Thank God for Irish Women Ch. 10

After giving us their business cards, they left with the money. They were not in a happy mood.

As we returned to the room, Emily asked, "How did you know it was a setup?"

"They must have searched the car. Remember, Patrick's car key was not in its normal place. Also, how would they check the ownership of the car if they didn't know about it? Wasn't the registration paper in the car?"

"Yes. I always keep it there."

"I'm sure they saw it."

Emily asked, "Did you hear Agent Jackson let out a little gasp when I opened the trunk?"

"No, but I saw a surprised look on her face."

She asked, "Wonder what that was about?"

"Who knows?"

"Do you think the FBI was trying to frame me?"

"No. I think they were testing you to see if you would do something with it. You didn't, but they couldn't admit it was a setup. Even if you had taken some of it, they couldn't admit they had found it and knew how much was there. But, they would know that you were dishonest and would look much closer at you because you were likely involved along with Patrick. Now I know why the Stanford police sergeant didn't ask what was in the box. He already knew."

"But I was close to sending some of it to the Salvation Army," Emily replied.

"Close doesn't count. You did the right thing, and it paid off."

Emily said, "That dream was a warning, wasn't it?"

"Probably so... your guardian angel at work."

"No, it was Mom I'm sure. When I woke in the night, I felt very close to her. I'm sure I'd been dreaming about her."

"Maybe so."

"Too bad you didn't get a recording of all the conversations," she said.

I smiled, "Look here." I pulled the iPhone out of my shirt pocket. It was still recording. "I have the entire conversation, except for the hour we counted the money." Emily laughed.

"Now let's forget about the money and go look for a place to live," I suggested.

"Great! There are many condos and townhouses you may be interested in seeing. The single family houses here are very expensive so we might want to consider buying a townhouse."

****

We drove around the area until late afternoon. Emily took me by her mom's small home where she was raised. There were two cars parked in the driveway, but Emily didn't recognize them.

"Did your mom leave the house to you?"

"My stepdad said it was left to him by the probate judge. I don't know for sure since I didn't see a will. He said she didn't leave one."

While we drove, Emily called a couple of her girlfriends and set up lunch to include their boyfriends for Sunday. The third friend, Lynn, was out of town.

We returned to the hotel at 5:00 pm. As we walked toward the lobby door, I heard a familiar voice call our names. We stopped and turned to see the two FBI agents walking to us.

Agent Norris said, "Miss Ryan, we have a search warrant that covers your car and your hotel room. Mr. Anderson, we also have a warrant that covers your 2009 Ford Explorer." He handed us the two warrants.

I probably upset them by standing there and reading every word of both warrants out loud for Emily to hear.

"So you're looking for a laptop computer that might have been owned by Patrick Jones?" I asked.

"Yes, plus anything else that may have a connection to the case we're investigating," Agent Norris replied.

"That's a very broad category. Can you be more specific?"

"Not at this time," he replied.

"How will we know if something is connected to your case?"

He responded, "We'll tell you what the suspected connection is if we come across anything. Listen, Mr. Anderson. We're not on a fishing expedition. We don't have time for that."

I asked, "Where do you want to begin?"

He responded, "Let's go to your room." As he was saying that, two uniformed officers from the local police department arrived and introduced themselves.

"These officers will be assisting us," Jackson said.

"Fine. Let's go and get it over with," I replied

.

For the next thirty minutes, they went through our luggage, our closet containing all the clothes that we'd unpacked, under furniture cushions, under furniture, in the bathroom, behind the drapes and in the water reservoir on the toilet. They even searched us.

Emily removed her jewelry from the safe and placed it on the dining table. They examined the empty safe and told her to put everything back. The laptop that had belonged to Patrick was confiscated, and a receipt was provided, this time without the drama.

The officers searched each of our vehicles using a drug-sniffing dog. Nothing was found and the two uniformed officers were dismissed. The agents said they had a few additional questions and asked that we return to our room.

Norris asked, "Miss Ryan, you indicated earlier that your bank account was kept entirely separate from Patrick's account. Did you have access to Patrick's online accounts?"

"No."

"We've seen transactions that occurred after his death. Do you have any idea who conducted those transactions?"

"I'm very surprised by that. I've no idea who knows the password to his account or accounts. I don't."

"Was anyone in possession of the laptop between the time of his death and the time you began using it?" asked Jackson.

"Yes. The Atlanta Police Department had it and they gave it to Mr. and Mrs. Jones who gave it to me a couple of days after he was killed. I don't know if anyone else had it."

Jackson said, "Mr. Anderson, there was an extremely large transaction from your checking account a little over a week ago. What was the purpose of that?"

"The purchase of a diamond engagement ring for Emily."

Jackson was incredulous. "No way! This was for $135,000." Emily's eyes and mouth shot open.

I reached into my wallet, pulled out the receipt from Kay Jewelers and handed it to her. She stared at it, then at me and then at the receipt again before passing it over to Norris who read it and handed it back to me.

I asked her, "Did you get a good set of prints from the water glass I was using this morning?"

Jackson stared at me. Norris replied, "Yes we did."

"You could have asked for my complete identity information. You didn't have to steal the water glass and hide it in the box."

They looked sheepish.

"So by now, you should know that I've done work for the FBI."

"Yes, we do," replied Norris.

"Why don't we all cut to the chase? Do you have any evidence that ties either Emily or me to Patrick's alleged crime?"

Norris responded, "It's too early to say."

I continued, "If you were in my position or Emily's position, would you retain an attorney?"

Norris again responded, "We can't advise you on that."

I could tell from his facial expression, or lack of it, that he didn't have anything on us. He was, indeed, on a fishing expedition.

Jackson continued, "Mr. Anderson, your bank accounts show very high balances... much more than we would normally see for a young man who just left college. What's the source of that money?"

"I'm a trust fund beneficiary. My grandparents were very wealthy, and they established multi-million dollar trust funds for my brother and me."

The two agents glanced at each other.

"What were their names?" asked Jackson.

"William and Harriet Anderson."

"I think that's all the questions we have for now," Agent Norris said as he stood. They thanked us and departed immediately.

As soon as the door closed, Emily exclaimed, "Matt! You spent $135,000 for my ring!"

"Not quite, but close."

"Oh my goodness. Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to and I thought you deserved it."

She smiled and replied, "Sweetheart, I'd love you just as much with a ring from a Cracker Jack box."

"I can never buy your love, Emily. I'd never even try. It's about the respect I have for you and honoring your commitment to me." Tears welled in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to imply that, Matt. It was a thoughtless thing to say. I'm sorry."

"I love you, Emily. Our relationship will never be about the money."

She smiled and leaned into me for a kiss. "Please forgive me. It was a stupid comment."

"You're forgiven." We kissed again.

"Now what's this about you working for the FBI?"

"As part of my graduate studies, I worked with the FBI engineers to miniaturize several pieces of surveillance equipment that could be worn by people in undercover situations. I can't talk about what I did as it's a government secret. But, they liked my work and were instrumental in me getting the job I start on Tuesday."

"Kind of like the James Bond movie character who's always inventing something for 007 to use against the bad guys."

I laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

"I never saw them put the water glass in the box," she said.

"I didn't either. I noticed later it was missing. The only way they could take it out unseen was in the box. It was too big for their pockets, and they had nothing else with them to put it in."

"Do you think they were wearing the surveillance device you helped invent?"

"They could have been, but I doubt it. These two were not undercover. Plus, they're very dumb for FBI agents. I don't think their boss would trust them to keep new gadgets secret."

"I know what you mean. Did you see the look on her face when you showed her the ring receipt?"

"I know. She was thinking she had me caught in a lie, I suppose."

Emily asked, "What do you think they're going to do with the computer?"

"Oh, what they always do. Their geeks will recover all the information possible, no matter if someone has erased it or not. They'll be looking for files that were not sent by email."

"Why not the emails?"

"They probably have those already. They or their associates in the NSA and other agencies intercept and file all emails that are sent. They'll just filter their data files for the IP address of Patrick's computer, and they'll be able to see any email that was sent or received by that laptop."

She was turning red. "Oh jeez," she muttered.

"What have you been sending?"

She looked down and closed her eyes. "Damn computers!"

"Emily, what have you been sending?"

She glanced at me and then diverted her eyes. "Just some daily accounts to a couple of my girlfriends."

"Accounts of what?"

"Oh, Matt. I'm embarrassed. It was just some descriptions of how good our sex has been."

"Damn it, Emily! Why did you do that?" I screamed.

"I'm sorry, Matt. Debbie, Lynn, and I have been following each others' love lives since we began having sex years ago. It's just something we started and have continued to do."

"So you three know everything. Nothing's a secret?" I was very angry.

"Matt, I'm sorry. I'll stop doing it. But guys do the same thing. Every guy I know tells the other guys about how his sex life is going. They brag all the time about what they got away with and who they did it with. I've read their emails and heard them talk about it."

"I haven't done it."

She frowned at me and said, "Let's see now, smart ass. There's Linda Sue Massey, Ellie, Toni, and Barbara. And there are several more on your list that I'm sure I'll hear about if I pester you enough." She was now pissed as much as me.

"But that's different, Emily. They're not the one I'm currently dating. They no longer mean anything to me so I feel free to recount what I learned from them."

"That's bullshit, Matt. You get the same thrill out of remembering them now as you do when we have sex. You start leaking as soon as you begin talking about them. They sure as hell do mean something to you or else your penis wouldn't be dripping when I pull it out after one of your stories."

"My penis drips for you Emily, not because I'm remembering someone else."

"Ummm, I don't think so. But I'm going to let it go for now. What am I going to do for a damn computer while those jackasses jerk off to Patrick's?"

"Let's go down to the Apple Store and get one. You prefer their technology, I think."

"Yes, it's the only one I've used."

We found the address of the nearest store. After looking at six or seven different models, she chose the MacBook Air, a lightweight 13-inch laptop that would be perfect for what she does. She also purchased the USB SuperDrive and the new Microsoft Office software for Mac.

We returned to the hotel, and Emily spent the rest of the evening setting up her email, loading software, downloading music, and learning the features of the new machine while I watched a ballgame.

After syncing her iPad to the computer, Emily put away her new toy and lay down, fully clothed, next to me on the bed. We watched the last inning holding hands.

"I like this new computer," she said.

"It's very lightweight, for sure. Does it do what you expected?"

"Yes, even better. It's very fast, and the display is excellent."

"Did you and Patrick always share his laptop?"

"Pretty much, I couldn't afford to replace an old one I had."

"Did it die on you?"

"Yeah, it was the craziest thing; spooky, in fact. A couple of days after my mom was killed, I tried to turn it on but it was dead. Patrick said it looked like the motherboard crashed with no warning. All I had was a blank screen."

"Did you have the Apple geeks take a look at it?"

"Yeah, but they couldn't get it going. They said I'd have to buy a new motherboard for it. That would cost more than I wanted to pay for a three-year-old computer to be repaired. Patrick created a partition on his and I used it every time I had to have one."

"But still, a computer should last more than three years. Did you have the extended warranty on it?"

"No, my stepdad bought it for me but he didn't buy the optional warranty. But enough of this discussion. I don't like to talk about Mom's death or my stepdad."

"What would you like to talk about?"

She replied, "I want to talk about us and the future."

She grinned and added. "Those are happy thoughts."

"I agree."

"Once we get settled, I want to call my grandparents and see when we can visit them. Could you get time off to go over there for a few days?"

"I get two weeks of vacation between now and year-end. I doubt they will let me off surrounding the Christmas holidays since I'm low man on the roster. Maybe we can find a week in October or November. Can you call them and see if that would work?"

"Why don't you check with your boss next week and see what works for him and then I'll call Grandmama."

I replied, "That might be the best approach."

"We'll both need to buy new clothes before we go. I felt very underdressed when I was there last year."

"You'll have to advise me. I have only one suit; I'll need several more, I suppose, plus formal wear."

"Probably so. But, we both need to be who we are, just dressed nicely."

I grinned and agreed. "We can only be ourselves. If he approves of me, fine. If not, maybe he'll tell me why so I can work on earning his approval. Did he indicate what traits he'd be looking for?"

"Not a one. But Matt, you're perfect for me no matter if you're perfect for him or not."

Emily turned to me, and we kissed.

Her hair was down and, although it had been recently trimmed, was still long. I reached and moved it behind her ear, kissed her neck, and nibbled her earlobe. She moaned quietly, almost in a whisper. I caressed her still-clothed bottom as her finger nails lightly scratched my back.

I covered her neck and ears with soft kisses. The fragrance she wore was sweet and spicy. Emily swallowed as my lips touched her Adam's apple. Her moans pleaded for sex when I unbuttoned her blouse and reached for those soft breasts and hard nipples. Rolling them between my thumb and finger elicited more urgent moans.

Emily reached for my shirt and released the five buttons before breaking our kiss. She smiled that devilish way she sometimes did when sex was pending, and her passion was rising.

"Emily, I want you, sweetheart." She stopped and grinned again before turning over to shimmy off her jeans. To my surprise, she wore a pair of purple panties I'd not seen. When I reached for her, I discovered the panties were crotchless.

I whispered while fingering the slit, "When did you buy these?"

"The panties?"

I smirked, "Of course."

"When I went shopping with your mom that day. There was a Victoria's Secret store in the mall, and she and I bought several sexy items."

"My mom did?"

"She and your dad have a very active sex life. She told me that he likes her crotchless garments, but I've never worn them until now. You obviously like it."

I'm sure my face showed total shock. My mom wore crotchless panties for my dad! I never would have guessed that.

"Emily that floors me. Not in a million years would I have thought about my mom wearing this type of garment for my dad."

"Sweetheart, Christians have sex too. And I'll bet they even enjoy it. How do you think you got here?"

"Of course they did it early on but now, wearing crotchless panties? I'm floored."

"Honey, old people enjoy sex. Don't you see the ED commercials on TV?"

"Yeah, but those were just actors. We're talking about my parents."

"Matt, sex is okay for them. They're not old. I hope we're still having wonderful sex when we're 80."

I had to put some thought into that. Eighty? Really? We kissed again, and our tongues touched, and then jousted, as the urgency built. My fingers moved rapidly in and out of her and I moved down to begin sucking her nipple. She groaned and twitched, pulling me tightly against her breast while her hips began to move in unison with the thrusting of my fingers. She was dripping wet, and my hand was soaked.

Just as quickly as she began, she stopped, and rapidly climbed on this cowboy, facing my feet. Her lovely bottom smiled at me. Emily guided me into her soaked tunnel and eased down, fully engulfing my erection. She sat quietly. Her back reflected quick breathing with its up and down motion. She leaned forward and put her hands on my shins before raising herself to begin rhythmic strokes.

"OH! Oh! Oooooh!" She sucked in air, let out a very deep sigh and slammed down on me. Her breathing was urgent, and her fingers gripped my shins so hard they hurt.

This continued for a few moments before she stopped, fully impaled. She quickly sat up and threw her head back. I could see her hands roughly squeezing her breasts. Emily began whimpering and her legs gripped my thighs.

I watched enthralled as her flawless tapered back began moving up and down. The orgasm hit and she stiffened and then shook, again throwing her head back. I could see the sides of her young breasts quivering as she struggled to breathe.

Her muscles clinched over and over, and her neck flushed light pink. The moaning could probably be heard in the next room. I erupted in jet after hot jet shooting up into her, searching for her cervix. Emily slammed down two more times when she felt the pulsing.

After several moments, she awkwardly crawled off my legs and walked quickly to the bathroom.

Bringing a towel for me, Emily crawled into my arms and laid her head beside mine while I cupped her bare bottom. She whispered, "That was some of the best sex I've ever had. I'm astonished by how great a lover you are. You always wait for me."

"We make a good pair of lovers, I think."

She corrected me. "A perfect pair."

Sunday, May 30, 2010

The slamming of a door in the next room was my wake-up call. I stared at the ceiling until Emily showed signs of waking. After our mandatory bathroom visits, we returned to bed and talked about the day.

"What time do we meet Debbie and Trish for lunch?"

"The plan is for 12:30 at the Texas Roadhouse. Debbie's boyfriend Sam and Trish's boyfriend Davis are coming. I think you'll like them."

"Are they all about your age?"

"Just about. I think Davis is a year older."

"So I'm the old man of the group."

"Yeah, but you still get around pretty good." She squealed when I smacked her naked bottom.