A Chance Encounter Pt. 01

Anyway, about a week ago, he came home early, before me. I work for a large investment firm and I have regular hours. I usually get home around 4:30. This day, when I pulled in the drive, Richard was hurriedly loading his car with suitcases. I know I surprised him. I don't think he knew I got home that early. He told me he had to take an unscheduled business trip, that he would be gone a couple weeks, a big deal that needed babysitting overseas. I don't know how, but I knew he was lying, though I couldn't imagine why, or what about. Before I could even begin to process what was going on, he was gone.

Two days after he left, I came home from work and there was a big SUV parked in the drive and two men waiting. They showed me i.d. that I didn't really get a good look at, and started asking me questions about where Richard was, the last time I had seen him, and did he mention anything about what he was doing...and I don't remember what all. It's all a jumbled blur, now. But they scared me. They acted like they didn't believe me, and hinted that there could be consequences for withholding information. And they would never answer a single question I asked, just ignored them and kept grilling me.

The next day after their visit, Richard called. He needed some very important documents from his home office that he'd forgotten. He told me where to find them. The funny thing, they weren't in his safe or his file cabinets; they were in a compartment behind an antique breakfront. I had to scoot it out, and there was this panel in the wall. I thought what the hell? But Richard was adamant he had to have them asap. He said he was in San Diego, and for me to leave that night, but not to fly; I had to drive, and not to use any credit cards. Go to the bank and get cash. I started asking why he was in San Diego, what the hell was going on. He got irate, said he couldn't talk about it, just do it, and to absolutely talk to nobody. He would explain everything when I got there. He told me to call when I arrived. It left me freaked out. And he sounded scared to me. I've never heard him sound that way. Between his call and those guys interrogating me, I was and still am scared. I don't know what to think.

So, I got the documents, packed some clothes, stopped at the bank, and left that night. I've been driving almost nonstop, with only one night's sleep. That brings you up to now. You know about as much as I do."

I thought for a moment, filling in some blanks where her husband was obviously keeping her in the dark. He was in trouble - with the wrong kind of people. He'd cheated somebody, crossed somebody, or failed to deliver on something - on something that was important enough that failure was not an option. Whatever, he was trying to do damage control, and almost certainly, getting out of Dodge. In the process, he had now involved his wife, putting her in danger. I already didn't like the asshole.

"Did you look at the documents?"

"No, just the front cover of the folder to make sure it matched what he told me."

"Listen, Danielle, I don't think it is wise to show up in San Diego without knowing more about what's going on. You could be walking into a dangerous situation there, and it would behoove you to have a better understanding of what your husband has gotten himself into. He is definitely putting you at risk."

She sat and looked at me for a full minute, absentmindedly chewing her lip. That drew my attention to her mouth. She had a lovely mouth, slightly wide, with full, nicely-shaped lips that turned up at the corners when she smiled.

She responded, "Um, I thought...I felt like that was the case, but I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to drop the documents off and go home."

"I think you have to be prepared that you may not be able to go home."

"What? Why?"

"Look, if those men who came and saw you had been feds, that would have been bad. But they weren't. And that's a lot worse..."

"How do you know they weren't, um, feds?"

"If they were FBI, or any of the other regular 'alphabet soup' government outfits, they would have been overbearingly certain to let you know. They're all very impressed with themselves - occupational disease. These guys were either a shadowy, non-public, covert group, or worse, not government at all. Your husband is on the run. Those documents are important for his protection, his survival, or for their potential to bury him even deeper if they get in the wrong hands. Whatever, they are the only thing that could give us a handle on what's going on, so we know how to react, how to mitigate circumstances that could put you in jeopardy."

"We? Quinn, I can't involve you in this. It's not..."

"Danielle, I'm involved. No way I can't be. I know you, now. I can't just walk away." I reached and took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

She broke down, just started crying, body shaking. She had been trying to hold it together, blindly hoping everything would be okay - in denial. But now it was out in the open.

"What do I do? I mean, what can I do...what can you do?" she choked out between sobs.

I went to the bathroom and pulled the tissue box out of its holder under the counter and brought it to her.

"I need a look at those documents; see what I can see."

She looked like she might protest, then shrugged her shoulders and nodded, acquiescing.

"Listen, it's late, we need to try and get some sleep. I'll start out driving tomorrow, then when I have you take over, I'll go through the documents."

I stood and taking her hand, I had her stand with me, "Don't worry. We'll figure this out. I won't let anything happen to you..."

She fell into me, hands fisted in my shirt, "I don't understand any of this - what Richard was doing, what he's involved in...And, I don't understand why you're helping me..."

"Because I can, and, hey, I'm a cop. I protect people from bad guys. It's in my blood. Don't worry about why. Just know, I'll help you. It's going to be okay. Now, get settled down and try to sleep. Long day tomorrow."

I gave her a light hug. She nodded into my chest, then looked up, "Thank you, Quinn."

I walked to the door, undid the locks and stepped out. I got to my room, stripped out of my clothes, hanging my shirt and laying my jeans out flat. I turned off the lamp by the bed and was asleep before the room got dark.

I awoke at sunup even though the room was still dark, with just the smallest sliver of light coming through the blackout drapes. I blinked, yawned, and oriented myself in the dark room. I'm in a Hampton Inn in Albuquerque, and three doors away is a stranger I just met who has suddenly become the center of my here and now. Strange how things happen sometimes.

I took my time waking up, showering and getting dressed. I paid close attention to my beard, shaving twice. I pulled fresh underwear and socks out of my backpack, and shook the wrinkles out of my shirt the best I could. I didn't bother with a suitcase last night, so no clean shirt. Maybe I'd change, later. I waited till 7:30 to check on Danielle. She answered almost immediately. She opened the door, toweling her hair. She was dressed in fresh blouse and slacks and looked vibrant. I felt rumpled.

"Good morning. You shaved. You do look handsome," she greeted me, smiling.

I was surprised by her upbeat attitude. Rubbing my chin, I said, "Good morning, Danielle, Uh, thanks. Yeah, I didn't want to scare any little kids, today."

She laughed and patted my chest, paused and removed her hand, like maybe she shouldn't have been that familiar. She smiled, "Call me Dannie," and turned to the bathroom, "I'm almost ready. Do I have a couple minutes? I still need to comb my hair out and put some make-up on."

"What? Really? You don't look like you need any."

"Thanks, Quinn, but trust me, I do. Women's mirrors work differently than men's mirrors...Didn't you have another shirt? That one's pretty wrinkled."

"Um, yeah; I didn't bring any clothes up, just underwear. I'll get one at the truck."

It was like having my wife next to me again, "No, honey, you're not going out like that!"

I felt a small pang. I guess one of the reasons I never remarried, is that I never completely got over Lynne. We actually stayed friends for a couple of years...years where I hoped that somehow, we would get back together. But she finally met someone, a great guy, actually; and that was that.

When we got to the truck, I changed into a clean, semi-not-wrinkled shirt, then we headed to the tow company lot, stopping at a nearby café to get a bite of breakfast. The tow service was basically closed on Sundays, just an on-call driver for emergencies, who would be in at nine; so, we ate while we waited.

Over coffee, I commented, "You're doing better this morning."

"Last night, I laid awake for quite a while, my mind racing. Then it came to me - our paths crossed for a reason. Providence put me in your path, or you in my path, whichever. If my car hadn't broken down, and you hadn't come along when you did...and if you weren't who you are...well, I would probably be in a terrible situation. But it did break down; you did come along; and you are who you are. I'm trusting that all happened for a reason. And I'm trusting you, Quinn," she finished, resolutely, holding my eyes with hers.

They were blue, very blue, vivid blue. I hadn't realized that before. So much for how observant I usually am. I chalked it up to fatigue.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing better, and thank you for the vote of confidence." I checked my watch. "Let's head over to the tow lot, and get that squared away."

By 9:30, we were on the interstate and headed west. We got off the I-40 at Holbrook, Arizona and headed south to Phoenix. I drove straight through with just one bathroom stop. Then we stopped in Mesa, just north of Phoenix, for lunch and switched drivers. Dannie gave me the valise and I started scanning the contents. There were several different documents, including: A single sheet with a double-spaced list of numbers in three rows - a long number, followed by two shorter ones - my guess was numbered bank accounts; one that looked like a directory with a list of names that had numbers and cryptic notations beside them that I couldn't make sense of; an inventory or requisition sheet that listed equipment without clear descriptions, just cryptic nomenclature; and several sheets of what was obviously an accounting ledger. Forensic accounting isn't my strong suit, but it didn't take me long to figure out that I was looking at a clandestine ledger - off-the-books accounting. The stuff had rudimentary encoding, but it was obvious Dannie's husband was embezzling, possibly from his own company, or from other partners in their business chain. I couldn't tell. My buddy, Griffin, 'Griff', would be able to get more out of it than me. But I could tell that her husband was screwing over people, and most certainly some bad people, and for a lot of money.

I thought about where he was based on the east coast and where he was now. He was running, and Mexico was his escape route. This was going to come to a head fast, and we had to get handle on it in a hurry.

I put the folder back in the valise and stretched my neck.

"So, what do you think?" Dannie asked when she saw me put the paperwork away.

"I think your husband's a dead man, and we have to get you disentangled from this."

"What? Is it that serious?"

"Yes, and he's a bastard for involving you. Having you sneak out like he did, makes it look like you're involved. In his haste, he screwed up, left this stuff behind, and couldn't do without it; then used you to get it for him...Hmm, okay, we're going straight to Del Mar to see my friend. I need his expertise. We need to copy these docs before we give them to your husband...if we even do. And we have to determine who is after your husband, whether they're an imminent threat, and how to mitigate it - protect you. Shit. I was hoping it was simpler."

Dannie was turning a little pale and her eyes were darting my way. I hadn't meant to scare her more, but this was how it was.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to scare you. Don't worry. We'll handle this. You trust me. Keep trusting me."

"I do; I will. But you said he's a dead man, and..."

"If what I make of these documents is right, somebody or several somebodies are going to want your husband's hide. We can't do anything about that. I don't know how close you two are, or were; but you need to come to terms with something - your husband was and is planning on leaving you twisting in the wind. If he hadn't forgotten these docs, I'm positive you would have never heard from him again."

She started shaking.

"I'm sorry. Pull over up here. Let's take a minute. I need to call Griff and frontload him on all this."

She nodded and pulled over at an overpass and came to a stop on the shoulder of the offramp.

I called Griff and gave him a down and dirty on the whole thing, from the time I picked up Dannie, to my review of the documents. When I hung up, he was already on the computer, checking out the husband and his company. Griff told me to come straight to his home, regardless of the time; just to call about thirty minutes out.

When I got off the phone, Dannie was standing looking out at the desert. When she heard me behind her, she turned. She was ashen; her eyes no longer sparkled, and she was visibly trembling. I immediately wrapped her in my arms. She hugged me in a death grip and started sobbing. I held her and let her cry. Eventually, she calmed down and relaxed her hold on me.

She looked up and, in a small voice, remarked, "He was just going to disappear and not say a word to me, just leave me. And I was so trusting, and at the time, I didn't suspect..."

"Hey, he was in trouble. He may have not wanted to leave you, but..."

"No, I'm not kidding myself anymore. We haven't been close for quite a while. Things have been different, strained, for a long time. Some time in the last couple years, he became more distant, more involved in his work, getting home later, gone on more trips. I just thought the business was overwhelming him...But to abandon me like that...I would have never..."

She started crying again. I held her, patted her back and waited it out. Betrayal is a tough pill to swallow. When she was calm, I took her to the passenger side, had her get in, and I took over driving. I was going push it. We needed to get to Griff's.

III. WITH FAMILY

At around eight, we pulled into a fast-food place just off the freeway, got burgers and fries, hit the restrooms, then got back on the road. Around eleven p.m., I figured we were about thirty minutes from Griff's and called him. Elise, his wife, answered.

"Hey, Bruiser, good to hear your voice. Griff's in his office on the computer. He gave me a heads-up and we're all set for you and your guest. I can't wait to see you."

"Likewise, Elise, and sorry about the hour and the intrusion."

"Oh, nonsense. See you soon."

After working through San Diego proper, we passed Del Mar and continued up to the Foothills, where Griff lived. I followed the navigation to his address in a neighborhood of adobe-style bungalows situated facing the Pacific Ocean, which was evident off in the distance. I couldn't tell how far, just saw the sharp contrast of darkness where the coastal lights stopped. Bet it was a great view in the daytime. I pulled in at the address which was displayed in lighted numbers by the entry. By the time I came to a stop in the driveway, the front door had opened and two people were backlit in the entry and waving.

We got out and I grabbed our suitcases. This was 'hotel-central', at least for tonight.

Elise reached me first and greeted me with a big bear hug - as big as she could manage at 5'-3" and 120 pounds, dripping wet. I hadn't seen Elise in over two years - she was pretty as ever. Elise is about 43 or 44, but she doesn't look more than early thirties. She has mousy-brown hair worn in what I think they call a pixie, and she has a very pretty face with large, amber-brown eyes, a small cute nose, a slightly pointed chin, and an average-sized, but nicely shaped mouth - a real cutie.

She released me and immediately greeted Dannie with a hug, "I'm Elise; so glad to meet you. Oh, you look frazzled. Let's get you inside. Here give me that. I'll show you to your room."

Griffin was right behind her, with a big smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes held no good news. He greeted Dannie as Elise hustled her into the house, then turned his attention to me.

"Hey, brother. I'm really glad you're finally here. Damn good to see you."

"Glad to be here, too. Sorry it took me a while, but..." I shrugged.

He grabbed my hand and shook it, then we hugged and patted each other's backs. It had been almost a year since Griffin had come back to see me, to talk to me about joining him.

"Come on in. Elise made up a deli plate for sandwiches and brewed coffee. We're going to be up for a bit. We have to go over some stuff, tonight."

"What I figured. Dannie's supposed to turn those docs over to her husband in the morning and we..."

He interrupted, "Not before I copy all of them."

I just nodded in agreement as he led me down a hallway to my room to drop off my suitcase and backpack. Griff took the valise to his office to get the docs copied, and I joined the women in the kitchen where they were already making sandwiches.

"We figured you might be hungry when you got here," Elise commented as she busied herself making sandwiches for Griffin and herself, "We didn't eat dinner, just nibbled, as Griff came home and went straight to work on the info you passed him."

Dannie remarked, "We got a bite of fast food a few hours back, but not so satisfying. Thank you for this."

"Oh, you're welcome, and the kitchen's always open. We're not formal around here."

Elise was delightful as always. And what a trooper - she always handled the 'cop's spouse' role better than anyone I knew, certainly better than mine had.

We settled at the kitchen nook and Griffin brought me up to speed on his progress.

"Speak freely?" he checked before starting.

"Yes. I've already given Dannie my unfiltered assessment of the way I think things are."

Elise put a hand on Dannie's, "You poor dear. But don't you worry. You have the best on your side, right here at this table."

"I know," she replied, tearing up a little, "Quinn has been...unbelievable. I don't know..." her voice faltered, "and you guys are just...I can't thank..."

"You don't give it a second thought, honey. You're with family, now," Elise assured her, and she meant it.

Griffin had researched Richard's company, gleaning as much data as he could from the internet, including several non-public databases, and had a pretty good picture.

He started, "Your husband's company has contracts with several government agencies, including DOD, and handles the contracting and procurement of communications and computer systems, among other things - a lot of them, highly classified systems. From what I could ascertain, they have probably been doing a side business with overseas entities, foreign businesses or even governments, selling some of these systems illegally, and for a lot of money. It looks like they are being investigated, probably by DOD and the FBI. I found traces of a lot of inquiries during my search - probably why your husband split so suddenly. It looks like the authorities were about ready to close in, so your husband bolted, and I determined three other partners in the company have suddenly disappeared - the shit's about to hit the fan. The Feds are going to be actively looking for your husband, and now you; not to mention whomever his company was doing under-the-table business with. And those 'clients' are probably an even bigger threat, especially if he and his partners have screwed them over."