by Bobby Cole
“When will you be here?” Kelly quickly asked, out of breath.
“Uh… well, I was about to leave, and I thought I’d see if you needed anything,” Cooper said, watching a giant military cargo plane bank for a landing at Maxwell Air Force Base. Sensing something was wrong, he exhaled and asked, “What’s the matter, now?”
“You forgot that I have a Charity Ball meeting tonight. Didn’t ya? I can’t find my red dress. I asked you to pick it up at the cleaners before you left!”
“Is Piper there?” Cooper asked, ignoring the issue.
“Dammit, Cooper, I planned on wearin’ that dress tonight. I bought it just for that meeting!” Kelly exclaimed, exasperated that Cooper never seemed to value what was important to her.
“I’m sorry. Just wear somethin’ else. What about Piper?”
“She’s at ridin’ lessons. I gotta go pick her up in a few minutes.” Kelly paused for a moment and then continued, “I was so excited about wearin’ that dress,” as she looked at the grandfather clock in the den.
“Well…” Cooper rubbed his face and counted to five as he carefully measured his response and continued, “I can run by the cleaners to see if they have it ready.”
Cooper felt no real contrition. It was as though he was merely going through whatever motions these were with Kelly.
“Do it and hurry up. I can’t be late,” Kelly ordered and hung up on him.
Cooper stared at the phone for a few seconds, listening to the tone, and then he replaced the handset onto the cradle.
Driving home, Cooper wondered what was next in his relationship with Kelly. He was struggling to consider it as a marriage. Aloud, he said, “So much for ‘becoming one.’ That ship’s sailed.”
Then the thought of Brooke’s body overpowered him, and his mood became as dark and foreboding as the brewing late afternoon thunderstorm.
CHAPTER 27
Jenny jumped into her Honda and was halfway to her hotel before Gates knew that she had left the restaurant. Acting trashy was a part of her job for which she didn’t care, although she was really quite good at it. The upside was that they now had vital information that could save their lives or at least help them stay out of jail. She called Clarence at the first traffic light.
“Yo, baby,” Clarence answered on the second ring.
“I think I got it figured out. Our Client’s trying to devalue a business so it can be bought on the cheap. At least that’s what I think.”
“Come again?” Clarence then hollered at Jesse Ray to turn down the television. They were watching Soul Train reruns.
“There’s a chance for us to make a lot more money on this deal. I’ll explain when I get there. Give me twenty minutes. I’ll come to y’all’s room.”
“Hurry up. I can’t wait to hear this.”
Jenny Johnson smelled an opportunity. It would take a collaborative effort to flesh out the details, but she was excited by the prospects. The soundtrack from Moulin Rouge began, and she sang “Lady Marmalade” at the top of her lungs.
Clarence and Jesse Ray were waiting for her when she gave the secret knock. The big guy stooped down to look through the peephole. He smiled as he unlocked the door.
“Let’s hear it… this must be good.”
Jenny walked in and tossed her purse on the first bed.
“Damn you look hot!” Jesse Ray blurted, when he looked up from his computer screen. “That’s one fine skirt!”
Jenny ignored him and said, “There’s more money in this deal for us, somehow. I can smell it. We just gotta figure out how to get it.”
For the next hour Jenny recounted almost verbatim details about Gates, the agency, and the impending sale.
“So, there’s obviously a lot of money at stake. Millions, maybe. Apparently, it’s a very profitable advertising agency,” she concluded.
“Son of a…” Clarence exclaimed as he rubbed his chin.
Jesse Ray looked puzzled and commented, “This could be complicated. I’d rather steal IDs and credit card numbers.”
“Look, it means this job is worth a lot more to somebody than what we’re gettin’ paid. We just gotta figure out who that somebody is,” Clarence observed, and then took a sip of his drink.
“Right. Exactly,” Jenny said. “It’s gotta be related to this sale. If we’re talking several million dollars… well, we’ve all done a lot more for a whole lot less. We just gotta think of an angle to exploit, but at least we know what’s going on.”
“Any idea what that angle’s gonna be?” Jesse Ray asked.
“Nope, but I bet we can come up with one.”
“What’d we learn about our boy Cooper?” Clarence asked.
“Not much. He works all the time.”
Jenny was excited about increasing the score. She was getting close to having enough money saved to get out of the game, and this potentially improved gig might be her ticket.
She continued, “And Gates is, like I said, a piece of shit. He’s cocky, a womanizer, drinks like a fish; I’m pretty sure he does drugs too. And if I was a bettin’ woman, I’d take odds he’s up to his eyeballs in gamblin’ debt.”
“Damn, woman. You learned all this from one dinner?” Jesse Ray asked as he started to laugh. “You psychic?”
“Oh, and he’s got a ragin’ fantasy about strippers; I mean, if he didn’t… he does now.”
“I don’t even wanna know what that means,” Clarence commented as he slowly shook his head.
“My whole life I’ve been around really screwed-up folks, so I’ve learned to pay attention to what’s goin’ on around me and to what’s said… and, most importantly, what’s not said. And I listen to my gut. If somethin’ doesn’t feel right, then it ain’t right.”
Clarence said, “Well, your skills really paid off tonight.”
“Before we head too far down the path of workin’ this job for hidden money-makin’ opportunities, we gotta get the ball rollin’ tonight on our primary target. Okay?” Jesse Ray said and then paused, looking the others in the eyes.
Both Clarence and Jenny simply nodded since Jesse Ray didn’t talk much, but when he did, they knew that they needed to listen.
“Cool,” Jesse Ray continued, “I’m gonna wait till after two in the mornin’, so nobody’s on their system, and then I’ll worm my way onto the Tower Agency’s Internet server. I’ll leave a string of postdated e-mails that will be very difficult for him to explain. I’m also gonna make his computer’s history show that he’s visited several websites on kidnappin’ and abduction. I even got a few sites on coverin’ up murder, so it’ll appear he’s been researchin’ and plannin’ this whole thing for a while. You know, like he’s been studyin’ what other criminals have done. Learnin’ from their mistakes. Maybe I can tie it all together as an insurance payoff. But, to sell it to the cops, we gotta plant some papers in his office.”
Jesse Ray paused and stared at Jenny.
“What are you sayin’?” Jenny asked.
“You gotta go back in tomorrow and hide a few file folders in his desk or somewhere,” Clarence directed, pointing at a folder on the dresser opposite the beds. “You didn’t burn a bridge tonight, did ya?”
“No,” she said with a devious smile. “But I’m pretty sure I set it on fire.”
Jenny’s confident air told the men she could handle it.
CHAPTER 28
2ND FRIDAY
After tailing Cooper from outside of his subdivision to his children’s school on the opposite end of town from his office, Jenny parked on the same street and rode the same elevator to the eighth floor of the Tower building as she had done the day before. She had on another new, expensive business suit; this time it was dark green. She carried a black leather briefcase containing several pieces of evidence she was to plant in Cooper’s office. Today, however, she was nervous. The prospect of running into Gates wasn’t pleasant.
Jesse Ray had been very specific about what she needed to accomplish. He had successfully penetrat
ed the advertising agency’s computer system via a hole in its server’s firewall. He had planted ten e-mails on Cooper’s computer that would certainly point to his guilt. He had also bookmarked over thirty different websites dedicated to specific criminal activity. Any law enforcement agency’s computer technician wouldn’t have a problem finding the damning data. Cooper could not survive the scrutiny. To cover the bases, Jesse Ray wanted to leave physical evidence of these search results to quickly and convincingly connect the dots.
Stepping through the Tower Agency’s outer office door, Jenny once again greeted Mrs. Riley. She held her briefcase with both hands and bowed slightly forward.
“Hello, Mrs. Riley. It’s me again, Meagan, with the building’s insurance carrier,” Jenny said with a sweet smile.
“Yes, of course. How are you today?” Mrs. Riley asked.
“I’m doing just fine, thanks, but… I forgot to take some photos yesterday. I’m sorry. It’ll only take a minute. Do ya mind?”
“Sure, dear. Make yourself at home.”
Jenny walked away just as the telephone rang. She took a deep breath as she headed straight to Cooper’s office. The door was open, and the lights were off. She eased inside and set down her briefcase. After Jesse Ray studied the photos that Jenny had actually taken the day before, he pointed out an old antique minnow bucket on a shelf. He had instructed her to hide an envelope of notes inside the old pail. Jenny quickly and carefully raised the lid and inserted a cache of incriminating evidence.
She walked over to a filing cabinet and quickly checked all of the drawers, looking for one that was mostly full. When she settled on the one, about halfway back, she stuffed in a manila folder containing twenty sheets of paper. As she was closing the drawer, she stopped, reached in, and pulled up the file folder so that it was only slightly visible above the rest.
Jenny eased to the office door to listen. The only sound she could hear was the receptionist talking to someone about a Golden Girls episode that she had watched last night. Jenny quickly went to Cooper’s desk and opened the top drawer on the right side. Quietly rummaging through his belongings, she found a leather-covered checkbook and opened it. Printed on the checks was Cooper’s driver’s license number. She tore out the last check and slipped it into her jacket pocket. You gotta be kiddin’ me. That was too easy.
Jenny smoothed her business suit, pushed her hair behind her ears, grabbed her briefcase, and confidently walked out of Cooper’s office toward the elevators. Total elapsed time: three minutes—much faster than she expected. She politely thanked the receptionist.
“Bye, dear,” Mrs. Riley sang out.
Walking through the Tower Agency’s glass doors, Jenny exhaled deeply. Her adrenalin was pumping. She pushed the down button. A moment later, she pushed it again. She unconsciously tapped her right foot as she watched the elevator’s digital readout. When the bell sounded, there was a two-second pause before the door opened. There stood Gates Ballenger III with a stupid look on his face that instantly changed to one of welcome surprise.
“It’s you!” he said, stepping forward, holding out his arms as if inviting her to hug.
Jenny took a reflexive step backward and then tried to regain her composure.
“Yes! Hey, I came back to find you because I felt so bad about havin’ to leave like I did.” She tried to sound sincere.
“What happened?” Gates asked, willing to believe anything.
“When I was in the restroom, I got a call from my mom; she’s not doing so well, and it upset me… and I left so I could talk to her. It’s a long story. I’m so sorry that I just left you. Please forgive me!” she said, batting her eyes. She even managed a tear.
Gates stared with deep concern. “I do. I do. I understand. I knew it had to be something serious.” Gates smiled. After a moment’s pause, he leaned toward her and with a conspiratorial tone said, “I’ve got your panties in my pocket.”
“Oh, good. Keep ’em.” She had no intention of taking back her underwear after he’d had a night with them. No telling what he did with them.
“So your mom’s okay now?”
“Yes, she’s much better.” Jenny punched the elevator button.
“Glad to hear it,” Gates said genuinely.
As the elevator door opened, Jenny took a step toward it.
Gates quickly blocked her escape. “Not so fast. You owe me a complete date.”
“Ya think?” Jenny shot back.
“Yes, you do, and it just so happens that I need a date for the Auburn game Saturday night. We can ride over together. I’ll rent a limo, so we don’t hafta worry about drinkin’ and drivin’ or parkin’.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to be in Atlanta tonight.”
“Well then, meet me at the game. Auburn’s an easy drive from Atlanta. We host a big tent to entertain clients before the game. It’ll be fun.”
“Do your employees and spouses go?”
“Nope. Just me and Coop. He’ll go, but his wife never comes to the games,” Gates explained. “Come on, whaddaya say? It’ll be fun. Good booze, great game… besides, you owe me,” he insisted.
Jenny stared at him, thinking. She noticed his cell phone on his hip. “Give me your cell number, and I’ll call you back after I think about it.”
“Don’t make me beg,” Gates said, literally ready to drop to his knees.
“I said that I’d think about it… I do owe you a date… I suppose.”
“Yeah, you do. Here.” Gates handed Jenny his business card. “My cell number’s on it.”
Jenny took the card without saying anything and pushed the down button.
“We’ll have a blast at the game, I promise,” Gates insisted. He loved her body and knew that all his married frat buddies’ eyes would pop out when they saw her.
She looked intently at Gates and said, “I’ll call… soon.”
The elevator door opened. She stepped inside. Before the door closed, she winked at Gates and almost imperceptibly licked her lips.
Jenny now knew when the team should grab the Target.
CHAPTER 29
Cooper parked his truck and checked his watch out of habit as he walked briskly toward the office building. It was half past nine. The meeting at the kids’ school ran much longer than he had anticipated. The Booster Club wanted to erect a new scoreboard, and Cooper had been asked to lead the charge. This is all I need—something else on my list!
“Good morning,” Cooper said to Mrs. Riley as he walked in.
“Mornin’. You doin’ okay?” Mrs. Riley asked, concerned.
“Yeah, not bad. Just got hit with something I wasn’t expecting. It doesn’t matter. How are things round here?”
“Same as always. Busy as a beehive. I have a bunch of messages for you. Oh! That new artist, Crystal, ya know the one with all the piercings,” Mrs. Riley whispered while she looked around to make certain no one else could hear, “she thinks she has carpal tunnel syndrome,” she rolled her eyes and continued, “and Jamie’s computer crashed… so you can just imagine her mood.”
“Another day in paradise,” Cooper said, exhaling audibly.
“Exactly. One other thing: there’s a Realtor lookin’ for you,” she said, glancing through the messages. “Here it is. He says that he really needs to talk to you.” She placed that message on top of the stack and then handed the pile to Cooper.
“Thank you. That’s a beautiful necklace you’re wearing.”
“Oh this? I’ve had it for ages,” she replied, throwing her right hand forward in a dismissive manner, and then asked, “Are you looking for a new house?”
“No, ma’am. I’ve got way more than enough house right now.” Cooper started toward his office and added, “He’s an old buddy. Maybe he needs some advertising.”
Cooper’s office looked as he had left it, except for a mound of paperwork on his desk. He let out a groan when he saw the six-inch stack of mind-numbing forms and compliance letters. He began unloading everything from
his briefcase, making a pile on his desk next to the latest pile. Soon after he began the tedious slog through the governmental bureaucratic crap. “We need an office manager,” he mumbled aloud.
Cooper took a break, logging onto his computer to check e-mail. He couldn’t believe the volume of spam. Quickly deleting the obvious junk, he searched for any messages from Brooke and was disappointed. There were a dozen business e-mails that needed attention. His mind, however, drifted to the pink message memo from his real estate buddy who specialized in farmland. Cooper stared at the slip, at his computer screen, and then at the still substantial piles of paperwork, and decided to call his friend.
“Mossy Oak Properties,” answered the Realtor on the third ring.
“Hey, Will. It’s Cooper. How you doin’?” Cooper asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Hey, Coop. I’m good, man. Heard a rumor that you’d found the perfect property and were tryin’ to fly under the radar—tryin’ to buy it without anybody knowin’.”
“Well, yeah, that’s true,” Cooper confessed. “How’d you hear?”
“It’s a small world, dude.”
“Obviously, I wasn’t flyin’ low enough.”
“Man, you oughta know you can’t fly that low round here. Not for somethin’ like this. At any rate, I hate it that I missed the commission… but maybe… maybe I’ll get invited to hunt.”
“Of course you will; plus, I’m gonna need an appraisal, so you can have that piece of business.”
“A turkey huntin’ invite?” Will asked hopefully.
“We’re not that good of friends,” Cooper replied, laughing.
“Man, that hurts! Will you at least tell me about it? Where is it, exactly?”