by Robin Mahle
“Sure, sure. And I’ll tell you, you got a knack for sniffing out the phonies, I’ll give you that.” He laughed. “Hell, maybe you should come work for me.”
“If only I had a law degree.”
He studied her. “Have you ever thought of striking out on your own?”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I mean starting up your own thing.”
“I’m not sure how that would work. I’d have to have insurance companies hire me as a contractor or something like that, wouldn’t I? And then I’d have no benefits. You know Nolan and Micah are still on my insurance.” She paused to consider her predicament. “Although now…”
“I mean having people come to you to find whatever it might be that they lost,” he said. “Getting to the bottom of things is what you do best, Allison.”
She raised the corner of her mouth in a half-smile. “You know, Charlie said something similar to me yesterday and I just sort of brushed it off.”
“It might be worth a second look. You got Sullivan over there at the police department. I’m sure he’d be able to refer folks your way. Then I could try and throw you a bone once in a while. I can’t say how often, but I’ve come across situations before that would be great for someone like you.”
“I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. It’d be risky and I’d be starting from scratch, but it’s not like I haven’t taken risks before.”
“You had to start over after you and Leo split up. That’s pretty tough. I know because I’ve been there.”
His words were encouraging. Maybe this was something she could do and be damn good at.
“I can put you in contact with a P.I. I’ve worked with before and I know Sullivan has to know a few too. It is doable, Allison. You should mull it over.” Milo checked the time. “I hate to cut this short, but I’m due in court in an hour.” He stood.
“Of course, I’m so sorry.” She stood in response.
“Don’t be. It was good to see you. And I meant what I said. Think about it and get back to me, okay?”
“Okay. I will. I’ll think about it.”
He showed her out and Allison walked to her car considering what he’d said. Was it really possible? She was pushing 50 and starting her own business at this age? It was beyond a risky proposition. But when she stepped into her car and the air conditioning blew warm air on her face, she knew money was what she needed. Her bills would pile up fast and if her car broke down, well that would be enough to send her into a freefall toward bankruptcy.
Allison pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward the bridge, glancing briefly at the calm waters of the bay. She’d lived in Tampa most of her life but hadn’t really begun to live until the divorce. She knew people, influential people. Maybe this was possible—starting her own agency. As crazy as it seemed, Leo would be behind her one hundred percent, and so would her kids and Charlie. What more did she need? “Clients.” She laughed. “So I’ll get clients. How hard can that be?”
3
Ambivalence was often at the core of failed dreams. Allison never believed herself to be indecisive but the idea of running an agency summoned visions of sitting at her office desk waiting for the phone to ring while the lights flickered off from the unpaid bill. The risks were far greater than any of her previous undertakings, even her divorce. On second thought, maybe that had been a greater challenge but the anger she felt toward Leo then was enough to propel her forward. It wasn’t the same this time. She was clear-headed and would have no one to blame but herself if she was to fail.
Allison waited in a small booth inside a favorite lunch spot where she and Charlie often dined. When she spotted Charlie’s arrival, a feeling of assuredness washed over her. Charlie had that effect on people. She exuded confidence and given the troubles Charlie had faced in her previous marriage, that was no small achievement. “Hey, thanks for meeting me.”
Charlie slid into the booth across from her. “Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what you stirred up at the office? You are the talk around the water cooler, my friend.”
“Really? Do tell.” Allison sipped on a glass of Chardonnay. “What do you want to drink?”
“Yours looks good. I’ll have the same.”
Allison gestured to the waiter. “Hi, could we get another Chardonnay for my friend here?”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
Allison turned back to Charlie. “So, tell me all about it. Is anything going to happen to that slime ball?”
“Davis Cantrell is skating on thin ice thanks to you,” Charlie replied.
“Are they looking into his connection to Langston?”
“I don’t know for sure yet, but when word got around that you’d been let go, rumors spun like a whirlwind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people buzzing around like little bees. Everyone said it was a sham and that you should sue. Lou’s in hot water too. This morning’s been nothing but closed-door meetings and raised voices. No one’s been fired, but according to the grapevine, upper management’s going to be looking at not only the Langston claim but others too.”
“When did all this happen?”
“Yesterday, this morning. It’s a circus on the 3rd floor,” Charlie said.
The waiter returned with Charlie’s wine.
“Thanks very much,” she replied.
“Can I get you ladies anything else?”
Allison turned to him. “Actually, how about the nachos?” She looked at Charlie. “Sound good to you?”
“Let me see...nachos and Chardonnay? Um, yes, please.”
“Great. It’ll be out shortly.” The waiter disappeared.
“As I was saying, there was a big pow-wow around 10 o’clock,” Charlie continued. “The directors and department managers.”
“I’ll be happy to make a statement if it comes to that. I’m not afraid of Davis Cantrell. Anything I can do to help make sure he and Lou get what’s coming to them, then I will.”
Charlie nodded. “It would probably mean you could get your job back—if you wanted it.”
“I wouldn’t go back there. Not after they humiliated me like that. Besides, I can’t seem to shake the idea you threw out at me yesterday.”
Charlie raised a brow. “You mean about becoming an investigator? On your own?”
Allison regarded her half-empty glass of wine and skimmed her index finger around its rim. “Yeah. I mean, I think maybe it could work. I think it’s time for me to move on and create something better for myself.”
“That’s great, Alli. You should. You’d kick ass.”
“I wouldn’t want to do it alone. I still have to work out the logistics, and probably get a small business loan, but I think you and I should do this together.”
Charlie thrust back her shoulders. “You want me to come work for you?”
“Not for me, with me.” Allison smiled. “What do you think?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Alli.” The confidence Charlie radiated when she walked in had all but vanished. “You know how hard it’s been for me to keep my head above water. What, with my deadbeat ex and all. I don’t know if I could do that to the boys.”
“What if I could guarantee your salary? You wouldn’t be out anything. And honestly, you’re worth a whole lot more than what the state is paying you to work at the Bureau.” Allison leaned over the table. Her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. “Look, it’s a risk. I get that. But think of the possibilities. You said it yourself.”
“I said you could do it. Not we.”
“Come on, Charlie. There’s no we without you.” Allison pulled back. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll work out the financing side of things and come back to you with a proposal. Then you can decide.”
“How are you going to get this off the ground?” Charlie asked.
“You already know I met with Shane who said he could put me in touch with some people. I also met with Milo. He came to the same conclusion as you. Said I’d make a hell of a P.I. and should con
sider starting up my own agency. He has contacts, people who could help show us the ropes. I just need to get an office and some basics set up.”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this already,” Charlie said.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I had some time to think,” Allison replied.
The waiter returned with an enormous plate of nachos. “Here you are. Is there anything else?”
“Two more chardonnays, thanks,” Allison said. “We have a lot to hash out.” She beamed at Charlie.
The initial terms had been set and Charlie was on board, so long as Allison could secure the funding to lease an office and have enough cash on hand to pay the first three months’ salary. Allison wanted to guarantee her more, but Charlie insisted this was more than fair and decided it was worth the risk. After all, she stood behind Allison for long enough and now it was time to stand next to her and go through this together. Allison had convinced her the time was right and Charlie agreed. Though Allison would confirm this again in the morning since the arrangement had been made after a couple of glasses of wine. It wasn’t a decision to be taken without a clear head.
Allison returned home, feeling lighter than when she awoke this morning and that wasn’t because of the wine. The prospects of what she and Charlie were about to undertake were exciting. She parked the old blue Civic on the driveway and approached the front door. Nolan had forgotten to turn on the porch light, leaving Allison to struggle to insert the key. When she finally opened the door, there was only silence and more darkness. “Nolan? Are you home?” She secured the deadbolt after closing the door behind her.
Allison navigated through to the kitchen and flipped on the lights. In her younger years, she had craved alone time. It came with the territory of being a wife and mother. She was still a mother, but no longer had a child who relied on her. And now being alone only gave her a glimpse into what her future held. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
At least she had something to occupy her time. Allison had a new life to embark upon and getting her license to become a private investigator was going to force her to jump through a lot of hoops. Florida law required two years of experience, some 40 hours of schooling, firearms training and then a test. It was going to be quite an undertaking, but because Allison had been an investigator for the State of Florida, her experience counted for the two years. This left the schooling and firearms training. The idea of taking out some of her aggression at the shooting range seemed appealing.
There were almost 7000 registered private investigators in Florida, meaning there were probably quite a few schools offering the certification. Allison typed in a few keys on her laptop as she sat curled up on the sofa. “Bingo. Oh look, I can apply online. Done and done.” She sat back and admired her accomplishment. “Somehow, I think that was the easy part.”
Something about what Charlie had said during dinner last night tickled the back of Allison’s mind. She wondered how Davis Cantrell and her own boss had been placed under such intense scrutiny after only a day. It was as though a little bird whispered in the ear of upper management singing a tune of possible corruption at the Bureau. Outside of Charlie, there was only one other person who Allison had made the slightest mention in passing about Cantrell and that was Shane Sullivan.
“Morning.” Allison sauntered to Shane’s desk with an astute air and sat down as though this was her second home. “I saw Charlie last night.” She crossed her legs and threw her arm over the back of the chair.
“Good morning to you too. How’s she doing without you at the shop to keep her company?” Shane leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head.
“Holding her own.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything different. So, are you here to collect on the favor?”
“I am, but first I need you to be honest with me.”
“Have you known me to lie to you, Allison?”
“No. You are anything but a liar. So I’ll start this off differently. I want to thank you for whatever it was you did to get the ball rolling on exposing Davis Cantrell.”
“Me? I didn’t do anything.”
Allison cocked her head. “Sure you did. You’re the only one with any authority who I told about it. I mentioned it to Leo but what is a high school baseball coach going to do?”
“Leo, huh? How is the old man? Ex - old man. Why he ever let you go…” Shane trailed off.
Allison’s cheeks flushed a pale shade of pink. Shane was 8 years her junior and as a handsome man, the compliment was flattering. But Shane Sullivan couldn’t be trusted not to break a heart. It might take him a while, but he’d get around to it eventually. “He’s fine. And letting me go wasn’t his choice, it was mine. Regardless, he doesn’t have your connections, so how did you do it?”
Shane’s eyes darted back and forth, and he leaned in to whisper, “A magician never reveals his secrets.”
Allison drew back in laughter. “Okay, Shane. If you say so.” When the laughter between them faded, she pressed on. “I guess if you’re going to stonewall me, then I’ll just say a heartfelt thank you and move on. As far as taking you up on the offer, absolutely. I can use all the help I can get.”
“I’ll steer you in the right direction and do anything I can to help. We’re friends, right?” He checked the time on his phone. “Listen, I have a briefing I have to get to. Something about some counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags coming into port or some boring shit like that.” He pushed off his chair. “I can’t wait to get into the real deal. Grand Larceny, murder.”
“Ah yes, murder. That is something to look forward to.” She stood. “Send over anything you have. I’ll be sure to find a way to thank you.” Allison started into the lobby.
“Dinner next week would be a good start.” He raised his voice as she shrank in the distance.
“We’ll see.” She shouted back.
Allison returned to her car, which she had now dubbed the sweatbox, and started the engine. Just as she pulled the gearshift into reverse, her phone rang. “Hang on.” She pushed it back into park and answered the call. “Milo. Hey, I was just thinking about you.”
“Good things, I hope,” He replied.
“Always. Listen, about what you said yesterday…I decided it’s the right move. So if you know of anyone…”
“Actually, that’s why I called. I put out some feelers after you left figuring I knew you well enough to know which way you’d lean.”
“You do know me well, Milo,” she added.
“Indeed. So, I reached out to an old friend of mine. We worked on a case a couple of years back and have tossed tidbits to each other ever since. He needs a hand, someone who can think on their feet if you’re interested.”
“I do tend to make it up as I go along but yes, absolutely. I would be forever grateful for the opportunity.” Allison tapped the steering wheel and silently mouthed, “yes!”
“Great. I’ll text you his information. His name is Tommy Boyce. He’s a salty old dog, but he knows a thing or two. Just remember he’s old school and you’ll be fine.”
“Oh Milo, I can’t thank you enough.”
“Thank me when he pays you by buying me a beer.”
“You got it.”
“I’ll send it to you now, Allison. Let me know if you have any trouble getting hold of him. But I don’t think you will. He’s one of the good ones, I promise you. We’ll talk soon, kid.”
She always smiled when he called her kid considering they were only a few years apart. “Thanks, Milo. Talk soon.” She ended the call and waited for the text message to come through.
When the message appeared, there wasn’t a chance Allison was going to wait and play hard to get. She was going to seize this opportunity.
The hasty arrangement was agreed to by the no-nonsense Tommy Boyce. And when the afternoon rolled in, Allison prepared to meet with him at The Sail, a laid-back local bar off the Hillsborough Bay. On her arrival, Allison locked the car with the secret prayer that someone
might steal it so she could collect the insurance money. The momentary fantasy played out and she entered the bar where a large sunburst mirror was fixed to the wall. She’d been on the go since this morning and catching sight of her appearance left her somewhat repulsed. “Good Lord.” Allison smoothed the frayed sprigs of hair that had fallen from her bun.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. How many?” The bright and excessively perky young woman batted her eyes.
Allison pulled away from the mirror and walked toward the hostess. “I’m here to meet a gentleman by the name of Tommy Boyce. Has anyone…?”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s expecting you. Right this way please.” The woman bounded from behind the podium and led Allison to a bar top table under the outdoor patio.
“Thank you,” she replied before turning her attention to the man who wasn’t exactly as she had imagined. “Mr. Boyce?”
“You must be Allison Hart.” He raised from his stool and offered his hand. “Call me Tommy.”
A throaty pitch and pockmarked face, Boyce looked the part. But there was something behind his eyes that separated him from the stereotypical. He looked pained, heartbroken. No sign of this salty dog Milo had warned her about.
“Tommy.” She returned the greeting and sat down at the table. “You can call me Allison. I appreciate you clearing some time to meet on short notice.”
“Nash mentioned you were itching to get going. I’m happy to oblige. And in all honesty, your timing couldn’t be better.” Tommy sucked on a fat cigar. “You don’t mind, do you? Hardly any places around here let you smoke even outside. These guys take pity on me and look the other way when it’s slow.”
“Doesn’t bother me at all. I am anxious to learn about the business. I don’t know if Milo mentioned to you my background.”
“He gave me a quick rundown. Pretty impressive. But this is a different ballgame, Allison. In this racket, you won’t find people trying to scam the system. Just folks looking to scam each other. But if you know how to handle yourself, you’ll do just fine.”
