And the amount of heat her little body gives off is overwhelming. Sometimes it gets to the point where I’m forced to sit up in the night just to get a little distance from my little furry heater. Still, there are those nights it feels very nice to have her warmth against me. This morning was not one of the times I was enjoying her heat and my movement in trying to escape from her made me realize I needed to visit the bathroom. I knew she wanted me to take her out, but she can get away with peeing in the field. If I do it, the neighbors call the cops and I end up in a lot of trouble. I needed to go first! Once I finished with my morning bathroom stuff, I donned an old pair of sweats along with a pair of sandals and headed off to let Bean take care of her business.
The morning was crisp but not freezing. Bean seemed to understand my relationship with coffee and also when she finished, she would get her treat. This morning she actually seemed to get a hustle on and was finished in record time.
Once we returned to the kitchen, I fixed her breakfast and then made a pot of coffee for myself. By the time Bean was finished with her breakfast, my coffee was done. I picked up Bean’s dish and placed it in the sink, then took down a cup and poured my first morning coffee, added a drop of half & half for color and headed off to my favorite chair in the front room. As I passed by the countertop, I picked up my cell phone and the card under it, dropping them into my pocket.
After I was settled, I picked the phone and the card out of my pocket and placed the card on the arm of the chair. As I studied it I noticed the edges were worn and the card was slightly soiled. The embossed H showed it had been repeatedly fondled. It appeared lightly stained and roughed up. My guess was Ralph had held this card in his hands many times. With no better plan in mind, I decided to try and call the number again. If Ralph had been correct about what he told me, I wondered why when he called, the number was disconnected, and last night there had been an answer. If he lied about it being a nonworking number, why? What was the point? He must have known I’d try the number too. Maybe in the intervening time the number had been reassigned, but probably I’d just fat fingered in the wrong number. It had been late and I was tired.
Again, I listened as the phone ring twice and on the third ring what sounded like the same monotone male voice answered, “Code in.” I guess I paused a little too long and this time the voice seemed to have an edge to it, “Code in now please!”
I know I sounded like a dolt, but I wasn’t prepared. “Ah, hello. I ‘m looking for Melissa Herman. This is the only number—”
The male voice definitely had an edge to it now as he interrupted me. “You do not have authorization to call this number. Do not call this number again. If you call again, there will be unpleasant repercussions. Do you understand?”
I’m sure my voice had developed a bit of an attitude as I answered him, “Why can’t I talk to Melissa Herman?”
The voice was cold and seemed to ring with authority. “Do you not understand English? You are not to call this number again? This is a restricted number.”
Smartass me, since I didn’t like the way the call was going anyway, I mouthed off. “Hey fellow, this is a free country, or at least it used to be. Who are you to tell me I can’t call some phone number?”
The voice was icy and hard now. “Never call this number again. You have been warned!” CLICK. The phone went dead in my hand.
This was a total puzzle. I remembered my old friend, Walter, telling me about a couple of his missions back in Viet Nam in the old days, and sometime there would be a phone number he was supposed to call along the way. When he would call the number, he would be instructed to enter a series of code numbers so they knew it was him or to pass along a secret message. I wondered if this was perhaps that kind of number. Was Melissa some kind of an operative? And if I tried to accept that idea, why would she put that number on a business card? And then pass it out? None of this made any sense at all. Something in the back of my little brain told me I should take the card back to Ralph, and tell him I tried, and I was going to take a pass on doing anything more.
That’s what I should have done.
In hindsight, oh God I wish I had.
But of course, I didn’t!
~ ~ ~ ~
I knew I had to deal with business matters this morning and I decided a suit was a good idea. Not my usual dress code, but sometimes it’s best to dazzle them with the footwork or bullshit. Depends on which you’re better at! On my way out the door, as I passed by the table next to my chair, I picked up my cell phone and noticed the business card sitting under it. I picked both of them up and stuck them in my pocket. Bean was sitting in front of the elevator doors expecting to go with me. She sat staring up at me as I stepped on. “Keep watch for me, you’re in charge. I’ll be back shortly,” I told her. She barked once and I think it was her way of telling me to get bent.
Waiting in my lawyer Richard Silversmith’s office for my appointment, I felt my cell vibrate in my pocket. When I pulled it out, I saw I had a text from Gladys. She wanted to know what time I was coming over. I texted her back asking her if I was forgiven for my behavior last night. She replied I could come over and try working on forgiveness this evening for abandoning her the night before. She finished by asking me what time I expected to arrive.
When I slipped my cell back into the jacket pocket I felt some resistance, something was keeping the phone from falling back into the pocket with ease. I fished around and found the business card. Sitting there waiting, I studied it.
The address on the card was in North Fort Myers, Florida. I didn’t know a damn thing about the Fort Myers region except that Henry Ford and Thomas Edison both had adjoining winter estates there back in the day. But this address said North Fort Myers, an address on a street called Slater Road. Under the street address was what I guessed was the apartment number. It read #4520 – 5. I thought it seemed like a strange number for an apartment, but at that moment Richard came out of his office, beckoned for me to come in, and I quickly put the card away.
After I was finished with my business dealings with Richard, I brought up the election of his partner, Albert Bradson as being our new Senator from the state of Washington. Richard laughed. “Strange thing about that.” I waited for him to continue. “I know you’re acquainted with Mouse.”
Mouse is one of the most interesting men I have ever met. He’s not very tall and he’s always dressed in a three-piece suit and looking like a million bucks. I guess you could say we were friends. He’s a childhood friend of Sakol’s and when I was looking for the young man who had raped one of my poker buddy’s daughter, Mouse had been instrumental in helping me find the kid.
I agreed. “I also think Mouse is one of the most interesting people I have ever met. His reach of world knowledge and local happenings, as well as the list of people he knows is amazing. I know you’re aware how he made sure I was absolved of that murder—the one I was almost charged with?” Since Richard was part of the decision not to allow Albert to represent me and Mouse had also been part of that decision, Richard knew Mouse and I were more than just passing acquaintances. Richard smiled at me. “What about Mouse?” I asked.
“It turns out that Mouse has had a lot to do with a few other senators being where they are today.” Even though I didn’t know that fact, it still didn’t surprise me. “I think if he had wanted you to be state senator, you would now be sitting in Washington DC,” Richard said.
I laughed out loud. There was no way I would ever qualify to be a state senator and I told Richard that.
“Don’t be so naïve, Matt. You’ve seen Mouse in action. Do you really think he couldn’t get you elected?” I sat there for a moment and reflected on Silversmith’s remark. After having watched Mouse in action, maybe, just maybe, there was some truth in Richard’s comment. But there’s no way I wanted to end up in any sort of politics. It wasn’t my game. I like the life Matt has now! There is nothing Mouse co
uld offer that would change that. Or at least that was the way I felt.
We stood and shook hands and Richard asked me if I was still seeing Sharon or Gladys. I told him both and he laughed. I mentioned I had a date that evening with Gladys and he asked me to give her his best. I assured him I would.
First off to home and change and take Bean to run for a while in the field. I considered taking her with to Gladys’ place, but I decided I wanted to concentrate on trying to make nice. I had sort of been ignoring her lately. Not on purpose, but I wasn’t giving her my full attention. I needed to work on that!
~ ~ ~ ~
The evening with Gladys was very sweet. Rather than make me feel guilty about dropping her off and leaving the previous evening, she was loving and quite affectionate. Every time she passed by me, she would touch me or run her hand over me. I thought she was either very horny or she wanted me to see what I was missing by not coming around more often. I decided it might be both!
Later in the evening as Gladys and I were making love, something flickered through the back recesses of my mind but I quickly pushed it away. I’ve found intimate things don’t seem to work quite as well as they did when I was younger. There are certain activities that nowadays I need to keep my mind focused on. If I don’t stay focused, bad things happen, bad things for both of us. And on my end, it can get very embarrassing. Everything suddenly got very intense in our lovemaking, and the thought returned to its resting place to sit it out until I was ready to take it out and examine it.
Lying on my back with her warm body snuggled up tight against me, I carefully pulled on one corner of what was waiting for me. I recalled something Walter had said one time. Something about a business card, but for the life of me, I couldn’t pull it totally out. I let it go and it went quickly scuttling back where I knew it would take root and finally the whole thought would come to me. For now, it was an exercise in patience.
~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning when I returned, Bean let me know she was not happy being left behind and me being gone all evening. I picked up my phone from the kitchen and as I walked Bean, I noticed Randy Ralph had called me. I had not taken my cell the night before on purpose. I called him back. “Ralph! Sorry I missed your call last night. I forgot my phone at home. What’s up?”
“Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing with my… ah, little request?”
I thought for a minute what I wanted to say to him. “Well Ralph, funny you should ask. Just for kicks, I called that phone number on the card you gave me and a male voice answered. The voice instructed me to enter a code. Of course, I had no idea what he was talking about.” I paused, and then asked, “Do you know what that’s all about?”
I thought he waited too long before he answered. “Gee, no Matt. I have no idea. It was disconnected when I called the number.” I knew he was trying to sound convincing.
“Sorry Ralph, wrong answer! You waited too long before you answered my question. Why do I get the feeling you’re not telling me the truth, boy? Or at least everything you know about all this.” Ralph didn’t say anything, I continued, “Time to come clean. What are you leaving out?”
Again, there was a few moments pause before he responded, “Matt, I have no idea what’s going on. Honest!” Why is it when people use that word, you just know they’re lying? “Honestly, when I called that number, it was disconnected. Honest!” There was that damn word again. He continued, “Actually I’m surprised it works now.”
I knew he was lying, but why? “Sorry, Ralph, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. You’re holding something back. You’re not being honest with me, even if you say honest. You’re lying and I don’t understand why. I think I’m going to end this search right now. Next time I see you, I’ll give you back the card.”
Panic resounded in his voice as he shouted, “NO! Matt, I’m telling you the truth. You have to believe me. Honest!”
That boy did not listen too well. I don’t have to believe him and I didn’t. But I decided to keep that thought to myself. “Okay Ralph, if you do remember something you should have told me, call me. I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll look into a bit more and I’ll let you know if I do and if I come up with anything else. Okay?”
I heard relief in his voice. “Cool. Ciao.” Click. The line went dead. I stood for a long time looking at my cell. I didn’t know what was up, but I was sure ol’ Ralph was in some way lying through his teeth. But why? What was the truth? Did he really want me to go through all of this just to find a piece of tail he’d had and thought was wonderful? I had a problem with that thought. I didn’t think Ralph would go through so much just to find some girlie he had done and wanted to do again. I just could not wrap my mind around that concept. There had to be more.
I thought to myself, “Oh shit, why do I end up in these stupid favors for people? When will I learn to say NO?”
Bean and I headed back into the kitchen where I gave her a treat. I took a shower, dressed in my usual attire and headed out to do my errands for the day. Ralph’s lies kept eating at me as I went about my business. Driving around gave me the time to ponder what I was missing. I was positive he either wasn’t telling me the truth or everything he knew about what was going on. I was willing to do him a favor, but I really felt he owed me the truth.
Since I had Bean with me, a couple of times I pulled over and let her run. After she returned I let her sit in my lap. I talked to her like I usually do. “What am I going to do with Ralph?” I asked her. “He needs to tell me the truth.” Bean didn’t answer.
I need the complete truth, I thought.
Whatever that was.
And even more important, was he even capable of telling me?
CHAPTER FOUR
With all the stops for Bean to run around sniffing bushes, and not having any deadlines to meet, it had been kind of a slob day and I was happy running about doing various things I’d been putting off. About midafternoon I decided I’d been on the go since morning and I wanted some sort of a coffee drink. A caffeine boost!
I stopped at a Starbucks, (imagine that, they have one in Seattle) where I left Bean in the truck with the windows partly down. I went in and ordered a Frappuccino, paid their exorbitant price and after I collected it, I sat down at one of their dinky tables. Normally I would have just taken my drink and either returned to the truck to sit with Bean or walked around with her on a leash as I sipped my drink. Since I had nothing pressing to get done, and I wanted to ponder how I was going to dump Ralph and what I considered his stupid problem.
Sitting at the little table, I kept thinking how the smartest thing I could do was take Melissa’s business card back to Ralph, and tell him I struck out. I was going to bow out. But even though I hadn’t gathered much, there was something in what I’d learned that kept bothering me. Between the strange phone number for Melissa and my feeling Ralph wasn’t being totally honest, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to let the whole matter go. The deal with the phone number and being told to enter a code had captured my imagination. Sitting there I was still pondering if I should continue trying to find her or not.
By now most of you know what a perverted womanizer I am, and how much I enjoy the female shape. Yeah, I know, bad Matt. Sitting there, I noticed one lass that showed promise with a cute skirt that flashed an abundance of shapely leg ending up attached to a well-rounded bottom. But then she ruined it all and turned around. Boy, was I disappointed. From the neck down, she was reasonably attractive, but from the neck up, Bowserville! The amount of makeup she had slathered on her face was way over the top. Her face literally shone. My truck should shine that nice. As far as I was concerned, it just ruined the whole effect. I wanted to tell her to go home and wash her face, she was lovely enough and she would look so much better if she went lighter on the face goo. But I’m also aware saying that kind of shit to a stranger will get you in severe trouble. Like take you away in a s
traightjacket kind of trouble. Wisely, I kept the comment to myself. But I was still bummed!
Even though I was mentally working on the Ralph problem, I continued to gawk around the room and I happened to notice three men sitting at one of the tables on the far side. I couldn’t see two of the men’s faces because their backs were to me, but the one man whose face I could see jumped out at me.
This was a face from my past.
This was a face from far away, both in distance and in time.
This is a face I’d hoped I’d never see again in this life. I didn’t know his real name, but Walter and I had called him Bullwinkle, after the cartoon character.
For those of you who don’t know much about me, during my time in the service with Uncle Sam, I was involved with a group of rather super-secret individuals doing really strange stuff. I was in places to this day our government swears we never were and did things that we never were supposed to do over in rice-paddy land. While I was stationed there, I met a fellow from the Puget Sound region. His name is Walter McLaughlin and we became good friends after we met again stateside.
We did a few missions together and one mission the two of us were assigned has always kept us wondering why we’d been selected. This was one mission we felt we were totally unqualified to be any part of. The mission where I met Bullwinkle turned out to be one of the most memorable. That mission has stood out more over the years than so many of the others. And there were several reasons why.
Since neither of us knew a damn thing about electronics, or the way radios operate, we thought it very strange when we were selected. Both of us thought it would have made a lot more sense to have people who actually knew something about radios, both repairing and how they operated. It wasn’t we were afraid, actually it sounded like a piece of cake. We just thought in case the primary ops dude we were assigned to assist got in some kind of trouble, there were better backups than us. All we knew about radios was how to turn them on and then call in an air strike, or call up an evac chopper to get our asses out of a touchy situation. At the time we were given the assignment, we both made a negative comment and were quickly told to shut up, it was our mission! That was an order and we were expected to do our best to make it work.
The Gypsy Queen: A Matt Preston Novel (Matt Preston Series Book 3) Page 3
