by Matt Lincoln
There were old business cards, one for a mechanic, a few more for eateries, and one for a machinist’s shop. Again, interesting, but not enough to go on just now. No photos of the family, no spare keys, nothing like that. So, I set that one aside and picked up the next one.
This one was a dark camo canvas, and it looked fairly new to me. Opening it, I had some coins slip out, and a pair of movie stubs land on the table. They were dated less than a week ago. I didn’t find an ID, but there was a library card issued to Harry North. I supposed that was what I would have to go on.
Harry was the one I tortured with the slat of that pallet. The torso shot. There was an older picture of a young woman and himself, holding a newborn baby. Harry couldn’t have been more than twenty in the photo, and the clothing screamed early nineties fashion.
This gave me a little pause at what I had done. It wasn’t me who attacked first, but it hit me that every person involved in this crap was important to someone else. It wasn’t just the trio that caused these deaths, or the Judge. It was them hiring the runners and the lower muscle crews to handle people like LaShawn and me that just wanted answers.
But I had to keep my objectivity with this. I had to focus on the kids and ex-addicts, and the people that were trying to build better lives for themselves that got the worst of this deal with the trio and possibly the Yabut or Judge Fu. And the sooner I stopped them, the sooner life for all the rest could get back to normal.
I opened the last of the three wallets, another dark canvas one with faded and frayed binding. There was an ID for a Gary Jorge, and I recognized him as the last of my assaulters. Looking at his home address, I discovered this guy lived only a few blocks from where LaShawn did. I thought how odd it might have been that they could have even passed each other on the street at some point in their lives. I needed to get these photos to LaShawn, to see if he knew them, and then see if anyone else at the Edler Center did, too.
While I was thinking about the next move I needed to make, my cell rang again. I took it from my pocket and noticed that it was that same unknown number from earlier. This time, I answered it. “Hello?”
“Oh, uh, yes, I’m looking to speak to a Mr. Jake Header, please?” The voice on the other end belonged to a man with a slight Hispanic accent.
“This is me. How can I help you?” This better not be about any vehicle warranty or a political poll, or I swear…
“Oh, good!” The man sounded like a very pleasant sort, and so I didn’t hang up on him right away. “Mr. Header, my name is Ulee Padilla, and my father is the owner of the little marina out in Miami. I understand that you are interested in purchasing it? Is that still true?”
He had all my attention now. “Yes, sir, it is. Um, thank you for returning my call.” I wondered if something had happened to the elder Mr. Padilla, to have one of his sons calling me now. “I hope that your father is doing well?”
“Oh, yes, he is, thank you. But he would be unable to complete the transaction for this business, so he has asked me to handle it for him. And then I was wondering if you’d be able to meet me at the marina at a convenient time for you? Lael Szabo is going to be there as a witness, but his time is very open, he says.” This Ulee guy was super courteous and friendly. I’d even call him ‘bubbly.’
“I will make myself available, Mr. Padilla. Just tell me when.” If this could be sorted out and finalized soon, that would take a big weight off my mind by having Wraith safe and secure on my terms.
“I plan to be there at about noon-ish if that is good for you, Mr. Header. If not, I can stick around and entertain myself until you get there. Does that sound agreeable to you, sir?” Again, he sounded so accommodating. I couldn’t wait to meet this guy in person. He sounded like someone that might be fun to know.
“I will be there, Mr. Padilla. And thank you again. Please give my regards to your father, too.” I hung up and took a deep breath in. This was a huge step, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Taking the opportunity with this pause in my morning, I called up Verity to see how her morning was going so far.
I got her voicemail, so I left just a quick message and told her that I’d check in with her later. She was taking this new job pretty seriously, it seemed. And maybe that was for the best. That was why she had moved to Miami, after all.
I got all my information together and made the necessary stop by the bank to get the funds. After that, it was a quick trip to the marina. I parked in the small lot, taking everything in with a new sense of accomplishment and perspective. This was an exciting step, and I wanted to savor it. I saw one other vehicle parked a few spots down, and I assumed that this was probably the younger Mr. Padilla’s vehicle.
I walked up to the office, scanning the docks and empty bays that were about to become mine. I smiled at the sight of that red barn, soon to be Wraith’s home. It was going to need repainting ASAP, though. As I got closer to the office, I could see that the door had been opened, and I found the room in a much different state than when I had first seen it. The desk was the only piece of furniture left inside, and it was clear of all paper and junk. The floors and walls had all been washed down, but I was thinking about redoing the tile and repainting, anyway.
By the big white metal desk stood Lael Szabo, the caretaker of the marina, and a short, squat little guy who looked exactly like I thought he would. Ulee Padilla was round-faced and round bodied. He wore a hideously bright pink, orange, and yellow tropical shirt and red shorts. And when he saw me, his whole face lit up with unbridled joy.
“Mr. Header!” He rushed around the desk and took my hand to shake it. “I am just so happy to see you here today. My father will be so pleased to know that his dream is being turned over into your worthy hands.”
I didn’t deserve this praise, so I nodded and responded in kind. “I’m only glad to have found a marina like this. Your father and Mr. Szabo have done an outstanding job with it. I’m honored to take it on.” I smiled and started to feel a little more pressure to make this all work out. But it was a good kind of pressure.
“So, I know that you and my father worked out all the details over the phone, and he had me draft all the documents that we’d need to be done today.” He was still incredibly happy as he spoke, but that must have just been his nature. “I am an insurance agent and real estate broker in my spare time, so I got everything ready for you here.”
“That’s very fortuitous. So, then you know all about this kind of stuff?” I started to read over the forms he was handing me, giving me plenty of time to do so as he resumed telling me more.
“Oh, yes, yes. All too well,” he assured me. “I was all set to retire this year, but my wife and I couldn’t agree on where to settle, so here I am. A modern-day traveling salesman.” He laughed heartily at this, but I was afraid I didn’t get the joke entirely.
Neither did our witness, Mr. Szabo, by the look on his face. He took the opportunity to fill me in a bit as to what had been going on with the place. “As you can see, I tossed all the old furniture, except for this desk. It was the only thing still in good shape, and I thought you might want to keep it. If not, I’ll set it outside and put a sign on it. Maybe get a few bucks for it.”
I looked over at the desk. It was one of those monster metal kinds that weighed a ton, and all the drawers stuck. But it was steady and solid, and with a little work, it might be worth keeping. “I think we’ll leave it for now, thanks. And what about all the paperwork that was around here? What happened to that?”
Lael answered that quickly. “Oh, Mr. Padilla hired a temp firm to come in and clear it out. They have everything that was in here, and they’re going to go over it with some accountants. He’s promised to take care of everything if there’s a problem so that none of it will blow back on you.”
Ulee chimed in with even better news on that front. “Yes, yes. We’ll send you a copy of all the financials when they are complete. I’m going to look them over myself, too, just to make sure that it was all done right.
” That seemed to be a point of pride for him. That made me grin in appreciation for his efforts.
The rest of the afternoon was time well spent in going over forms, laws, and all the business that came with completing the sale. By evening, I was worn out from the high of getting this done and the reality that it was a lot to undertake. The younger Mr. Padilla wished me well as we exchanged all the relevant info for each other before he left for his hotel that evening.
Szabo and I agreed to meet up the next day and go over the plans for his work contract, as well as all the other things that I needed to deal with. As I got into the Mercedes, I checked my phone, having silenced it out of respect for Mr. Padilla’s time and efforts. I found two missed calls from Verity, one from LaShawn and another from a number unfamiliar to me.
But then I noticed Xavier’s number only a few minutes ago, so I quickly dialed him up. As usual, he answered on the first ring like he’d been holding the cell and waiting for me.
“Header?” He greeted me. “Hey, sorry if you’re busy, but I have some news you’re going to want to hear. Oh, and hey, how are you doing?”
Nice of him to remember that part. “I’m doing good, and you? So, what’s up?” It was good to hear his voice. I think that I’d missed it more than I had wanted to admit.
“I’m good,” he said hurriedly. “So, there was a little news conference this afternoon with a certain Judge that we all know.” I knew he was referring to Judge Miranda Fu, Arik’s mother, and the seemingly corrupt law-influencing arm of the Miami Yabut Drug Ring. Damn. I hoped this wasn’t about what I hoped that it wasn’t about.
Xavier continued on before I could ask, though. “They didn’t cover too much, but she and a couple of DEA head-honchos just announced a new initiative to combat the illegal flow of drugs coming into the nation’s port cities. And guess which city is in the pilot program?”
I shook my head as I came to understand him. “Well, that makes perfect sense.” Miami was looking to be the epicenter to a lot these days. I sighed in frustration at this news. “Any good features to help us out with specifics?” It would help us all the way around if we knew what Judge Fu, the Yabut, or the DEA were planning for this city.
“Not yet,” he replied. “I’m on the shortlist for an FOIA request for all information pertaining to the Judge’s DEA dealings and any connections she may have with the Columbian cartels.” He didn’t sound too hopeful that this was going to produce much, though. His tone just seemed too… subdued.
“I know that you’re doing all that you can, Xavier. I really am grateful for your efforts. I always am.” I smiled to myself, thinking how good it would be to see him again. “So, on a side note, I have some terrific news.” I paused for dramatic effect and because I was getting a little excited about it and didn’t want to seem like a fool. “I am now the owner of a small and out of the way marina. And now there’s no excuse for you not to drag your fancy yacht over here and bed down for a while.” I listened impatiently for his response. I needed to hear that he was on his way.
Xavier’s end of the call was quiet, and for a moment, I thought that I had lost him. Then he finally responded to me. “Sorry, sorry! Technically difficulties over here, um yeah, that’s great news, Header, because I have some of my own.” Now it was his turn to pause, but that was because I heard him drop his cell. Once he picked it up, he finished what he’d been trying to tell me. “I’m already on my way to you. By my estimated ETA, I’ll hit Miami by early afternoon tomorrow. And I’ve already loaded your marina into my GPS so, there you have it.”
I was fantastically pleased to hear this. If I hadn't been sitting in my vehicle, I might have pretended to dance for joy.
“The best news I’ve heard in the last five minutes!” I teased him. “Let me know when you get close, and I’ll meet you here.”
“That is the plan,” he agreed. “Thanks, Header. I’ll see you soon, and if I find any new intel on the Fu stuff, I’ll email you.” Then he added as an afterthought, “Good night.”
“Later, Xavier.”
I hung up the phone and started the engine of my Mercedes. There wasn’t anything else that seemed overly urgent just now, so I decided to go grab some takeout and then head home before I returned any more calls. I decided on Thai cuisine and picked up a large order of drunken noodles and tom yum to go. It would be nice to have a hot meal tonight, and it was a bonus that I wouldn’t have to cook it myself.
I sprawled out in front of the glass windows and doors of my condo living room. They gave me a perfect view of the beach while I tried to relax. I was polishing off my soup and had started on my second beer. The room was nice and cool, and I’d put on some low background music with a good Cuban beat. It was a peaceful way to end such an eventful day.
After I had cleaned up and settled in on the couch, I called up Verity. We’d been playing phone tag most of the day, and now I hoped that we’d both be available to talk now. She answered after a few rings.
“Hello.” Her tone was hassled and impatient. I assumed her day had been as busy as mine had been.
“Hey, I just wanted to check in and see how you are doing. Hectic day?” I didn’t want to bother her if she were occupied, but a call the day after the night we shared was the least that I could do.
“Oh my God, you have no idea!” That sounded more like her. “Weir and the group made a lot of progress within the city last night, and we’ve all been making files and researching all day long. We were all there until about six, and we still didn’t get the lot inputted for the week.”
“Sorry to hear that. At least it’s job security, you know?” My teasing probably wasn’t helpful, but there wasn’t much else to say as I wasn’t up on the particulars. “But I wanted to let you know that I wasn’t avoiding you today. I was out,” I decided to neglect to tell her the part of my day where LaShawn was shot. “Also, now I can officially tell you that I own a marina in the city of Miami.”
“Oh, wow. That’s great, Jake. I’m happy that it all worked out.” There was a buzz on her end of the line, and I knew that she was getting another call. “Oh, that’s Weir. I’m sorry, Jake, but I have to take this. I’ll talk to you later, bye!” Verity hung up and kept me from having to cut it short, anyway.
Next, I needed to check up on LaShawn in the hospital and make sure that he was doing well. He answered his cell with a laugh, and I could hear a woman’s voice in the room with him. My guess was that Cecily was keeping him company. That made me feel a lot better about the late evening call.
“Well, there he is! Tell me that you’re okay, Jake. I’ve been worried all day about you.” LaShawn’s mood was a little too good for a guy that had been shot this morning, so I presumed that he was on some good medication in the hospital.
“I’m just fine, buddy,” I chuckled. “But how are you? That’s the real question.”
He was talking to Cecily or whoever still while trying to carry on our conversation as well. I knew that this wasn’t going to go too well and that he probably wouldn’t even remember it. I kept it short and sweet and wished him well. “I’ll call you tomorrow, LaShawn, when you’ve had a good night’s rest. Take it easy.”
“I’ll take it any way I can get it.” He laughed, but he was out of it. I guessed that with the cancer and the gunshot wound, his pain medication would be top notch. As long as he wasn’t hurting too much, that’s what mattered. And the fact that he already had company there would help me to sleep better tonight.
I scrolled through my call log on the phone to find that new unknown number that had called me earlier. I debated whether I should call it back, but I’d made a lot of new contacts lately, and there was a strong possibility that it could be business-related or similarly important. I called it back but got nothing. There was no voicemail or anything to help me identify the person that was trying to get a hold of me. Oh, well. At least I’d tried. So, I spent the rest of my time planning things and enjoying this life that I had.
14
I was over at the marina by seven the next morning, and I’d come ready to work. I started by filming the red barn so that Xavier could begin the plans for refitting it for Wraith. I shot the locks, doors, gate, and every part that was going to need extra security features put in place.
By this time, Lael was done with his early morning maintenance chores and had come over to see what I wanted to start on. He was quiet and listened without interrupting. I wondered if he was always like this or if something was bothering him. I decided to address it.
“So, have you put any thought into what you want in your new contract?” I would guess that was at the top of anyone’s mind after a change in management.
“I have,” he nodded, “and I wrote down all the stuff that I did for Mr. Padilla, just so you know where I was coming from.” Lael pulled out a folded bunch of notebook papers from his back short pockets. He handed them to me, and I began to look them over once I had unfolded them.
It was all pretty typical work contract plans, heavy on maintenance, with no paperwork, billing, or customer service other than helping boarders with fueling or emergency repairs. He still wanted to live on the property, in the space above the office, which I was willing to let him do.
He listed his pay at what it had been before he took it out in room-and-board once Mr. Padilla had gone into the hospital. It all looked standard, and there was nothing out of the ordinary to make me question it. I handed the papers back to him.
“I’ll get someone to type all of this up and make it official,” I informed him. “But do you have any amendments or anything that you want to add to it?” I could think of a few things. “Because I’d like to repaint the barn over there, fix up the office and the outside a bit. Make it more appealing. And once I come up with a name for this place, I’m going to get a big sign.” I looked over my shoulder at the turnoff into the parking lot and pointed in that direction. “I want to put it right there.”