by Dave Daren
She had a point. I didn’t have a lot of cash to spend on a rental car right now, and I had no idea how long the Honda would be out of commission. Still, it was hard to remain unobtrusive in a 1975 Cadillac DeVille.
“Just take the car,” Sofia sighed. “It’s actually really nice and it has all the modern amenities.”
“Maybe Rent-a-Wreck,” I suggested. Surely Rent-a-Wreck still had a few cars on the lot.
“Not in your price range,” Sofia assured me. “A few days and then the Honda will be ready. You’ll need money for that, and you won’t have it if you rent something.”
I caved to Sofia’s logic, and she agreed to have Theo drop me at my apartment on his way to the shop.
“I stayed up late last night,” Sofia continued after we settled the car issue. “I don’t have much on ArDex, but I did find one interesting tidbit. When the first reports of Bernardi’s illness became public, the profits went down, as you would expect. But within a matter of two weeks, the company was suddenly showing a strong profit again. In fact, profits have been steadily increasing ever since. There was a lot of chatter on the small business pages, but most just chalked it up to Watts’ management.”
“Curious,” I agreed.
“Especially since many of their big-name customers have started using other companies,” Sofia added.
“Oh, now that is really curious,” I commented. “Which customers did they lose?”
“Companies like Wal-Mart, GE, even Apple,” Sofia explained. “Basically, everybody who is making the trade deficit with Asia a little worse.”
“That’s a lot of money to walk away from,” I mused. “So who’s keeping them alive?”
“As best as I can tell, the shipments are almost exclusively for a small group of Japanese companies, but I’m having a hard time finding anything about them. To say that they’re tightly held is an understatement.”
“Keep digging,” I replied. “I’ll talk to Anna and see if she knows anything about these companies.”
I ended the call with Sofia after giving her the address and then followed the sound of keys clacking to the back office. Anna was back on the computer, and I stopped in the doorway for a moment to watch her. Her chin was propped on one fist, and her lips formed a small ‘o’. Her deliciously dark eyes were focused on the screen, and it took her a moment to realize that I was standing there.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said when I saw her jump slightly.
“It’s okay. I was just checking the news,” she answered.
“Sofia seems to think we might be in the clear,” I said as I sauntered into the room.
“They don’t have a very good description of the other car,” she agreed. “Still, I can’t believe that man is dead.”
“It could very easily have been us,” I reminded her.
“I know,” she said quietly as she stood up. “What about your car?”
“There’s a tow truck on the way. Sofia’s arranged a car for me as well,” I replied. I caught a whiff of her soap as she moved past me. It reminded me of flowers on a warm day.
We walked back to the TV room and took a seat on the sofa.
“Sofia did some more digging,” I said as I watched Anna fold herself onto the couch.
“What did she find?” Anna asked as she pulled one knee up to her chin and tucked her other foot beneath the arch of the leg.
“Profits at ArDex have been rising steadily despite your father’s illness and passing.”
“I know,” she replied.
“It’s strange for the profits of a closely held company to go up like that when the owner is suffering a debilitating disease,” I pointed out.
“You’re right. And if I’d been paying more attention to the company, I would have noticed it sooner.”
“What do you know about these companies that have become ArDex’s only clients?”
“Not much,” Anna conceded. “No one seems to know much about them. All I’ve been able to piece together is that nothing sits on the docks for very long. As soon as the ships are unloaded, the trucks arrive and start hauling the trailers away.”
“Anything else?” I prodded.
“Fatima told me that these companies are paying well above market rate,” she added.
“That’s your dad’s old assistant,” I said, more to remind myself.
“Yes, she still talks to me when she can,” she sighed. “We talked a lot more when I first came back to LA. She would call and ask about dad. But we rarely talk now. The last time I called her, she told me there were several Japanese men now working at the office. They don’t do anything but hang around and listen. Everyone’s scared.”
“Why hasn’t anyone complained?” I asked.
“To who? Watts? He brought them in,” Anna snapped.
“The government would be interested in their story,” I replied.
“They won’t talk to the government,” Anna replied. “And I’m sure that’s what Watts is counting on.”
“Not everyone who works there is illegal,” I pointed out.
“But even if I were to walk into DOJ and complain, and they launched an investigation, at some point they would raid the place and a lot of good people would get swept up,” she explained. “And the company itself would be destroyed.”
“So instead, you’ve decided to take back control,” I said.
“Yes,” she admitted.
“You should have trusted me with this yesterday,” I replied as I folded my arms across my chest.
“I was going to,” she protested.
I didn’t say anything, just gave her my best lawyer glare.
“I should have,” she acknowledged. Her cheeks had taken on a pleasant pink tint. “Well, you know now.”
“What else can you tell me about ArDex?” I asked.
“I think the Japanese companies have taken over ArDex,” Anna finally said.
“Watts is their frontman,” I guessed.
“Yes, I think so,” she agreed.
“So what are they doing?” I wondered. “It must be worth a lot of money.”
“I’m pretty sure they’re using ArDex to smuggle something into the country but I have no idea what it is,” Anna sighed. “I’ve checked through the Customs reports and nothing’s ever been found. But Customs is so overwhelmed that it’s not that hard to get something past them. They really only do in-depth checks when they think there’s something going on.”
“Smuggling would explain why they’ve been following you,” I noted. “And why Watts is so interested in your shares.”
Anna’s phone rang at that moment, and she checked the caller i.d. “Watts,” she said with a grimace. “We must have summoned him by using his name.”
“Go ahead and answer,” I said when Anna looked as if she wanted to ignore the call.
She scrunched her nose in distaste but she answered just before it went to voicemail.
“Tucker,” she said in a cheery voice. There was a pause and then she added, “Oh, I’m quite well this morning. I enjoyed a quiet dinner with a friend and then turned in early.”
I had to bury my head in my lap so Watts wouldn’t hear me laughing.
Anna tensed, and I brought myself under control. She made a couple of non-committal noises, then said, “I’ll be there.”
“Well?” I asked once she ended the call.
“Leo’s flying in tomorrow. The board meeting has been set for tomorrow evening at six.”
“Call Leo,” I instructed. “Make your offer. Get him to meet you before the board meeting.”
“I have to do this alone,” Anna sighed as she stood up and walked towards the back of the house. “It’s just easier.”
Heath opened one eye after she had left. When I didn’t immediately offer to scratch his chin, he casually stuck out a paw and tapped my hand. By the time Anna returned, Heath had stretched to his full length, and I had moved on to belly rubs.
“We’re meeting at dad’s hous
e,” she announced. “He gets in around noon and then he’ll have to pick up the rental car so he’ll probably be there about one thirty.”
“How did he sound?” I asked.
“Surprisingly receptive. I think he’s realized that something’s off with Watts.”
“Good. Maybe we won’t have to work so hard on the sell,” I said.
“’We’ is it?” Anna prodded as that beautiful smile returned.
“You, me, we for both meetings. I think it’s time we let Watts know how serious we are,” I explained.
“I can live with that,” she replied.
I heard a diesel engine rumble slowly along the street and then stop in front of the house. Anna and I exchanged glances, and I stood up to peek out the window. A tow truck had stopped outside. It was covered in mud but I could just pick out a red color underneath. Two men were in the truck and after a brief discussion, the driver got out of the truck and started towards the front door.
I knew Theo was supposed to be the small brother, and compared to the other brother I had met, the man walking up the walkway might be considered small. But he was still bigger than just about every man I’d ever met. He stood well north of six feet and must have tipped the scale closer to three hundred than two hundred.
“Theo,” I called as I opened the front door and stepped outside.
Theo beamed at me as he rolled to a stop and held out a meaty paw. “Hey, Vince. Good to meet you in person. Sofia talks a lot about you.”
“That can’t be good,” I replied as I risked the handshake. Fortunately, Theo only grasped my hand momentarily.
“That the car?” he asked as he tipped his head towards the Honda.
“That’s it,” I replied.
He strolled over to the car and lifted part of the tarp. He let out a low whistle, then threw out a string of instructions to the man still in the truck. “We’ll just leave the tarp on for now,” Theo said. “No eyes that way.”
“Good idea,” I replied as Anna joined me at the door.
Theo gave her a quick smile, and then the two men set to work. In less than ten minutes, they had maneuvered my car onto the back of the tow truck.
“Whenever you’re ready, Vince,” Theo called out.
I turned to Anna. “I’ll check in with you later.”
Anna nodded, risked a kiss on my cheek, then stepped back inside. I walked over to the tow truck. The passenger had gotten out and was holding the door for me. I realized that there wasn’t a back seat and all three of us would be crammed together in front. Given Theo’s size, I was certain that I was about to be squashed.
The ride to my apartment wasn’t completely unpleasant. Theo and his compadre, Jesus, spent the entire trip cracking jokes about anything and everything. If I could have breathed, I would have been doubled over in laughter. As it was, the best I could manage was a sort of strangled chuffing.
“Hey, Richie will be by in a bit with the Caddy,” Theo called out as I nearly fell out of the truck.
“Richie?” I repeated. Jesus steadied me, and after a quick pat on the back, hopped back in.
“Yeah, he’s a good kid. He’s sort of nerdy looking. Roberto asked him to drive the car but Richie, he don’t like driving. When Sofia called, he couldn’t pass the car off fast enough.” Jesus nodded in agreement with Theo’s assessment.
With a final wave, Theo and Jesus turned the tow towards home. I watched until they were out of sight, then made my way up to my apartment. I was still jittery after last night’s events, but there was nothing obviously wrong or out of place. I made myself stop and look around, but it was exactly as I had left it.
I didn’t realize just how grungy I felt until I stepped into the shower. I took a minute to just let the hot water pour over me, then lathered and rinsed quickly. I managed to finish most of my morning routine before the buzzer from the lobby sounded.
“Yes?” I said in a sharp tone. It was the one I always used out of habit when someone rang from downstairs. It was intended to discourage uninvited guests from entering the building.
“Um… Mr. Creed?” a squeaky voice asked nervously.
“Richie?”
“That’s me,” the voice replied.
“I’ll be right down,” I stated.
I grabbed my shirt and buttoned it as I was heading down the stairs. When I stepped into the lobby, I thought it was empty for a moment. Then I saw a scrawny kid, maybe sixteen or so, standing by the mailboxes. He was indeed nerdy looking complete with oversized glasses, tangled hair, and an asthma inhaler sticking out of his back pocket.
“Richie,” I said as I approached.
The kid swiveled around and nearly lost his balance in the process. I offered him a hand, but he managed to right himself with only a small bit of arm flailing. He gave me a nervous smile and pushed his glasses back in place.
“Sorry,” he said. “Sometimes I move too fast.”
“Ah,” was all I said. Richie looked like he would blow over in a light breeze so I couldn’t imagine that speed was the issue.
“So,” Richie said. “You want to see the car?”
“That would be a good idea,” I agreed.
Richie led the way outside, and while Richie was easy to miss, the car was not. It was massive, taking up two parking spots, and it was painted a coppery red. On top of that, a truly talented artist had painted an entire village of hand-sized Mexican sugar skulls. They started near the front fender and ran along both sides of the car, then up and over the trunk.
“Wow,” which was all I could really say.
“Yeah,” Richie agreed. We stood on the sidewalk together and just stared. Finally, Richie shook himself and held a key towards me. “I’ve got to get going if I’m going to make my class on time.”
“Do you need a ride?” I offered. I was secretly hoping he would say yes because I wasn’t feeling all that confident about my own ability to handle this thing.
But Richie was emphatically shaking his head. “No, no. She’s all yours,” he replied. Then he was off.
I sighed. It would seem I was stuck with the Caddy for now. I retrieved my phone and my suit jacket from the apartment and then returned to the street. A few people had gathered nearby, and they were clearly entranced by my new ride. I gave them a big wave as I stepped up to the car and unlocked the door. This started a round of whispering and I wondered what story the local gossips would dream up to explain this.
It took me awhile to adjust to the Caddy. It handled surprisingly well, but I came close to rear ending a Nissan at the first stop sign when I underestimated how much room I would need. I tried to speed through a yellow light but I’m certain the light was red when I was only half-way through the intersection. On the bright side, the car proved popular. I’d never gotten so many thumbs up in my life.
I finally arrived at the office and docked the car at the far end of the lot. That was how I thought of the Caddy now, as a boat rather than a car. Our arrival had been spotted in the burrito place, and I could see several of the patrons leaning against the glass as I walked past. A couple of the regulars there gave me a thumbs up, and I couldn’t help but return a sheepish grin.
“You’re here,” Sofia announced in a relieved tone as I stepped into the office.
“Me and Roberto’s car are both safe,” I assured her. “Anything going on?”
“Maybe,” Sofia said in an uncertain voice.
“Did someone break into the office?” I asked. It seemed a natural next step for the people who had been harassing Anna.
Sofia shook her head. “A man came by right after I arrived,” she explained. “He asked to speak with you, and I said you were in court. He wanted to know when you would be back, and I said I wasn’t sure. I offered to have you call but he wouldn’t leave his name and number.”
“What did he look like?” I asked as I wondered if the driver from last night had a partner.
“Japanese guy, maybe late twenties. A scraggly beard and some sort of tattoo
on his arm,” Sofia said. “But that’s not all. I went downstairs a little later to get a horchata, and I saw him sitting in a car in the parking lot.”
“Which car?” I asked as I drifted towards the window. I took a look through the blinds, scanning the parking lot.
“It’s a white Cube,” Sofia replied.
Bingo. It was parked about halfway down. I could just make out someone sitting inside. I thought he might be on the phone which would explain why he hadn’t made a return visit yet.
“Stay here,” I ordered as I stepped back outside. Sofia started to protest, but I missed most of what she said as I sprinted back towards the stairs. I stopped for a moment when I hit the walkway but the Cube was still there. A man had just stepped out of the car and was looking around. He must have seen me run out of the office.
I charged towards him as a vague plan to catch him unawares formed in the back of my mind. I was too late, though. The man must have seen something out of the corner of his eye because he turned before I reached him. I saw him plant his feet in a fighter’s stance that would let him turn my greater bulk against me. I shifted gears as my MMA training kicked in.
I pulled up short rather than tackle him and sent a swift, short kick into his knee. He managed to twist away, saving the knee but taking a bruiser to the thigh. The jab came at me before I even realized that his arm had moved. I took a hard blow across the bridge of the nose and another one only a split second later to the right ear. I tucked and moved forward so he would have less room to generate any power. I felt him land a kick near my shoulder but I blocked his follow-through. He was off balance for the moment, and I delivered a quick punch of my own to his ribs.
We were locked in each other’s grip after that. If felt like an eternity of punching and scrabbling, though in reality it was only a matter of seconds. For a brief moment, I thought I’d finally set him off balance enough that I could pin him down but he braced himself on the balls of his feet and pushed off, forcing me back a step. It was all the space he needed. He delivered another stinger, this time to my back. I punched out, but I knew I was going down. I set myself into a defensive position and waited for the man to move forward.
