Interlude Ch. 10

"He may be laying low somewhere in the City." Angela replied. "He has to have access to food, so maybe someone is bringing him groceries, or he's ordering a hell of a lot of pizza and Chinese takeout." I smiled at her semi-joke as she continued "But from what I'm thinking about his psychology, he's not the type to be dependent on anyone else for very long, and with the Federal Government offering rewards for his arrest, he would likely be betrayed pretty quickly."

"You're right," I said, "and I'll add these things: Ned has to have access to money, which he can do to some extent through internet access. But he's either he's working through previous stashes, or he'll be running out of money soon if he's not able to get around and get paid for drugs or jobs such as raping reporters and whatnot. And he needs communications access, be it the internet and emails, or cellphones."

I continued "He also has to have access to travel. If he's in the City, he has to have some way of getting here, as he keeps showing up around here from time to time. Too much travel and he could easily get caught in a traffic stop or DUI checkpoint, and he certainly can't fly unless he has some tremendous fake IDs. So overall he has to stay well hidden but be able to move around, have access to food and shelter, yet stay completely hidden in this increasingly open, camera-observed, cellphone- and RFID-chip-tracing world."

"The one thing I thought of," Angela said, "is that he's like a secret agent in another country and they've found him out and are looking for him, but he has no way of being extracted. And to that extent he must have safehouses. Perhaps some gangbangers are helping him in exchange for drug manufacturing?"

"That's a good analogy," I said, "except that Ned is moving around, and very effectively, I might add. And you're right, he probably has people helping him... but I'd guess that either they don't know who he is, or he's paying them well to keep their mouths shut. I think it's likely the former, as your idea of betraying him for reward money would be very tempting... and he knows that. So... where would you hide if you were Ned, Angela?"

"In the basement of the Police Station." Angela joked, grinning. "Who knows what Allgood has hiding in Internal Affairs right under your nose."

"You've got a good point there, but I didn't quite catch how you think he has mobility from here." I replied, smiling at the joke.

I continued: "I'll say this much: I did think that he might have been hiding at University Hospital. He was able to escape there twice, he knew some people in there, it'd be a great place to get some of the raw materials he needed for his drug synthesis as well as obtaining syringes and the like. I checked it out, and I have friends there not to mention my own wife on Staff there, so I know he's not there. But something like that is indeed a good thought."

"So is that what you're working on now?" Angela asked.

"No." I replied. "And what I'm working on here may not even involve breaking of the law, which is why I'm working on it in off duty time. Did you read up on our recent case of Ned murdering Mr. Tim Olivet?"

"Yeah, that was so sad for his poor wife." Angela said.

"Yes." I replied. "Several of our recent cases have coalesced around Mr. Olivet's company, and some secret that he apparently died with that made several other companies want to buy his company from his wife. She sold it in bits and pieces, but I'm just trying to find out what the secret was that had everyone so interested. Seems I'm the only person in this County that doesn't know."

"If no crime was committed, how did you get the warrant for that information?"

"We did have a warrant for a lot of when when he died, and Mrs. Olivet was kind enough to give her consent for us to look at all of it." I said.

"So, what's it all about? Maybe I can help." Angela said, her voice hopeful at having something to do.

Uh oh, I thought to myself, this is not stuff I want others to know about, not even my own detectives. Fortunately, I was saved as Cindy Ross came to the door.

"Lieutenant, can I borrow your protege here? We're going to assist Vice on a stakeout." Cindy said. My stare of skepticism gave away my unspoken question of why two MCD Detectives were doing Vice stakeouts. Cross-training was one thing, but if Malone was trying to stick my people on drudgery like stakeouts, which junior officers should be doing, then there would be a problem.

"Strictly observation and training for Detective Harlan." Cindy said. "Part of our cross-over training, also. We expect no arrests nor action, just some intel-gathering."

"Okay, fine." I said, looking back at my computer screen. "Let me know what information you get. And don't let Malone trap you into stakeouts for any length of time."

"We won't." Cindy replied as the women left. Two hours after they'd gone, I found myself staring almost blindly at a payment for 'services rendered' on the computer screen... then it hit me... there were several of these to "Olivet"... why is he paying himself? I asked.

Then I realized... that the name wasn't 'Olivet'. It was a different spelling, but similar. I began to look at the pay stubs for that person. It was not an employee but a contractor, and not from the regular company records, but apparently from Tim Olivet personally. I searched but could find no other mentions of that person's name in any of the records and information I possessed.

But the name was familiar, and I began putting together some pieces as I made a note to go visit that person, and very soon...

Part 4 - Searching For Answers

"Todd? Still with us?" Eleanor Burke said. They were finishing up dinner and Todd had gone into a 'reverie'... something he might have inherited from his uncle and maternal grandmother as wheels of thought turned within his head.

"Yes, Mom, still here." Todd said. He often called Eleanor 'Mom', although Elizabeth was very much his real mother to him.

Todd continued "I was just thinking of that secret Tim might have had. Jeanine, you never had any idea at all what it was?"

"See, even my boyfriend is caught up in the secret." Jeanine said jokingly. "But no, and I'm not even sure there was a secret at all. Tim never mentioned anything, and we did talk about his work from time to time. There were no new patent applications, and the current ones had been known about for several years. The research staff said there was nothing particularly new or exciting that they were working on, though I have to admit I didn't talk to every single one of them."

"I know you sold the company, but if there is anything you'd like me or my research people to look at, we might be able to help." Michael Burke said.

"Yes, most of it is sold off, and I appreciate the offer but it won't be necessary." Jeanine said. "Tim's research staff told me what they knew, and there was nothing new that they were aware of. Todd's uncle was a chemistry major in college, and he said that the papers he looked over when Tim was killed showed nothing of significance, either. To be honest, I'm over and past all of that: the company is sold, and I'm just looking forward to my legal career and Todd's future."

"I hope that future will be with my company." Michael Burke said. "And it might well be his one day in the future."

"There are some aspects of the company that I like." Todd said. "The sales aspect and traveling for that might be fun. I'll leave the number-crunching to the CPAs and lawyers like Jeanine here." His grin gave away that he was teasing Jeanine, and her grin back showed her understanding of it. What she was not understanding was why Todd was interested in the travel aspects of the job...

---

As Todd and Eleanor cleaned the dishes, he was recounting to Eleanor how he'd been introduced to Jeanine and how they'd hit it off from the first moment. Eleanor was happy to hear that; Todd had taken losing that woman Melina very hard, and Eleanor thought Jeanine would be a much better woman for her stepson.

"Jeanine has always been a fit for this family." Eleanor said. "I was hoping Jack would take her away from Jimmy and Jack would marry her. But Jack didn't settle down, and Jeanine went away with Jimmy. He didn't want any part of us... I think Jimmy knew that we thought Jack was the better man all the way around."

"Well, Mom," Todd said, "I think it worked out. Especially since I got into your pants."

"Mmmm, you got that right." Eleanor said. Both of them began thinking of the past few months...

About two weeks after their first passionate coupling, Todd was on top of Eleanor on his bed in his bedroom. They were making love, and Eleanor was especially hot, squirming her saucy ass underneath him. At one point their gasps and the smacks of their lovemaking subsided... and Todd heard another noise.

Looking over his shoulder, he got a huge surprise: his father Michael was sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, naked. Michael was stroking his cock, a slender but large nine inch prick that was standing out hard as a spike. Michael's face was red and he was barely breathing as he watched the intense, adulterous copulation on the bed.

"Hi Dad." Todd said, not letting his surprise show, and taking command of the situation. "Like watching me fuck your wife?"

"Yeah... yes, son, fuck her. I want to... keep watching... Fuck her, Todd, give it to her!" Michael Burke said. He was a handsome man with white hair, his body still slender, fit, very much in shape. Despite some heart problems, he loved playing tennis. Todd could see where he'd inherited his penis size from: Michael Burke's cock was not as large as Todd's, and Jack's had been bigger also, but it was still a very impressive nine-inch length.

Todd began fucking Eleanor even harder. "Come on, Todd, show my husband how a real man fucks me! Show him what real fucking is all about!" Her words were derisive and Todd instantly deduced that the man he'd watched in business be dominant and strong was in fact a submissive to his wife at home. Todd groaned as he plowed Eleanor harder, the pleasure of the sex mingling with the rush in his mind that he was going to take advantage of this situation... even as he fucked the lovely mature woman beneath him, his mind was already planning on how to dominate both of them.

But it was going to be a challenge... the excitement of fucking his father's wife in front of his father was more intense than Todd realized, and he soon felt his nut rising uncontrollably... he was about to come! He didn't try to stop it but just let it happen, groaning as he felt his semen blast into Eleanor's well-fucked, sopping cunt. His load was huge and messy, and it took a full minute before he finally finished his release.

"Todd, go get us a drink." Eleanor said. "I'll have some vermouth, make something for yourself." Todd felt Eleanor's will, and realized she was trying to dominate him as she did her husband.

"What about Dad?" he said as he disengaged.

"He's going to have a different drink. Now go." Eleanor said. Todd understood and left the room; he had no desire to watch what his stepmother was going to make her husband do, that she was going to have Michael orally clean up her semen-filled pussy, and that it was something Michael loved doing. Todd thought such a thing was sickening, even his Uncle Don, who enjoyed watching, didn't stoop to that level.

Todd was glad to be out of the room. He wondered if Eleanor had been truthful when she told him Jack was the only man with whom Eleanor had cheated. Certainly the husband and wife had an understanding that he was just beginning to learn...

---

As Todd and Eleanor finished the dishes in the kitchen, Jeanine was left alone with Michael Burke. Jeanine wasn't afraid of him, but Tim's dislike and fear of him had worn off on her over time, and she was wary. Todd had told her about Michael Burke's submissiveness in the bedroom, which she could scarcely believe at this moment as she felt Michael's strength and power.

"I have to say, Jeanine," Michael Burke started as he sat down in a chair opposite of her on the sofa, "that while I know it's very awkward, I'm glad you're here with us, and I hope that you'll let Eleanor and I become part of your family again if your relationship with Todd goes where I think it will."

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Burke." Jeanine said.

"Please, call me Michael." Burke said. Then after a pause, as if he was considering something, he asked "What do you know about our son Jack, beyond your own relationship with him?"

"To be honest, nothing." Jeanine said. "My few contacts with Jack were purely sexual. We never talked about him or anything to do with your family."

"I understand." said Michael. "The reason I ask... you probably don't know that when Jack was at college, in fact he was near graduation... well, he was accused of rape by a woman there."

"Todd mentioned that, but he doesn't know anything about it either." Jeanine replied.

"The charges were dropped," said Burke, "but Jack was hounded out of school by one of the professors there. His leaving college and disappearing devastated Eleanor and myself, but especially Eleanor."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jeanine said politely, wondering what the point was that Mr. Burke was attempting to make. "Didn't Jack visit you a few times, didn't he say anything to you at all?"

"He visited us three times after dropping out of school, never staying more than an afternoon. He never would say what happened nor what he was doing with his life." Burke said. "The... stress on Eleanor has been tremendous. She was so happy and relieved, as I was, when we heard that you were pregnant with Jack's child, which solved one of her great fears in the latter years of our lives."

After another pause, in which Jeanine did not help Michael Burke to bridge, he said "After Jack was killed, I spoke with Todd's uncle, that Detective they promoted early to Lieutenant. I told him about the woman, whose name was Ivy, that had falsely accused my son of rape. I was hoping the Detective would purse that line, but he never did. Can't say I blame him, as he's been an extremely busy man the last few months."

"Yes, he has." Jeanine said.

"What I'm getting to, I guess," said Burke, "is that for Eleanor's sake I'd like to find that woman Ivy and find out why she accused my son, and who was really behind his persecution. You're a lawyer, and a rapidly rising one in this Town. You'll hear things and maybe even get to look into things. I'd be more than a little bit grateful if you find out anything about Ivy and who was behind her, and if you let me know what you find."

"I think you overestimate my circle of influence." Jeanine said. "However, if I do hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know." Her face did not betray that she had no intentions of telling this man any such thing: if this man's son Tim had been so scared of him that he had worked his entire life to hide from his father, there was no telling what this woman Ivy's fate would be if Michael Burke found her.

And, of course, Jeanine simply wasn't interested in what had happened to Jack Burke in college.

"Thank you, dear- why there you are, Eleanor!" he said as his wife and son came back into the room with a chocolate cake. "My, this looks delicious!"

---

I arrived home after my marathon data session, warming a bottle up and taking it upstairs. It was just past 2:00am as I undressed. Just then my two-week-old daughter Carole began to wake up and fidget, still learning how to move her arms and legs.

"Hi there, Fussbudget." I said quietly to Carole as I picked her up out of her crib and sat down with her. She began her 'hungry' cry, but before she could get really loud I had the bottle ready to go and put the nipple into her mouth.

"Mmm, what time is it?" Laura asked sleepily as she awakened.

"Two o'clock." I said. "Go back to sleep. I'm feeding Carole."

"Make sure to change her diaper..." Laura mumbled as she fell back to sleep. She needed some rest and I was happy to take care of the baby and let mom get some sleep.

As I fed Carole, I thought in my mind about the secret Tim Olivet had died with... and possibly for. I was realizing that it wasn't a chemical process or a drug process that everyone was after, though they may have thought it was. Certainly Ned, a master drug synthesizer even for his young age, did not need to make an elaborate plan to get the secret from Olivet... he could've taken one look at any papers and then made the drugs himself.

And Olivet's specialty had not been drugs or anything beyond base chemicals... in fact, chemicals used in his metallurgical processes. And that is where the secret had to be, I thought as I looked into my daughter's eyes, seeing her look up at me while continuing her feast of warm milk.

Several minutes later, after the requisite burping and diaper change, I put Carole back into her crib and lay down on the bed next to Laura, my mind still at work. Now what metals secret could Olivet and a contractor working for him have found? Hmm, Olivet did do some metals sales to semiconductor companies... could it be some sort of new etching process... perhaps very tiny nano-etching... oh, that has to be it! They found a new nanotechnology process!

No wonder everyone from Ned to Anthony Warner to Thaddeus Ward to the CIA to the Red Chinese to Henry R. Wargrave was interested! A new nanotechnology or nano-etching process that solved some current problems would be worth billions!

I fell asleep, washing my mind of all of that for the next few hours. I would have to prove my thesis... and I thought I knew exactly where to look.

Part 5 - Ghost of Burkes Past

"Oh God, oh yes, OH YES!!" Jeanine cried out. She was riding Todd, impaling her burning hot cunt onto her young lover's huge, hard male meat, deliberately allowing herself to be noisy so that the Burkes could hear them making love. It was late, and Todd and Jeanine were staying at the Burke's home in the luxurious guest bedroom.

"Yeah, Beautiful, ride that meat! Ride me hard!" Todd said loudly. It was a vision of loveliness above him. Jeanine's face was beautiful, framed by her long black hair. Her breasts were very large, ready for motherhood. Even the swell of her belly with his late brother's child was exciting to Todd as he felt Jeanine grind her pussy hard on his meat.

Jeanine climaxed hard and nearly collapsed. Todd eased her over onto the bed. She lay sideways as he sat on his knees and mounted her, fucking her 'sideways'. Jeanine moaned and groaned as Todd relentlessly pumped her, just relaxing and enjoying being fucked by this young man who was every bit as good as Jack was, something she never thought she'd find. Like brother like brother, she thought to herself.

Todd did not come, and after a few minutes he simply stopped and withdrew his cock. Jeanine dreamily asked him to lie down and cuddle with her, and they began sharing warm kisses as they lay side-by-side.

"Honey, what do you know of Jack's past?" Jeanine asked Todd as they cuddled.

"Nothing, really." Todd said quietly. "I'd heard of him because he was a legend in the S-E-X Fraternity and it's Ten-Inch-Team that I told you about, but beyond that, nothing. Melina said that something happened to him in school, that he was accused of rape while she was dating him. The charges were dropped, but Jack disappeared.

"Your parents are very interested in what happened." Jeanine said. "Both of them mentioned that to me, and mentioned a girl named Ivy. They want to find her really bad."

"Yeah I know, they've told me in the past. Uncle Don said Mr. Burke mentioned it to him, but Uncle Don has no interest at all in helping to find the woman. Can't say I blame him: without her, Uncle Don would've lost Melina and that would've changed all our lives."