An Offer He Can't Refuse: Carlyle

"Well a lady has to be able to show off her best assets." She laughs, too. She picks up her white uniform and puts her arms into it then starts buttoning it up.

"What, no bra?"

She licks her lips, "No way! More assets!" She looks for her cape. "You can just lock up on your way out, eh babe?" She grins. "Unless you want to stay right where you are until I get home. I'll be done just after six." Mike shakes his head. She pouts and puts on service shoes. "Will you come again soon?" Mike shrugs. "Gotta go. See ya later." She reaches down and kisses him then rushes off out the door.

Mike stretches and lies back putting his head on the pillow. He closes his eyes giving himself one hour tops. He drops off to sleep.

Within a few seconds of one hour later he opens his eyes and shakes his head on the pillow. He looks around and grins. Reminders of the happy hours spent this morning are everywhere. He stretches and scratches his sack feeling the dried on ooze crack and flake off under his nails.

He bounces out of the bed and goes for a shower. Dripping wet he looks for a towel. "Now where the hell does she keep her towels?" He uses the edge of his palms to sluice as much water as he can off his body and steps out of the shower. He looks for a laundry hamper or a shelf that might have towels. He opens a narrow vented door and sees towels stacked on the shelf inside. He grabs for the top one but the stack falls over and he grabs to catch them. His hand knocks against glass and it crashes to the floor splintering into a mission shards.

"What the hell? Damn the luck anyway! What's that?"

It's a framed picture face down on the floor. "Now why the hell would she have that in there?" He lifts it gingerly being careful of glass splinters. He turns it over. There on a chopped down Harley Davidson Motor Cycle is a man in blue jeans grinning at the camera. He has the unmistakable jacket of the Hell's Angels on his shoulders and Mike knows him. It's Pierre Broussard! He stares at it.

"Oh my God!" Things start to make sense to him. He shakes the loose glass from the frame and walks carefully out of the bathroom. Then he rushes to get dressed. Picking up the photo he rushes out locking the door behind him. He goes to his car and tosses the photo on the seat. He starts it and squeals tires out of the lot.

Mike drives up the hill to MMSI. He parks and throws the photo in his briefcase. Picking it up he heads for the gatehouse. As he steps through the door he thanks his lucky stars that CX-1 Douglas is behind the counter. "Cally, good to see you."

"Well hi Mike. What's up?"

"Cally, I have to get in to speak with the nurse in the hospital."

"Which one?"

Mike grins, "Candy, of course."

Cally chuckles. "I'll see what I can do." He picks up the phone and dials. He looks puzzled and hangs it up. It rings immediately.

He picks it up and says, "Front desk." He winks at Mike and whispers, "Code."

"What!"

"Okay, I'm standing by."

He hangs up.

"What's going on?" Mike hears a siren.

"The inmates are being locked up. There's trouble down at the hospital. I guess you won't get in now."

"What kind of trouble."

"I'm not sure. They said to watch for an ambulance. It's on the way from downtown. I think there was a stabbing."

Mike gets a bad feeling. "Who got stabbed? Was it Candy?"

"I don't think so, Mike. It's usually another inmate that gets it. Do you want me to check?"

"Please Cally, it's very important."

He dials central and speaks briefly then hangs up.

"They're bringing her up to the gate on a stretcher. It's Candy!"

Mike can't say anything for a moment then, "I have to see her."

"There she is." Cally points to the inner vehicle gate and it is creaking open. A guard and the other nurse push the stretcher through the gap and across to the outer gate as the inner one slowly closes. All Mike sees is her hunched form in a foetal position under the white wrap.

"Can you let me out there? Never mind." He uses the staff door and rushes out into the well. The guard eyes him and pulls a thirty-eight-calibre service revolver out of his holster.

"Stay right where you are, Mister," he warns.

Mike calls out, "Candy!"

From the stretcher comes a weak cry, "Mike!"

Cally runs up behind Mike and waves at the guard. "It's okay Mel, He's her friend. He's a cop."

Mike surges ahead to see her and she stares at him with haunted eyes. "Oh Mike, he killed me."

"Love, the ambulance is coming. You're going to be all right."

"No Mike, he..." she strangles, "He shoved it in and twisted it... all around in me... dying."

The nurse tries to push Mike back. "Leave her alone. She shouldn't try to talk."

Mike glares at her and the others. "Get the hell back. This woman has a statement for me that is private."

The nurse cringes and backs up with the others.

"Don't worry, love. The doctor's will patch you up," he lies.

"No chance... Mike. Have to tell... you. I... killed Carlyle."

"I know love."

"He said... it would be... easy. " She pauses. "Just put... the pillow... over his... face, but... he fought me. She grimaces in pain. "He tore... the pillow case. Oh... it hurts!"

Mike puts his hand on her shoulder. "Why did he... hurt me? I love him!"

Mike makes sure, "It was Pierre?"

"Yes... I," she coughs up blood that gushes from her mouth.

Mike calls, "Nurse, quickly!" The nurse rushes over and tries to clear her throat. Mike still holds her hand and she squeezes his. Suddenly her hand goes slack and Mike knows she's gone.

CX-5 Jerry Daniels rests his hand on Mike's shoulder. "Did she say who did it? When the other nurse found her the inmate had fled."

Mike ponders what he has said. "No, she didn't know him." He knows he has the photo so no one will find that. No doubt when they search they will find other evidence that will link Pierre but that's their job. He won't help sully her name.

Grimly he thinks, "I only have an obligation to tell my client who was responsible for his brother's death." He sadly leaves the parking lot driving slowly by the vehicle well.

The ambulance is gone and all that remains to tell the tale of her demise is locked in his head. He informed them that he could not discuss any of the words they had spoken since she was a client of his. He reflects on the statement and considers it true. She has paid him a thousand times over his usual rate with her life. He will be faithful to her memory.

He drives slowly down the hill and blends into traffic crossing the bridge for Abbotsford. When he gets home he sits in the car. Marlene comes out and puts her arm around his shoulder.

"Jan called. She said you lost a client today. Why didn't you tell Cally she was a client when he was talking about her?"

"Sometimes it's better to keep silent about such things."

"You must be just sick. She said you were there when she died."

"Yeah," he opens the door and starts putting the top up. Quietly Marlene helps him. He finishes and starts for the house with her.

"I saved you some supper."

"Thank you, love."

Chapter 18:

July 24

"Are you sure you don't want me to wait until you get home from the park with Emma. I don't have to go to Trudy's right away."

"No lover, you need to get away and relax for a few days. You go right ahead. Shelly is a wonder; she can watch Jan. I'm so glad this is working out so well and it is giving Shelly new confidence. She seems to be growing up right before my eyes."

"I guess you're right. At least Rick is over whatever it was that had him down. That's a relief."

"Yes, staying in bed did him more good than anything yesterday but you do have to have a word with him." She lowers her voice, "For some reason he has taken to masturbating in the middle of his bed. What a mess I had to wash last night. I hope he doesn't do that again today. Do you suppose it has anything to do with the troubles he's having with Julie?"

Mike scratches his ear, "I can't imagine why?" He grins, "There's no telling what these kids will do when their hormones start acting up. I'll try to remember to have a word with him next week. You take good care of yourself until I get home again."

"You too and don't let Trudy drain you before sending you home. Save some for me." She winks and then kisses him. Mike goes and starts the car. Rick comes out the driveway and calls, "See you Monday, Dad."

"So long son. Are you on your way to Julie's? Want a lift?"

Rick shakes his head, "I need the exercise but thanks, Dad."

Mike pulls out and heads for the freeway. Rick walks towards Julie's for a block and stops watching behind him. He hangs around until he sees the Buick back out the driveway. He ducks into some shrubs out of sight and waits until she's gone. He grins and heads back towards the house. Shelly watches him coming through the kitchen window and waves. He waves back and runs the rest of the way.

She meets him at the door and holds a finger to her lips. She whispers, "Jan is watching TV. Go up real quiet and I'll be right up."

He slips up the stairs in stocking feet carrying his shoes. He goes into his room and pulls off his shirt. When she slips in the door he's naked and stiff enough to hang a bucket on his spout. Her eyes light up and she gives a tiny squeal. "Oh Rick, that looks super!"

He helps her get out of her clothes and soon they are tangled together on the nice clean bed. Today he shows off for her and helps her come repeatedly before he deposits his seed in her.

As she lays dreaming beside him she says, "We are going to have to find another place we can go in case Mom or Dad is home. Do you know any good spots?"

"This should be good for the summer and when we go back to school Dad will bring the trailer home. We could go in there to my room."

She laughs, "That's a good idea. You're so smart. I love you, brother dear."

Rick puffs up his chest, "I am, aren't I? I love you too, sis."

She runs her little hand up his hip, "Let's do it some more." He doesn't answer but shows her instead by his rising flagstaff.

Mike pulls in and parks. He pulls his briefcase out of the car and goes up to the door. He grins as he realizes he was going to knock. He opens the door and walks in home. Trudy gets up from the desk behind the door and greets him.

"Darling, you're home." She throws her arms around him and goes up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Then she takes his briefcase and puts it on the desk. "Do you want your slippers?" Without waiting for an answer she goes into the bedroom and goes over to the sliding glass door.

She opens the door and calls, "Hey Crystal, your Dad is home."

She comes running and throws her arms around him as he is sitting on the side of the bed putting on the slippers Trudy hands him.

"Daddy, welcome home!" He hugs her back.

"Thank you, princess. It's good to be home." He lets her get away and asks Trudy, "CPX didn't call, did they?"

"Nope but I got your bedding washed. It's no wonder you don't let Marlene do it. Who did you have in the sleeper last trip?"

He grins, "It was just innocent little old me."

She tosses him something from a basket. "Well you left your panties in the sheets."

He recognizes Wanda's panties and recalls shoving them down in the bed when he gave her the new ones. He looks at them and shrugs, "I don't have any idea how they got there. Someone must have sneaked into my sleeper and took their panties off. Are you sure they aren't yours?"

"Oh Mike, how pathetic! Whose are they, Veronica's?"

"How would I know?"

"I've been thinking about her. For an Armenian lady she does well down there in Agassis. Do you know she has over eighteen thousand dollars in the bank? That's hard for a single lady to save. Do you suppose she might be hooking on the side?"

"Trudy! That's not fair. You don't even know her."

"You sure do! You're quick enough to defend her."

"Aw love, she is just a friend that likes to keep me company."

"Yeah, sure. Tell me another one. So they are not her pants, eh?"

"I don't know."

She chides him, "You do too know, you bugger." Mike shrugs. "The funny thing is I know they're not Veronica's. She was working while you were out last time." Mike is glad to hear that. "Was it Helen? They're not Corrine's." She grins, "You didn't think I knew about her way up in Golden, did you?"

"I don't know who you mean."

"Oh Mike, your nose is growing." She pushes herself into his lap and throws an arm around his neck. "It's just a good thing that Marlene doesn't know as much about your harem as I do. She'd cut this little pecker off." She reaches down in his crotch.

Mike stands up lifting her with him. He goes out into the kitchen and sits her in a chair. "Hi Anna, you're looking particularly good. You must be on a new tonic."

She puts her hand by her face, "Oh Mike, you're such a flatterer. Did you have any breakfast this morning?"

"Coffee."

"You sit down and I'll heat up a couple muffins for you. I have some nice ones here."

"Thank you, Anna."

He sits by Trudy and she asks if he wants coffee. She then gets it for him and fixes it. Anna puts the warm muffins on a saucer for him and puts out fresh margarine with a knife. Trudy brings her own coffee and sits down by him again. "What are you going to do today?"

"I have a new report for the 'family' to do."

"What's new?"

"Candy murdered Carlyle for Pierre. She put a pillow over his head."

"Oh wow! How did you find that out?"

"She told me just before she died. Pierre knifed her. She was a witness."

"When did all this happen?"

"Yesterday."

"And you just happened to be where Candy was."

"Yep. I went up to MMSI to ask her some questions. I had an idea she did it but wasn't sure how. When I got there she had just been stabbed. I spoke to her as she was dying."

"So she wasn't a witness, she was a murderess."

"Pierre was her lover and coerced her into doing it. It was actually his crime and she was but the instrument. That makes her a witness."

"I see, and he was afraid she would spill the beans?"

"Yep."

"What can they do to him? He's already in jail."

"THEY don't know. They think Carlyle died of poisoning and they think Candy was attacked by an unknown inmate. I didn't tell them any different."

"Why not?"

"The only one I need tell is my client."

She stares and her eyes get big, "Oh, they'll kill him!" Mike just smiles. "But won't the police be involved? They'll ask you questions?"

"They don't want to co-operate with me so I guess I don't want to co-operate with them."

Trudy shakes her head, "Oh Mike, that's so bitter. I don't like to see you like this." Mike drinks his coffee.

He then gets up, "I have an amended final report to do." He goes to the desk and starts making a rough draft. All afternoon he works on getting it typed up. He is very careful on what he writes. Finally satisfied he reads it over.

He directs it to Luigi Caprioni but also CC's a copy to Joseph DiMartino. He prepares it for the fax machine and calls the office of McClintock, Brant and Reece. He asks the receptionist to speak with Mr. Brant. When she hears his name she asks him to hold.

"Mike?"

"Keith, I'm faxing an amended final report that is confidential to the recipients only. Can you assure me of that?"

"Most certainly. I will attend to it personally. Are you sending it now?"

"Yes, as soon as I hang up. We have a single line here."

"Okay, I'll call you back."

"Very good." Mike hangs up and then faxes the report. In a few minutes the phone rings. Mike hears an enunciator say, "Trike Services, Incorporated. Would you please hold for an officer to pick up?" He grins and picks up the phone, "Keith?"

"Trike Services?"

"Our new business name. Trudy and Mike equals Trike."

"I like it. It sounds like it has a future. I have the reports in safekeeping for the recipients. Thank you very much. We'll be in touch."

Epilogue

It's been a few weeks and work is going well on the new head office. Mike is reading the paper at home in Chilliwack. He smiles and shows the article to Trudy. She reads it and shakes her head.

The article says there was a lock down at MMSI yesterday when an inmate, one Pierre Broussard was brutally stabbed in the kitchen. Unnamed staff members are quoted as saying they had to stuff the inmate's guts back into his body when he was lifted on a stretcher and they fell out. Since a melee had occurred at the time of the stabbing the assailant remains unknown but a Penitentiary Service internal investigation is looking into the matter. Of particular interest is the coincidence of the inmate drawing his final breaths within inches of the place where a nurse in the recent past from that establishment died while awaiting an ambulance. We will try to bring you an update in tomorrow's daily paper.

Mike mutters under his breath, "That's justice!"

"How can you read that? That's so horrible. Pass me the comics."

In the background a phone rings, "Trike Services Incorporated. Would you please hold for an officer to pick up? Trudy looks at Mike and Mike looks back at Trudy. She grins and jumps up to answer it before the answering machine cuts in.

"Hello there, can I help you? It's Trudy."

Mike goes back to reading the paper. After about ten minutes he gets curious and turns to see her sitting at the desk as white as a sheet. He jumps up and goes to her. "What's wrong, love?"

"That was Wes. We own the new head office free and clear. Someone paid off the mortgage." She looks up at Mike with a scared look. "Wes said it was anonymous and there is no way to send it back."

"Why is that upsetting you? We should be celebrating!"

"You know as well as I do who paid it off, it was the 'family'."

"You don't know that. It could have been a rich uncle or an eccentric millionaire. It could have been anyone."

You won't want to miss the next thrilling, titillating detective story of Mike Claymore, entitled: Carmine. Comments on this one would be appreciated as well.