by Ethan Egorov
“Sir… I can’t do that I could get fired. You don’t understand the hotel has strict privacy policies.”
“Ah… Gary, I do appreciate your desire to follow the rules of your organization, however, I feel that you’re meant for much greater things than front desk clerk anyway. Tell me Gary…how much do you make here?”
“Um… I get like, I don’t know twenty an hour maybe. I’ve got a nice schedule though, I’m home in time every evening to even go to night classes at the Community College.”
“Night classes…I see. Gary what do you want to do with your life? I mean… what’s your plans for the future?’
“Well the hotel does offer me a 401k and stock options. They said that if I put in enough time I could even be considered for management one day.”
“Ya know what Gary…. I like you. I think you’re a good kid with a solid head on his shoulders, so I’m going to give you a couple of options. I really don’t want to cut your tongue out anyway… it’s the holidays ya know? I should be on vacation.” Tommy then turned to Trent and nodded his head, “We should be on vacation. Next year, we’re going to the Bahamas or something. I’ve had enough of this working in the cold weather shit. You remember that Christmas we had to go not only burn that body out by the ravine we had to bury it also… I mean fuck, I had a cold for like a month after that. The Bahamas I’m telling you, that’s what we’re doing next year.” Trent looked at his brother and gave him a subtle wink that the desk clerk didn’t notice. He was definitely playing along with this scenario. “Whatever you say boss. I’d be just fine not working in the cold weather for certain. Paradise sounds nice this time of year.”
“So Gary…you’re telling me that you’d rather work for someone else rather than work for yourself? What are you taking these night classes for anyway?”
“I’m getting a business degree, I want to start my own business.”
“Oh now see, that’s a good goal. I’d like to see that happen. Of course, not having the ability to speak would make that much harder it seems. What kind of business do you want to begin?”
“I want to build and run a movie theatre. I’ve loved going to the movies since I was a kid.”
“Now that’s a business I can get behind! You hear that?! We need more theatres in this town anyways. I don’t like going to the crowded ones do you Trent?”
“Nah. You know I hate it. Though I’m not much of a people person. Pop used to take us to the movies all the time when we were younger. We saw Ghostbusters like what five times or something?”
“Hah! Yes, I remember that. You were fascinated with Slimer for some reason. I think it was because he liked to eat.”
“That certainly could be it. I’m getting hungry now… you think we could hurry this along?”
“Yeah yeah… so anyway, Gary I have a proposition for you.” Tommy pulled out his wallet and flashed a large amount of cash in Gary’s line of vision. “I really don’t want to cut out your tongue, but I do want to test your business savvy. You go ahead and get me all the information I need and hopefully don’t get caught, but if you do, I’ve got a little back up plan for you here. I have enough cash on me right now to probably pay for the rest of your tuition and also a start-up for your movie theatre. Um…yeah I think I do. I didn’t bring a lot with me today though, just twenty thousand. It’s a start though… am I right?”
Gary eyeballed the large wad of cash then he went back to the computer and began punching a few numbers into the keyboard. He returned with a packet of paperwork and also a couple room keys as well. “Well…sir it seems you’re all set here. I have your conference room reserved and there’s also been some complimentary rooms on the house you’re signed up for until New Years’ Eve. I do hope you enjoy your stay at our fine establishment. Tommy smiled broadly at the desk clerk as he pulled the wad of cash from his wallet and slid it over the counter to him. He watched the young man hurriedly place it in his front pocket, trying not to be noticed. “Enjoy your stay…and guess what?”
“What’s that Gary?”
“I’m a huge Ghostbusters fan too. Thank you for your business.”
Trent and Tommy pocketed the key that the clerk gave them and walked upstairs to the corresponding floor. “Hey Tommy, you know what’s weird?”
“What’s that?”
“This actually works out… the key he gave us. It’s the same room that Kristina had her meeting scheduled for with her client.”
“Oh when you got shot at, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well let’s go check it out, then we’ll go see if Pops has heard anything about her. We’ve got to find her Trent.”
“Oh we will. Even if I have to put everyone in a body bag up until that point, we’re definitely going to find her.”
They opened the door and Trent walked into the room with his gun levelled. He didn’t know what to expect, but he only knew that he wasn’t going to be caught off guard. The room still looked much as it had the night before. The suite hadn’t been rearranged and there was still a half-full bottle of champagne in the chiller, meaning that Kristina hadn’t gotten drunk before she left.
“Hey, Trent… look at this.” Tommy had walked over to the corner where a wingback chair sat with a painting behind it. If felt out of place, so he moved it to reveal a bullet hole in the wall. “Oh, yeah…there it is. See I told you I’d been shot at yesterday.”
“What does this look like to you? A nine millimeter?”
“Yeah I believe so, I just know that I didn’t see it coming, but I just kind of I don’t know reacted. Guess it was my sixth sense or something.”
“Well we know that a nine millimeter is only used for handguns, so a sniper is out of the question. We’re looking at someone with boots on the ground. Did Kristina say anything else about who hired her?”
“No. She just said she was here for a job and they cancelled. That was of course, after we got shot at.”
“Was she acting funny or anything?”
“I don’t know. I was feeling a little drunk I guess. We’d been drinking the champagne. Wait…the champagne. You remember me telling you how I didn’t feel right? Do you think Kristina was drugged before she had a chance to make it to the airport?”
“I think you’re onto something brother, come on…we’ll take this and meet back up with Pop. I think that there’s more to her disappearance than just some kind of strange ransom tactics.”
They exited the hotel after their longer than expected meeting. Their father would have went to go see his father to make sure he was doing okay at the facility he stayed in, then he would have returned to the mansion to phone in some favors. He was a man that half the town owed favors to, and that was a very good place to be in most of the time. When Trent and Tommy went into the mansion they saw their father, sitting at his desk on the phone. His head was lowered and he was speaking in a rather low, hushed tone. When he ended the conversation Trent watched as he sighed and hung his head lower. They didn’t realize it, but he knew they were standing in the doorway, even though he had his back to them the entire time. He motioned them in with the back of his hand, still not looking up. “Well, come on in. Please tell me you have some good news for me?”
“Not exactly good news, but we think we may have figured out what happened. So what was that about Pop?”
“Eh..sigh. I’m afraid it’s not good boys. Saul’s wife died this morning. She was still in intensive care, it seems like the shock was just too much for her system. Saul was thanking up for being so good to his family through the years. He expects us all to be at the burial and graveside services. Saul’s wife was a great woman…that’s the type of woman that each of you should find for a wife. She was salt of the Earth and her and Saul well, let’s just say that they were made for each other. Her nagging kept him going and his leaving socks laying around on the floor all the time kept her nagging. Saul once said it was the happiest inconvenience he could ever have in all his days. I think that says a
lot , don’t you?”
“Yeah, Pop. It sure does.”
“So I think we’ve got to get our ducks in a row. We’ve got to find Kristina, find the murdered, and end this war. After that we help our old friend bury his wife. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now please tell me you’ve found my daughter.”
“Not exactly. We did go back to the hotel where she was staying though… we think that someone drugged her Pop. We didn’t drink that much champagne and much more was gone from the bottle.”
“Well…that would explain the lack of anyone laying in her wake. Normally the bodies would have lined the stairway out of the hotel if she were capable of fighting back. That’s one thing I can say I’m proud of. I raised my daughter to be a tried and true fighter. What else do you have for me?”
“That’s it, Pop.”
“So we know she’s been drugged and we don’t know where she is. We know that some personal items were stolen from us, and we know that Saul’s wife has met her maker.”
“We also know that Kristina didn’t get on that plane, so that’s a plus right?”
“Yes, you’re right Trent. If she were drugged that means that they wouldn’t have been able to get very far until she woke up and of course, starting raising bloody hell, so that means she’s probably still somewhere in the state at least. Maybe even in the city.”
“You’re right, Pop. So come on Tommy… let’s go find her.”
Trent and Tommy pulled out a map of the city and laid it flat against the table they shared at the deli. They could talk freely while Flannigan made a large basket of sandwiches and sides for them to take to Saul. He was deeply concerned about Kristina missing and also he felt a pang in his heart for his friend. “I tell you boys, I never thought it would come to this. It’s time for all of this just to end. Poor Saul. I bet he’s devastated. That woman, let me tell you, she should have applied for sainthood. Ah hell, maybe she is one now. When you go see him just take him this and give him my regards. I’ll be closing that deli for her service. Hell, half of the city should be shut down just for sheer respect.”
“Yeah, we agree wholeheartedly Flannigan.”
“So what are you two looking at? Anything I can help with?”
“Eh… maybe. We’re just marking off the areas we know that Kristina wouldn’t be at. For example, we know she didn’t come here, or we would have known about it. We also know that she didn’t make it to the airport, so we can cross out that location as well.”
“Oh I see… kind of a process of elimination. I’m just curious, do you think she would have went to the hospital? Did she know what happened to Saul’s wife?”
“Flannigan…you’re such a lovely man, you know that?! Did you hear that Tommy? What do you think?”
“I think that Flannigan does have a point. I mean…Kristina knew saw since she was a little girl, maybe she was feeling nostalgic, or maybe even guilty for not being there when his wife was stabbed.”
“Yeah, despite her cold-bloodedness and her proficiently at her job, you could say she’s deep down nothing but a softie.”
“Well, I mean yeah, fellas you’re forgetting, Kristina is a girl after all. No matter what kind of tough façade she puts on in her line of work, she still will always have that sentimentality within her. That’s the great thing about women. They remind us that we can think with our hearts once in a while instead of our heads.”
‘You’re a genius Flannigan, I think you’re right. I know that Saul’s not in the best state of mind right now, but I think we should go see him. Surely Kristina would have spoken to him while visiting his wife. Thanks again, we’ll go ahead and take these to Saul and give him your best. Flannigan you’ve been more of a help than you can ever realize. Come on Tommy. You drive.”
“Always, brother.”
The pair got in Tommy’s sleek black Maserati sports coupe. Tommy had won enough in one of his poker weekends to purchase it brand new in cash and he considered it one of his most cherished positions. Tommy was a great driver, but he also like to take care of his machines. He would often take time in the evenings to speak with his fathers’ drivers to get their opinion of the best vehicles on the market and of course their proper care. That was one of the things that Tommy wanted to leave for his future, non-existent children…a garage full of mechanical relics that were in superb shape. “Damn Tommy… I know this thing can move, but does it also have heat. It’s fucking cold out here, crank it up.”
“Haha. Fine, are you more comfortable now princess?”
“I’m serious, you keep running around in the cold weather like this without any heat on you’re going to end up catching your death. You won’t have to worry about bullets because the flu will kill you.”
“Yeah, yeah. You say heat keeps you from getting sick, I say cold kills germs. I’ll hand it to you though, it does feel better in here. Sigh. I hate it we have to drive all the way to the other side of the city to see Saul though. I don’t wanna seem rude, but can’t we just call him or something?’
“Tommy! You know that Saul deserves more than a phone call. Sides this kills two birds with one stone, we can also find out about the services for Flannigan too. It’s a shame really, he was really upset. He has a point though. It’s time for all of this to end. I say that me and you put a stop to all of this. I mean, this has went on long enough. We’re going to find Kristina and end this.”
“I agree with you one hundred percent. I mean, they just never give up. Even if they are your blood family, Trent, I have no use for them. I just know that for years they’re tried to destroy our family because of some ancient turf war that’s useless now. I mean, we win on every business level, so they may well just retire with the millions they already have and give it up.”
“I didn’t know they were that well off.”
“Yeah, from my estimate, the entire family could retire and each buy a couple of islands, so there’s no real need for extra cash flow. They’re just insisting on dragging this thing out.” Tommy paused a few moments at a red light and smiled at Trent. Hey Trent…throw me a sandwich.”
“Tommy! We just ate. No, you don’t need another sandwich.”
“What are you suddenly the only one who can eat all day long. I’m hungry already. Okay, okay, I’ll make you a deal, get us a whole one out and I’ll split it with you.”
“Hah! You drive a hard bargain, but deal! Saul would expect it anyway, he knows how we are.”
They pulled up in front of Saul’s building and was surprised to find that there wasn’t even anyone standing at the base of the building as security. Despite his wealth and affluence, Saul and his wife both chose to live rather simply, not moving from the apartment building they lived in since the start of his career. He supposed that his great-grandfather and Saul both shared that trait of being humble. It was a shame that humbleness may have contributed to the death of their loved ones. Trent and Tommy walked upstairs and stood of Saul’s doorway, ringing the bell. A buzzer echoed in the apartment and they heard a rush of shuffling inside the apartment. Before he could answer the door, they heard the distinctive sound of glass shattering on the floor. “Hey! Saul, it’s Trent! You okay in there?!” There was a barrage of profanities hurled into the air and Saul opened the door a crack. Seeing it was Tommy and Trent he met the men with a smile and said, “Hey… you come on in. It’s cold out there. Don’t go out there if you don’t have to.”
“What was that we heard? You okay in here? You need some help?”
“Eh… you know me, I’m all thumbs when it comes to anything in the kitchen. I just dropped a class while pouring a drink is all. I was looking for a broo—“
Before he could continue, Tommy walked to the kitchen table and sat down the basket of sandwiches, while Trent immediate went to the corner of the kitchen and found a broom and a dustpan. He quickly swept up the broken shards of glass, depositing it in the half-full trashcan.
“Here Saul, these are fo
r you. Flannigan he feels really bad about what happened with your wife, and wanted to send you his regards. He said something like this was an old custom. He wanted to let you know that he’s shutting down the shop and he’ll be at the services. Um… hope you don’t mind, Trent and I…well we split one on the way.”
Saul, whose eyes had been faraway with a distant glaze to them, gave Tommy a long hug and without explanation suddenly began laughing. “Haha! Yes, now that’s the growing boys I remember. Yes, I’m glad you helped yourself. Ah, you two… you are most certainly something else. I wish that twenty years ago I had the ability to see the future, but then again I don’t think I could be any more proud of how you two turned out.”
“Aww, thanks Saul.” Before Tommy could continue, Trent sat the broom back in the closet and said, “Yeah, we’re awfully sorry to hear about your wife. She was a wonderful lady and she touched many lives. Tommy and I and of course Pops we will all be there at her services.”
“What about Kristina?”
“Sigh. I hate to bring this up , especially at a time like this, but Saul, she’s gone missing.”
“What? How can that be?”
“Yeah…well I guess I should say she’s been kidnapped. She was supposed to be on a flight to New Zealand, but never made it to her flight.”
“Shit Trent, that’s fucked up. Who do you think has her?”
“We don’t know right now. Listen did she stop by the hospital last night… I mean to see your wife?”
“Yeah she did actually. She didn’t act like it was anything out of the ordinary and she didn’t mention getting on a flight to me or my wife. Of course, my wife…well she was a bit weak last night, but seeing Kristina with her hair down and in that white dress… that seemed to brighten her mood. She always called Kristina an angel. I always felt bad that she didn’t have a daughter of her own, ya know. Maybe she did die unhappy because of that.”
