by R Weir
“It’s Jolene,” she said. “I don’t know where she is.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’ve been texting her since we got here and she hasn’t answered me back.”
“I thought she didn’t communicate well with you?”
“She always answers her text messages from me. Maybe not happily, but she’ll answer. She understands I want to know what she is doing.”
“Maybe she is off with her boyfriend. You know, doing boyfriend-girlfriend things. Easy to lose track of time when… you know…” I figured it was best not to spell it out.
“That is what is troubling,” Helen said. “I texted him as well, and she didn’t show. They were supposed to meet up at the bowling alley on Grand and she never made it over. He has no idea where she is, and is worried too. It’s not like her not to show up and she is pretty stuck on him right now.”
This didn’t sound good. Couldn’t call the police, as she hadn’t been missing for long. Roni came over and sat next to Helen, putting her arm around her.
“I’m sure she is okay,” said Roni. “Nothing has happened to her. I can feel it.”
“It’s all his fault,” stated Helen, while pointing at Flynn. “He told me of the mess he is in and it’s spilling into our lives. If anything has happened to her, I’ll never forgive you.”
Helen was on the edge of hysterics and we needed to get her out of there. There wasn’t much they could do but wait and stay positive, fighting a parent’s worst fears of what could have happened. They were an uncle’s as well.
Chapter 15
The four of us went back to their house and waited. Helen was crying. Roni sat next to her, consoling. Flynn was pacing and even went outside to smoke a couple of times. I racked my brains on what to do and couldn’t come up with anything. I could drive around and look for her, but wouldn’t know where to start. I decided to take the most logical path and drove to the bowling alley. I found her boyfriend, but he still hadn’t heard from her. He would wait, for now, while I drove back again slowly, finding nothing. It was close to 10 p.m. when we heard a vehicle pull up outside. I was out the door to see who it was, finding the dark SUV I’d come to know too well. The doors opened, the two FBI agents exiting, one opening the back door. Jolene, looking none the worse for wear, stepped out.
Flynn was outside now, too, and made a run at the driver. I grabbed him to prevent trouble. He was not a happy man.
“What the fuck were you doing to her?” he yelled as I used all my strength to hold him. Flynn was pretty strong when worked into a frenzy.
“We were having a conversation about you,” said agent one. “Making sure she understood what her daddy has been up to.”
“You son-of-a-bitch,” Flynn yelled again. “You had no right.”
“And what are you going to do about it,” said agent one. “Not a damn thing.”
I turned around from holding Flynn. “Maybe I will.”
“What will mister lawyer do, sue me?”
I smiled. “It crossed my mind.”
“Be my guest.”
He turned and I stuck my foot out and tripped him and he fell with a grunt into the fender of the SUV with his shoulder before righting himself. Straightening up, he faced me, resisting the urge to rub his shoulder. He was about to take a swing when his partner spoke.
“Don’t do it, Fred,” said agent two. “He is baiting you to make the first punch. You know Wilson won’t be happy you got suckered into it.”
Agent one, now known as Fred, bore down on me with his cold eyes. I didn’t blink and was ready for him to strike. If he took a swing, then I was in my right to defend myself and I was more than up to the task. But he didn’t make the move.
“Another time,” he said.
He shrugged his shoulder, rubbing it. I had to smile.
“Name it and I’ll be there.”
Outside the door came Helen and she ran to hug Jolene.
“I’m fine, Mom,” she said.
Helen saw the two men and mostly had the same reaction as Flynn.
“What did you do with her?” said Helen.
“Only talked and told her the situation. She has been enlightened.”
“Don’t you come near her again or I’ll call the police. I don’t care who you are. You have no right to bother her. Do I make myself clear?”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Mann. Flynn here knows what we want to hear. He has till tomorrow to give us his answer. Have a good evening.”
They got in the SUV and pulled out. I took note of the license this time and quickly typed it in my phone. We all went back inside and sat in the living room. After Jolene called her boyfriend to say she was home safe, she began to tell us what happened.
“I was walking over to the bowling alley when this big SUV pulled up next to me on the side street. The two men inside got out, showed me their IDs, and then forced me into the backseat. I didn’t want to go, Mom, but they were too strong for me. I was scared and wanted to call you, but they took my phone away. We drove around for quite a while and then stopped at this office building somewhere in West Des Moines. They took me inside and locked me in a room for a while. There was just a desk and chairs, and nothing else, other than a glass mirrored wall. I don’t know how long I was in there before another man walked in and started talking to me, telling me things that dad was doing.”
Flynn glanced around the room, a look of horror on his face. You could tell he wanted to say he was sorry, but somehow it wasn’t enough.
“He started off by saying dad was in debt with several banks and to the government, the IRS. They were going to take everything we own, our money, our cars, and our home, and throw us out on the street. The only way this wasn’t going to happen is if daddy continued to help them. If he didn’t give them an answer by tomorrow, we would be living on the street with nothing but the clothes on our backs. It was a little scary to hear.”
“Those bastards,” said Helen. “Why would they tell her this?”
“To force Flynn,” I said. “Like when they came to talk with you. They are giving him no choice in the matter by using you two as leverage.”
“Look what you’ve done!” Helen yelled at Flynn. “What you’ve brought upon us! Did you blow all our money on that woman you’re sleeping with?”
Flynn still couldn’t speak. There was little he could say, no way to defend himself.
“I hate you for doing this to us,” said Helen, who started to cry again.
Roni and Jolene did their best to comfort her. Jolene seemed shaken, but was holding up fairly well. It was a horrible ordeal to go through.
“Jolene, did they say anything else?” I asked.
“They mentioned dad’s girlfriend, and that was about it. Mostly, they were trying to scare me, I think. They left me alone again for some time. The two goons walked back in and drove me home.”
“How are you feeling about all of this?” I asked.
“It was frightening. I wasn’t sure what was going on. Even though they had badges I wondered if they were going to hurt me. I tried to stay positive, but it was difficult. I never want to go through that again!”
“I’m so sorry, honey,” said Flynn finally. “I never thought this would come down on you or your mom. I’ll fix this, I promise. Jarvis and I will fix this. He’ll help me. We’ll make it right, no matter what it takes.”
I wanted to say he needed to tell me what was going on before I could agree, but resisted. Having no idea what to do, I nodded ‘yes’ to helping. Whatever extreme measures were needed, I was willing.
It was getting late and everyone was tired. It was agreed Flynn would stay the night in the guest room. Since Helen had picked up Roni, it was up to me to drive her home. I was both happy to do so and worried. She lived over on the new side of West Des Moines, which had grown much larger over the years, stretching out onto what once was farm land. When we got to her apartment, we sat in the car and talked for a few minutes.
�
��Wow, that was hard to see and hear,” said Roni. “Is this what it’s like being a PI? Do you deal with this type of thing often?”
“Yes. Though I still don’t completely know what I’m dealing with here. Flynn has not told me much. It’s harder, though, since it’s family involved. This will be a first for me.”
“Yes, stressful, but now with family the magnitude increases. What will you do?”
“Help all I can. I’m good at this, so I can provide assistance once he tells me what the hell we’re up against.”
It got quiet and we sat and looked at each other. It was the awkward silence of that first time alone together, like on a first date. I remembered how it was with her all those years ago, wondering if I should kiss her or not. Even with age, the unknown between a male and female remained.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” I said.
Getting out, I opened the door for her and she put her arm in mine. She had a first floor entrance. Standing outside, the tension between us was palpable.
“The offer for dinner is still good,” she said. “I know you’ll be busy, but if you need a break, call me. I would love to see you again before you leave.”
I smiled, every urge to spring forward and take her in my arms coursing through me, but I held back.
“I’d ask you come in, but it’s late,” Roni said. “And I do need to work tomorrow. Besides, never on a first date, and who knows what will happen if I get you alone.”
My heart skipped a beat and I wondered what I would do if she offered. She leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips, turned, and went into her apartment. The urge to follow continued, but I resisted. I wasn’t sure if I’d be so lucky the next time. When I returned to the rental car and pulled out my phone, I immediately called Melissa. I got her voicemail, but hearing even a recorded voice of hers was comforting. I left a long rambling message before making it back to my hotel. Thankfully, I fell asleep thinking and dreaming of her and not of Roni; whatever temptation I’d felt was, for now, gone from my psyche.
Chapter 16
The next day, I went to pick up Flynn. Helen had agreed to allow him to get his car, so I could use it and return the rental, which we promptly did. He could ride his motorcycle while I drove his car. He, like me, was a Mustang fan, but drove a modern one, a 2010 model. His was bright red, sporting a 4.6 liter V8 with all the modern conveniences. It was nice, but not a stick shift, which I preferred. Flynn had never been a manual transmission fan.
Arrangements were made to meet with Agent Wilson at his office. We went through security, got our visitor badges, and soon were sitting in his office. Once there, it didn’t take long for things to get heated.
“What is the idea of having your goons taking my daughter against her will last night?” said Flynn, now standing before his desk, pointing his finger.
Wilson grinned, as if to say “So what? I can do whatever the hell I want!”
“Before we go any further, you need to agree to leave my daughter and wife alone,” stated Flynn. “Do this again and the deal is off.”
“So, our deal is on again?” said Wilson.
“So long as you agree to stay away from them.”
“Sure we can, not that you would have any say in the matter. I think we’ve made our point and can leave them be. Get us results and we’ll leave you all alone.”
Flynn sat down. “And Jarvis is now helping me with this, too.”
“Ah yes, the brother. Took us a while, but we finally figured out who you were. The beard was throwing us off. Quite smart of you.”
I smiled. Though it was not as if I’d planned it all along to foil them.
“You will cover his expenses and he’ll help me through this,” said Flynn. “His hotel room, food, and transportation costs.”
“We can handle this, so long as he understands what we want. Results are all we care about. Is he going to fuck your pretty girlfriend, too?”
“You are an ass,” said Flynn, shaking his head in disgust.
Wilson’s grin was quite aggravating. I’d have knocked it off his face if given the chance. He was a desk jockey now, and likely not as tough as he once was. For now, I’d let it pass.
“Then we have a deal?” I said.
“Yes.”
“You’ll cover my cost of sticking around and helping?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll need some seed money to cover my current costs, plus some extra.”
“How much?”
“Oh, let’s say five hundred.”
He thought it over for a minute.
“Okay, get with Jen down the hall. Show her your current receipts and I’ll tell her to bump it by that amount. She’ll get you a check.”
“And no more harassment of his family.”
“We won’t come near them. So long as there is progress. Do I need to fill your brother in, Flynn?”
“No, I’ll handle it.”
“Good, then both of you can leave. I want a report from you in a few days. Or we’ll have to track you down and have another chat. Close the door on the way out.”
Once we took care of business with Jen – getting a fancy check, which pleased me – we drove to Flynn’s bank to get the check cashed.
“So, are you finally going to tell me what is going on?” I asked, once finished at the bank.
“Yes. But at my office.”
Once inside, I decided to look around.
“What are you looking for?” asked Flynn.
“Something to drink,” I answered, but then motioned for him to follow along.
I checked in obvious places: on lights, on his phone, under desks and chairs, anywhere something extremely small could be easily hidden. I found three different listening devices, so small you would have never seen them unless you were looking. I showed him where they were and then wrote on a piece of paper what they were. He mouthed “Damn” after reading it.
“Let’s go out and smoke,” I said.
Once outside, we could talk without fear of them hearing us.
“How did you know?” asked Flynn.
“I didn’t. It was a hunch. Could be how they figured out who I am. Probably need to check my hotel room. Wouldn’t hurt to look under your car and bike too. Could have put trackers on. The FBI has some pretty sophisticated electronics these days. Pick up a Wi-Fi or 4G signal and transmit it back to them. Anytime we talk around them, we’ll need to be careful what we say. We should be okay to go back in and chat about what they have you working on. Nothing there will be news to them.”
Back inside, he put the closed sign on the door on the minuscule chance a client would show up, and we sat in back. He grabbed a couple of bottles of water from his mini fridge and handed me one. He took his time, trying to figure out the best place to start. I didn’t push him, but the beginning would be nice.
“I never meant to hurt Helen,” Flynn started.
“No one ever does,” I replied. “But you did. The question is why.”
“Hell, you know me. I’ve always had the wandering eye. All through school, even when dating her. Then, of course, she gets pregnant and I’m stuck. I had to do the right thing and I did care for her. And don’t get me wrong, the marriage has been good, and Jolene? I wouldn’t trade her for the world. But I’ve always tired of the same woman. I crave variety. I made it through ten years, but once the sex life got boring I needed more.”
“So, this Casey you are banging now wasn’t the first?”
“No. There have been a couple others. One was my secretary at one time. Used to fuck on that couch there. But she grew tired of me, as well, and quit one day. Came to the realization it wasn’t going to lead to anything. It was fun, but she wanted more, and I wasn’t about to give it to her.”
“How did you meet them?”
“The usual. Work functions, bars, online. Casey was at a bar. She was divorced and hot to trot. No strings, only good old-fashioned sex, however I wanted it.”
“And how long hav
e you been banging her?”
“A few months now. We get together three or four times a week.”
“So, what does screwing her have to do with the FBI?”
“Her dad. He is a bigwig at a securities and exchange company. Feds have had surveillance on him for a while now. Had an eye on her as well, saw us together and ID’ed me. They want me to use her to get inside his business to look at his books. Well, at his books the government doesn’t see. He is keeping one for tax purposes and one where the real money is coming from.”
“Where would that be?”
“From those whose money needs cleaning. They believe he is laundering cash for someone who is less than honest.”
I was afraid to ask the question, for I suspected the answer.
“And who would this be?”
“They aren’t certain. This is why they want me inside.”
“Could be dangerous. People who launder money won’t care for some CPA digging his nose in their business.”
“I don’t have any choice in the matter. They have my balls in a sling.”
“The money you owe?”
“Yes. Several bad investments I lost my shirt on, which drained our bank account and leveraged our home mortgage. And now, I owe the IRS twenty thousand plus in back taxes. They’ll erase the debt if I can provide them evidence.”
“Flynn, these guys will kill you. Maybe even kill Helen and Jolene, if they discover what you’re doing.”
“I have no choice. You heard them; we are all out on the street if I don’t do this.”
“And when it’s over?”
“Witness protection for all of us, if necessary. A clean slate, with enough money to live on.”
“Helen will never agree to this.”
“She has no choice and neither do I.”
“So, she has no idea of this?”
“No.”
I let out a couple swear words, so loud it likely popped the eardrums of those listening. Served them right, as this was the mess of all messes and getting out of it would require a miracle. Anything short of the hand of God wouldn’t save us. Hell, did I really think I’d live forever?