by Dan Kelly
This got a laugh out of them and then Gloria asks, “How did you get into the private investigating business, Chet?”
“I kind of drifted into it. When I got out of the service I needed a job and a friend of mine got me one with his family’s law firm doing research and investigative work here in D. C. I worked for them for five years until his dad died and the firm was taken over by folks I didn’t particularly like so I decided to go out on my own. While I worked there I got my PI license and had saved a little money so I figured why not give it a shot.”
“Janet tells me you have become quite successful.”
“My company is growing, slowly but growing and I have a great staff which makes it a lot easier to deal with the growing pains.”
“How did you get involved with this Crusader character?”
“The FBI agent in charge of the case is an acquaintance of mine due to our paths crossing in other investigations. This led to us working in tandem on future cases and we like the arrangement so we’ve continued the relationship. When one of us needs some help digging up some info, we call the other first before exploring other avenues.”
“Why do you want to be in a line of work that is fraught with so much danger?”
“The Crusader is an unusual exception to the norm. In all the years I’ve been doing this I’ve had some punches and some other things thrown at me, but no one has ever tried to shoot me before. You come across a lot of people who like to mouth off, filled with bluster and ego, and you have to be prepared to face someone trying to pulls a gun on you, but except in rare instances these encounters turn out to be anticlimactic.”
I ask, “How about telling me something about you? What kind of a job do you have?”
“It’s rather dull compared to what you do. I own a marketing firm that focuses on making successful small businesses bigger and more profitable. My husband and I started the company soon after we were married and after he passed away five years ago instead of selling it and moving to Florida so I could relax and watch myself shrivel up into an old lady I kept it to stay at least mentally young and not go out of my mind with boredom. I tried to talk Janet into coming into the business with me, but she wrinkled her nose at it. She used to work for us in the summer months and during semester breaks while in college, but she never really liked dealing with the customers.”
Looking at Janet I ask, “You passed up thriving self-employment to work for Furious Ferdinand?”
“Too much glad handing and butt kissing to suit me.”
Sensing that this is another sensitive subject and figuring this would be a good time to keep my big mouth shut, I say nothing which is killing me because my natural inquisitiveness is banging on the door to be let out. After a few seconds of silence, Gloria glides over the awkward moment by steering the discussion in another direction.
“I have a client who owns a small winery in Napa Valley, California and she’s been hounding me to pay her a visit and go hot air ballooning with her. I’ve never been there and from what I’ve seen on TV and heard I understand it’s very beautiful there. I’m tempted to take her up on her offer, but I’m not too thrilled when I have to get on a plane to go somewhere and can’t imagine me garnering up the courage to climb into a hot air balloon even at gun point. If you were me, would either of you do it? Do you think it’s safe?”
Janet answers with, “I think it would be safer than being in car on our highways, but if anything were to go seriously wrong like the balloon rupturing while your thousands of feet in the air your chances of survival are probably zero. You’d fall like a rock. In a plane, especially a small one, if you have engine trouble you have some chance to survive by gliding down to a safe area to land. If it were me, I’d accept the invitation to visit and pass on the balloon ride. What would you do, Chet?”
“I’d keep my feet planted firmly on good old terra firma. The only hot air I’m willing to contend with is the kind that gushes out of some people’s mouths.”
Our dinner table repartee is interrupted by my cell sounding off. My caller ID tells me it’s an unknown caller. I look at my watch and see that it’s only a little after eight, give Janet a glance and a shrug and excuse myself and walk out into the hallway. “Dawson.”
“You ! @ # $ % ^ & *.”
I immediately recognize the voiced. “It’s so nice to hear from you again, Hank.”
“Don’t Hank me. We’re far from being friends, you # ^ + * !
“You’ve really got to work on your vocabulary, Hank. Reading ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ might help you improve your interpersonal skills. Whadda ya want?”
“It’s all your fault and that Vanderhill woman’s. The FBI is now accusing my wife of helping me exact my revenge on the human manure that’s responsible for my son’s death. She’s played no part in any of it. Those bastards are only going after her because they’ve had no luck going after me and they need a scapegoat to save face.”
“So why are you calling me?”
“You’re working with the FBI in their attempts to lock me up or kill me. You must have some influence with them and can convince them that they’re tactics aren’t going to work. She’s innocent in all of this. If she’s arrested, what I’ve done up to now will look like child’s play compared to the revenge I’ll exact from them. Mark my words. Child’s play!” Click.
When I return to the dinner table my face must have registered the seriousness of the call because Janet asks, “Not another one?” and Gloria disappears into the kitchen.
“Not yet, but the threat of a lot more is very real.”
I tell her why Aldrich called and what he said. “We now know that our ploy worked and he’s primed to take some kind of action. I better call Ericson and let him know the ball is now in play.”
As I’m ending my call to Don, Gloria rejoins us and asks if we would like an after dinner cognac. “It’s the perfect way to put the finishing touches on a,” glancing at her daughter with a mischievous smile and a wink she finishes her sentence with, “epicurean adventure.”
Smiling back Janet softly mumbles, “Okay, okay. I apologize for the flippancy.”
“I accept and wouldn’t want you any other way. It keeps me on my toes.”
They both smile at that and I realize what I witnessed tonight is a part of their relationship that they would never give up. They never have to guess where the other one stands on anything.
I pass on the brandy and then say, “Thank you for inviting me tonight, Janet. Gloria, I’ve never had a home cooked meal like the one you prepared for us tonight. It was delicious, an epicurean delight.” This got a laugh from both of them and provided an excellent opportunity for me to say good night.
“I'll leave you two to spend the rest of Gloria’s last evening talking about things you wouldn’t want an outsider hearing. You know, things like Uncle Jack’s gambling problem or Aunt Sally’s breast implants.”
Laughing Janet says, “How did you hear about them?”
Laughing back I say, “I’m a PI remember. I have sources everywhere.”
Gloria gives me a goodbye hug and heads for the wet bar to pour Janet and herself some brandy and Janet walks me to the door. “Thanks for coming, Chet. I think my mother approves of you which surprises the hell out of me because where I’m concerned she never approves of anyone.
“I like her too.”
Turning to open the door, I hear Gloria from the wet bar area say, “For crying out loud, forget I’m here and kiss her goodnight. I didn’t spend all that time in the kitchen for a hand shake.”
Laughing we kissed and it was no problem at all forgetting she was there. Janet whispered, “We’ve got to do this again sometime, but next time without the company.”
“Oh yeah.”
Chapter 35
As the weekend progresses, Fox News rebroadcasts Don’s interview on news programs in other time slots and the other news channels begin to include commentary during their news programs. If Aldrich is watching any of
these programs, he’s got to be tearing his hair out over the unfairness of it all. Hopefully, the pressure will build up to the boiling over point and he’ll make a move to help his wife.
About mid-morning on Monday I get a call from an excited Don Ericson. “Chet, the truck Aldrich is driving was spotted by the local police just a few minutes ago running a red light. When they tried to pull him over he floored it and they’re now in pursuit. It looks like we’re finally going to nail this guy.”
“I’ll believe it when it’s a fait accompli. This guy’s cornered the market on good luck.”
“Now you’re sounding like me.”
“Whatever you have must be catching. Thanks for cluing me in. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.”
Fifteen minutes later Ericson calls me back. “The truck careened off the road and ran into a brick wall doing over seventy per. The driver was so mangled he’s unrecognizable.”
“Well, all’s well that ends well I always say. You can now put the Crusader investigation in the case closed file and the government has been saved the expense of a trial and incarceration.”
“I wish that were the case, Chet. The truck fits the description the kid gave us and the license plate matches, but the driver’s license in his wallet says the driver’s name is Clayton Wallace which matches the name on several credit cards in the wallet and the registration found in the glove compartment is in the same name, but the plate number is different. It looks like Aldrich switched the plates belonging to this truck onto the one he’s driving. The plate number on the smashed truck, the one the kid saw, is in the name of a Paul Sanders. That plate isn’t on any car heist list, so Aldrich probably bought the truck under that name. With his hacking abilities, it would be easy for him to obtain false ID.”
“Don, we can’t forget for one minute that this guy is not your run-of-the-mill psycho. He’s very bright and even though he’s becoming unhinged he’s still capable of thinking several moves ahead of us. It’s going to take more than luck for you to be able to close this case.”
“I agree, but every once in a while I forget that I live in the real world and hope to get a lucky break.”
“Right now the ball’s in Aldrich’s court. All we can do is wait and see how he decides to return it. Have you checked in with Mrs. Aldrich to see if she’s still with us?”
“Yeah, I called her when I got in this morning. She’s still uncomfortable about it, but she’s hanging in there.”
“Good. You hang in there too, guy. We’re going to get this maniac. Don’t doubt it for a minute.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Coach.” Click.
Tossing my cell on my desk, I’m thinking I wish I was as confident as I was trying to sound. We really turned the heat up on this guy with the media blitz, but he’s still running around loose. The man is smart, elusive, determined and if he was a gambler his luck would break the casinos in Vegas.
For the remainder of Monday and all day Tuesday there’s not a peep out of the Crusader. No phone calls and no killings. As mid-afternoon of Wednesday approaches with nothing happening I’m beginning to think we blew it and Aldrich is in a waiting mode himself, waiting to see if his wife will be arrested which of course isn’t going to happen.
Around four-thirty Ericson calls. “The Crusader has just returned the ball and the match is on. Earlier this afternoon Mrs. Aldrich received a Priority Mail legal size envelope with her regular afternoon mail and there was a lengthy letter inside from her husband. She just dropped a copy of it off. I’ll scan it and email a copy to you. Read it and then call me back.”
Ten minutes later I get an email alert and I begin to read what the Crusader has in mind to prevent his wife from being arrested.
Dear Katherine,
I’m writing this letter because I’m pretty sure the FBI has a tap on your phone and is monitoring your emails. I heard about the trouble you’re in because of me on the news and I’m not going to let them arrest you. I told the PI that’s working with the FBI that you had nothing to do with what I’ve been doing, but I don’t think he’ll go to bat for you. He dances to their tune.
I don’t want to show up at the house because they probably have someone watching it too, so here’s what I want you to do if you think like I do that the FBI is going to railroad you into prison because they need a scapegoat.
The authorities are watching your every move since the news broke about your likely arrest, so you’re going to have to distract them so you can get away from the house without being seen. In the basement there is a barrel by the work bench that has a lid on it and resting on the lid is a box with a lid on it. In that box are some firecrackers that were left over from the Fourth of July party Junior gave the year before he went into the army. They should still be good because they been covered up and kept in a dry place.
At nine o’clock this coming Thursday night, I want you to open the window in the upstairs hallway, light the fuses on three of the firecrackers, they have fairly long fuses, and toss them over the fence into the Coolidge’s side yard. When the first one goes off, leave the house by the garage side door which will put the width of our house between the Coolidges side yard and you and cut through the Mugno’s backyard to the street behind their house. Walk to the corner to the gas station and there will be a cab waiting. Take it to Union Station and from there take the first train out of there to Raleigh, NC and then take a cab to Raleigh-Durham International airport and wait for me by the United Airlines ticket desk. I’ll find you there. Make sure you have your passport with you because from there we’ll be flying to another country, which one I’m still working on.
When you’re on the train, text me at the number at the bottom of this letter with the time of arrival of your train in Raleigh. I’m using a throw away phone and I’ll toss it as soon as I receive your text message so the FBI can’t zero in on me that way.
I never thought you’d be dragged into this. I am truly sorry you were and for all the misery I‘ve caused you, but these people would have gone on with their lives and would never have been made to answer for their crimes if I hadn’t done something about it.
Don’t worry about how we’ll live when we get to our final destination. I’m making these scumbags pay in another way also. I’ve tapped into the U. S. Treasury’s bank accounts and transferred over three million dollars into an account that only I know the number of and where it’s located and there’s no indication that they know what has been done. The amount is a pittance compared to the average balances kept in these accounts. I will set up new identities for us with all of the appropriate documentation to support them so we will be able to live the good life, as good as our lives can be without Junior.
I’ve settled the score with almost everyone I wanted to except for the men in the White House, but I can live with that because the public now knows what has been going on with the safety of our troops and maybe now steps will be taken to see that tragedies like what happened to Junior will never happen again or at the very least won’t be covered up.
If I don’t receive a text message, I’ll know you don’t want to flee and are going to take your chances with the Feds. I think that would be a mistake, but I will not be angry with you or do anything to interfere with your decision.
Love,
Hank
After reading the letter I call Ericson. When he picks up I say, “I’ve read the letter and two questions have immediately jumped into my mind. First one. Where was this letter mailed from? Second one. Do you think Aldrich is still in D. C.?”
“It was mailed in D.C. and I think he’s on his way to Raleigh now, if he’s not already there. It’s about a five hour drive maybe a little less if the traffic isn’t too bad and if he flew he could be there in less than an hour. I don’t think he’d chance flying though. The best way for him to stay under our radar would be to drive.”
“It might be a good idea to alert the North Carolina State Police and the Raleigh city police to be on the lookout for th
e truck and plates of the truck Aldrich is driving now. I’d also send them a picture of Aldrich just in case he’s switches plates again.”