Peril in the Park: A Jamie Quinn Mystery

by Barbara Venkataraman

  I wished I knew how to help him. Then it dawned on me what was really going on. I-C-U was behind this and he wasn't playing chess.

  No, he was making his puppets dance.

  Chapter 25

  I'm not a crazy conspiracy theorist, I swear, but I could see a pattern emerging.

  "Start at the beginning," I said. "And we'll figure this out together."

  "If you say so," Kip sprawled across the sofa, his legs on my lap. "But I think you're being a tad optimistic."

  I laughed. "Don't get too comfortable there, mister. If you fall asleep in the middle of your story, I will wake you up."

  Kip pretended to doze off, so I pinched his thigh right through his jeans.

  "Ow!'

  "See? That's what happens," I said.

  "Okay, I get it, stay awake."

  Then, as if in a trance, he proceeded to tell me about his morning, how he'd been called into his boss's office and soon found himself under attack from all sides.

  "But who was there besides your boss?" I asked.

  "Commissioner Dilly Williams, Quincy Graves, Benjamin Wolf, and his son Daniel."

  "Wait, doesn't Quincy work for you? Who invited him?"

  Kip snorted. "Quincy acts like I work for him. He was Assistant Director for ten years before I got there, so when the Director retired, he assumed he'd get the job. But then they hired me, and he's been making my life miserable ever since."

  "Can't you fire him?"

  "Not that easy." Kip sighed. "You've clearly never worked for the government. Quincy is currently suing the County for not giving him the Director position."

  I was flabbergasted. "He's working there and suing them at the same time?"

  "Yup."

  "What's the basis of his lawsuit?" I couldn't imagine what he was alleging. He certainly wasn't a minority with that pasty white skin.

  "Age discrimination," Kip replied, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was saying either.

  "Wow! You work in bizarro-land, you've got to get out of there!"

  "No kidding," Kip said.

  "So, what's the deal with your boss? Whose side is he on?"

  "Ronald Lang? Basically a good guy, but he's about to retire and doesn't want trouble. He's beyond caring about the politics, the employees, any of it. He just wants to keep his head down and count the days 'til he's out of there."

  "So, who called the meeting if it wasn't your boss?" I asked.

  "The man who is everyone's boss--the commissioner. We serve at the pleasure of the nine commissioners, remember?"

  "Oh, yeah."

  I only had a vague notion of how our local government operated. Embarrassing, but true.

  "And whose pleasure was being served by having Benjamin Wolf there?" I asked with a smirk.

  Kip sat up suddenly, a look of disgust on his handsome face. It was like a dark cloud on a sunny day.

  "Gross, Jamie! You wouldn't say that if you knew him. The man is so obnoxious it's hard to even be in the same room. The commissioner brought him--but he didn't look happy about it, either."

  I refilled our drinks, minus the vodka this time, and sat down in the leather recliner facing Kip.

  "Now for the million dollar question," I said, "What was the meeting about?"

  "Definitely not the Ren-Fest…" he trailed off, staring into space. The silence grew. Mr. Paws nestled by Kip's feet and dozed off.

  "You don't seem comfortable talking about this," I said.

  "I'm not."

  "Alright then," I stood up and yawned. "I'm off to bed."

  "Wha-at?" Kip stammered.

  "You'll tell me when you're ready. I've had a rough day and I'm going to bed. You coming?"

  "Wait, don't go yet. I need to get this off my chest."

  He gave me a look that said 'please' so I sat back down, the recliner still warm from my last visit.

  "The commissioners meet next Friday," Kip began, "to vote on the Sapphire Sky project. Four of them plan to vote yes and four of them plan to vote no."

  "That's only eight."

  "Correct. The ninth one is on the fence. Commissioner Millicent St. Joseph said she will base her decision on my recommendation."

  "You get to decide if a skyscraper gets built? How does that work?"

  Kip looked pained. "I'm the Parks Director. I report on how the wetlands will be affected by the project and then I make a recommendation."

  "Isn't that a no-brainer?" I asked. "The wetlands win." Then something clicked in my brain. "They didn't call a meeting to find out what you'd say. They want you to change your mind."

  Kip nodded wordlessly.

  "Did they threaten you?" Now I was pissed off.

  "Not right away," he said. "First, they told me how much revenue the project would generate for the county. Then, Wolf promised to buy other wetland property to donate to the county if I cooperated. When that didn't work, he started yelling about suing for breach of contract while Dilly whined about how much a lawsuit would cost and how that money could be used for jobs and schools and protecting little children. Finally, Dilly said I'd better do it if I valued my job. Quincy was practically licking his lips at that part."

  "Well, do you?" I asked.

  "What?"

  "Value your job," I answered.

  "Not anymore," he said, shaking his head ruefully.

  "Then it's settled. You'll save the wetlands and then look for a new job."

  "You mean a new career, don't you?"

  "Ah, I see the problem…" I shifted to the sofa and laid my head on Kip's shoulder. "So, what are you going to do?"

  "I told them I'd think about it," he said. "They gave me until Wednesday."

  "I never realized how many decisions were made behind closed doors," I remarked, "And how the vote is just for show."

  "Your democracy at work," Kip said, with more than a little sarcasm.

  "It's your democracy, too, babe." I kissed him on the cheek. "Why don't we turn in? Like my mom used to say, everything looks better in the morning. And if you want, I can show you what else happens behind closed doors."

  Kip gave me a tired smile and we called it a night.

  Chapter 26

  It wasn't until the next morning as we were downing our double espressos that it occurred to me.

  "Hey Kip, you said Benjamin Wolf's son was at the meeting, what was he doing that whole time?"

  "Oh yeah, Daniel, I almost forgot he was there. He's so nondescript, he kind of fades into the woodwork. He looks like an accountant with his wire-rim glasses, but he's a weird dude. It was almost like he was studying us--like he was the scientist and we were the bugs. Even when his father was yelling and cursing, he showed no reaction, just sat there taking notes."

  "Can you blame him?" I asked as I peeled a banana and sliced it into a bowl. "With Benjamin Wolf as a father, he must hear screaming every day. Or maybe Daniel doesn't hear any of it, maybe he's deaf! Wouldn't that be a lucky break?"

  "You always manage to look at the bright side, don't you?" Kip laughed.

  "Are you laughing with me or at me?" I asked, holding a piece of buttered toast directly over his head.

  "Definitely with you," he said, ducking out of reach. "Did I say with? I meant to say at."

  I laughed. "I'm glad you're in a good mood, big improvement over last night."

  "Well, why the hell not?" Kip said. "I decided I'm taking the day off and if they don't like it, they can fire me. I don't care anymore."

  "That's the spirit!" I said. "Calling in sick, like a real government employee. What are you going to do, something fun?"

  "Yup. I'm going to the--" Kip was interrupted by a text coming in and he stopped to read it. He looked upset.

  "So much for that, I have to go in. Work emergency." He quickly finished his breakfast and stood up to leave.

  "But wait!" I said, nonplussed. "What's going on?"

  "Sorry, can't talk about it," He gave me a quick kiss and headed for the door

&nbs
p; "Who sent the text? At least tell me that."

  He turned around. "It was Jayashree."

  "Are you sure there isn't something going on between you two?" I blurted out, only half-joking.

  Kip turned around and pulled me into his arms. Then he kissed me, seriously kissed me, like people do at the airport when they don't want to let each other go.

  "Jamie," he said, before he walked out the door. "You've never been more wrong about anything in your life."

  And then he was gone.

  Chapter 27

  I was relieved, perplexed, and worried. I hadn't really believed Jayashree Patel was a rival, but she did make me feel insecure. Maybe it stemmed from my fear of abandonment, from believing for so long that my dad had ditched me. Nah, I just didn't like beautiful girls hanging around my boyfriend. End of story.

  I wished I knew what was going on with Kip. One minute, refusing to go to work, the next, racing to get there. If this was about the upcoming vote (which made sense, since Jayashree was liaison to the commissioners), then why all the secrecy? And who was I-C-U? Was it Benjamin Wolf? Commissioner Williams? Someone else? Kip said he didn't think it was Wolf and I didn't think it was Commissioner Williams (he seemed more like a toady than a blackmailer to me). It couldn't be Kip's boss because he didn't give a damn about anything. Whoever he was, I-C-U had to be furious with Kip for not 'backing off', so why hadn't we heard from him?

  In other news, Kip had told me the park vandal was still at it, pulling pranks and leaving snide messages. The guy may have been crazy, but he did make me laugh. And while I appreciated his humor, I also admired his sense of purpose. As Kip said, you always knew where you stood with him.

  I had a hearing at the main courthouse that morning and needed to get going. It wasn't complicated stuff and I'd already reviewed the file, but it was a hassle to schlep over there. Now that we had e-filing, I hoped our next step in the march towards technology was eliminating our physical presence altogether. I wanted to appear in court virtually. Think of the effect on global warming if attorneys and clients all over the country stopped driving to court every day. I thought I should work on that, maybe start a petition or form a committee…

  I was dashing out the door when Duke called. I fumbled with the phone while I tried to lock my front door and ended up dropping my purse, spilling the contents far and wide. I told Duke to hang on while I scooped everything up, cursing my klutziness. I finally got myself together and started the car.

  "Hey Duke, sorry about that," I said.

  "Sounds like you're having a rough morning, Darlin'."

  "You don't know the half of it," I said, and then proceeded to tell him about my dad's visa denial. I wished I could tell him about everything else.

  "Tough break, Jamie, sorry to hear it. Keep me posted, would ya?"

  "Thanks, Duke. What's going on with you?"

  I was merging onto I-95 and had to pay attention. Morning rush hour was survival of the fittest, like a cage match fought in separate cages.

  "Lots of stuff to tell you. I may have a lead on the park vandal. Seems there's a group of people Kip fired right after he became director. I think it's one of them."

  "Great! How did you find them?"

  "Through the wonder of social media. These folks started a Facebook group called 'I Hate Kip Simons' where they share their tales of woe."

  I laughed. "Isn't it amazing what people will put out there? They spill their guts to the world and then worry about the government spying on them."

  "They'd be better off buying a diary, that's for sure." Duke chuckled.

  "How will you figure out who it is?" I asked.

  "Oh, you know, a little surveillance, a little checking the GPS on their phones--"

  "Stop! Don't need to know how."

  "You did ask," Duke said, innocently.

  "Changed my mind. Any other news? Anything about Malcolm?" I was almost at the courthouse.

  Duke's mood went from playful to somber. "Yeah, I got to see the M.E.'s report."

  "You did? How?"

  "Medical examiner's a friend of mine. We go fishin' together."

  "What did he find?" I shuddered at the memory of discovering Malcolm's body.

  "Results were inconclusive, he died of heart failure. No wounds, no poison, his heart just stopped working."

  "Did he have a heart condition?" I was about to walk into the courthouse where I would have to turn off my phone.

  "Doesn't seem like he did." Duke answered.

  "I still think he was murdered," I said.

  "You got that right," Duke sounded angry. "And I'm gonna catch the bastard who did it."

  "I know you will," I said.

  After we said good-bye, I thought about the bastard who killed Malcolm and how the meaning of bastard had gotten so bastardized.

  ***

  On my drive home, I stopped at "Mocha Joe's." Good coffee and good cheer was just what I needed. I pulled up to the window expecting to see Joey's smiling face, but a woman in her mid-twenties poked her head out instead.

  "Mornin', Miss, what can I get for you?"

  "Um, an iced coffee, two sugars, skim milk, please."

  After she brought me my coffee, I asked, "Where's Joey today?"

  My question caused an immediate reaction in that her bottom lip started quivering with emotion.

  "He's in the hospital. He had a bad accident yesterday."

  "Oh my God! What happened? If you don't mind my asking…"

  She looked around as if someone could be listening, but there were no cars behind me; it was just the two of us.

  "He was playing softball at the park with all those hot shots," she said in a low voice, "And someone pitched a ball right into his face. It shattered his cheekbone! He had to have surgery and the doctor put a metal plate in in his face. He's a mess!" She started sobbing.

  Poor Joey! I didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry, are you his wife?"

  "No, I'm his sister, Trina."

  "Trina, I've been coming here for years and I think Joey is the greatest. Would you please give him my best? My name is Jamie."

  Her eyes grew big. "You're Jamie? I have a message for you. Wait here."

  She left the window and came back with a scrap of paper in her hand.

  "When they were wheeling Joey into surgery, he kept mumbling something, so I wrote it down. He said, 'Tell Jamie...river…grass…the boat, it's the boat!'"

  "What does it mean?" I asked. "Are you sure that message is for me?"

  "I don't know anything, but I figured since your name is Jamie…" She reached over and patted my hand, as if I were the one who needed comforting.

  "I'll give him your best wishes," she said.

  "Please do that," I wiped a tear from my eye and drove away.

  Chapter 28

  I was afraid I was losing my mind. Was it possible that Malcolm had died of natural causes, that Joey was the victim of a tragic accident, and that I-C-U was a figment of my imagination? If not, then there were evil forces at work. How had my life turned into a Marvel comic book? And when was the superhero going to make an appearance? Now would be a good time.

  I thought about Joey's message. What did it mean? Was he delirious? Was it even for me? I couldn't figure it out, so I stopped trying. I'd never imagined that I would find work relaxing, but spending the morning on other people's problems was just what I needed. At 11:30, I tried to reach Kip, but got his voicemail. I left a message telling him what I'd learned from Duke and asking him to call. I was really worried about him. In twenty-four hours, he had to make a decision: throw away his career or sell out. I knew which one he'd choose and it broke my heart.

  I answered my e-mails, including one from Ana Maria about having a garage sale. I told her I'd be there to help. There was no harm in her having a garage sale so long as she didn't quit her job any time soon. About the time I started thinking I needed a break, Grace called to invite me to lunch. I swear she's telepathic.

  We met a
t Pho Vi, the new Vietnamese restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard, which was a no-frills place with sparse décor, six tables and a counter. It wasn't busy when we arrived, so the waitress had time to go over the menu with us at great length. Our ignorance of Vietnamese cuisine didn't faze her a bit. In the end, Grace ordered vermicelli and I opted for tofu spring rolls with peanut sauce.

  "So, James, you seem a little out of it," Grace commented, as we waited for our food. "You okay?"

  "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think the news about my dad threw me for a loop and, on top of that, Kip is having a crisis I'm trying to help him with. It's a lot at once."

  Then our food arrived, steamy and aromatic. Naturally, we had to stop talking so we could appraise it, relish it, and give it a try. Everything was delicious and the lime soda instantly became my new favorite drink. Pho Vi was a vegetarian's delight. If I were a yelper I would yelp about it.

  I glanced over at Grace. Her long black hair was knotted in a loose bun in the back with a few stray hairs around her face. It was a new look for her, but I liked it. And while I'd always admired Grace's beautifully tailored suits, I couldn't understand how she could walk in those heels. My feet hurt just looking at them.

  "Well, the good news is--" she began.

  "Yes, please give me some good news, Gracie," I interrupted.

  She laughed. "Not too antsy, are you? I was about to tell you I spoke with my friend Greg at the State Department. He said he can find out why your dad's visa was denied and he's happy to do it."

  I sighed with relief. "That's excellent news, thank-you for doing that. When will he have an answer?"

  "He didn't think it would take long, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear from him. Okay?"

  "Okay. And as a thank-you, lunch is my treat," I said.

  Grace rolled her eyes. "Had I known that, we'd be eating at Café de Paris, sipping champagne and eating escargot."

  I made a face. "Ick, you know I don't eat snails, woman."

  "I know," she said, "That means more for me."

  I was signing the credit card slip when I saw Grace waving at someone behind me.