“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll have my cut from what the Bureau pays us, but what you earn writing and reporting is yours.”
“Are you sure?” Alice’s grin grew bigger.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Alice changed the subject. “I was expecting you to call
yesterday morning, or at least earlier today.”
“I had a busy day—a family gathering I couldn’t avoid. I
slept in this morning.” Joe wanted to tell her that leaving prison
yesterday was one of his happiest days, and this morning was the
first time he had slept in, in nearly eight years. Instead, he said,
“You know how tiring family can be, especially the grandkids.” “I … I thought you might have called … last night.” Alice
blushed as soon as she thought the words, realizing Joe could
take them the wrong way. “I mean, before I went to bed.” “I’m sorry; I didn’t know you wanted me to call you.” He
smiled at her embarrassment.
“I knew you wouldn’t call late … like, in my dreams or
anything…” Alice tried desperately to explain herself, but she only made it worse. “I expect you were with Barbara Hodges?”
Her face was crimson.
“I’ve moved on from Barbara. But never mind about my
nightlife. What all did Campbell say; do you think he wants me to
get into Scott’s head and make him confess?”
“No, that wouldn’t be right; he wants to do it by the
book.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it, and I’ll report in tomorrow
morning. If by chance I can’t, I’ll try at night.” He paused to see
how she felt about that idea: “Before you go to sleep, of course.” “Okay, I’ll talk to you then.” But Joe had already gone. Alice was tidying the kitchen, singing her head off, when
Agent Burrows called.
“Hi Alice! Looks like yours and Joe’s work has paid off.”
Burrows was caught up in the excitement at the office over the
new developments and arrests in the gang-rape case.
“You’ve heard then?”
“Yes, and Forensics just informed us that one of the
fingerprints on the locker, where they found the blanket, is a
match to Brian Butler.”
“They’ve taken their fingerprints and matched them
already?”
“They just needed the boys’ prints to confirm they were
there.” Burrows was beaming with joy. “They’ve each had a
swab taken to match DNA, as well. I can’t believe they didn’t get
rid of that blanket; it has semen stains and hair all over it. This
evidence is going to seal the case for us. Agent Campbell is really
pleased with you two, and so am I.”
“Thank you, Agent Burrows. I’ll be sure to let Joe know.” “Please do. I’ll call you when I hear the results of the
DNA.”
Alice hung up and thought about the bonus the Bureau
had said they would pay if Joe helped them solve a crime. She
couldn’t fathom how much the bonus would be, plus, the news
channels and the newspapers had made her a great offer. Alice
burst out singing: “Who wants to be a millionaire? We do!”
~
Alice hardly slept a wink that night, the day’s events playing over in her mind. John, who had listened to her retell the story a dozen times before he had gone to bed, was now listening to it again as they ate an early breakfast together. “Those four kids tried to be smart, but they weren’t smart enough to beat us,” Alice boasted.
“Those kids are 20 years old.” John took a sip of his coffee. “I’d say they’re more adults than kids.”
“Yeah, but you know what I mean, we caught them in the end,” Alice rebutted, annoyance creeping into her voice.
“You mean Joe caught them. If Joe hadn’t found out about the locker room and that blanket, the FBI wouldn’t have a case.” He finished his coffee. “The Feds didn’t know who the rapists were until Joe told them.”
“Are you sticking up for those kids?”
“No, but you’re trying to make them out to be stupid because they made one mistake by hanging onto that mattress and blanket. Apart from that, they covered their tracks; they used a different van every time. They had fake driver’s licenses. They didn’t hang on to the girls for more than a few hours. By the time the police were called in to start looking for the girls, they’d turn up. If they hadn’t blinded Jessica, I doubt the Feds would even be involved. The four victims were miles apart, and the boys made it look as if the attackers were from the Beverly Hills area, not down in San Diego.” John was worked up.
“You are sticking up for them!”
“No, I’m not. All I’m saying is that if Joe hadn’t found them through Jessica’s dreams, the Feds might never have solved the case. Those guys were not stupid, they had a plan, and they could have gotten away with it.” John stood. “See you later.” Trying to lighten the mood, he gave Alice a kiss. “I can’t wait to tell the guys that my wife is the freelance journalist who was on TV. I bet Batman will even stop boasting about his girlfriend— well, for today anyway.”
Alice waved him off to work and settled down with a fresh cup of coffee. She sighed, knowing John was right. Alice hoped the Bureau would now realize how important and helpful Joe could be to them. Her life had definitely changed for the better since Joe had stepped into her and John’s dreams. Alice had thought she’d never forgive Joe for what he had put them through, but she found she had more than forgiven him—she was glad he’d done it. All the newspapers and television stations were going to know who she was, and she owed it all to Joe.
For more than an hour, instead of writing a follow-up story on the arrests, Alice kept going over everything in her head. She needed more information from Agent Campbell. Suddenly, a horrible thought entered her mind––what if Homeland killed Joe—her new career would die with him. The phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Mrs. Timberlake, this is Agent Jones, have you got a minute?”
“Hi Mike.”
“How are you, Alice?” Mike grinned when she dropped the formality.
“I’m fine, thank you. Have you heard the news?”
“What news?” He frowned.
“Joe helped Agent Campbell catch those four rapists who blinded that poor girl.”
“I saw you on TV, but I didn’t know Joe helped out.” Mike shrugged. “I should have guessed; however, the reason I’m calling is to ask if Joe can help us. He had given us Ronald Rodriguez’s name, but the guy seems to be Mr. Clean. Our office in San Francisco and the SFPD say he’s an upright citizen. He’s a big shot lawyer, but if he’s leading a double life, we want to know about it. We’d like Joe to check him out, and visit Gerald Lomas again to make sure we have the right Rodriguez.” Mike still wasn’t entirely comfortable asking Joe to be involved in such a big case, in such an unorthodox way. “Joe could try to meet Ronald Rodriguez—how he’ll do that, I don’t know—but, if Joe found out if he’s involved in the drug market, it will be a significant help to us. We need Joe to work his magic for us again.”
“I’ll ask him.” Alice got her pad and pen ready: “What’s that name again?”
“I’ll send you a photo of him and some information. If Joe decides to go to San Francisco to meet him, he’s to let us know first. We have Rodriguez under surveillance, so we need to let our guys up there know if one of our operatives is meeting him. This Rodriguez has a couple of bodyguards, so our boys will have to give Joe back up if needed.”
“I’ll make sure Joe is aware of the situation.”
“Thanks.” Mike nodded. “Let me know what Joe decides.”
“I will.”
Within an hour, Alice had the photo of Rodrigu
ez in front of her, and two pages of information on his businesses and his social life. Reading the message, she could see why Mr. Rodriguez was considered to be a pillar of the community, and why the FBI needed Joe’s help again.
How had they ever gotten along without him?
Chapter40
It was 10 a.m., and Joe had enjoyed sleeping in for the second time since being a free man. He heard his mother moving around in the kitchen downstairs, and knew his father would
be in the shop. Joe’s father owned a jewelry shop in Ventura, just a fifteen-minute walk from their house. Joe thought of heading over after breakfast to pay him a visit. He wanted to see the shop—it had been a long time since he had helped out there in his teens when he was on holidays from school.
He was happy to be home, but knew he couldn’t stay with his parents for long—even though he knew they wouldn’t turn him out. Their beliefs and way of life were different from Joe’s. They were devout Jews, and even though Joe didn’t believe in God the way they did, they had never forced their beliefs on him.
Joe remembered telling his father once that he didn’t believe God created the world and all the life on it. He had told his father it was as the scientists said—the planet evolved and Mother Nature created all living creatures and organisms—not God. He could picture his father smiling at him, holding out the palm of his hands, and with a shrug of the shoulders saying, “Yes, but who do you think gave Mother Nature that job?” Joe always smiled when he thought of that. He had expected a big debate on the subject; he had read a science magazine and had been ready to go toe-to-toe with his father on how the planet was formed. But when his father said God put Mother Nature in charge, Joe had had no answer.
That was a long time ago, though, and now he was back in his parents’ house trying to live by their rules again. He felt guilty about the last two nights, visiting Steve Bateman and his girlfriend, while his mother and father slept in the next room. He felt he should stop his nightly adventures until he found a place of his own. However, he knew he wouldn’t do that. He’d be back with Officer Bateman tonight––in Steve’s mind and body as he made love to his lovely beauty queen, Jean.
While Joe was in prison, his father had sold his house for him; there was no way he could keep up the mortgage. His father had gotten him a good price for the house, but when all the expenses, including Joe’s legal fees were paid up, he didn’t have much left. Alice was depositing the wages for their work into Joe Mann and Partner’s account, but Joe knew he’d have to be careful how he took out his share. He wasn’t exactly sure how they would do it, but he was convinced Frank Brubaker had a plan to follow the money to him. So, until he could figure out what to do, he’d have to find a job. His father had told him his old boss had said he’d find Joe a job when he got out; it might not be a bad idea to give him a call. Joe had been a construction engineer, and his main responsibility had been to organize the road repairs in and around L.A.
Joe could smell his mother’s cooking; it was what he’d missed most when he had been inside––it was the best in the world. He got up, deciding to give his former boss a call later— he also had to call to see how Alice was getting on.
After a late breakfast, Joe went back to his room to contact Alice. He lay on his bed, closed his eyes and thought of her, and he was in her mind instantly. She was writing her follow-up story, and Joe had read part of the page before he let her know he was with her.
“Beep-beep.”
“Oh shit!” Alice jumped a mile. “What’s the matter with ding-dong?” Alice’s heart was still jumping around, “or, knockknock … not beep-beep … you scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to be so loud.” He was laughing in her thoughts.
“Don’t laugh at me; I thought the roadrunner was loose in the house.” Alice laughed along with Joe. “Okay, you’ve had your joke, now down to business.” She pushed her writing to one side and picked up the package from Mike. “Mike phoned me, and he wants to know if you will find out some more information on…” she pulled out the photo and the write-up, “this guy, Ronald Rodriguez.” Alice knew Joe was looking at the image through her eyes.
Joe was studying the photo. “He’s older than I thought he’d be.”
“Are you going to help them?” She pointed to the address of Rodriguez’s firm. “He’s up in San Francisco.”
“We might as well.” Joe knew he’d have to proceed cautiously. “They’re not going to give us a bonus unless they bust this gang.”
Alice’s heart started to beat a little faster when she heard Joe say the word we. “You want my help?”
“Do you fancy a trip up to ‘Cisco?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice. Just call me a roving reporter.”
“Then we’d better read what the Feds have to say about Mr. Rodriguez and put a plan together.”
Alice nodded her head in agreement. “Now you’re talking, partner!”
“I’ll pay Gerald Lomas a visit tonight and find out more about Rodriguez, and we’ll go from there.”
Joe was halfway through reading the information through Alice’s eyes when Agent Burrows phoned her.
“Alice, you’re not going to believe this,” Burrows didn’t bother to say hi; she had to tell Alice the good news the instant she had it. “The attorney for Chris Tucker has just asked the D.A. for a plea bargain! Chris Tucker will admit to being part of the gang that raped the four young women, in exchange for a lessened sentence. Alice did you hear that? He admitted to the four, not just Jessica, but all four girls!”
“Wow! That’s great news!” Alice was carried away with Burrows’ excitement, and felt like crying, she was so happy. “That’s quick, though, isn’t it?’
“I guess Tucker thought he’d confess before the DNA results came in; more than likely it was his semen on the blanket. His lawyer probably advised him to be the first to cop a plea bargain, and hope for a lighter sentence. I’ve got to go, though. I’m up to my neck in work, but I had to phone you. After all, we are a team now––you, Joe, and me.” When Burrows said Joe’s name, an image of Joe sitting on a rock holding her clothes while the apes made love to her flashed through her mind. She shook the image out of her head quickly. “Has Joe said anything to you lately?”
“Like what?”
“This case, or … never mind. I’ll let you know if I hear any more. Bye.”
“What do you think of that?” Alice asked Joe.
“She was excited, wasn’t she?”
“Well, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but not as excited as she was.” Alice detected a light chuckle. “Let’s get back to this case, shall we, and hope we have the same luck.”
~
Agent Burrows thought now would be a good time to approach Deputy Director Saxton about bringing Joe the Magic Man onto the team, while the success of the rape case was still fresh in everybody’s minds. Burrows knew she was only the profiler, and her prime involvement had been to try to put together a profile on the rapists. However, by working with the Magic Man, through Alice, their help had brought the case to a quick close. Burrows wanted to make the most of it; hopefully, she would even get her own task force. After her little adventure with Joe the other night, she thought she had won Joe’s trust. She presented her ideas of how a partnership could work, mainly, how she could work with the Magic Man through Alice better than any other agent––now that she had gained Joe’s trust. Saxton agreed with her that she had done an excellent job, and told her he’d put her ideas to the head of the FBI.
Burrows was beside herself with joy. She could see her dreams coming true with Joe’s help. But, every time someone mentioned Joe the Magic Man, Burrows would picture Joseph Lopez taking her shorts and shirt off her so the gargoyles wouldn’t rip her clothes. She kept seeing Joseph, who she now knew was Old Joe, watching her as the three apes made love to her. Or was I making love to them? It was her dream, after all. Or was it Joe’s fantasy? Burrows kn
ew she would have these flashbacks for years to come; that that particular dream would jump into her mind, periodically––but it would be so worth it to have Joe on her team.
Back at her desk, Burrows was feeling happy that Saxton agreed they were one step closer to having Joe on their team. Nevertheless, she felt a nagging guilt she hadn’t reported that Joe had infiltrated her dreams. She should have shown them the letter and then handed in her resignation. But Joe had said there was no need for anyone to know he had visited her, and he said he wouldn’t do it again. She just had to trust him and hope for the best.
Burrows stared at her desk in a daze, not seeing the work in front of her as she tried to analyze why Joe had visited her. It certainly wasn’t to take Henry and her on a trip to Peru. How did he think up that fantasy? She shook her head slowly in disbelief, and a smile came to her lips. Old Joe told us two stories about the gargoyles having sex with the women in the village ... those stories were just foreplay to get me in the mood to meet the three apes. Burrows pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she realized how ridiculous they sounded. No, Joe didn’t just visit me to have a sexual fantasy; there are loads of younger women for that. He came to pick my brains, hypnotized me and found out everything he wanted to know about me. She had no idea what secrets she gave away. She didn’t want to give up her job, so she had to trust him. He obviously trusts me to a certain extent, or he would have erased my dream and I wouldn’t have been any the wiser. The experts could think what they wanted; Burrows knew Joe was truly a Magic Man.
It was only a dream, and Joe was in his bed, not mine! The thought ran continually through Special Agent Rosemary Burrows’ mind, calming her when the idea of Joe in her dreams became too much to bear. She had no way of knowing the thought was not her own—it had been planted deep in her subconscious by the Magic Man himself—to help her accept that she, too, was now another one of his conquests.
Chapter41
Joe was sitting on the patio, sipping a glass of iced orange juice his mother had just brought him. He was brainstorming how to meet Ronald Rodriguez. He could go up there himself,
Get Out Of My Dreams (Joe the Magic Man Series Book 1) Page 27
