by David McLeod
He looked over at the computer and saw that it was ready for use, not even password protected — shoddy — he felt slightly cheated. Sitting in front of the screen, he used the mouse to navigate through the system to its application log. Sure enough there was evidence of an external drive being added, a few more clicks and he was into the program log — it told him all he needed to know — they had the stolen records.
Deciding to leave the computer on for a bit of fun, a sort of calling card to let them know someone had been there — or at least start an argument as to which of them left it on. Elwood exited the house and returned to his SUV leaving the slider unlocked.
As always, he sent his BCC’d report back to his boss.
Chapter 23
The journey to the bottom of Mulholland Drive took about twenty minutes. They chose a mixture of sidestreets and freeways to get there, heading north along Alameda, joining the Hollywood Freeway, and taking the Santa Monica Boulevard to Mulholland Drive.
Traffic on Mulholland was light, much lighter than the previous times they’d been there. The handful of cars they passed on the way up the hill looked like tourists in rental cars; virtually none of them paid the least bit of attention to the cab
They arrived at the job at the top of the hill. The gates were open, apparently broken some months back and not repaired, so Scott drove the cab straight in and pulled up by the front door. The cab passed three surveillance cameras on the way in, but they knew that although the devices were operational, they were not set to record; plus, it didn’t really matter; any recording device wouldn’t be around for much longer anyway. Scott let the car idle for a moment, waiting to see if any house lights came on, or if the front door opened, but nothing happened.
Scott, the turbaned faux Indian, got out and went straight to the trunk. He carefully lifted out the bags and cases, and placed them gently on the ground. He then slipped two large gas cans between the suitcases. Both Vince and Joshua — the passengers — got out, walked to the front door, and rang the bell. The house remained still, but Vince rang it again to make sure. Satisfied that the house was vacant, they returned to Scott and the cases at the rear of the cab.
Suddenly, the three of them were bathed in light. A car had swung into the driveway and was coming towards them with its high beams on. It was a fight or flight moment for all of them. Almost in unison, they raised their hands to their faces to block some of the light, and almost immediately the car headlights were dipped.
‘Sorry about that,’ the driver yelled out of his open window as he pulled up beside them. ‘Forgot my lights were on full.’
As their eyes readjusted to the darkness, they were presented with the smiling face of a grossly overweight guy in a Universal Studios baseball cap.
‘Me and the little wifey here have gotten a might bit lost. We spotted the cab, and thought who better to ask for help than a cabbie.’
From the passenger seat, an equally substantial face leaned across and smiled. Both the driver and his wife were ignoring the cab driver and quizzically eyeing the passenger and the boy up and down. Scott, the cab driver, thought this was all a bit strange until he realized they weren’t lost at all, they were just tourists hoping to get a face-to-face with a celeb; if they were lucky, they’d get a photo; if not, a good story to tell the folks back home — Remember when we met blah blah blah on Mulholland…
As the tourist spoke, a new threat crossed Vince’s mind, would Joshua scream abduction. He casually slipped his hand around the back of the boy’s neck, virtually impossible to see in the dark, but he knew that Joshua would get the message. Joshua took out his PSP and started to play.
Scott turned his attention to the two tourists. ‘Where were you looking for?’ he asked.
‘Uh? Oh, we were looking to find our way to Hollywood Boulevard,’ the man said obviously realizing that the passengers standing there were not celebs — or certainly not A-listers anyway.
‘You’re some ways away. Best thing to do is go back down the hill and grab directions from there,’ Scott suggested.
‘Yeah, good idea, thanks. Sorry to have troubled you. Y’all have a good night now,’ the man said as both he and his wife eyed the three one last time and drove off.
As the car drove through gate, Vince released his grip on Joshua, and a huge sigh of relief passed between the two partners.
‘That was different,’ Scott said with a slightly nervous laugh. ‘Best we get this over and done with quickly.’
The cab driver and passenger made an exchange that to anyone in the outside world would look like a fare being paid, then the driver got back in the cab and drove away leaving Vince and Joshua there alone.
‘Look at me Joshua.’ Vince bent down to talk to the boy.
‘Pick up those gas cans, follow me around, and pour gas where I tell you to. That way, I can keep an eye on you and we can get away from here quickly and get something to eat,’ he said gruffly
Without responding, Joshua put his PSP into his pocket, then leaned over and picked up the gas can.
Vince made quick work of strategically placing the bags and cases in areas he felt would cause the most damage, carefully reaching in and setting the timers as he went. Following closely behind him, Joshua liberally poured gas where directed and added some to his own areas for good measure. He was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn’t notice the nail sticking out of one of the pillars, it caught on the leg of his pants, ripping the fabric at the base of the pocket. He carried on following Vince around the house, completely oblivious to the fact that his PSP had quietly slipped out of the hole.
With all the charges set, they made their way back to the gate to wait in the shadows for the cab. Exactly fifteen minutes after being dropped off, Scott reappeared in the cab. With everyone on board, they set off down the hill to the next destination, a Burger King drive through, then on to a vantage point in Runyon Canyon Park.
The three of them exited the cab and Scott lifted the kid onto the hood as they all stood there and tucked into their burgers as they looked in the direction of Mulholland Drive. Scott checked his watch, and then began the countdown from ten. They all joined in with seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…
Like a spectacular firework display, the side of Mulholland Drive lit up the night sky. The explosion was much bigger than Joshua was expecting and huge balls of fire filled his view, immediately followed by a teeth-rattling boom. All across the hillside, house and car alarms sang out like a chorus of horny cicadas. Soon, fire truck sirens joined the cacophony, adding their own unique pitch as fire raged from the site that was once an iconic house. The fire trucks’ flashing blue and red lights bounced around the buildings as they made their way up the hill.
‘How many trucks can you see?’ Scott asked Joshua. He counted six.
‘I can’t wait to tell Tims how we pulled this one off!’ Vince beamed.
Pleased that it was a job well done, the three of them packed up their empty burger boxes and drinks and got back into the cab.
‘We’re gonna make a small detour on the way back?’ Scott said to his passengers on the backseat.
‘Where are we going?’ Vince asked inquisitively.
He leaned forward and Scott craned his neck as he whispered the address in his ear.
‘Really?’ he asked. ‘Really.’ Came the reply.
Scott typed a quick text message and pressed send, then started the engine. The journey took a little longer than normal because Scott elected to take side streets rather than the more direct route. As they drew nearer their destination Joshua sat up.
‘Hey, this is my neighborhood,’ he announced.
‘I know, Joshua, there’s something I need you to see.’ Scott said.
‘You remember I told you that your mother was … um … less than concerned about your well-being?’
Joshua’s attention flicked between what Scott was saying and his upcoming home. Scott continued to speak.
‘Well I think
that here is the reason why.’
The three of them looked out of the window as the cab rolled past Joshua’s house. A man was walking away from the house toward a bright red Corvette.
‘That’s the guy she’s dating,’ Scott said.
Joshua was speechless as he stared at the man leaving his home. Tears began to form in his eyes as the cab drove on by.
‘Sorry you had to see that, Joshua, but I thought you were man enough to know the truth.’
Scott looked in the rear view mirror at his partner, who was smiling; he knew who Scott had called to set up the fake scene — it was the panel beater.
Chapter 24
Before they left Lucky’s Diner, Daniel made a quick phone call back to Malone and Taylor. Since they weren’t home, he left a message on the machine. ‘Hi guys, it’s just me. Look, I’ve met with my mom and she’s great, she’s telling me everything and I mean everything. I’m gonna stay the night with her, then I’ll fly back tomorrow and tell you all about it. Oh, how are things going with…’ the machine cut his call short.
They took a cab back to Shannon’s house; once inside, Shannon told Daniel to put his bag down and she’d give him a tour of the place. She was being facetious, the place was tiny. Living room with kitchen attached, one bedroom, and a small bathroom. The house was livable and the furniture looked lived in, drab, and inexpensive. Daniel noted the house was only just big enough for one; and the furnishings, although they were nasty, had a female feel about them. ‘So where is my dad, DC?’ he thought.
‘The couch is a pull out,’ she told him as she pointed at one of the faded, red, two-seaters. She went to the kitchen, lit a cigarette, and put some coffee on; when it was ready, she walked the two steps back to join Daniel in the living room.
‘So enough about me; what have you been up to for the past twenty-odd years?’ she asked as she handed him a mug and filled it with coffee.
Daniel desperately wanted her to carry on with her stories, but he knew it was time now for him to speak so he brought her up to speed with his life so far. He told her about Sister Elizabeth, but not about the letter he’d received. She looked fondly at him as he spoke about how good the Sister had been to him. He told her about his brief and rubbish flirt with crime: ‘Guess it’s in my genes,’ he joked. He told her how good Malone had been to him, and once again she smiled.
‘Sounds like he’s a great guy,’ she said, but she quietly pondered the name Malone.
And when he told her about his successful design business, Daniel missed the way her eyes lit up at the talk of money.
They had talked for hours before Shannon finally yawned and said, ‘I think it’s time for me to call it a night.’
Daniel checked his watch and was amazed to see it was after eleven. Shannon pulled out the couch and made up the bed; then she gave him a quick hug and retired to her room.
Restless and unable to sleep, Shannon tossed and turned in her bed. Thoughts of her past filled her head, and she returned to a time she had tried so hard to forget.
‘Quickly, kiss me,’ DC told her.
She was about to ask why, but his lips were already on hers before she could speak. They were in the reception area of the Marriott hotel in downtown San Francisco. DC had asked her to dress extra special and she had really gone to town — a tight-fitting, low-cut, black number that never failed to draw attention. As they embraced there in the foyer, more and more eyes were drawn to their presence; she could feel the smile on DC’s face grow as they kissed.
‘Can I help you sir?’ The concierge had left his station to come over and greet them.
‘That you can,’ he replied in a slightly raised voice, then quickly lowered it. ‘We have a table booked for eight o’clock and I understand that you can put us in a discrete area.’
She looked at him open-mouthed as he slipped a fifty into the concierge’s hand and winked.
‘I’m sure we can sort that out for you, sir. If you’d like to follow me.’
He introduced them to the maitre’d saying, ‘This is Tessa; she will be able to take care of you for the evening.’
‘Thanks a lot.’ DC responded and turned his attention to Tessa.
‘If you’d like to follow me, Sir and Madam,’ she said as she moved off through the restaurant towards the far end by the window. Once they were seated, she smiled and left them alone.
‘Okay, no more games; what the hell is going on?’ Shannon’s voice was quiet but her tone was tense.
He leaned over and grabbed her hands as he quietly said, ‘Casually look over my shoulder at the couple in the corner.’
She gently leaned to one side and looked past him.
‘Who are you talking about? The fat guy with ginger sideburns?’
He smiled ‘Yeah, that’s him. He’s a lawyer; actually, he’s a senior partner with one of the big firms in the city; and the woman he’s with is the wife of one of his junior partners.’
She looked blankly at him.
‘You’ve got me all excited and dressed up, just so we can spy on some fat guy having an affair. You’ve got to be kidding me.’
He shook his head. ‘Give me a bit more credit than that. Yes we are spying on him, but it’s much more than that. Not only is she married to a guy that works for him, but he’s married too. We’re going to get some photos of them together in compromising positions. Not just in here either. I’m thinking in the elevator and maybe even going into the room; shame we won’t be able to get in there with them… maybe if…’
‘What are you talking about?’ she interrupted.
‘Blackmail. I’m talking blackmail. And not just him either — although he has the most to lose — her too.’ The lopsided smile was back on his face.
‘Blackmail – are you serious?’
‘Of course!’
‘So, what’s the plan?’ she asked when the waiter left earshot.
‘Like I said, he’s one of the senior partners in a firm in town. I had to go and take care of a bit of business in their office…’ He didn’t elaborate on the reason.
‘Anyway, I was talking to another of their associates in their goldfish-bowl style meeting room when out of the corner of my eye I spotted old ginger, talking to Missy there and a guy who I found out was one of the juniors. There was something about the way they interacted, particularly missy and ginger; it seemed odd — you know how I am at reading people.’
She nodded; he definitely did have a gift when it came to summing up people; it was a skill honed by years of seeking and manipulating suckers.
‘Right then I knew they were at it. A few calls provided all I needed to know about old ginger: married with two sons, been with the company for fifteen years, blah, blah, blah. All I wanted to know was that he was rich and blackmailable. The junior was a different story though, only been with the firm a couple of years, and really hardworking. In the past few weeks, I didn’t see him leave the office before midnight; and he’s always there before six. They live in a modest-sized home — a bit above their means, if you ask me — and she doesn’t work. Spends a lot of her time meeting friends for little coffee groups or wines with lunch; that, of course, is when she’s not with ginger.’ He looked a little bitter.
‘They get together more or less three times a week; they mix it up a bit, but always flash places. This place is their favorite though — every Thursday, like clockwork.’
‘Wow, you really have been busy,’ she said, impressed.,’
‘Like I said, she and the junior don’t have much in the way of money, but she does have a good life and a potentially big future to lose. I say we go after her first; make sure we get it right before going for the bigger ginger fish. What do you think?’
She gave him a huge smile and asked ‘Did you bring the camera?’
‘Right here in the palm of my hand,’ he replied as he opened his hand to show her the tiny device.
She leaned over and kissed him on the lips, the lopsided grin reappeared, and he called
the waiter over to order.
Her memory flashed forward.
‘Why hasn’t she called?’ Shannon was pacing by the payphone near the wharf. ‘The message with the photos said not to be late, so why hasn’t she called us?’
‘Calm down, she’ll call. She’s probably trying to work out what she’s going to do. There’ll be the initial shock of opening the envelope and seeing herself in print with old Ginge — great shots by the way. Then she’ll read the letter telling her what we want and what will happen if we don’t get it. She’s got a lot of things to think about before she calls us.’
‘Do you think we asked too much?’
‘Nah. Ten grand ain’t chicken feed to them, I admit, but it’s about small enough for her to get away with. Plus, let’s not forget what she’s got at stake here.’
‘What if she calls Ginger?’
‘I’m counting on it. She’s probably trying to get hold of him as we speak. It’s gonna help us find out what type of guy he is and how best to handle him.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, if she calls and has the cash, then he probably helped out. If she calls and needs more time to raise the cash, then he has declined assistance and she has to find another way to get the money.’
‘But what if she doesn’t call?’
‘She’ll call.’
DC sent her along the pier to get some coffee and a Danish, and almost immediately upon her return, the phone rang. They looked at each other and DC picked up the phone. She listened intently to his side of the conversation.
‘Hello?…’
‘Yes, that’s us…’
‘I’m sorry you feel that way, but then it’s not me that’s getting it on with your husband’s boss, is it? Look lady, I don’t have time for all this abuse. Do you have the money and do we have a deal — or does this have to turn ugly?’
‘That’s more like it,’ he responded and then told her exactly what he wanted her to do and when.