Maxine's New Life Ch. 12

I had seen all I could from the car. I needed to get onto the grounds of the kid's dorm at least. First I needed to know, whether Julie would come willingly, or if I needed to snatch her up. It would be a different kind of rescue, if Julie resisted.

"Hey Max, I will be at the office tomorrow at noon, if that is okay" Lucas's voice said over the cell.

"That's fine and dammit I want this ring tone changed tomorrow." I said finally remembering.

"That's easy you could do that yourself." he suggested. Hanging around with Gwen had not been a positive influence for him. He was getting way to independent. I did smile at the thought though.

"Then good, it won't take you long. Note the emphasis on you." I said smiling.

"All right ring tone change tomorrow. I'll down load some for you to choose from."

"Don't bother anything but that stupid song that plays now. I think it's Barry Manilow for God's sake."

"Okay no Manilow," Lucas said. "Max are we doing something out of plumb tomorrow?"

"Hell no, it's just a little bike ride around Tryon."

"Why Tryon?" he asked.

"I thought a change of scenery would be nice."

"I have a feeling it isn't going to be nature, which we will be observing."

"Oh hell, Lucas we are going to be bird watching some of the time, I promise." Jailbirds, I thought. I overlooked telling him that part. No sense getting his hopes up, nothing might happen at all.

It was seven thirty when I stopped for a Subway Steak and Cheese sandwich on the way home. Mike came inside to order a sandwich as well. I smiled and he ignored me. I also stopped at a convenience store for chips. I wanted a bigger bag than I would have gotten at Subway, and some chili cheese dip as well. Mike stayed in his car in the back corner of the parking lot. It was his way of observing without being noticed. I thought it was foolish, but I said nothing. Besides he did that James Bond shit all the time. I was used to it.

I swear to you I have the worst fucking luck of any human being on the planet. I'm back picking out a can of dip for use with the chips, when some black kid comes in with his hand in his hoodie's pocket.

"Give me all the cash or I'm going to blow your fat ass away," he said it all in some 'gangsta' style. If his voice hadn't been quivering, it would have sounded better.

"I don't think you have a gun," the overweight white lady behind the counter said.

"What the fuck do you think this is," the kid said it while showing her the chrome automatic. It was most likely a 9mm. One of those walk around guns, that thugs bought to impress each other. Even my hammerless .38 revolver had more hit.

Since the Mendez brothers, I never went anywhere without it. He was so invested in the clerk, that he didn't even notice the most dangerous bitch in the place, me. I slipped up behind him and put the .38 against the base of his skull.

"Drop it or I put a slug in your brain pan," I said.

"I can shoot her before you can shoot me,," he said.

"Kid, I don't even know her. What makes you think I give a shit, if you shoot her? Now drop the piece or use it. It's a couple of years for armed robbery or a bullet in the brain, your choice." I said again.

He carefully placed the pistol on the counter. "You that Stone bitch?" he asked looking into the surveillance mirror."

"That's me. If you had looked up sooner, you would have known this was a bad idea." I turned my attention the the chubby old lady. "You okay Thelma?"

"Yeah Maxine, would you have really let him shoot me?" she asked a little shocked.

"Of course not. If he showed any signs of that, I would have covered you in his brain matter." I said while smiling at her. The truth is I might not have known his intention till after she was dead. The paperwork and interviews for apprehending him were much easier than they would have been if I had killed him. Since I had done both kinds, I gave him the chance to put the gun down.

"Now Thelma call 911 and tell them that you are holding a robber at gunpoint. Tell her to be sure to tell the officers not to come in guns blazing."

"Oh yeah," Thelma said reaching for the store phone. I saw Mike move his car across the street. Thelma didn't notice, so I didn't mention it.

"Now kid let met tell you something. I'm tired of holding this gun to your head, but I will shoot you. before I allow myself to get sloppy. So take a step back, then lean forward and put your hands on the counter. Spread your legs just like you do for the cops or your boyfriend. Might as well go ahead and get in the position. They will have you do it when they get here anyway. 'The position' was about a lot more than ease of search. The mooch was way off balance, any move he made would give me plenty of time to react.

I smiled over at Thelma as the cops pulled into the parking lot. "Looks like the game is over and you won," i said to her.

"I don't feel like a winner. I feel like I need to pee." she said. I laughed.

We rated a sergeant and two patrolmen. When they came in things were tense for a moment or two as the patrolmen told me to drop the gun.

"Sunny this is a collector's piece. I will put it on the floor with the barrel facing me, but I will not drop it."

"Do it," the sergeant said quietly.

I did exactly as I said I would. The sergeant recovered my pistol and carefully put it on a box of candy bars. "Ms Stone, do you hire these idoits, just so you can get more publicity?" he asked.

"Sure, I have a standing order with l idiots are us. They deliver me one every week. Actually I just came in for a bag of chips. I have a subway steak sandwich out in the car getting soggy as we speak."

"Hell, I like mine soggy, even a day old," he said. "You know the drill, we are going to have to interview you. I will try to make it quick."

"Okay, this is the quick version. The idiot came in stuck a gun in Thelma's face and demanded money. This place belongs to Thelma and her husband. I was afraid she would do something stupid to save her money, so I put the .38 in his ear. That's it."

"Sounds about right to me. I know where to reach you, if we need more. One of the new robbery/homicide dicks will be around I'm sure."

"See if you can keep this out of the papers please," I said.

"Not a chance, newspapers are about to die. In their death throws they are reading every scrap of paper that comes across the booking room desk."

"How very wonderful for me," I said with a sarcastic tone.

After the interview ended Thelma gave me the chips and thanked me profusely. I drove home ate the soggy sandwich and went to bed. Of course I had to masturbate to get my mind off the almost shooting. I waved goodnight to the camera before I fell asleep in my wet panties.

Chapter 70

I managed to drag my lazy ass to the local Hardee's for a biscuit. I always take my own coffee in my huge delta cup. You know the kind shaped like a mercury space capsule. It is only partly because I am miserly. I like my coffee better than theirs.

Sunday morning is quiet in our town. I have never figure out how it is possible, but there is no 'before church' traffic to amount to anything. After church the roads are jammed for a half hour at least. So how the fuck do those people get to church is my question. It's a mystery to be sure.

It was after nine before I left the restaurant. I had three hours to kill before I met with Lucas. I tried to think of anything that the bikes needed. I had almost a full gallon of premix, so that wasn't an issues. What is premix you ask? Premix is a mixture of gasoline and oil used in 2 cycle engines. The engines used on both of our bikes were originally meant for some garden tool, I'm sure.

I drove to the office simply because the Mr Coffee was there. I made coffee, then went back to the cruiser for my tool kit. When I returned to the office, I leisurely drank coffee while checking all the bolts for tightness.

When all the prep work that I could think of was done, I tuned on my laptop to watch a tv show from the week before. I found a show with a couple of cute guys playing detective. It was humorous and entertaining. I am a bit of a wise ass, so I love wise guy TV. Yes bits and pieces of the dialogue find their was into my conversations. I admit I steal, I just try to steal from the best.

After the TV show Lucas still wasn't in the office, so I found the local newspaper's web site. On the website they published tidbits everyday. The 'tree killer' addition came out every two weeks. I noted with distaste that I made the on line edition already. Damn there must have been a reporter sleeping with a cop to have gotten that story so fast.

I did learn the child thug's name and age. Daren Brown age 17 almost became a victim of his own stupidity. The story was reasonably accurate. It even had a bit of a twist, since the reporter focused on Thelma's version. It did state that I was not available for comment. Thelma obviously went back to work after the robbery attempt. She would have been much easier to find for sure.

"So are you okay?" Lucas asked as he entered the office with Gwen at his side.

"I'm just fine." Mike must have given them the news, I thought.

"You know you are beginning to look like a TV show. Every time I turn around you are there with that dumb looking pistol in someone face." Lucas said it for the camera I'm sure.

"Well it's a small town. There are only a half dozen stores you can just run in for gas and potato chips. I guess we just happened to be there a the same time. Or maybe God hates me."

"I'm going with God hates you," Lucas said. "So give me the phone. I think I have the perfect ring tone. I'll put it one and you can test drive it today."

"Here," I said handing him the hated phone. "After that I have a little computer job for you. It shouldn't take long at all."

I drank coffee and ignored Gwen until she asked, "So what's it like to live a life that makes no sense at all?"

I had to think about that a long time before I answered, "You mean my life makes no sense to you. It seems to make sense to me."

"How could it. You bounce around like a ball inside a pinball machine." It was obvious that someone had been doing some script writing.

"Gwen there is framework even in a pinball game. The top, bottom, and sides keep the ball in play. There are rules, you hit a bumper and you fly off, but you can only go so far. The flippers are your salvation, sometimes they save you, but eventually they don't and you just fall off the planet. It is the same with everyone. I have just been able to stay in play longer and play harder than some of the other players. You and I play a different version of the pinball game. Mine is a faster one perhaps, but everybody plays some version of it. No one has total control of their own life.

"You believe that?" she asked.

"Yes I do," I replied not at all offended by her attempt to fit my life into her sound bite.

"Here you go," Lucas said handing me my cell phone and breaking the conversation. I had to give it to him, he knew when to jump in with both feet. "So what do you want me to check on the computer."

"Earnest Davenport, runs the Family Mission in Tryon. I need to know who he is, and what he owns. I also want to know who his employees are. He has several government grants through some kind of social services programs. The people who operate the half way house on a daily basis should be listed somewhere."

"I should have it for you in a few minutes." Lucas said going back to his computer.

When I went back to ignoring Gwen, it was a lot more personal. I had really begun to dislike her. If we was a men, I would have thought that we were in a whose is bigger contest.

While Lucas worked, she kept her camera pointed at him. I was glad his was the only interesting thing happening. Then out of nowhere Gwen asked, "You would have let that kid kill the clerk wouldn't you."

"Why would I do that?" I asked bewildered.

"Just to see if he would. You really are that cold aren't you?"

"Gwen, do you have a list?" I asked smiling.

"What?" she asked instead of answering.

"Have you and Mike sat down to make a list of things that are supposed to piss me off. Are you looking for a reaction of some kind?" She didn't deny it, or answer me at all for that matter.

"Here you go boss. Davenport has no criminal record. He left Duke University ten years ago. No reason was listed for his withdrawal. I can follow up with the university tomorrow, if you want." I nodded to keep him talking. "He got involved in community action groups, when they were hiring ground troops. He drove the van for the get out the vote efforts. He even helped at the community centers. Probably how he got started working with the elderly."

"Yeah, he can't run a nursing home, so a geriatric day care is next best thing." I agreed.

"He can't even run one of those, since he isn't qualified. That feeding project of Archer's was ideal for him to get a foot in the door."

"Is there any connection to archer?" I wanted to know before I devised my strategy for Davenport."

"Nothing at all, in fact there is an article written by Archer critical of Davenport." I nodded again.

"You know about the two half way houses and the residential mentally challenged facility?" he asked.

"Yes I know about those and all the slums he rents out as well."

"He has a three thugs who work for him, as well as a secretary and a money/property manager." Lucas said.

"Ah if Davenport doesn't want to play on our team, we may need to contact the secretary or the money manager. Get everything you can on them. It's 1PM, you can do the follow up tomorrow. We need to ride."

"Do you want the list of his property? It's pretty extensive," Lucas asked.

"Save it Luke, we can never have too much information."

We immediately pulled the motors from the two bicycles, then put the bicycles onto the van's carrier. Gwen followed us to the parking lot of a church in the rental car. I chose the church as our start point. It was in the center of the route I wanted to take. It also would have people coming and going so the van would be safe there. Reassembling the bikes took only minutes. It was a couple of minutes after 2PM when we pedaled from the parking lot. The bike motors were humming but providing no help. We didn't rev them into action until we were on the road. We hit a flat section with no cars parked on the sides, so we let them out. I did not have a speedometer but I guessed we were doing about twenty miles an hour. I had the route in my head, so naturally I got lost a few times.

Eventually I found myself across the street from the Friendly Missions volunteer's living quarters. The runaway dorm, as I thought of it. It was even worse looking in the sunlight. The house was one step away from condemnation. There was no Julie hanging out in the yard for me to approach, so after only a few minutes of observation we moved on.

The halfway houses were even more grim looking in the light of day. Those did have guys sitting on the front porch. Some looked more like active thugs than guys who had learned a lesson while in the joint. Boxer shorts showing above there barely hanging on jeans. Pure exercise yard gear, I thought. That made it look even more like a prison, and not so much minimum security either. I had to admit it made my anxiety level rise.

The housing for the mentally challenged was not any better than the halfway house. The only difference I noticed was the same as I saw the night before. The fence wasn't as high. There were people sitting on the porch there as well. The people there seemed harmless. I knew better but they made me nervous as well.

After the tour Lucas pulled up beside me and motioned me to pull over. I found a shady spot to stop the bike. "You got trouble?" I asked.

"No I'm just wondering why all the interest in Davenport. We don't need the grand tour to hijack Julie." he suggested.

"If we just grab her Luke, she will just run away again. When the Pros from Dover leave, there will be nobody to finance another rescue. I want to try to solve this problem once and for all. Most likely it won't work, but while we have all the resources that Marty's money will buy, lets use them."

"Now that makes sense. Why didn't you tell me that before?" he asked. He really was developing some bad habits since running around with Gwen. I didn't want to do it but it was time to set him straight.

"Well first of all Lucas, you work for me. I am not required to inform you of my thinking. But even more important, you are dating one of the TV producers. I don't want to share my thoughts with them. I am pretty sure they are putting you up to this shit, but don't try to second guess me unless you are prepared to move on to some other job."

"Maybe I need to do that," he said anger creeping into his voice.

"Luke I think it is obvious that I like you. We usually work well together. Frankly, if you are going to think with you dick, then maybe you should move on. That is a decision only you can make. I hope you stay, but if you can't get your head out of Gwen's ass, you probably should find something else to do."

There was a definite tension between us. I could feel it even on the bikes. It was more evident in the van as we drove back to Aster. We put the bikes away before he and Gwen left without a word.

I probably should not have said anything, but I did it as much for Gwen as for Lucas. If she had any honor at all, she would tell him to cool it. She would be gone in two weeks, and he had his whole life ahead of him. However, if she planned to take him back to Boston, then it would all work out for the best. Either way the ball was in his court.

Outside my compound, I found thing not quite as they should be. The tape revealed my big plastic trash can overturned, and paper food wrappers spread around the yard. I knew there were raccoons around the area. I also knew that garbage was high on their list of food sources, but I had never had an encounter. I wanted to write the trash as animal theft, but first I checked the other camera's carefully. I even went back and fast forward the last thirty minutes. All of the tape had the can already turned over, so I learned nothing other than the cabin didn't appear to have been breached. The gate area looked just it had when I left.

I took the chance and went through the gate. I cleanup up the mess while I looked for signs of animals. There were paw prints on the trashcan from the dirt in the yard. It had been a raccoon I decided.

The thing with Lucas was on my mind all afternoon Sunday.‭ ‬Even so,‭ ‬I did as much research on Davenport as I could manage on my own.‭ ‬I knew that Lucas had become very important to the business,‭ ‬as it had evolved.‭ ‬If Lucas decided to go,‭ ‬I would probably be looking for a new Lucas.‭ ‬I also knew that I could not back down.‭ ‬Lucas either worked for me,‭ ‬or Gwen and Mike.‭ ‬For me it was that simple.‭ ‬Sometimes in the heat of the moment,‭ ‬I had to make a decision right or wrong.‭ ‬I had neither the time not the inclination to explain my reasons to Lucas or anyone else.‭ ‬I often made the wrong decision and I had to live with that,‭ ‬but there are times you just have to do something,‭ ‬even if it is the wrong thing.

I knew that I had been right in what I said to Lucas.‭ ‬I was just sorry that it came to that.‭ ‬Of course Lucas was like a teenager.‭ ‬He had gotten more confident in his abilities,‭ ‬so he had begun searching for his own identity.‭ ‬It's why parents of teenage kids age faster than parents of younger or older children.

I shook it off while sitting at my makeshift desk trying to find a handle on Davenport.‭ ‬I had said something to Lucas about using Marty's resources to at least threaten Davenport.‭ ‬Maybe it was time to listen to myself.