by Mike Faricy
I just nodded and wondered where this was going.
“Obviously, having been there at the beginning I’m entirely aware of what Royal’s business is all about, after all I helped set it up. As to the religious aspect, Royal likes to mention that, thinking it sort of keeps me out of the way. I’m no more religious than the next person. I suppose he told you we have separate bedrooms?”
“No, he didn’t mention anything like that.”
“Interesting, usually he does. We don’t, by the way. We still share the same bed, at least on the nights he’s home.”
“What is it you would like me to investigate?”
“Do we need to sign some sort of contract to swear you to secrecy?”
“No, not unless that would make you feel more comfortable.”
“No, that won’t be necessary, if I’m wrong about you I doubt a piece of paper would matter anyway. I have the sense I can trust you, Dev, I hope I’m not disappointed.”
“You can trust me.”
“I intend to file for a divorce. Before I do that, I’d like documented proof that Royal is having an affair or perhaps even multiple affairs. I’m fairly certain he’s been involved with Ashley for quite sometime, I suspect others as well.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Mmm-mmm, everything and nothing. The phone calls taken into the next room, the late night showers when he comes home or the perfume I smell if he doesn’t shower. I think you’ll find his meetings with Ashley are usually at some hotel and they’re not sharing a table in the dining room.”
“And you said you helped establish his business?”
“I think what I said was I helped set it up. I’m familiar with the nature of his ‘clients’ business affairs and the, shall we say, security services he provides. Let’s face it, Dev, the advent of personal technology and individuals like Royal have brought the world’s oldest profession to the brink of legitimacy.”
“And you want what, exactly? Receipts, times, dates, room numbers?”
“I want confirmation that will stand up in court. I was wondering if pictures wouldn’t help.”
I nodded then said, “Do you have any sort of idea when these private get-togethers might be happening?”
“You mean like all those incessant board meetings that seem to go on until eleven or twelve o’clock? Please, spare me. Yes, he has me pegged as so naïve that he calls ahead. More than once he’s actually phoned from a hotel. I followed him once with the intent of confronting the two of them, but that Ashley woman had some dreadful character with her and he threatened me.”
“How did he even know who you were?”
“Actually, I approached him. I saw him arrive with Ashley, I guess he’s her pimp or something. That criminal sat drinking in the bar, waiting for her little tryst with Royal to be completed. I simply walked up to him and demanded to know what room she was in, I never actually mentioned Royal.”
“And?”
“And he threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave, then he showed me a gun. I panicked and ran out to my car.”
“Was this guy about my height, dark hair, not too bright, obnoxious attitude?”
“I’d say that sums him up.”
“I know who you mean, his name is Tony. We’ve crossed paths a few times, in fact he’s one of the reasons I’m not working for Royal any more. I’m not sure of the relationship he has with Ashley, husband, brother, maybe boyfriend, but he fancies himself a lot smarter than he actually is.”
“He behaved like an absolute criminal, imagine. I had no doubt he would have murdered me given half a chance.”
“Did he know who you were?”
“Other than a dejected spouse, no. He didn’t seem to put Royal and me together. Royal never mentioned the incident so I have no reason to believe that Tony person even mentioned it to him.”
I nodded. “Putting you and Royal together would require at least two consecutive thoughts and I don’t believe thinking has ever been Tony’s strong suit.”
“So you’ll do it, get me the sort of proof that will stand up in court?”
“I can try. What I’d like from you would be some sort of heads-up call when you get word Royal will be home late. I can try and take it from there.”
“I can do that, but I won’t know where they’re meeting.”
“Let me worry about that. What kind of car does Royal drive?”
“A dark blue one, it’s a Mercedes, he’s very proud of it.”
“Do you know the model?”
“Oh, I should, I mean I see it every day, but I never pay attention to that sort of thing. I can tell you the license.”
“You can?”
She nodded and smiled, “It’s one of those personalized plates, it says Royal, R-O-Y-A-L,” she said, spelling it out
“Did Royal ever mention anything to you about images placed on Ashley’s site?”
“So that was Ashley? Oh, interesting, I thought as much. He mentioned something briefly, but never divulged any names. I didn’t think much of it, he has clients from all over the world, so I just never put it together that she was actually the individual involved.”
“You’ll let me know the next time you receive one of his ‘working late’ calls.”
“I definitely will, it’s been happening on an almost weekly basis lately and once in a while twice a week. You should be hearing from me in the next few days. He usually calls to alert me in the late afternoon, between four and five.”
“I’m sorry you’re going through this, Gemma, let’s see if we can’t bring it to a conclusion for you.”
“I’d like that,” she said then we exchanged thank you’s and went our separate ways.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I was sipping coffee at my desk the following morning while I looked out the window waiting for the mailman. I’d been expecting a check for the past week, but despite promises from the client I hadn’t seen anything. Andy’s call interrupted my worrying.
“Dev, did you check out craigslist this morning?”
“You beat me to it. I was just about to do that. Did you find something?” I said and reached over to turn on my computer.
“It’s our black walnut special order. There’s a photo of the thing posted online as big as day.”
“You’re sure?”
“No doubt about it, the family crest is carved on the lid, and there’s a brass plaque just below the carving where the name was to be engraved.”
“Does the ad have contact information?”
“Yes, but its one of those anonymous email addresses, you now a bunch of numbers plus a symbol and then, at Gmail dot com.”
“Give it to me,” I said. I wrote the email address down and then repeated it to Andy.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Here’s what I suggest, I’ll contact them, offer to purchase. I’ve got a handful of nondescript email addresses like the one you just gave me. Depending on where they’re located we’ll get the local authorities involved. Anything on the other two coffins?”
“Milo, anything on those other two?” Andy was probably standing in the doorway of Milo’s office while Milo searched. “No, nothing so far.”
“I might hold off for a bit, just in case the other two show up, then we could possibly go after all three. What’s the latest on Tommy Flaherty, is he okay?”
“No, heard from him again yesterday, he’s still struggling with that flu bug.”
Yeah, he’s probably trying to get the red dye off his skin and failing miserably, after my episode with his sisters I could only hope.
“Let’s touch base in an hour, Andy.” I said and hung up.
The craigslist image of Andy’s coffin looked like the thing was lying in someone’s living room. It had been photographed on a carpet with some sort of dark couch and a flat screen TV in the background. There was a beer can resting on an end table alongside the couch. The room looked like any other living room in probably millions of homes
across the country.
The ad itself was extremely brief and purposely vague. ‘All wood coffin. Dark wood, hand carved, best offer, must sell.’
I liked the “must sell” part, like whoever it was couldn’t keep up with the payments or maybe they wanted a coffee table in their living room instead of a coffin. I didn’t come across anything resembling the other two missing coffins so I called Andy back about fifty minutes later.
“Andy, Dev.”
“Milo couldn’t find anything resembling the other two coffins,” Andy said.
“I didn’t see anything either. I’ve got that ad on your hand-carved piece up in front of me now. The ad reads like they don’t have the slightest idea what the value is of this thing.”
“Yeah, I’d say they’re out to lunch. They don’t even mention that it’s black walnut and already lined. Actually, in a way that may be a good thing. Hopefully that eliminates any of our staff, they’d all be aware of those features and point them out.”
“Here’s the deal, I think I should send them an email, making an offer. What did you say this one was worth?”
“The price to our client was fifty-five hundred. Just the way this ad is written I think they don’t have a clue.”
“I’m gonna send them an email offering a grand. I’ll add some wording suggesting I’ll raise the bid if I have to, because I really want the thing. What we need to do is find out where this is so we can get it back and we also want to nail their ass.”
“Go for it, man, and let’s see what happens.”
I sent off a reply to the craigslist ad. “Very interested, can pay $1000. Please let me know before you accept any other bid.” Then I sat back and waited.
Chapter Forty
I was still waiting the following afternoon when Gemma phoned.
“Hello, Dev, this is Gemma.”
“Hi, Gemma, did you hear anything?”
“As a matter of fact I just hung up with Royal. He’ll be late as usual due to a board meeting and he told me not to wait up for him.”
I looked at my watch, it was a little after four. There was a good chance if I hurried I might catch Royal leaving the office in his Mercedes with the designer plates. “Gemma, thanks, but I had better run if I hope to follow him.”
“Happy hunting,” she said and hung up.
I was cruising through the parking lot at Royal’s office twenty minutes later. After just a few minutes I spotted his car parked up close to the front door. I pulled into an open space three rows back and waited.
I needn’t have hurried. I was still there two hours later, thinking maybe the guy really did have a board meeting when he suddenly strolled out to his car. It was the tail end of the rush hour and Royal drove out of the lot, onto the interstate and headed east. He took the Geneva Ave, Highway 120 exit and pulled into a hotel parking lot within sight of the exit. I drove past the hotel then made a U-turn through a corner gas station, circled back and pulled into the hotel lot.
I didn’t see Royal, but I spotted his car parked up toward the front. I figured he might be checking in, or at least still en route to his room so I hurried across the lot and took a couple of photos on my cell with his license plate and the hotel entrance prominently displayed. Then I climbed back in my car and waited.
It must have been a slow night because it was a good half hour later before the next car pulled into the lot, Tony and Ashley. I heard them before I could see them with Tony’s muffler giving off its throaty rumble. I couldn’t help but wonder how much the neighbors appreciated that. The little I knew of Tony, I’m sure the thought never even occurred to him.
They parked about three spaces away from Royal’s car and as they walked past, Tony made a comment. They both looked at the Mercedes, Ashley nodded and said something back that got both of them laughing.
She was wearing a short black skirt that barely covered her rear, a silky black blouse, some sort of wide sequined belt with a sparkly buckle, a string of pearls and black knee-high boots with stiletto heels. If there was a board meeting, she was going to be the best dressed person in attendance.
Tony looked his usual idiot self in jeans and an olive drab T-shirt with some sort of image on it. I was pleased to see his left arm was still in a sling. I was pretty sure I knew the drill, Ashley would head to the elevators and Tony would head for the bar. I waited another five minutes just to be sure then went out to take a couple of pictures of Tony’s car.
Given the close proximity, I was able to photograph both vehicles with the second vehicle appearing in the distance. Would these stand up in court? Probably not, but it was a start.
After forty minutes, I ventured into the lobby. The bar and restaurant entrance was just past the main desk. I peeked in and caught a glimpse of Tony sitting alone at the bar. Most bars offer pull tabs, a state sponsored gambling option. For a couple of bucks you buy a card and pull off the tabs to see what, if anything, you’ve won. Tony appeared to be in the process of filling a plastic cheeseburger basket with losing pull tab cards and drinking a beer. I figured he already had to be down by at least fifty bucks.
I walked up to the front desk. A young woman with a blue polyester blazer and a wide smile said, “Good evening, how can I help you?”
“I’m supposed to meet a friend, Royal Baker, I believe he checked in this afternoon. If you could give me his room number, please.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t give you his room number, but I can give you his phone extension and you can reach him on our house phone right over there,” she said and pointed to the phone on a table between two comfortable looking wing back chairs. “Let me just get that extension for you. You said the name was Baker?”
“Yes, Royal Baker.”
“Oh yes, here it is,” she said then wrote a four-digit extension number on a business card and slid it across the counter to me.
“Thank you,” I said then walked over and took a seat next to the phone. Unfortunately the extension was 1015 and there were only eight floors in the hotel. I’d hoped the extension could have translated to a room number, but no such luck.
Still, I did have the phone extension written on a hotel business card and it might help if it could be married up with a credit card receipt. I pretended to talk on the phone for a moment and then when the girl at the front desk turned around I made my way out the door and back to my car.
Tony and Ashley were the first to leave a couple of hours later. Ashley looked more than a little disheveled and maybe high. Tony looked unhappy and although I couldn’t hear him I could sense by the body language he wasn’t pleased.
Ashley stopped at the rear of the car to make some remark as Tony was about to get behind the wheel. I took a couple of shots of them just as Tony stormed toward her. Ashley took a step or two back just as he grabbed her by the arm then marched her to the passenger door, half threw her into the seat and slammed the door.
He chirped the tires backing out of his parking place, picked up speed through the parking lot, then screeched pulling onto the road as he accelerated out of sight.
Royal exited maybe a half hour later. He looked nicely groomed, like maybe he’d taken a shower and gotten cleaned up. There seemed to be the slightest spring in his step and he was whistling. I took a couple of shots from the front seat of my car then waited until he exited the parking lot before I phoned the hotel.
“East View Lodging, how may I direct your call?”
“Yes, would you connect me with Mr. Royal Baker, please?”
“Sure, one moment please. Oh, I’m sorry sir, it looks as if Mr. Baker recently checked out.”
“Checked out?”
“Yes sir, I’m afraid so.”
“All right, thank you very much.”
So much for Royal’s board meeting.
Chapter Forty-One
I went online first thing the following morning. There was an email message waiting for me regarding the coffin, it simply read “We have a better offer.” I sent a response back that s
aid “I’ll pay you $100 more.” I forwarded both emails to Andy then called him.
“Hi, Dev. I’ve got both of those up now, they just came through.”
“I’d be surprised if they had another response, even at the give-away price I offered, that’s still a grand and then what would the market even be for a coffin on craigslist.”
“What if they come back and tell you someone offered four or five grand?”
“I’m sure they’re going to come back and tell us someone offered more, they may not even mention a figure. I’ll tell them I can have guaranteed funds, a cashier’s check, or even cash and I’ll pay five hundred more than whatever offer they have, something like that. In fact, I may just wait a few hours, send another reply sounding like the anxious customer and say I need it due to a death in the family and I’ll pay five hundred more and I’d like to pick it up tonight or tomorrow.”
“Think they’ll go for it?”
“I think it’s probably the only offer they have. I know someone I can call who’ll go with me. I’ll send him in, we’ll contact whoever the local authorities are and nail this guy.”
“Good.”
“The more I think about it, Andy, the more I’m willing to bet we’re going to find the other two coffins with this individual.”
“God, if only it would be that easy. Keep me posted.”
“My pal Tommy Flaherty still out?”
“Yeah, had a phone message waiting for me when I came in this morning. Must be one hell of a flu bug, poor guy.”
“Yeah, must be. I’ll keep you posted,” I said then hung up and put a call into Gemma Baker.
“Gemma, its Dev Haskell.”
“I was hoping you’d call, how did things go last night?”
“That depends on your point of view.”
“In other words it’s all true, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately, that would seem to be the case.” I related what I knew, how Royal had a room, Ashley and Tony arrived a good half hour after Royal, Tony waited in the bar, they left some hours later and then Royal left about a half hour after that.
