For your reading pleasure, Chapter 10 of The Truth of Yesterday. Visit my website at http://www.steliko.com/bleedinghearts. The site is updated weekly with new columns by the author and breaking news. Email me at Aterovis@aol.com
(c) 2002 by Josh Aterovis
Chapter 10
"W-what?" I stammered, thinking I must have heard him wrong. "What did you say?"
"I said," he spoke slowly, over-enunciating each word, "I want to hire you."
"To do what?"
He sent a meaningful look in the direction of the room's other occupant, who was staring at the purse in her lap as if it was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.
Before I could come up with a suggestion, Novak's office door swung open and the insurance company representative came out, followed closely by Novak.
"We appreciate your work, Mr. Novak," the insurance guy was saying. "As usual, you completed the assignment ahead of schedule and to your usual standards of excellence. We'll be in touch when we find ourselves in need of your services again."
"Let's hope for your sake that isn't too soon," Novak said genially.
The plain little man let himself out and Novak cast a curious look in the direction of the young woman waiting to see him.
"This lady is waiting to see you privately," I said. She cast me a grateful glance and Novak ushered her into his office.
As soon as his door closed, I turned back to Micah. "Well?" I asked.
"I want you to look into Paul's murder," he said without hesitation.
I sat for a second staring dumbly back at him. "You want me to investigate the murder of your ex-boyfriend?" I asked slowly, making sure I had this right.
"Yes."
"You don't think that's asking a lot?"
"I don't know, is it? If something happened to Asher, wouldn't you want to know the truth? I need to know what happened to Paul; I need to know so I can move on completely."
"I thought you already had."
He shrugged. "This is different. Now it feels like unfinished business."
"What about the police?"
He grimaced. "Apparently they aren't trying real hard."
"What gives you that idea?" I frowned.
"I know people back in the city, people in positions of authority. I called them to verify what Razi had told me. They tell me that the murder of a known escort isn't real high on their list of priorities. There's no family demanding justice, the public couldn't care less. There's enough crime in the city that something like this tends to just get pushed to the back burner at best. Especially if it isn't an open and shut case. They just don't have the manpower on the police force."
"So you want me to find out who killed him?"
He nodded. "I'll hire you just like I was any client."
"I don't know if I'm the right person for this, Micah."
"Why not? You've done this before. More than once, even. Everyone says you're already one of the best."
"That was on my home turf, so to speak. They were all local. I know the area. I don't know anything about the city."
"You might not know the city, but I do. I'll help you."
"What if you don't like what I find?"
"Then I'll deal with it. At least I'll know something."
I shook my head. "I wouldn't even know where to start."
"I do. I know names, friends, people at the agency, places he hung out. I even have a key to his apartment assuming he didn't change the locks after I left."
I was running out of arguments. Despite myself, I was beginning to become interested. Up until the Knox case, everything I'd done had been local. If I was any good as an investigator, I should be able to solve a case anywhere. This would be a good test of my skills. And then there was the part about Micah being able to have closure with this. If I wanted to try and make things work with Micah, which I had to admit that I did, then this might be necessary. I still wasn't sure if we could work things out, but I was pretty sure we wouldn't have a chance if he obsessed with the fate of his ex-boyfriend.
I sighed. "Tell me what you know," I said, knowing full well that this meant I was hooked.
Relief flooded Micah's eyes. "Thank you, Killian," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. He grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it closer to the desk.
"Don't thank me yet," I muttered.
He took a deep breath. "Let's see. I don't know that much, really. I know he was still working for the same agency we were working for when we met. It's a pretty well respected agency as far as they go, known to be reliable and discreet. The owner's name is Neal. I've talked to him on the phone but I never actually met him. He tends to keep a low profile."
As he spoke, I was jotting down notes into the little notebook I kept with me at all times. One of the first things Novak ever taught me was to never trust my memory.
"As far as I know," he continued, "he's not dated anyone seriously since I left. He was friends with that guy we saw at the club, Razi. He was pretty cozy with one of his neighbors, a really nice girl named Sabrina. He had a few other casual friends but not many. He was kind of shy when he wasn't working. He was a favorite with guys who like the sweet, quiet type."
"He was...Razi found him in his apartment." Micah broke off and his eyes unfocused as he tried to continued. "When no one heard from him for a few days, he went by and... I guess he had a key too. He called the police and they came and took him away. I don't really know the details, just what Razi told me the other night. He'd been strangled. I do know that. And the apartment was a wreck, stuff broken and tossed around."
"Do the police have any theories?" I asked.
He blinked and focused on me, almost as if he'd forgotten I was there. "Um, I don't think so, not really. I think they were thinking he'd walked in on a robbery at first, but I think they kinda dropped that when it looked like nothing was really missing."
"You know, if it turns out to be some botched random break-in I'll never be able to figure out who it was."
"I know."
I took a deep breath. "Tell me more about Paul."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what was he like? Was he secretive? Who would he be most likely to confide in?"
He thought a minute before answering. "He wasn't exactly secretive, but he kept a lot to himself."
"What's the difference?"
"It wasn't like he was intentionally hiding stuff from me; he just wasn't one to open up. He didn't talk about himself much. He was a great listener. You'd just find yourself talking to him, telling him your whole life story, spilling your guts. He'd listen to everything you said and somehow make you feel better. It was only later that I realized he never did the talking, he never spilled his guts to me."
"So he wouldn't confide in anyone?"
He shrugged. "If so, I don't know who. He sure never confided in me."
"I know I asked this before, but I want you to really think about this before you answer; what if I find something you don't like? What if he was involved in something illegal, besides just being an escort? What if he wasn't who you thought he was at all? Are you sure you want me to do this?"
"Yes. I'm sure. No matter what you find, at least I'll know the truth."
I nodded. It was the answer I was looking for. "Then I'll talk to Novak about it."
"Novak?" he asked with a confused expression.
"I work for him. I can't just take a job. I have to talk to him about it."
"Oh. Well, ok. When?"
"When I get the chance, Micah. He's with someone right now."
"Oh yeah. Will you call me as soon as you know?"
"Yeah," I promised wearily, suddenly wondering if I was doing the right thing even thinking about this.
"Thank you, Killian," he said. He stood up and pushed the chair back to its place before turning back to me. "You don't know how much this means to me." He turned and left.
It looked like I was committed now, whether I liked it or not. And the more I thought about it, the less I liked it. Could I really be objective about this? I didn't really know anyone involved except Micah, and his involvement was peripheral at best, or so I hoped. Then again, this was Micah's ex, who he'd once lived with, made love to, been in love with. Even assuming I could be objective, my argument that I didn't know the city was still valid. Someone familiar with city life would have an edge on a country boy like me. Someone who knew something about the escort agency would be even better.
A little voice inside my head argued that I'd have Micah for those things. He lived in the city for years so he knew it as well as anyone, and he definitely knew the escort agency.
No, it wouldn't be that easy. Micah would be crushed if I decided not to take this case. It would probably be the end of any chance we had at anything. I was beginning to feel like a fox cornered by the hounds.
Then the thought occurred to me that Novak might not approve of the idea of me haring off to DC on my own to chase a murderer. In fact, he might even forbid me to go. Maybe there was a way out of this yet.
Novak was in the office with the mysterious woman for what seemed to me to be an unusually long time. When the door opened at last and they appeared, I thought that she looked just as uneasy as she had when they'd gone in. Whatever had taken so long didn't seem to have helped with her nerves.
They moved across the room without speaking and Novak held the door open for her.
"Thank you," she said in a small voice.
"You're welcome, and try not to worry," Novak answered.
She cast him a look that clearly spoke her feelings about the chances of not worrying, and then she turned and hurried off, seeming to draw in on herself as she went.
Novak closed the door and turned to me. "Busy morning," he commented lightly.
"That's an understatement," I said. "Do you have a minute to talk?"
"Sure, we can talk in here."
I followed him into his office and took one of the leather chairs. He closed a case file that was open on his desk and slid it into one of the desk drawers. That struck me as a little odd, since I usually typed the files for him from his handwritten notes.
"Is that lady that just left a new client?" I asked. I knew from experience that there was no point asking about the file straight out.
"Yes, I'll be handling her case."
"I don't have any cases right now," I said, at least none that he knew of.
"This is a rather delicate situation."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid I promised her complete confidentiality."
"Even from me?" I was a little offended.
"Yes, even from you." He stopped and grinned. "And don't go acting like you're the injured party here." He paused dramatically. "How's your investigation of Jake going?"
My mouth fell open. "How'd you know about that?" I blurted out.
Novak laughed. "You think I don't know what's going on under my own nose? What kind of investigator would I be if I didn't know what my own employees were up to?"
"You followed me?"
"No, nothing that dramatic. I knew something was bothering Judy and I knew you were up to something besides your assigned case. I put two and two together and then I asked Judy point blank. She told me everything."
"You aren't mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"That I took the case without talking to you? Or that I took the case at all?"
"I wish you had talked to me first, but I know how persuasive Judy can be. And if you're worrying that I'm bothered that she asked you and not me, don't be. I understand her reasoning and agree one-hundred percent."
"You do?" I asked with no small relief.
"Yes, absolutely. Things are dicey enough between us as it is. If Jake found out that I was following him, things would just go all to hell."
"Not that it'll be much better if he finds out I'm following him," I pointed out.
"Still, better you than me. So what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, there're a couple things actually. Since you know about Jake it'll make the first one that much easier." I told him about my search of Jake's room and my discoveries. When I was finished, he thought for a minute.
"Well," he said after a minute, "what you found could have several different explanations, but I don't like any of them. You still haven't told me what you wanted to talk about, though."
That was Novak, always going right to the point. "The two things that bother me the most are the photo and the AIDS Ball ticket. They don't fit in to the theories that I have. I can't do much about the picture, but I could do something about the Ball."
"And what would that be?"
"I could attend."
Novak cocked an eyebrow. "And just how do you propose to get a ticket at this point?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I said with an impish grin.
He pushed back in his chair and for a minute, I thought he was going to tell me that there was no way, but then his expression grew thoughtful. "I might be able to do something," he said slowly. "Let me look into it and I'll let you know."
"Great!"
"Don't get your hopes up. This thing is not easy to get into."
"I know."
"No, you have no idea. Anyway, what were the other things you wanted to talk about? You said you had several things?"
"Well, actually, there's just one more thing," I said carefully.
Something in my tone must have set off Novak's internal alarms. "And what exactly would that one thing be?" he asked, with equal carefulness.
"It has to do with Micah."
"Will you stop beating around the bush and get to the point, kid?"
"Well, Micah's...um, old roommate..." I began.
"Meaning ex-lover," Novak amended.
I tried not to blush. "Right. Ahem. Well, Micah's ex...boyfriend was murdered last week. He lived in DC."
"And what does that have to do with you?"
"Micah wants me to look into the murder."
"No."
"What?" I asked, a little surprised at the firmness in his curt answer, even though I'd been half hoping that would be his response.
"A murder is a matter for the police. You don't need to go sticking your nose into it."
"You didn't mind it when we were looking into the murder of Caleb's dad," I argued. Why was I arguing? He'd given me the answer I'd wanted. Why couldn't I just leave it at that?
"That was a different set of circumstances. The police were at a standstill in their investigation. It even seemed they were chasing the wrong guy. Plus, they welcomed our assistance."
"Maybe the DC police would welcome the assistance too. They're really overworked, and besides, they aren't even trying to solve this case."
"How do you know so much about the police in DC?"
"Micah has contacts. They told him that the murder of a known escort wasn't high on their list of priorities."
Novak nodded as if that made sense. "An escort, huh? And he's Micah's ex?"
I blushed again, but thankfully, he didn't seem to expect an answer.
"Why you? Wouldn't a PI from the city be a better choice?"
"That's what I said, but Micah seems to really want me to do this. I said I didn't know the city but Micah says he does and that he'll help."
"That would make a big difference. How familiar is he with the escort business?"
"Uh, very," I mumbled, trying not to blush yet again.
"That would put you at a distinct advantage." He seemed to be thinking for a minute. "There's only one major problem left."
"What's that?"
"You don't have a license yet; Micah can't hire you."
"Oh." I said in surprise. I hadn't even thought of that.
"There is a way around it," Novak offered.
"What's that?"
"Micah can hire me and I'll assign you the investigation."
"We can do that?"
"It's the same as what we did with the Knox case. You'll just report everything back to me. You'll need someone to hash things out with anyway. And if you get in over your head then I'll step in and help."
"That's pretty much a given," I muttered.
"Don't sell yourself short, kid. You're a good investigator. A little more time and you'll be great."
I flushed with pleasure under his praise.
"So I should tell Micah it's a go?"
"Sure. Just type up the contract and have him sign it. You can start right away."
"Great." I jumped up and started for my desk in the outer room.
"One more thing," he called, stopping me at the door. "I know I said I'd help you if you got in over your head, and I will, but this case I just took could be demanding a lot of my time. Don't plan on using me like a crutch. You'll be on your own for the most part."
I gulped a little, but nodded. "Ok."
Novak smiled. "You can do this, kid. Don't worry."
I left his office flattered at his faith in me, but more than a little miffed at myself. Why had I argued him into this? Of course, it hadn't really taken that much arguing. That made me suddenly suspicious. Was Novak trying to get me out of his hair? And if so, could it have something to do with the mysterious bird-like woman who was now his client?
I decided that fretting about it wouldn't serve any purpose at all, and I could certainly make better use of my time. I started off by calling Micah and getting all the information I could from him; names, addresses, and details he hadn't told me before. While we talked, I realized that having Micah along on the interviews would probably be more of a hindrance than a help. He was definitely too close to this, too emotional. People would be less likely to talk in front of him, to say things about Paul that he might not want to hear. At the same time, I didn't know my way around the city like he did. I had no idea how to find any of the places on my list.
When I posed the question to Micah, he agreed that he probably wouldn't be the best person to have along when I went to talk to people. He didn't have any suggestions for a solution.
Novak unexpectedly provided the answer while I was still talking to Micah.
"Good news, kid," he said as his head popped out of the office door. "I just got off the phone with an old buddy of mine who transferred to the DC department. He confirmed what you said about the police not being overly interested in this case. He also offered to give us a little help in exchange for a few favors."
"What kind of help?" I asked with more than a little suspicion. "And more importantly, what does he want in return?"
"You get more like me everyday." Novak chuckled. "You don't have to worry about his price. It involves a few tins of Fisher's caramel corn and our combined weight in Dolle's salt-water taffy." The caramel corn and salt-water taffy were both world famous treats available from the boardwalk in the nearby resort town of Ocean City, but not in the city where Novak's friend lived. "Those gifts will buy you a personal guide of the city."
"Huh?" I countered wittily.
"My friend, his name is Louis; he has a daughter around your age who is driving him crazy wanting to become a cop. He thinks that partnering her with you for this investigation will cure her of that idea without placing her in any immediate danger."
"How will that cure her?" I asked in confusion. My early experiences playing junior detective had only solidified my desires to become an investigator.
"He thinks that once she sees how boring a routine investigation is, she'll change her mind. Plus, this case had the added bonus of being somewhat unsavory. He said she's been a little sheltered and being exposed to the darker side of the city might scare her off."
"Darker side? He was an escort, not a street prostitute."
"The only difference is how much they get paid," Novak said waving, off my arguments.
"Spoken like a true ex-cop," Micah said into my ear, and I realized that he'd been listening to the whole conversation over the phone.
"Well, what's my escort's name and how soon is she available?" I asked, ignoring Micah for the moment.
"Her name is Christina and Louis has to talk to her first; he's supposed to call me back later this afternoon. He seemed to think that she'd be ready to start when you are."
"I hope so. I would like to get started tomorrow, if possible."
"We'll see what Louis has to say when he calls back."
I finished up my call with Micah, promising to call him as soon as I knew what was going on, and then I finished up my paperwork so I'd be free for the rest of the week. It was mid-afternoon before Novak's friend called back. His daughter was all for the arrangement and was ready to start tomorrow. We agreed that I'd park outside DC at one of the metro stations and meet her in the city. With that settled I called Micah back and told him the plan.
Well, I thought as I hung up, you've committed yourself now. There's no turning back. What had I gotten myself into? A murder investigation in a city I knew nothing about?
I did have a new partner, though-a strong-willed girl from the sound of it. I'd partnered with girls in an investigation twice before, and neither had turned out well, to say the least. The first time had been with Jake's sister, Gilly. She'd pretended to be my girlfriend while I tried to figure out who killed Seth. Except, even though we'd agreed up front that we'd be dating in name only, she'd developed a crush on me which turned to anger and hurt when I couldn't return her feelings. It had complicated things greatly and, in the end, she was just one more victim for a serial killer. The next girl I'd worked with had turned out to be a serial killer. No, I hadn't had much luck with girls in the past. This was going to be an uphill battle all the way.
The thought of a battle made me think of Judy's ominous predictions. Could this be one of the battles Judy had mentioned in our tealeaf reading session? Or was I just being paranoid after all her talk of battles and death? I could only hope I was being paranoid.