Vacation

by S. J. Lewis

  Claudia nodded and took a sip. The coffee was hot, strong and very good this morning.

  “Okay,” she said. “We’ll wait.”

  Waiting was one thing Claudia hated to do. More exactly, she hated waiting for somebody else to get something done before she could start doing something herself. She felt like a sprinter, waiting for the signal gun to start the race…and waiting…and waiting. There was no help for it. Jerry was perfectly capable, and he knew his job. He’d call in once he had something definite to tell her.

  Rather than just sit at her desk, she decided to check her e-mail. She hadn’t done it for the past few days. Just like the snail mail, if you didn’t clean out the box once in a while the junk mail would overwhelm it. At least the old, slow computer would kill plenty of time for her.

  Junk mail…junk mail…she kept hitting the “delete” button, and every time got asked if she really, really meant to do that. Some of it was easy to spot as unwanted, and she methodically sent each and every one to wherever deleted e-mails went to. She had a mental picture of an electronic landfill somewhere, rapidly filling up. Others were less easily identifiable. Every so often she’d open one up just to make sure and find yet another ad for a porn site nine times out of ten. Just how much business did they think they’d get by misleading and annoying people?

  There was one message from Dianne. She’d open that one at home tonight. More ads, several unbelievable offers for low, low mortgage rates (which might be useful if she actually owned a house, she snickered) and then an announcement that she had an e-card. That was probably from Dianne too, but she was getting close to the last of the e-mails. On impulse, she opened the card.

  The screen flickered and changed and began to load…very, very slowly. Even for this clunky old machine, it was agonizingly slow. Claudia waited until she could see the tops of some flowers and then got up to get herself some more coffee. She had just raised the mug to her lips when she turned to look at the screen again. It looked like a bouquet of roses now, the stems just beginning to show. If there was any message with it, it had to be down near the bottom. She took a sip of coffee, looked around the office once, and then back at the screen.

  She almost dropped her mug, almost sprayed a mouthful of coffee all over the old computer. The picture was still loading, and the stems were showing now…and they were bundled together not with a ribbon or in a vase, but with a pair of handcuffs! She hit the “Back” button hastily and then logged out. She looked over towards Marabel, who was still patiently sorting through the day’s mail, her back towards the old computer. Claudia heaved a silent sigh of relief. Marabel hadn’t seen it.

  She turned the old computer off and walked back to her desk. There was no doubt who’d sent that particular e-card. She made a mental note to herself not to open ANY more e-mails here in the office. Not for a good, long while, anyway.

  ***

  “Miss Cole?”

  Claudia looked up from the notes she was scribbling onto a legal pad.

  “Yes? What is it Marabel?”

  “Two things. First, here’s today’s mail.” She laid a small stack of envelopes down on Claudia’s desk.

  “Thanks. What’s the second thing?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about my vacation.”

  “Oh!” Claudia leaned back in her chair. “That’s right! I owe you one, don’t I?”

  Marabel smiled. “Yes, you do. Miss Cole, this time last year was pretty slow, and things look like they’ll be slow again this year.”

  “I understand, Marabel. Please, sit,” Claudia said, indicating the chair alongside her desk.

  “Thanks, Miss Cole.” No matter how she tried, Claudia had never been able to get Marabel to call her anything but ‘Miss Cole’. Marabel seemed to have certain fixed ideas about some things.

  “You have two weeks coming to you, Marabel. Do you want to take them both?”

  “Well, yes.” Marabel looked a bit uncomfortable. “There’s some…family matters…”

  “You don’t have to explain, Marabel. Those are your weeks, and you’ve earned them.”

  “Thank you, Miss Cole,” Marabel smiled. “I’ve already contacted some temp agencies. I think one of them could get you a good replacement for me while I’m away.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone replacing you, Marabel. Even temporarily.” Claudia smiled. “We’ll struggle along until you come back. When were you thinking of leaving?”

  “Oh, not right away, Miss Cole. Not until after you have this Bowman matter settled.”

  “Well,” Claudia replied, “I do appreciate that, but it may not take that much longer. You said it’s a family matter? Is it urgent?”

  “Not just yet…” Marabel began.

  “I don’t need any details,” Claudia interrupted mildly. “If you say so, that’s good enough for me. Do you need to leave soon?”

  Marabel looked relieved. “Yes, ma’am,” she nodded. “I do.”

  “Next week, maybe?”

  “That would be good, but…”

  “But? Marabel, you’re a jewel in the office, and it won’t be the same without you, but if you need to take your vacation, you do it.”

  “Thank you, Miss Cole.” Marabel’s smile was almost beatific.

  “Just one thing before you go.”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Make sure we get a good temp, would you? You handle the interviews, and just send the one you pick to see me.”

  ***

  Jerry called in before lunchtime, and Marabel put him through to Claudia.

  “Tell me what you’ve got, Jer,” Claudia said, skipping ‘hello’ entirely.

  “You were right, Chief,” Jerry sounded jubilant. “The claim on the Barker Steel fire went to the same insurance company that’s handling Bowman. The guy who handled the Barker claim was our friend, Mr. Shepperton.”

  “Good work, Jer!”

  “Thanks, Chief. Uh…just one thing…”

  “What’s that?”

  “I owe a very nice lady a very nice dinner for this information.”

  Claudia laughed out loud. “Put it on the company credit card,” she said. “I’ll approve it.”

  “I thought you would. You want me back at the office now?”

  “Yes, but first, can you get in touch with your friend at Bowman and find out when the next batch of gizmos will be ready to go? We need to have some idea when the next theft is likely.”

  Jerry laughed, “I think I’ll end up owing two dinners then, Chief.”

  “I’ll approve that one too. Just get the information.”

  “I will. See you soon, Chief.”

  “Good news?” Marabel asked as Claudia hung up the phone.

  “VERY good news!” Claudia beamed. “We have a connection between Bowman and Shepperton, at least…sort of.”

  “How does that help?”

  “It gives us a place to start. A lot depends on whether or not Shepperton found out about the steam tunnels when he was handling the other claim.” Claudia stood up, worked a little kink out of her back, and smiled. “I’m pretty sure he knows about them, and it doesn’t really matter how he found out, but at least we’ve got something to work on now.”

  ***

  Claudia wanted to wait for Jerry to get back, so Marabel went out on the lunch run when he hadn’t arrived by noon. Marabel had only been gone for a few minutes when Jerry came into the office, whistling some happy little tune.

  “Hey, Chief,” he greeted Claudia. “Think we’re on a roll now?”

  “I sure hope so,” Claudia replied. “I sent Marabel out for lunch. Fast food burgers

  okay for you?”

  “Sure, sure,” Jerry nodded. It never seemed to matter to him what was for lunch, just so there was a lunch.

  “What’s the word from Bowman?”

  “Another batch of gizmos is supposed to be ready to ship day after tomorrow. They’ve been putting in some serious overtime to get it done. Word is, if they can’t me
et the shipment deadline the customer will cancel the contract.”

  “That doesn’t give us much time.”

  “I know, but you don’t really want to wait around on this, do you?”

  Claudia’s grin matched Jerry’s. “No, I don’t,” she chuckled. “This thing has been a royal pain for way too long.”

  “It gets better,” Jerry went on, “I got a little more information.”

  “Oh? What?”

  “Just a little office gossip. Seems this Shepperton guy was hot stuff at the insurance company a couple of years ago. Supposedly he was on the fast track to a big executive position, and then something happened. Nobody seems to know what for sure. It wasn’t bad enough to get him fired, but it was enough to kill his career chances in the insurance industry. He’s been stuck where he is, pretty much, ever since.”

  “Interesting,” Claudia mused. “Think he’s the type to try to get revenge somehow?”

  “Well, most of the staff where he works seem to think he’s an arrogant little prick. He’s known for really unloading on any clerk or secretary who makes the least little mistake.”

  “I’m thinking about whether or not he’d connive with somebody to defraud his own company.”

  Jerry said, “I think he would. He just sounds like the type, but I’d think it would be mostly small stuff that couldn’t get traced directly back to him.”

  “Maybe he got a little greedy,” Claudia shrugged, “or, if he’s been doing this for a while without being caught, he might start thinking he could get away with a little more. Either way, it would answer a question that’s been bothering me for a while.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Why we got hired, why it was supposed to be so important that we solve this, and why nobody seemed to be cooperating with us much in spite of it being so important.”

  Claudia shook her head. “I think we were hired just for cover. We weren’t supposed to figure out anything, just provide cover for Shepperton and any accomplices while they kept on stealing. We were being used. That,” Claudia’s grin was feral as she considered this aspect, “annoys me.”

  Jerry chuckled, “So, what are we gonna do about it, Chief?”

  “First things first. I think we have enough to interest the police now. Let’s give Detective Sanchez a call.”

  ***

  “This had better pan out,” Sara Sanchez gritted as they waited in the cover of one of the “rocks-and-trees-sculptures” that Bob Johansen disliked so. They might make his job harder, but, scattered as they were throughout the industrial park, they provided good concealment. The park had street lights, but none of them were very bright, and Detective Sanchez had posted her men carefully. She was a small woman, barely tall enough to qualify for the force in the first place, but she was smart and tough and very, very competent. “I put my ass on the line for you, you know.”

  “I know,” Claudia replied in a whisper, “and I appreciate it, but you did the same thing for me before and it paid off for you.”

  “Yeah,” Sanchez chuckled. “You know your stuff. Ever think of rejoining the force? I’d like to see another woman detective in the department.”

  “Been there,” Claudia spread her hands as if to finish the cliché.

  “Yeah. You know, you shouldn’t even be here right now. This is a police matter now.”

  “Too late for you to chase me away now,” Claudia grinned in the shadows. “Might spook the bad guys away. But hey, thanks for letting me stay to watch.”

  “Hmpf. You did most of the gruntwork. Just remember you’re here unofficially, and stay the Hell out of the way of us real cops.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Claudia gave Sanchez a mock salute, and the two fell silent again, watching. This kind of waiting Claudia didn’t mind at all. It was all eager anticipation now. Bowman had worked halfway into a second shift to finish the order, too late to ship it today. But Jerry’s contact had let them know that a truck would be arriving first thing in the morning, so if the shipment was going to get stolen at all it would have to be stolen tonight. The bad guys were coming, she was certain. They’d also be walking into a trap, and she wanted to see THAT especially. Whoever they were, besides Shepperton, they’d tried to use HER agency to make it look as if they were trying to stop the thefts. Worse yet, they’d apparently thought she’d never figure it out. Payback’s a bitch, guys, she thought: And so am I!

  Hiding in the cover, waiting for their prey to arrive, took her back to the stakeouts of her own police days. It took her even further back than that, to the brisk Fall days when her father and her uncle would take her hunting when she was finally old enough to share the experience with them. It might not have been a “typical” activity for a teenaged girl, but she had loved it, even on the days when they had to return empty-handed. The year she was finally old enough to have her own gun and her own hunting license had been an extra thrill. She had bagged her first pheasant that year. The next year, she had brought down her first deer, a six-point buck, with one clean, killing shot.

  ***

  Time passed. The half moon overhead slowly moved higher. The only movements Claudia made were small shifts of position now and then. Sanchez didn’t move at all, but her eyes constantly raked the ground, watching for anything.

  “What?” she suddenly hissed, putting one hand to her ear. She listened for a moment to her headset.

  “Good. Stay put. Keep watching.”

  She turned to Claudia with a grin visible even in the gloom. “Movement,” she said. “Somebody just snuck into the old steam plant.”

  Claudia nodded. She felt her heart give a tiny lurch and then start beating a little faster. She’d been ninety-nine per cent certain she was right, but there was always that annoying one-percent doubt. It was gone now.

  “Yeah,” Sanchez whispered into the microphone inches in front of her lips. “Good. Where’d they come from?” She listened intently. “Okay. Have the black and white come up that way and look for anything parked there that don’t belong there. Out.”

  “Gettin’ even better, Cole,” she said. “Two more went in. I think we got something here.”

  More time passed before Sanchez got another message. It was a long one, and she listened intently. “Yeah.” She nodded vigorously at last. “Good. Good. Yeah, just like we planned. Right. Out.”

  “Way to go, Cole,” She sat up, shaking her head happily. “Three guys in the tunnels now, and the black and white just found a van parked where it shouldn’t be. The plates match it to one Harry Fields, currently out on probation for burglary and assault. I know the guy, and I’m looking forward to chucking him and his buddies back in the can for a good, long time.”

  “So now what?” Claudia asked.

  “We have four patrolmen going down the tunnels after them so they can’t go back that way. Gotta be careful yet. We want to catch them coming back with their hands full.”

  “That still leaves two ways they could try to escape,” Claudia pointed out.

  “They won’t get far without their van,” Sanchez chuckled nastily. “If they try to get out through the building we’ve got a couple of units waiting, and if they try to get out through…what did he call them? Oh, yeah, the toadstools! If they try to get out that way, well, thanks to your friend we know where they can try to do that, and we have all of them covered. High five, Cole!” she said, holding up her hand.

  Grinning, Claudia obligingly smacked her palm against Sanchez's. Bob Johansen had been mildly surprised to be called in to the police station about a fictional traffic ticket, but once there and filled in he had happily cooperated, telling Sanchez’s team everything he knew about the steam tunnels. Claudia had wanted to thank him after the interrogation, but she hadn’t had the chance. Sanchez had kept her away, reminding her just how unofficial her presence was. All the same, she’d managed to catch his eye before he was escorted out, and mouth the words “Thank you!” to him. He’d smiled back, nodded once, and winked at her just before he went ou
t the door. She was going to look him up after this was over and thank him more personally. She also wanted to tell him what it had all been about. He really deserved to know.

  ***

  “Aaaaahhhhh…” Sanchez stood up and stretched but remained in the cover. “All over but the actual bust now. I gotta tell you, Cole…you’re pretty good.”

  “I got a little lucky,” Claudia demurred modestly.

  “You kept on plugging away until you got lucky,” Sanchez commented. “Not everybody does that.”

  “Well, yeah, I guess I did.”

  “You wanna stay for the end? Unofficially, of course.”

  “Of course,” Claudia nodded.

  “I don’t think Shepperton’s one of the three down there,” Sanchez went on, “but old Harry’ll be looking at a long, long time behind bars and he’ll probably be only too happy to bargain for a little less time. The DA oughta love this case.”

  “It’ll look good on your resume too,” Claudia pointed out.

  Sanchez laughed quietly. “Yeah. It sure will. I’m not sure I like owing you one…well, two now, Cole.”

  “What?” Claudia protested. “I’m just a civic-minded person doing my duty.”

  “Oh, yeah. And knowing you’re going to help nail the guy who tried to play you for a fool doesn’t give you a nice warm glow inside?”

  Before Claudia could answer, Sanchez clapped a hand to her ear again. “Yeah. What?” She listened for a moment. “Gotcha. Out.” She fiddled with the headphone unit on her belt for a moment and then began speaking. “Surface units,” she said. “Surface units. They’re trying to bug out. Cover the toadstools! Cover the toadstools! Now! Now! Out!” She drew her automatic. “Gotta run, Cole,” she said. “You stay here and I’ll come get you later.”