minimum if we can.” I was bombarded by my surname or “ma’am” on a daily basis. It was going to be a treat to go by “Eve” while I was here.
“Gotcha.” He was turning out to be a man of few words. I could accept that.
“So, do you want to have a briefing to catch up on each other’s points, or do you have something else in mind?” I was hoping for the latter.
“I think that we’d better focus and find Arik. We can do that if you feel up for a walk. You can stretch your legs after that flight and get a feel for where we are.” He glanced outside, so I took the hint.
“I’d be very happy to walk around, yes, thank you.” I had my phone with all the details of this situation at my fingertips. “Please, lead the way.”
Mr. Header and I stepped out into the sunshine of a humid and pleasant midmorning. He started off to the left, so I followed, taking note of signs and locations so that I wouldn’t get lost later on. “Who wants to go first?”
He grinned, and I sort of wanted to swoon, but I didn’t. He cleared his throat and started to tell me what he knew. “After my conversation with Judge Fu last night, we began looking into Arik’s friend, Mia. I was hoping that as a lawyer, you’d be interested in questioning the hospital where she worked and where Arik was being treated. Then, maybe you can pay a visit with some family of hers once we get an address.”
“That sounds reasonable.” I’d done this kind of footwork many times, and I was fairly good at it. “Do you actually think that Mia could be implicated in the… abduction?” I lowered my voice, not overly comfortable saying some of this in public.
Jake seemed very at ease, just walking and discussing things like this. I thought that maybe I should loosen up. He shook his head, though, and explained. “I don’t see it, but the Judge wanted us to work that angle, and I’d rather rule it out now than miss it later.”
“Us? I assume that you mean your team?” I had read up on them and knew enough not to humiliate myself when we did, in fact, meet up.
“Yes. You’ll meet them later, but I have them on other projec
ts relating to this right now. Besides, I wanted to take this chance to size you up and ask a few questions without them around.”
“What kind of questions?” I looked over at him, worried and a little excited, too.
“Want to grab an early lunch?” Mr. Header smirked, and I replaced my first impression of him with this picture. It was far superior.
Chapter 10
Jake
I led Eve to a charming restaurant with a fish in a top hat on the sign. We walked into a golden light filled rock space. There were sturdy wood tables and chairs lining the left and right walls and an enormous driftwood bar at the far end. It reminded me of a few dive bars I’d frequented in the past, and it was a good feeling. We took our seats and awaited the staff.
While we waited, I took a minute to get a better impression of Miss Sarabia. She was seemingly an attractive and accomplished woman, and spending this or any time with her wasn’t a bad thing so far. She acted a bit out of place, but that could have been just the newness of the situation and the case. I hoped that the more time we spent together, the better we’d get to understand one another.
A woman in dark blue greeted us. “Olá. Would you like to see our menu and a wine list?”
Eve looked at me expectantly, so I spoke up. “We’ll have the house wine, and whatever it is that smells so good in here.”
The waitress beamed. “We’re serving the Arroz De Marisco for lunch if that pleases you?”
It sounded perfect for the situation. “That will do nicely. Thank you very much.” I turned my attention to Eve once the waitress had moved away. “Please tell me that you don’t have a shellfish allergy.”
She chuckled delightfully. “No, I’ll be fine. Forgive me, but I really don’t speak Portuguese. What did you just order for us?”
I thought about how to answer her question, wondering if I should treat this as a business lunch or maybe something a little less formal. “I don’t know how you feel about surprises, so I’ll tell you this much. Soup.”