The Three Monkeys, a Carter A. Johnson & Kate Menke Thriller

by Robert Schobernd

  Deline stood before them, resplendent in an ankle-length silk skirt with bold floral prints over a black background. A solid mauve, short sleeved, silk blouse coordinated with the skirt’s colorful flowers. Around her neck wound a silk scarf that picked up two of the skirt’s colors. Three-inch black heels finished off the outfit. Kate felt seriously underdressed in trainers, Levi’s and a short-sleeved cotton blouse she planned to work in at the office construction site.

  After hasty introductions, Carter said, "It's too noisy and busy to talk here with the construction work going on. I reserved a room at a restaurant two blocks away where we can have privacy for the interview and then order lunch. We'll take Kate's SUV; it's parked out back."

  He glanced at the dog-eared application in his hand as they walked to the rear exit. Having read it numerous times, he was fully aware of the contents and still questioned the applicant's motives. Being investigators, they’d learned Deline Angelina Durand Esq. was thirty-four, five feet ten, brunette with hazel eyes. The form didn't disclose that she was alluring, slender, shapely, deeply tanned, had distinctive cheekbones and floated like a gazelle crossing the Serengeti Plains. He couldn't imagine why such a high-class, successful lady would want to work as a secretary in a two-person detective agency. Was she hiding an ulterior motive?

  The rotund restaurant manager seated the trio in a small, private meeting room and had coffee and ice water brought in. Three of the papered walls displayed what Carter assumed were copies of old oil paintings.

  They sipped hot coffee and made small talk before Deline spoke. "If you do not object, I request to deviate from the usual interview format where the two of you ask relevant questions based on the somewhat standard application form."

  Kate and Carter made eye contact, shrugged, and nodded their consent. Nothing about this applicant fit Kate's perception of what she expected in a clerk-secretary, so the interview might as well be unorthodox, too. She was uneasy but curious as to the woman's motive to engage in a subservient position when she was clearly an accomplished professional with superb credentials.

  "My father was a surgeon in France and my mother a professor in the studies of Arabic Language and Culture. He is a French national; my mother is mixed Asian. Both are retired and healthy. I came to the United States from my home outside Paris at seventeen years of age. At that time, I married my first husband and we lived in Boston. We met in France, through friends of my parents, while he vacationed." Deline paused then confided her embarrassment. "I was too wild and immature to be married at that age, especially to a set-in-his-ways older man. Soon after we married, I enrolled in law school at Harvard. A divorce after four years was our mutual decision."

  She straightened the papers in front of her. "I continued my studies after the divorce. Six months after our failed union, I married my second husband, Jared; we divorced three years later." Her grin was muted. but discernable. "I must be difficult for older men to live with." Again, the impish grin. "I received my law degree from Harvard University School of Law after six years of studies. Upon passing the New York State Bar Exam, I joined the small but prestigious firm of Hilliard, Jacoby and Eichmann. I do not have children and I reverted to my maiden name after each disunion. After four years at H, J and E, I advanced to full partner; two years later I retired from the practice of law of my own choosing.

  "Currently I reside on the shore at Lake of the Ozarks where I write romance novels; my books top the best sellers list at Amazon and several other retailers under my pen name, Angelina Chevalier. But churning out sexy cookie cutter novels has become boring. I rejected the daily grind of litigation, but I need something with depth and purpose to fill my time. I do not require a large salary; I am independently wealthy with large divorce settlements from two older and highly successful, mega rich, ex-husbands as well as my own past and present substantial earnings."

  Deline looked to Kate then to Carter. "I apologize in advance if the following details make you uncomfortable. I did my own research to dissect the new employers I have chosen." Again, the barely contained impish grin forced its way to the forefront of her features. Kate frowned at the statement indicating she and Carter had been selected without their input or approval. She found the cheekiness of this woman appalling.

  Carter too was taken aback to learn they had been chosen as if they had nothing to say in the matter. He felt as if they were on an auction block. The detectives turned to each other. Carter cocked his head to the side as he wondered what was coming next. He gave a little smirk then nodded for Deline to continue.

  A waitress knocked then entered with a fresh pot of coffee. Deline deferred to her presence until they were again left in solitude and she could continue.

  Deline studied her notes as she cleared her throat, sipped her coffee, then looked up. "Carter A. Johnson, after six years in the Marine Corps, you joined the Los Angeles Police Department. As a homicide detective, you were falsely accused of nefarious actions shortly before you left the department. At your trial, a high-dollar defense attorney, whom, by the way, you could not possibly have afforded at the time, suddenly took your case and personally guided your defense to prove your innocence." She stared pointedly at Carter with a quizzical expression. "I know what defense attorneys of that man's stature charge, and I am still curious as to how and by whom that was arranged. At that time, you basically lived hand-to-mouth, without enough savings to buy a new car outright."

  Deline smirked dryly and stared at him for several seconds. "I also find it interesting that five officers who conspired to frame you died in a shootout with drug smugglers a month after you left the LA police force. Coincidence or assassination? I choose to think the latter." She smiled knowingly as if unstated facts suddenly migrated to become hard evidence. "You then dropped out of sight for the next three years. No mention of you anywhere online, except for an automobile purchase with minimal financing. During that time, you accumulated a large sum of money in an offshore account."

  Carter shifted uncomfortably in his chair, laid his palm on Kate's thigh and squeezed it softly. He wondered how the hell she figured that out and hoped no one else had. He pondered whether to stop the “interview” where they were.

  Deline shifted her focus to Kate. "About a year after Carter disappeared," she nodded toward Carter, "Katherine M. Menke was convicted of murdering her husband, Gerhart Menke. You were sentenced to spend the remainder of your life at the Kansas State Prison for Women at Topeka for the heinous, premeditated act. Within months of your prison arrival, you were attacked by another inmate who reportedly was one of the toughest prisoners confined there. You almost killed the woman who assaulted you. As punishment, the remainder of your short incarceration was spent in solitary confinement. Several supervisors, including the warden, were immensely surprised by your sudden uncharacteristically aggressive action. It appeared you went from passive to aggressive virtually overnight."

  Deline straightened, placed the report back in her folder and again focused her full attention on Carter. "An unnamed benefactor took up Kate's cause to intercede on her behalf. His physical description closely matches that of Mr. Carter Johnson, but he went by the name James Walkington. Strangely, no electronic files of credit cards, driver's license, handgun permit to carry, motel records or car rentals could be located after he disappeared. People remembered the name and the man, but all electronic records of his presence had been purged from multiple systems, both private and government. Poof! Disappeared, gone in a flash. That indicates an organization with substantial depth and expertise behind the disappearing man. Before Mr. Walkington vanished, several persons associated with the case were said to have been physically assaulted by him, but all refused to press charges or provide a useful, detailed physical description. Before he left, three of the four people who conspired to frame Mrs. Menke for murder were themselves found dead."

  Both detectives sat in silence, flabbergasted by the uncanny truths Deline had put forth. Kate started to speak then decide
d to wait and learn what other revelations lay in store for them and find out what the lady’s end game might be. Could she be a blackmailer?

  Deline switched her attention back to Kate. "Kate, I paid dearly for a purloined copy of the warden's final report written at the time of your release." She extracted a thin sheaf of papers from the folder. "I’ll summarize her report. Colleen O'Brien stated she had never before observed a prisoner's attitude and demeanor harden so quickly and drastically. When Katherine Menke arrived at Topeka, she reportedly was shy and introverted. Her initial evaluations indicated the observers predicted she would be taken advantage of by the rougher prisoners. O'Brien felt she could have been wrong about her initial impression of you being non-violent. She wrote, 'I believe the Katherine Menke being released now could be capable of murder if she felt the act was justified. Were this a parole hearing recommendation, I could not in good faith agree to a reduced sentence. But since Ms. Menke's conviction has been set aside due to new evidence, she will shortly be released from the State's custody. In my professional opinion, she will eventually return.'

  "As I suspect both of you are aware, the fourth conspirator, Sally Jennings, was brutally murdered December 2nd following Kate's release; that is the same date Kate's husband, Gerhart Menke was killed. Someone, the authorities firmly believe it was a woman, beat Sally Jennings senseless before a pistol was held to her left eye and blew her brains out the back of her head."

  Carter and Kate attempted to speak at the same time, but Deline cut them off. "Please, let me finish. There is a valid reason for my method. Please humor me a little while longer." Deline began to appear uncomfortable. She wondered if she had been too thorough for her own good.

  Both detectives stammered in protest but finally complied with Deline's unorthodox request. "Since that time, Kate has disappeared routinely for three to six weeks at a time. Now both of you are suddenly out in the open, visible, and legitimate for all to see. That made me curious as to where you had been and what transpired during that period. I believe I know where the two of you have been hiding. Hiding in plain sight as the saying goes." She smirked and again motioned with her palm for them to hold their comments. "I told several high-level management acquaintances at the FBI that I needed a new exciting, mystery, suspense, thriller plot for a future series of crime/romance books I plan to write. Several suggested stories focusing on terrorist attacks, international thefts or updated old Mafia tales. However, one senior manager said a situation arose a short time ago that might be adaptable to my need. Five months ago, give or take a number of weeks, a person claimed he and his father were part of a secret vigilante organization in the US that invoked double jeopardy on criminals who evaded the criminal justice system. The informant claimed the secret group had three field people, two males and one female, who investigated the accused and doled out fitting punishment."

  She looked at Carter and Kate for long seconds before continuing. "I assume the group disbanded putting the three vigilantes out of a job. They have since likely looked for employment in the investigative field. The FBI recently placed their investigation of the accusations on hold because no credible evidence exists to substantiate the claims. On hold, not a closed status."

  The detectives’ facial colors had turned pale, but they slowly recovered their composure. Kate leaned across the table. "And what do you intend to do with these revelations you purport to be incriminating?"

  Deline was serious and somewhat apologetic as she said, "Nothing. I simply wanted to demonstrate my abilities. I pray I have not stepped over the line in doing so. I bring skill sets far above those of any highly-qualified clerk/secretary/receptionist/office manager you could conceivably employ. This position appeals to me because I sense the two of you will always be close to excitement and danger. I want to be part of that. My judicial background will ensure we keep your cases prosecutable while my experience and tenacity will guarantee we search in the right places for evidence to support closure. As you may have guessed by now, I am an accomplished hacker of information systems. A close friend at Harvard put me in touch with one of the most successful and prolific hackers in the world. I am not at her level, but I am very good. Extremely good in fact.

  "If you are still not convinced, I propose to work the first three months without pay to demonstrate my worth to your business. If either of you—"

  There was a knock on the door. Carter called, "Come in." The restaurant manager entered and stood smiling at the end of the table. "Would you folks care to order lunch now?"

  Kate nodded. "Yes, but please give us at least five minutes."

  He nodded before stepping toward the doorway. "Your waitress will be in shortly."

  Carter focused on Deline. "You were saying?"

  She hesitated several seconds while she regrouped. "My aim was to impress upon you how much I want this position. After learning your backgrounds, some of which I admittedly reached mostly through speculation, I wish to be associated with the two of you in your new business. I swear to you on the soul of my mother the information I gathered on your histories will be destroyed whether I am hired or not."

  Kate's expression was unreadable. "Will you please step out for a few moments while Carter and I discuss this? We were ill-prepared for your presentation and need time to digest it."

  Wearing a sly grin, Deline excused herself to find the ladies restroom.

  Kate's mind spun like a windmill in a hurricane. All she originally wanted was a low-profile office manager, someone to manage the caseloads, record keeping, invoices, timesheets, payments and such. Somehow, they managed to attract either Wonder Woman or the employee from hell. If the attributes she claimed were true, she might be an amazing new hire. If not, she could bring or create any number of problems.

  The detectives huddled and rehashed the one-sided interview in hushed terms.

  Kate remarked, "I'm totally amazed. We didn't conduct an interview; Ms. Durand exposed us, and we didn't get to say a word."

  Carter raised his upper eyelids and cocked his head toward her. "You have to admit she'd be a hell of an asset. The way she checked us out and the conclusions she drew were right on. Scary, but spot on. She has good instincts and great contacts that would benefit us."

  "On the one hand," Kate said, "I'm leery of having her nosing around in our affairs. But she has already been through our dirtiest laundry and knows everything about us. I suppose we have nothing to lose by hiring her. At least we will be able to scrutinize her activities closely."

  Carter nodded. "I agree. However, she's worth far more than we anticipated paying. Let's offer to start her monthly salary at twenty percent above the high range we set for a normally qualified employee in the position we thought we wanted to fill."

  Their waitress entered pushing a metal cart with menus and china. She set their table and then took their drink orders. Kate poked Carter to garner his attention and mouthed the words, fifty percent. Carter smiled and nodded. Before the server left, Deline returned and placed her order.

  When the three of them were alone, the good news was given and Deline was ecstatic.

  "Thank you so much! You cannot appreciate how much I look forward to working with you. I felt your doubt and anxiety from the start when we spoke on the phone. That was when I decided to go all out with my presentation. I want to be a key player at J&M Investigations and plan to contribute more than one hundred percent."

  The server returned with their drinks and salads.

  Carter made a toast as his glass clinked against the ladies' wine glasses. "Here's to a long and rewarding relationship with our new and only employee."

  Kate set her glass in front of her. "Can you start two weeks from next Monday? The project manager assures me the office section will be completed before that time. The majority of the heavy construction should be finished upstairs and we will simply have to ignore the other noises and comings and goings involved in finishing our personal quarters. If that is agreeable, I have your first assig
nment." Deline nodded. "We have passed the licensing requirements to become investigators in Missouri and its eight border states. We also have applications in for concealed carry permits in the surrounding states that require them. I will want you to follow up and learn the status on those. Then there will be adequate time for you to set up filing systems for the computers and paper files."

  Deline agreed, "Will do. Since concealed carry permits are not now required in Missouri, I too will apply directly to those neighboring states. My weapon is a Smith and Wesson MP 9mm. I am an excellent marksman and have a lifetime membership with the NRA."

  Kate noted, "Deline is a name I am not familiar with."

  "I am named after my great-grandmother. Deline is the short form of the French name Adeline, meaning noble."

  "It is very beautiful." Kate said.

  Only one client was deemed acceptable to the fledgling firm in the first month they were open. They refused to investigate low-profile or cheating spouse and divorce cases. One evening after supper, Kate stood in front of Carter's recliner to talk, "The advertisement in the Post-Dispatch will need to be revised next month. It sounds too bland when I read it aloud. I contacted an advertising firm for their input and will meet with them next week. Hopefully the results of their expertise will outweigh the cost."

  Carter replied, "In addition to print advertising, have you considered some short TV and radio spots?"