More of Chapter 14 –

The Prosecutors office were now concerned about about any one in Chad’s family leaving the country and were thinking of alerting Interpol.

David Slater sat on the corner of his desk looking over a thick file. He was around fifty-five and looking forward to the day when his working life was over and he could fish full time. His wife didn’t have any problems with that. He had worked everyday of his life that he was supposed to and taken care of his family as his marriage vows had instructed him to do.

He looked over at Tommy Thompson, his new younger partner and smiled a knowing smile. He thinks he has this life all figured out.

“They don’t have an connections in Africa that I can see Tommy, but with their wealth it would be easy to buy some and disappear for ever.” His eyes continued to scan the latest report developed by the large team that had made up this new task force.

“Tommy, get Interpol on the phone in Rwanda and lay out our concerns to them. I think they need to be made aware of the fact that they have some fairly important criminals heading their way. They haven’t been violent yet, but who knows what might happen if they are put under pressure. And thst’s coming their way soon.

“Sure Mr. Thompson.” He walked out of David Slater’s office and shot a glance at Mary Cartwright. “How the hell do I contact Interpol, I haven’t had to do that yet. Can you give me a hand?” “Sure Tommy, follow me into the secure conference room and I’ll show you how to do that.

The two youngest officers on the task force walked off in the direction of the conference room.

“Hey David, shouldn’t someone go with them just in case? I think Mary has the hots for Tommy there.” “Knock it off Sam. We live in a different world now. That can get you fired if someone reports you. I might just be the one to do it if you don’t finish that report sitting on your desktop.”

Sam, known as “Sleazy Sam” to many women in the office, left quickly as if he believed David was serious. David was.

The phone was ring constantly on David’s desk and he had to work his way off the desk and around several boxes of documents that had been gathered over several months of old time police work and intercepting phone calls and text messages.

David was just getting up to speed as the technology moved on, daily. It was a constant battle for him but he liked being kept on his toes. He worked hours at home with his wife’s help learning all that he had to in the tech world. She had saved his ass more than once and he knew it. He was a quick study and she was a tech genius. She taught it at the local high school.

David saw Tommy leave with Mary and then answered the phone. Where they ended up was unknown to him and he didn’t care. They were conscientious workers and very professional. Sam was just lusting after Mary as usual and making up things in his head to fit the scene. A bad habit in a government employee of his caliber and power.

David’s holster with it’s gun in place hung behind him on the old coat rack by the large plate glass window. It had taken David years to get into this office. They had to carry his former boss out on a stretcher. He died behind the large desk as he hoped he would. David had different plans.

He hadn’t used his gun in years but still practiced regularly and was a good shot. His deepest secret was that he might get a shot off at “Sleazy Sam” before he retired. He didn’t want to kill him, David just wanted to shut him up for five minutes.

The prosecutors office was now concerned about anyone in Chad’s family leaving the country. David had made the decision to contact Interpol and passed it off to Tommy to accomplish. He knew Tommy hadn’t ever made a call to Interpol and David wanted to give Tommy something to take home to his wife to brag about tonight. Tommy was a good kid and would grow into a good leading officer if given half a chance. David would be the man to give him that chance.

Across town, Joe gathered up his suitcase and back pack. He flung it over his back and picked up his one and only suitcase. He walked across the room, through the front door and turned around. He looked over his soon to be empty apartment. It was clean and organized.

He hated coming home to a messy apartment. He locked the front door and walked down the stairs to the street and turned toward the subway station. His breath turned to steam or so it looked. It was cold outside on the stoop. His neighbor Martha was going to be watching his place while he was in Africa. She was very glad that he had decided to go on this trip after what Susan had done to him. She was in Apartment A and saw everything and everyone that happened in the building and on the block.

“No need to wallow in the misery Joe,” she had told him almost too often. “Get back out there and live Joe. Susan is. There are women falling out the trees looking for a man like you in this town. They’re everywhere. You going to bump into one at the right moment but it won’t happen with you sitting in your apartment Joe.”

Joe looked up at her and smiled. His pale skin wrinkled around his eyes as he did so. “Don’t throw any parties while I’m gone,” he joked.

“There will be plenty of good parties thrown in that place of yours while you’re gone Joe. Much better than yours, no doubt.” Joe loved Mary’s sense of inappropriateness and humor. She had made these sad months pass quicker than if she hadn’t been around.

“Thanks for the pep talk last night Mary. You stopped me from bailing out of this adventure. You’re right. I get that now. This is just what I need.”

He had called her last night when he heard about the wedding of his beloved and Chad. He was feeling pretty low after that phone call. Joe and his neighbor had talked often when he felt low or down in the dumps. He thought he might love her if she were younger and not a grandmother of eight. She was his earth mother now and there was no escaping that.

One of Joe and Susan’s mutual friends had called Joe to tell him all about the magnificent wedding set among rolling hills, a grand mansion and horse farm.

She didn’t mention the drones.

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So, there you go. Chapter 15 will be up in a few days or less. I have a little work to do on “The Bad Seed.”

Don’t forget that “Mrs. Vee,” the novel, is now p on Amazon as is “The House On The Cliff.”

My books are on Good Reads for your reading pleasure.

It’s a beautiful day here at the beach. I’m sitting in my little place in the harbor. The motor yachts are passing by going of to Catalina and other points unknown. There’s not a cloud in the sky.

Remember, if you want to keep a secret don’t talk too loudly near the water. Your voice will carry much farther than you think. I have made up some stories from things I’ve heard said across the channel from me.