Finder's Fee

by Alton Gansky

  There was only one address that fit the bill.

  Terri wondered how Judith knew that.

  She had nothing to do now but wait for another call.

  “Something isn’t right.” Karen Rose sat in the passenger side of the KTOT news van, staring at the near empty parking lot of Find, Inc. Only a handful of cars were visible, including the Lexus convertible parked in the CEO’s spot.

  “Reporter’s intuition?” Cindy Chu struggled to stretch but the confines of the driver’s seat limited her efforts. They had been sitting for forty minutes trying to decide their next move.

  “I suppose. You have those times when you’ve seen things, listened to what people have to say, and still have a feeling that everyone else is wrong.”

  “All the time. The way I figure it, I’m right and they’re wrong.”

  “That’s what I like about you, Cindy — your enormous, blind confidence.”

  “At least you didn’t say arrogance.”

  “I’d never say anything like that — at least not while I’m confined in a small space with you.” Karen opened a file on her lap. The first thing she did after leaving Dwayne’s office was scour the Net for any information she could find on Judith Find and Find, Inc. She found lots of information, very little of it useful.

  “She’s all image.”

  Cindy looked puzzled. “What?”

  Karen held up the printouts. “She’s all image. Go to the Find, Inc., website and you get a short bio about Judith, lots of media pictures, some downloadable video, and a billion pages of products. Every other site I went to had nothing but good to say. No dirt. No rumors. No complaints. The company is sound, the stock is solid, profits every quarter. She’s spick-and-span; a business Barbie.”

  “Did you expect her dark secrets to be posted on the web?”

  “No, but I expected a little more humanity. With people like Martha Stewart there are those that love her or hate her. With the Find woman, there’s almost nothing but fluff.”

  “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

  Karen closed the folder. “Maybe. Let me ask you something. You’re at a house and it blows up but you get away; what’s the first thing you’d do?”

  Cindy bit her lip as she thought. “I guess that’d depend on whether or not I’m the one who blew it up.”

  “Why would a wealthy, well-known woman blow up another person’s house?”

  “Maybe she had some kind of grudge or was being blackmailed.”

  “Judith Find has millions of dollars.”

  Cindy shrugged. “So? Millionaires can be blackmailed.”

  “If you had millions of dollars and were highly recognizable, would you blow up a home? I mean personally?”

  “I see what you’re getting at. You’re saying she’d hire someone to do it.”

  “Exactly. Her mental elevator would have had to snap for her to personally travel to Fresno and do the deed, especially since she could wave enough money around to capture the attention of every criminal mercenary in three countries.”

  “But there was a man with her. Maybe he forced her to do the deed. You know, like the rich kid from the newspaper family and that anti-something-or-other group.”

  “Patty Hearst and the SLA?”

  “Yeah, her. Maybe someone found a way to force her to do something she wouldn’t normally do.”

  Karen gave it some thought. “No dice. The SLA wanted attention. No one is claiming responsibility. There’s got to be something else.”

  “Did you check to see if she has a criminal record?”

  “Pure as the driven snow as far as I can tell. I checked for articles and other news reports on her but nothing. It’s like a PR firm controls the media around her.”

  “They don’t control us.”

  “And here we sit in an empty parking lot looking at a locked building and a parked car.”

  “It’s a shame the janitorial crew wouldn’t let you in.” Cindy chuckled. “What kind of world is this when even the maintenance people have unshakable integrity? Don’t they know how difficult that makes our jobs?”

  Karen reran everything she knew so far and came up with the same mystery and no new answers. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Cindy.”

  “You think we’re going to get in trouble? Sued by a major corporation?”

  “No. I think Judith Find is the one in trouble. I don’t know what kind or how severe but I’m willing to bet my paycheck the woman is in way over her head.”

  “You can’t broadcast psychic feelings over the television airwaves. The station owners might have something to say about that.”

  Karen gazed through the window at the empty Lexus. “What have you gotten yourself into, lady?”

  twenty-four

  Use the phone in the lobby.” Luke sounded tired.

  “Why?” Judith asked. She knew she was tired.

  “Because when you use a phone in a hotel room, it’s routed through a computer switchboard and recorded, just in case you’re making long-distance calls.”

  It made sense and the fact that it did worried Judith. Was paranoia contagious?

  Judith, Luke, and Ida sat in the lobby of the Triton Hotel. The cabbie had dropped them off at the entrance to the Marriott on La Jolla Village Drive and they stepped into the lobby, went to the bar, and sipped sodas for twenty minutes. They then exited the lobby, hailed another cab, and chose a different hotel. Judith needed no explanation. She held the same fear as Luke. The cabbie would return to the airport and the police, if they were on the ball, would interview as many drivers as possible, assuming that they had either rented a car or taken a taxi. Sooner or later, they would connect with the man who drove them to the Marriott. The police would arrive a short time after that. They couldn’t stay in the Marriott, and Luke never intended that they would.

  The Triton was a new fifteen-story structure in the east part of La Jolla. Judith immediately noticed the smooth design of the exterior that made it noticeable but still gave the impression that it belonged to the terrain. The interior showed the guiding hand of a designer who knew what he or she was doing. Deep cushioned leather sofas and chairs populated a lobby centered around a fireplace with a large, circular copper top. The fireplace was what Judith called “new-unique” — a variation of an older idea. Instead of concrete logs designed to look like wood lapped by natural gas-fed flames, the base of the open pit was white sand from which frolicked yellow flame. Natural gas percolated up through the sand providing fuel to the flames.

  They sat around the fire resting and trying to get their bearings.

  Luke had secured two rooms, one for Judith and Ida and one for himself. To further throw off anyone trying to track them, he had done the same at the Marriott. He explained that the police or worse, those who had bombed Ida’s house, might follow the cabbie’s direction to the Marriott, and upon checking with the front desk learn that two women and one man had checked in. The police would flash a badge and show a picture which the desk clerk could confirm. They might check the room or stake it out to see what move the fugitives would take. It could take them all night to realize the rooms were never used.

  “I’ll be back.” Judith rose and made her way to the lobby pay phone and placed a collect call to Terri’s private cell phone. Terri picked up on the third ring.

  “Are you okay?” No amount of electronics could disguise the woman’s concern.

  “I’m fine, Terri. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m a complete wreck. The police have been back around asking questions about Fresno and that reporter from the television station has been hounding me.”

  “You haven’t been talking to her, have you?”

  “Of course not. I’ve been hiding out in the third-floor conference room.”

  “A clever choice .”

  “Is it true, Judith? That you were at a house that blew up? A house in Fresno?”

  “Terri … It’s best I not involve you.”

  “What�
�s going on? I want to help.”

  Judith could hear tears in her voice and her heart began to ache for her friend and aide. “I know you want to, and you are. You’re the best.” She heard a sniff.

  “I want to do more.”

  “Now listen to me, Terri. You must not endanger yourself. Don’t lie to the police. Don’t mislead them. I don’t want you getting in trouble with the law.”

  “But what if they ask me if I’ve spoken to you?”

  “Tell them the truth, I suppose.”

  “If I do, they’ll do something like seize my cell phone or get the phone records and know where you were when we spoke.”

  “It’s a risk I’ll have to take. If you start lying to the police you’re likely to end up in jail. You have an elderly mother who needs you.”

  “I know, but …” She trailed off and Judith heard more sniffing. “Wait, Perry Mason.”

  “Huh?”

  “You know how my mother likes the old Perry Mason television shows with Raymond Burr.”

  That was true. Terri had mentioned the hours she endured watching the old black-and-white episodes. “I don’t follow.”

  “Anytime Perry had a client who was in trouble and whom he didn’t want talking to the police, he would have his secretary Della take the client to some hotel and check her in under her own name. That way, he could hide her but since she was registered under her own name — ”

  “She wasn’t really hiding.”

  “Mom’s been talking about a vacation. Maybe I’ll take her on a drive up the coast.”

  Judith thought for a moment. There was merit to the idea, but while it would keep Terri from being pressed by the police, it would also mean that Judith would have no one at the firm she could contact. Maybe that wouldn’t matter. She didn’t have many choices. “I’ll leave that up to you, Terri. I can’t advise you about that.”

  “I understand.” She paused for just a second. “There’s something you should know. Mr. Find has called for an emergency board meeting tomorrow. I’ve been avoiding him, but word travels quickly in these halls.”

  Anger came to a boil. “That little weasel. Do you know what he’s planning to do?”

  “No, but I can guess that he’s up to no good. The thing with the cell phones, your office being bugged, your sudden disappearance, and the news flashing your picture around about an exploding house — well, my guess is that he’s going to try to get more control of things. You know, make you look bad and him good.”

  “Figures.” Judith’s mind revved. “I can’t come back right now.”

  “Can he take control?” Terri sounded even more frightened.

  “I doubt it. Not tomorrow anyway. If he can sway enough board members, he might get the process started.”

  “But the board loves you. The business is as strong as ever.”

  “Maybe the board loves me, but Marlin can be convincing and conniving when he needs to be.” Judith sighed. “Okay, I can’t deal with that now, and I’ve talked too long as it is. Did you find out anything about the flooring and rugs?”

  “Yes, and I admit that I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have bet two nickels that I’d find what I did.”

  “Which is …”

  “An address in San Diego, it’s near La Jolla. Do you know where that is? It’s close to the ocean.”

  “I do know where it is.” I’m closer than you know. Terri gave her an address on La Jolla Farms Road. Judith thanked her and said she hoped to see her soon.

  Emotions played king-of-the-hill in Judith’s mind. One-second fury over Marlin’s move with the board rose to the top only to be replaced with fear over what Terri may face with the police, only to have a chill of concern for her own situation. When she awoke this morning, she had been in control. Life was good and filled with comfort and purpose, now she was tumbling headlong down a course whose destination she did not know.

  She plopped down in the leather chair and stared at the wisps of fire.

  “Well?” Luke asked. Ida just stared at Judith in silence.

  “She gave me an address on La Jolla Farms Road.”

  “Let’s have it.”

  “My stepson has called for an emergency board meeting. I think he’s pulling something. I should show up. You know, crash the party.”

  “Tomorrow? Can’t happen.” Luke offered no words of comfort.

  Judith watched the flames lapping at the air, dancing on the snow white sand. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one about to be ousted. That firm is my life. I have no meaning without it.”

  “Meaning is not found in things.” The words came from Ida.

  “What’s that mean?” Judith spoke more harshly than she intended, and she saw Ida cower. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little on edge. Okay, I’m a lot on edge. I may be losing everything.”

  “I know the feeling,” Ida said. Judith’s heart tumbled. “It was something Abel used to say. He always said the strangest things.”

  “The address,” Luke prompted. Judith recited it and Luke pulled his computer from its case. In moments, his fingers were flying over the keys. “The advantage with a large hotel is their wireless ser vice. It’s fast and can be accessed from anywhere in the building.”

  “Joy.” Judith had grown too weary to hide the sarcasm. She had lived a week in the last few hours and the stress of it drained her. She laid her head back longing for a nap, no matter how short. Maybe she should go to her room —

  “Wow.” Luke said.

  Judith pulled her mind from the fog. “What?”

  “That’s not a house, it’s a compound.” Luke moved to the middle of the sofa. “Gather ’round ladies.” Judith moved from the chair to Luke’s right. Ida sat on his left.

  “What are we looking at?” Judith studied the image. “Satellite photo?” A color photo showing the ocean, a beach, and a cliff with large structures filled the screen. She could easily make out swimming pools, cars, large trees, and even see waves frozen in digital time.

  “Exactly. There are several ser vices that provide free photos to the public: Google Earth, Local.live.com are two. Some of the photos are a little dated but not too much.”

  “That’s where my son is?” Ida asked.

  “Well, that’s where he was when the photo was taken.”

  Sadness washed over her face and Judith reminded herself that she could not understand what the poor woman endured.

  Luke’s fingers moved along the keyboard. “I’m going to save these images. They might prove useful. Now, let’s see if I can’t mine a little more info from the Net.” A few keystrokes later, Luke sat back looking satisfied.

  “Are you going to let us in on your skullduggery or just sit there with that self-satisfied smile?” Judith had been on the move since this morning and sitting around made her nervous. She checked the lobby doors again, just as she had sixty seconds before.

  He pointed at the screen. “One of the advantages, and in my view, disadvantages, of the Internet is the availability of personal information. There are many websites that allow reverse lookup. Some you pay for, others are free. I put in the address and got two names: Alex Zarefsky and something called Cal-Genotics.”

  Ida choked.

  twenty-five

  I think it’s time we heard the rest of your story, Ida.” Luke spoke softly. “You know the name?”

  She nodded. “Alex Zarefsky … Dr. Zarefsky. He’s the one … he was my doctor.”

  “For the fertilization treatment?” Judith asked.

  “Yes, although I always called him Dr. Alex. He insisted. I don’t think he ever told me his last name.”

  “Then how did you learn it?” Luke closed his laptop.

  “I saw it on my chart. His nurse set it down when I was in his office. I remember thinking it was an odd name — Zarefsky.”

  “Where did you go for the implantation procedure?” Judith said.

  “I went to Dr. Alex’s … I mean Dr. Zarefsky’s clinic in Los Angeles.”

>   “He has a clinic in LA but owns a home in San Diego?” Judith asked.

  “I guess so. He never told me where he lived. However, I did get the impression that he had more than one clinic.”

  Luke was on the computer again. “Cal-Genotics has a website.”

  Judith leaned toward the screen and strained to see the small print. The laptop wasn’t designed to be read from the side. “All I can read is their motto: Making Life Happen.”

  “It’s the kind of site maintained by a publicly held corporation.” Again he pointed to the screen. “See, it’s got the usual basic info plus a section for investors and media.” He adjusted the screen to better read the web page, then read aloud. “Our Mission: Cal-Genotics exists to research and provide new solutions in the field of human fertility. We apply a diverse approach blending genetics, bioinfomatics, and biotechnology to discover new and better treatments for infertility.”

  “Sounds noble,” Judith said.

  “Yeah? Well, I’ve researched enough companies to know that a pretty web page does not a profitable company make.”

  “I wasn’t thinking of investing,” Judith said.

  “Neither am I.” Luke moved the cursor around and clicked on the provided links. “They trade on NASDAQ … at close of trading today a share was worth 43.27, up almost a full point … volume is just under three million shares.”

  “What’s all that mean?” Ida asked.

  Luke answered quickly. “It means that they’re doing all right for themselves.” He kept working. “I found a link to their management team, and yup, there he is, Dr. Alex Zarefsky, president and CEO, holds a BS degree in biology from Stanford, an MD also from Stanford, and an MBA from Harvard. The guy gets around.” Luke fell silent as he read. “He’s the founder of Coast Fertility Care Centers.”

  “That’s the name of the center I went to.” Ida’s eyes were fixed to the monitor. Judith wondered if Ida could see better than she.

  Luke nodded. More tapping. “It looks like he has several clinics. When I was a kid there was a national franchise of dental offices, all under the name of one dentist. I wondered how the poor guy could go to all those offices. Later, I learned he didn’t. It was just his name.”