Message-ID: <55510asstr$1175321402@assm.asstr.org>
X-Original-To: story-submit@asstr.org
Delivered-To: story-submit@asstr.org
X-Originating-Email: [devalk2001@sympatico.ca]
From: "devalk" <devalk2001@sympatico.ca>
X-Original-Message-ID: <006e01c77342$af95bbd0$0a02a8c0@HENRIE>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028
Thread-Index: AcdzQqQ0rKzeaADzQfe0qXRwLTciHg==
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 31 Mar 2007 03:14:28.0331 (UTC) FILETIME=[B151C3B0:01C77342]
X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:14:23 -0400
Subject: {ASSM} Kelly 35 {Night Hawk} (MFF, FF, Rom)
Lines: 1348
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:10:02 -0400
Path: assm.asstr.org!not-for-mail
Approved: <assm@asstr.org>
Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories
Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d
X-Archived-At: <URL:http://assm.asstr.org/Year2007/55510>
X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation <story-admin@asstr.org>
X-Story-Submission: <story-submit@asstr.org>
X-Moderator-ID: dennyw, emigabe
A story by: (the) Night Hawk
Copyright (C) 2007 by: (the) Night Hawk.
Read it the way it was written:
www.nighthawkstories.com
Kelly
(Inspired by Mike C, based on characters in his novel: "James"
Characters and situations copyright by Mike C, 2002)
Chapter 35
__________
"Todd... arrested?" Vanetta asked, shocked and confused. She didn't
wait for an answer but picked up her pace as she followed Bobby to the
dark metallic blue van double parked out front, the engine running and
a crying Ami sitting in the back seat.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
It had started out as a beautiful summer day, the second last day in
July. A cooling breeze was blowing in off the coast and the sun
rising in a cloudless sky was what Dave Walker had woken up to. He
was in good spirits, having spent another night with the lovely Annie
Prince. They had showered together, lovingly and with gentleness,
after waking up entangled and even more enthralled with each other.
They had sat and enjoyed some of Jacob's mighty fine coffee, and then
Dave had headed back to his own home to change for work. Dave didn't
want Annie to think he was taking things for granted by bringing a
change of clothes with him when they spent nights together.
He had arrived at CMPD Central just before seven, checked the duty
roster, and was talking about the previous night's activity with Staff
Sergeant Hale, when the sergeant had casually mentioned the arrest
warrant for Todd Ayres and handed him the papers. It was a felony
arrest warrant signed by Judge Richardson for the apprehension of the
accused and included a no-bail clause based on a Grand Theft charge in
Ohio from which Todd had run to supposedly avoid prosecution. In bold
letters at the bottom was the notation Richardson had added to make it
all legal.
Where as the statute of limitations for criminal cases in Ohio is 6
years for a felony (Ohio Revised Code § 2901.13.(A)(1)(a))
The period of limitation shall not run during any time when the
accused purposely avoids prosecution. Proof that the accused departed
this state or concealed the accused's identity or whereabouts is
prima-facie evidence of the accused's purpose to avoid prosecution
(Ohio Revised Code § 2901.13(G)).
Dave Walker had immediately pressed the intercom button and summoned
his personal assistant. "Get detectives Weaver and Williams up here
as soon as they arrive for their shift!"
Harry and Lew got the word when they reported at eight o'clock and
double timed it up to the Captain's office.
"I thought you had Mr. Ayres all checked out and that there were no
outstanding warrants for him anywhere," Dave scowled at them.
"We did, Captain," said Lew. "We checked every single police database
and nothing showed up under either his new name or his birth name.
I'm telling you there's nothing on him. He's as clean as a new
whistle."
"Then why in the hell am I holding an arrest warrant for him?"
"That's pure bullshit," said Harry. "We talked to a duty sergeant in
Akron, yesterday, and he said that the charge was so thin that nobody
ever bothered filing it properly. It's been in their GIGO file for
years. Hell, they even said that if Todd went in they could destroy
it."
"It's a shame he didn't do it before this," said Dave, a little
calmer. "But as much as I want to, we can't ignore this. Mr. Ayers
is going to have to come down and be booked until such time
that his lawyers can clear this up."
"We can call him and ask him to show up on his own," suggested Harry.
"Oh, all right. Let's just do that and let Richardson nail us all on
contempt charges. Nope, we've got to do this by the book. A marked
unit and handcuffs."
Lew just groaned. "That just don't seem right."
Harry nodded and added, "Ever notice how when it's a bad deal, it's
always Richardson's name on the paperwork?"
Dave leaned back on his desk. "Annie's gonna be so pissed when she
hears about this."
Both Lew and Harry perked up their ears. "Annie Prince?" Harry
finally asked.
That shook Dave out of his thoughts. "Never mind about that. It's my
private life," he growled. "Do you two want to pick up Todd, or do
you want me to send somebody else?"
"We'll do it," said Harry. "He shouldn't be picked up by strangers."
"Good," said Dave. "Make sure you try to apprehend this supposed
nefarious fugitive by noon today."
Harry and Lew looked at each other before nodding and leaving.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Judge Richardson had enough class at least to not openly count the
money in the envelope that Jack Labadie had slid across the table at
Denny's, but of course his fingers itched terribly while holding it.
Actually he'd rather they'd met at one of the fancy restaurants in
town, but he couldn't think of one that would be happy to see or serve
him. Still a thorn in his side was his one miscalculated error in
judgment, rightfully provoked over his concern for his stepdaughter,
even though it turned out to be instigated by indiscretions on the
part of her friend. He had forced "A Woman's Space" to be shut down,
and the bitch who ran it was still after his hide. She had been
successfully badmouthing him since that unfortunate incident to every
good restaurant around. These days, if he wanted a decent meal, he
had to travel well out of the city. He would have insisted on it for
this meeting as well, but it wouldn't have allowed them time to go to
the courthouse afterwards and do this job right.
Richardson had taken the money, a lot less than he thought he
deserved for a job of this type, but he figured he ought to be able to
milk it for a lot more. He'd get what he could, while he could, as
that bitch was still making life miserable for him, and he knew his
chances for re-election were slightly less than hell freezing over.
He'd like to take care of her as well, but she kept her nose clean,
and that damn dog of hers had just put her in very good graces with
the CMPD. He figured he'd run for the position again and skim what he
could from the election coffers, but retirement was looming. It was
either that or return to being a lawyer, and the latter, which
involved real work, was not a thought that sat well with him.
He had explained to Labadie that the charge was thinner than the
envelope the money was in as Ayers had been known as a good guy to
practically all of the police department since shortly after setting
down roots in Charlotte. Labadie insisted that Langstaff and
Associates could deal with the odds. The important thing was to get
the charge on the books and Ayers arrested. A whole team of lawyers
was ready to act the minute Ayres was in jail.
"It's a standard `shock and awe' approach we use." Jack Labadie
explained. "We have lawyers attach and attack each of his assets and
holdings. It might take a year of legal roughhousing, but we're
almost always able to wear them down to where they're willing to
settle just to end the cost of the defense fees. With their assets
frozen, they can't pay for the legal work."
"Do you gamble much?" Richardson had asked.
"Rarely," said Jack. "When the odds are so high in your favor, it's
not much of a gamble."
Richardson had just smiled. These boys from up North sounded like
they knew what they were doing, and he'd be quite happy to accept more
of these envelopes his new retirement sponsor wanted to hand him in
exchange for helping them file any other paperwork needed. It was
quick and easy for him, no skin off his nose in his present
situation. He felt no remorse for this guy, Ayres. With all the
judges taking vacations, the man could sit in jail for a month. And,
if it didn't work out like the boys from Ohio thought it would? Well,
he'd just take what money he could get out of the job and then forget
about them, too.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Harry and Lew had left the Captain's office and gone right outside.
Harry opened his cell phone and pushed Lew's hand away when he tried
to reach for it.
"I'll be the one, Lew. You can claim you knew nothing about this."
"Hell, Harry," Lew said. "You heard the Captain. He as much as told
us to go ahead and warn Todd. Pick him up by noon, my ass!"
"Laura's still my daughter, Lew."
Lew understood and waited while Harry made the call.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Laura answered her phone on the third ring. She had been swallowing
her morning vitamins and laughing with Kelly about the visit with
Dr. Angela Mark, Kelly's new obstetrician. Laura was surprised to be
getting a call on her cell this early in the morning, but smiled when
she saw it was her father.
"Hey, Daddy, what're doing calling me this early? A girl needs her
beauty sleep, you know." But her smile faded quickly.
"Laura, listen to me close. I won't have a chance to repeat this. I
have a warrant for Todd's arrest."
Laura felt her throat tighten as tears threatened to well up to her
eyes. "But... but, Daddy," she stammered and then sniffed.
"Get a grip, Laura. I need you to listen close," Harry said. "I have
to come to the studio at 11:30 this morning to pick up Todd on a
felony arrest warrant for Grand Theft. Lew and I will be busy for a
while, but at 11:30, we will be arriving at the studio to arrest Todd
if he is there. If you understand me, Laura, just say yes."
"Ya... yes, Daddy," she stammered again feeling her jaw tighten.
"If Todd isn't at the studio when we get there, we will have to look
for him, but we can only look in Charlotte. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Daddy. Thank you, Daddy."
"I love you, Pumpkin," he said.
"I love you too, Daddy," and Laura closed her phone.
"What's the matter, Honey?" Kelly asked a tearful Laura.
"Todd has to leave town, right now," Laura hissed. "Daddy and Uncle
Lew have a warrant to arrest him, and Daddy said they were going to
serve it at the studio at 11:30 if he was there or anywhere in
Charlotte."
"What's being served," said Todd, smiling as he strolled into the
kitchen. "Breakfast I hope."
Ami and Cara sat there with their mouths agape, too petrified to
speak, but tears were starting to pool in Ami's eyes.
"Todd, you've got to pack and leave town right now," Laura said and
quickly filled him in on her father's advice, which is what she was
sure it was.
"Felony, Grand Theft, eh?" Todd repeated as he puffed on one of
Kelly's cigarettes. "That means I stole something worth over $5,000.
That explains what's been going on around here with the private
snoop. Somebody's been planning this for a while, but I'm not going
to run from this. I've never run, and I haven't stolen a damn thing.
Somebody is playing me, and I want to know who it is." Flipping open
his own phone, he scanned the directory and did a double take when
Melanie answered his call.
"Hi, Melanie" he said. "I need to talk to Steve right away. Thanks."
"Yeah, Steve. Remember that nutjob that was casing Kelly's place?
Yeah, he's the one. Looks like whoever he was working for found what
they wanted, and I'm going to be arrested at 11:30."
"Todd," Steve said, "I'll find you a good criminal lawyer. I'm not up
on criminal law, and neither is Pete, but I can sure call in a few
favors."
"That's all fine, Steve, but that's not why I'm calling. I'll be
okay, but I'm worried about the business. I want to be ready or have
Kelly ready for when the bailiffs come to try and seize the studio.
Nobody went to this kind of trouble without a financial reward in it
for them."
"Jesus, Todd." Steve said. "Who did you piss off so much that they
want TKO?"
"I don't know yet, Steve, but I want to make sure that nobody shuts
the doors on Kelly or our operation in New York. Too many people
count on TKO and on Kelly. I can handle a court battle if it comes to
it, but if I also have my mind on Kelly and the business, it will be a
lot harder for me."
"Todd, they can try, but remember, I set up the corporation for you
and Kelly. It's a full-fledged corporation and limited, and there is
no way anyone can touch it. What you need to do to protect other
assets you own yourself is get to the bank right now and take out a
loan on all your personal property."
"What?" asked an exasperated Todd. "Why the hell would I want to take
out a loan? I own everything that I have."
"Todd, listen to me. You said you have till 11:30 right? Get to the
bank and take out a loan for as much, no, make that twice as much as
you think you personally own, and bring that money to me as a
retainer. Turn your bank accounts and vehicle ownerships over to the
bank instantly as collateral with specific instructions that you are
not to receive them back until the loan is totally paid. This is
going to have to be done now, Todd, and I mean right now. This is the
quickest liquidation of assets that I can think of and keep it all
legal."
"Are you sure this is legal, Steve? I don't want you in hot water
either."
"It's perfectly legal," Steve said. "What we're doing is making sure
that whoever wants what they think you're worth to find out quickly
that you aren't worth a damn thing!"
"Okay, thanks, Steve."
"I'll be waiting at the police department for you. I don't want you
to make any statements or volunteer any information until I get
there. While you're covering your personal assets, I'll see about
finding you a good defense attorney - now go!"
Todd hung up and looked at the ladies in the kitchen. Ami and Cara
were openly crying, and Laura was struggling not to let the tears win
the battle. Kelly was the only one who was calm and collected.
"I understand what you need done at the bank, Todd. I'll be your
co-signer and take possession of your accounts for collateral if you
want."
"Thanks, Kelly. We need to get moving."
"But why do you have to go to jail?" wailed Laura, finally letting the
tears win. "Who could be so mean and spiteful?"
Todd set his chin and his eyes darkened. "There's only two people
that I know would rather see me in jail than happy," he said. "But I
thought they were totally out of my life."
Todd reached for Laura and hugged her and kissed her. "I need you to
be strong, Baby - strong for Ami and Cara and especially Kelly." He
looked at Kelly. "She's strong in the crunch, aren't you, Honey?" he
said smiling at his long-time partner. "But we don't know how long
this is going to take, and you've all got to be strong for the company
picnic this weekend. Can't let a little thing like jail stop the
party can we?"
"Who's coming along for the ride?" asked Kelly, suddenly standing up,
then she jumped back in surprise as the back door opened.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Gloria walked in, her keys still in her hand. "Don't mind me none.
You go for yer ride. I just make me coffee and see to the groceries."
"Gloria!" Laura said in a bit louder than normal tone, "Todd's going
to jail!"
`G' calmly reached into her purse and pulled out a toothbrush,
obviously brand new, still sealed in cellophane. "Not so far den. Be
back soon, Mister Todd."
Todd started to laugh, took the offered toothbrush, and kissed `G' on
the cheek. "Keep it real for the girls, Gloria," he said. Somehow
the simple gesture of an offered toothbrush reassured Todd that his
decision to stay and fight was the right one.
The bank kept trying to insist that Todd's credit was good enough that
he didn't need to put his personal accounts on hold as collateral. It
took longer than expected to convince the bank that this was needed as
Todd did not want to disclose the fact that he was waiting to be taken
to jail. Todd knew that any attempts at his assets would be a civil
matter, not a criminal matter, and protecting himself was just common
sense. He had no problems parting with his money for any good cause,
but no one - absolutely no one - was going to take it from him.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
They made it to the studio with enough time for Todd to share some
physical affection with Kelly and Laura after they had filled Robert
in on what was happening. Todd encouraged Ami to continue taking
pictures and to feel free to use the Hasselblad. He asked Cara to
make sure that Kelly wasn't tense at night and told her that he was
depending on her for the baby's sake.
Ironically, CrossTrain chose that morning to pick up their equipment,
and things were a bit busy as the uneven bars and the balance beam got
taken apart and loaded into the truck. As expected, the drivers had
instructions to leave the tumbling mat, and they were just finishing
up when the CMPD cruiser pulled up.
Harry was totally shocked to find that Todd was there and wearing a
wry grin.
"I'm sorry, Todd," Harry said as he presented the legal papers.
"Theodor Vanden Ayres, under order of Judge Ernest Richardson, I am
placing you under arrest for Grand Theft and Evasion of Prosecution,
to be held in custody, without bail, until such time that a court
decides on your extradition to the custody of the Akron Ohio Police
Department."
"Don't let the practices stop," Todd told Robert. "Move the equipment
over to the big bay and have them work at it. I'd love to hear them
sing at the company picnic."
"Let's hope that you're there to hear them," Robert said quietly.
"No worries, Bobby. The visual arts department from UNCC is going to
tape the entire party. One way or another, I'll see it."
Then, after giving Ami and Cara a hug and Kelly and Laura a kiss and
hug, Todd lifted his hands in front of him so that Harry could put the
cuffs on him. Todd was still holding onto `G's' toothbrush in his
right hand and had to tell Harry to tighten the cuffs a bit because he
thought they might fall right off.
From his `car for sale' hideout on the corner of the
Hutchison-McDonald road, Little Joe Johnson watched in amazement as
Todd, in handcuffs, was gently eased into the back seat of the cruiser
by two police officers who were supposed to be his friends.
Joe couldn't prevent the arrest, but he sure as hell could notify
someone who was willing to pay his boss a stiff price for an eye to be
kept on Ayers. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the office.
"Johnson, Joe, let me talk to the boss."
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Kelly and Laura headed right over to the central station to meet Steve
and to pass over the check the bank had issued Todd for his loan.
Steve said he would just deposit it in the law firm account. He was
still looking for an experienced criminal lawyer, but with the courts
basically closed for the summer months, many lawyers were on vacation
as well.
"At least we should be able to make his bail," Steve said.
"He's being held without bail, Steve," Kelly said. "Something about
being held for extradition to Ohio."
"What?" asked Steve. "This can't be right. Todd's not a flight
risk."
"That was the second part of the charge," Laura added. "He's here
evading prosecution in Ohio or some bullshit thing like that.
Shouldn't you be in there doing something?"
"They'll fingerprint him and take his pictures first," said Steve.
"You girls might as well go home. He won't be allowed visitors for a
while anyway. I'll let you know the minute you can see him. Someone
should go back to the studio and wait for the vultures to show up.
I'm positive this is just a money grab, and that's something I can
handle. I need you to call me the minute a bailiff shows up with a
seizure warrant."
Reluctantly, Kelly and Laura left, and Steve walked into the station.
He might not be a criminal lawyer, but he was sure going to argue for
protective custody of his client and friend.
Steve needn't have worried though.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Todd had remained cool and calm during the ride to the station. He
knew that until a hearing took place, he wasn't going to be
transferred anywhere but would be spending time in the temporary
lockup here at the station.
Harry and Lew had made sure the rear parking lot was empty of any
reporters who might be loitering in the hopes of something interesting
showing up at the station. From the cruiser, Todd was gently but
quickly led inside where for some reason a minimum staff was working.
The fingerprint ink was a pain to remove, but Lew handed him some
special lotion and allowed him to wash up. Regulations required that
he change into the formless, standard-issue orange jumpsuit, but the
one he was handed seemed brand new and, oddly, exactly his size. He
had smiled at Harry and Lew, the latter mentioning it seemed a fair
trade for providing them with their own new suits. When Lew started
to apologize, Todd just shook his head and told them he totally
understood that they were doing their jobs - and probably against
their will - but he was thankful that it had been they who'd brought
him in.
"Why didn't you bail, Todd?" asked Harry.
"There're a lot of reasons, Harry. First, you're Laura's father. I
can't have you thinking that she's spending her time with a criminal.
My running would, if not admit outright, at least point to guilt I
don't have. Second, you're giving up your house and your job based on
promises Kelly and I made to your family about a better future.
Wouldn't be much better if it turned out the property was owned by a
convicted felon now would it? That I could get convicted is somewhat
more likely if I had run, or at the very least, it would lengthen -
possibly tremendously - the process of proving me innocent."
"And, Lew," Todd said turning to the other officer, "You're Laura's
godfather, and you and Sally are moving into `Muriel's Place' as
well. Kelly knows me and knows this is just some money-grab scam.
Laura wants to believe that I am who she sees and feels, but I need to
prove to her that her faith is founded in love, trust, and honesty."
"The law and I might not always agree," continued Todd, "but I've
never broken it. I might bend a few that I don't feel are just, like
my taste in beer, but I've never lost a minute of sleep worrying about
anything I've ever done might have hurt anyone or given anyone a
reason to want to see me locked away - because it simply has not
happened. I'd have to say that I am exactly what you see. Part of my
business reputation is built on that."
"And you've never done anything illegal in Ohio?" Lew asked.
Todd laughed. "I've been in a lot of places Lew, but for the life of
me, I can't remember even ever having driven through Ohio. I did all
of my sports photography in the New England states, and when I left
that to do fashion photography, it was either in New York, LA, or out
of the country. Ohio isn't exactly known as a fashion capital."
"We've obviously talked about it, Todd," said Harry. "We don't
believe you're a criminal on the run. Hell, if you were on the run,
the last thing you'd want to do is settle down in Charlotte for as
long as you have, and though we didn't know a lot about you, we did
know a lot about the charitable contributions you were making. Damn...
a lot of them you made through the department. Not exactly a way of
keeping under the radar now is it?"
"I wasn't looking for recognition, Harry," Todd said. "But I wasn't
hiding either. You don't go teaching at the UNCC if you want to hide
out."
"But you could have left," said Lew. "Once you knew where the problem
was coming from, you could have used your resources to fight it on
your own terms. Now you've got to defend yourself here and from
behind bars."
"This is my home now, Lew. If not here, where? If not now, when? My
family, my friends, my life, are all here, in Charlotte."
Lew shook his head. If Todd Ayres wasn't just being naive, he was
either the most innocent person ever put behind bars or the most
convincing con artist on the planet. Lew was willing to bet his 30
years as a cop that Todd, or Theodor - or whatever his name might be -
was the man least likely to ever make anyone's list as even a wanna-be
con artist.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Steve was upset to find Todd drinking coffee with the arresting
officers and talking about the plans for the daughters of one of the
cops to be singing at the opening of the TKO company picnic.
"I specifically asked you not to say anything to the police until I
was here to answer for you," Steve said with frustration.
"Relax, Steve," said Todd. "They haven't asked me a single question
about the charges, in fact, I don't think they know any more about it
than I do right now."
Harry coughed discreetly. "Uhm, actually, we spoke to a duty sergeant
in Akron just yesterday, Todd. He was surprised that you even existed
and said that nearly ten years ago, there was a complaint of theft
filed against a Theodor Vanden Ayres by Theodor's birth father.
According to the officer we spoke to, the statute of limitations had
run out on it, but they had never bothered to follow up on the charge
in the first place since they had no record of a Theodor, much less of
him ever having lived with his parents. Given that you are this
Theodor, you were never registered with an Ohio school district or
university, and you had never filed any tax papers in Ohio. They were
actually surprised that you even existed."
Steve fell back into a chair. Though he didn't practice criminal law,
he knew that officers would not likely be giving away this kind of
information without some serious motivation. He made a mental note to
contact the Akron PD and confirm this story.
Todd sighed. "Well, remind me to look surprised next Tuesday," he
said without mirth. "No matter how far or how long it took, my past
caught up to me."
Steve instantly sat upright. "Todd, I advise you to admit to nothing
and to say nothing that might incriminate you."
Todd attempted to smile at Steve. "Incriminate myself, Steve? By
admitting I have parents?"
"Are you sure this is your parents' doing?" asked Steve.
Harry looked at Todd with sympathy. "His parents might have found a
loophole in the law which explains why the ambulance chasing firm of
Langstaff and Associates are involved in all this," he said.
"Which loophole?" Steve asked, wondering if the officers would give
him more ammunition with which to fight for Todd's rights.
"The Evasion of Prosecution," said Harry, knowing full well that Steve
would be memorizing everything he said. "If the Akron PD never tried
to actively find Todd, then the charge - even if it was a legitimate
one - would have expired under the Statute of Limitations. "Todd
could not be avoiding prosecution if he was never aware of the charge
in the first place."
"Just in case anybody missed that," said Lew, "the Akron PD never
bothered to try and find Todd. Therefore, Todd could not be avoiding
prosecution. We have no idea what was allegedly stolen, and this
might be prove to be a problem for Todd, but whoever it was in Ohio
that signed for this additional charge to go ahead is assuming that
Todd has been hiding from the Akron PD. Since he didn't have any idea
that they were looking for him, he couldn't have been hiding."
"Then why the warning?" asked Todd, obviously confused.
"We're officers of the law," said Harry. "No matter how much we like
you, we're sworn to uphold the law even if we think it's wrong. It's
kind of like what you said earlier. We won't break the law, but we
can bend a little. Hell, we don't want to throw you in jail. We'd
rather you took the fight to them when you were ready, but we didn't
know they were this close to moving on you. Then you went and said
what you did about Laura and about this being your town and your
friends living here. Even if we have to put you in jail, there's no
law saying we can't be on your side and help you as much as possible."
"You've been an asset to Charlotte, Todd," said Lew. "We know that
there's always an elected official who can be persuaded," Lew made the
thumb-rubbing-fingers gesture indicating money, "to turn a blind eye
and make some gray area look like a black and white issue. I don't
think either Harry or me realized just what kind of person you were
until we found you ready and waiting for us to pick you up. Nobody
with a guilty conscience would do that. The problem is, you might be
here for a long time doing what you think is the right thing."
Steve was about to ask why they were still socializing, instead of
putting Todd in a cell, when his cell phone rang.
Flipping the unit open, he listened and then laughed. "I'll be there
as soon as I can, Kelly," he said then hung up. "Sorry gentlemen," he
said. "I trust you'll take good care of my client?" It was a
needless question. Steve could see that the two officers were not
happy having to lock Todd up.
"What's up, Steve?" Todd asked.
"The vultures have landed," he replied with a smirk. "They just tried
to shut down the studio and lock the assets." Turning to Lew and
Harry, he said, "Somebody in booking is collecting tip-off money.
They wouldn't have started trying to seize Todd's assets until they
were sure he had been arrested."
"Fuck," was all that Lew could say.
"Not much we can do about it now," said Harry, "though I'll put a call
into Internal Affairs and let them know. I hate dirty cops."
Todd could understand Harry's anger. Someone else on the take while
Harry had struggled for years on an honest salary would not sit well
with him. Almost certainly that dirty extra income could have been
put to good use. Harry had stayed clean and owed no favors to anyone
as a result of taking bribes to look the other way.
"Is it going to be okay, Steve?" Todd asked.
Steve smiled. "The business is going to be fine. It's a stand-alone
from which you and Kelly can disperse funds mutually or to pay your
employees, but any sale or disposal of equipment requires both of you
to sign. If they try to pierce the corporate veil, I can keep them
tied up in court for years. I think they were looking for a quick
cash grab. Right now, you aren't working, so you'll have no income
from the business. With your retainer fee, and never having bought
any personal real estate, you are on the verge of being insolvent."
Steve allowed himself a laugh. "If they thought this was going to
make somebody rich, I'm afraid they missed the boat. Incorporating
the business is just words, thinner than a bride's veil, that
corporate veil analogy I just referred to, but piercing it - getting
into and past the corporation to your assets - would set hairy legal
precedents nationally and simply isn't going to happen."
Todd settled back in his chair with a sigh of relief. "Keep them
honest, Steve," he said as they shook hands.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
If not for the fact that Todd was in jail, Kelly would have laughed at
the hired legal guns parked on the street. They had arrived with a
bailiff and a seizure order for all the property and assets in the
name of Todd Ayres. Being a business major herself, Kelly laughed
when the documents were presented and told the bailiff that the
property they were standing on did not belong to Todd but to TKO. The
two suits from the North had sputtered that Todd owned TKO, to which
Kelly had just laughed. The bailiff, already paid for his work, just
shrugged and asked if Kelly could prove this. Stating that she most
certainly could, if required, he had apologized and left. The suits
had remained, threatening that perjury to an officer of the court
could result in jail time and demanding to be let inside so they could
take inventory. Kelly had refused and called Steve after pointedly
closing the door.
The suits had insisted on leaning on the door bell, until five minutes
later, Robert had come out and explained in no polite terms that they
were trespassing and interfering with the normal operation of
business. He had ordered them off the property and said he would be
contacting the police department if the suits stepped foot on the
property again. They ended up parked across the street fuming, one of
them on the phone to Gerry Langstaff trying to explain the new twist.
It hadn't taken much effort on Gerry's part to find out where Todd did
his banking business. A couple of secretaries working from Cleveland
had handled this task. Calling every bank and financial institute in
Charlotte had ended with the almost certain knowledge that Todd only
used the one bank. It had cost Gerry two more donations to Judge
Richardson to get the papers signed to seize Vanden Ayres' property
and bank assets. He hoped the roadblock to seizing the business would
be temporary and that he would be able to search the books to find all
of Vanden Ayres' holdings.
In another twist of fate, Gerry Langstaff had arrived in Charlotte and
booked himself and his team into the same Holiday Inn that Joe Johnson
was staying at, neither of them realizing the proximity of each other.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Dave Walker entered the room and stuck out his hand to Todd. "I'm
really sorry we had to meet under these conditions, Todd. Is it okay
if I call you Todd?"
Todd smiled and shook the captain's hand. "I'd prefer it if you did,"
he said.
"I'm sorry about the delay in getting you to a cell," said Dave, "But
we're making a few changes to one of our larger cells."
Todd's brows went up, but he said nothing.
"Technically, we arrested you on behalf of the Akron PD, who it
appears from my phone call to them this morning, don't want you in the
first place. It seems that a judge in Cleveland is forcing this
issue, and another judge down here was willing to provide you to
them. You haven't done anything in Charlotte to warrant you being
treated like a criminal, but we are supposed to hold you until either
the Akron PD comes for you or until a judge orders your release."
"In other words," Todd added, "somebody wanted me out of the way while
they tried to seize everything I own."
"On the surface that's exactly how it appears," said Dave. "I've
already had a call from Bank of America regarding an attempt to freeze
your accounts by two out-of-state lawyers. We might be a bit
`Southern' in our ways but we tend to look out for each other,"
continued Dave.
"Damn," said Todd, glad he had followed Steve's advice and borrowed
heavily against his own money. "I guess I beat the bullet on that
one," he added with a chuckle.
"Perhaps," said Dave. "Right now, I have two sleaze-bag lawyers
pacing the halls, demanding to see you so they can serve you with
papers. The funny thing is, I don't have to let anyone in to see you,
and I can decide who gets to visit you."
Todd couldn't help but laugh. By having him arrested, though the
circumstances were fortuitous, his parents' lawyers had also cut off
any chance to get at his assets.
"So, if Akron doesn't want me," Todd asked, getting serious, "just how
long will it take to see a judge about this?"
"Depending on how available one is and how agreeable he is to hear the
case, it could be as soon as tomorrow or you could be waiting for a
month," said Dave. "But just to satisfy my own curiosity, and nothing
you say in this office leaves this office," he said glancing at Lew
and Harry, "did you really steal a family camera worth over five
thousand dollars?"
Todd nearly fell out of his chair, first in shock and then in
laughter. "Is that my supposed crime?" and he burst out laughing
again. "I know where this is coming from," he finally said as he
regained some of his composure. "My `father' used to say everything I
had - even my ass - wasn't my own, that it all belonged to him, and
that I was never to forget it. He never had any kind of real camera
for as long as I lived with them. He used to buy disposable cameras
when he went somewhere on vacation. Before I moved out of their house
to attend college, I had bought my first real camera. It's the one
Ami now uses for practice and on-location shoots. Complete with the
flash and two extra lens, I'm pretty sure I spent just over two
thousand on it. Hell, I even bought the case that I carry it in, and
there should be a receipt for the entire kit right in the top of it.
There's a small pocket where I used to store my lens cleaning papers,
and I'm nearly positive that the receipt is still in there along with
my customs papers for taking it back and forth out of the country. I
bought all of it in Harrisburg just before I started my senior year in
high school and took the camera with me to Harrisburg Community
College before I transferred to New York State University. I'm
surprised my `father' even remembers me having a camera. He never
paid much attention to what I did, only to the money I paid him for
board each week. He kept pushing for me to quit high school and get a
job," Todd sighed. "The only way that I could get him to let me
finish was to pay board every week. I earned most of my money with a
camera I borrowed from the photography club in school, but the summer
of my last year, I had saved enough to buy myself the K-1000."
A knock on the door interrupted them, and an officer said that Todd's
cell was ready.
Dave asked Todd to go with the officer and told him that he would be
down to see him shortly. And, oh yes, unless Todd wanted otherwise,
Dave would tell the two lawyers from Cleveland that visiting hours for
Todd were on an approved basis only and that they were not yet
approved. "Let them cool their heels upstairs waiting for my
approval," said Dave with a mean glint in his eyes.
After Todd left, Dave turned once again to Harry and Lew. "I know
that I said nothing he said leaves this room, but Todd seems to have
more friends than he realizes. I also received a call from a licensed
investigator a while ago who claims that you can vouch for him, Lew.
A Joe Johnson?"
Lew nodded and was about to explain when Dave just held up his hand.
"A real friend of Todd's would know how to clear this up in a hurry.
I don't want Todd to have to spend more time than necessary in one of
our holding cells. No matter how pretty we make it, it's still a
cell."
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
"Fuck!"
Gerry Langstaff was not having a good day. First he had run into a
brick wall trying to seize TKO's assets, and it now looked like it
would probably take months of courtroom time to get that problem
unlocked, and then he had gotten the news about the personal bank
accounts being frozen. And contrary to plan, it wasn't his people
who'd done the freezing. Someone else had beaten him to it. What
really pissed Gerry off was when his lawyers had presented the
paperwork for disclosure on Ayres' accounts, they found he'd recently
taken out a loan for just over three million dollars! Gerry knew then
that Eddie's fumbling had cost him big time. Nobody, but nobody, got
a cash loan for three million unless they were worth a lot more.
Gerry was a greedy man, but not a stupid one. If the charges against
Vanden Ayres were stronger, he would take the time for the fight, but
he had known going in that the charges were weak to non-existent. It
had been a good run. He had gotten his sister off his back by giving
that worthless son of hers a job that had lasted the better part of a
year, and Gerry had managed to make some money off the elder Vanden
Ayres in the process. It should have been an easy swoop and grab, and
Gerry could have collected his 30 percent without breaking a sweat.
The problem was that Theodor Vanden Ayres had been smarter and
quicker. Somebody else had probably also helped him protect his ass.
Gerry was set to cut his losses and run. Vanden Ayres would stay in
jail until some judge dismissed the charges, and Eddie would have to
make the best of a public defender. Betsy and Adrian would have to
pay the cost for the bribes to the judges and if they didn't, well
they'd feel the full wrath and power of Langstaff and Associates.
It was time to cut his losses, and though he regretted losing the
potential windfall, Gerry didn't like to take on - much less continue
- cases that would involve real work. He preferred to scare people
into paying. Present a strong front, freeze their assets, and hound
them with court delays and actions until they caved in. With a sigh,
he called his assistants and told them to pack. They were closing the
books on this one. He felt no remorse for Vanden Ayres, not even any
for his own nephew, Eddie. Money was the only thing that interested
Gerry, and there was none to be made in Charlotte.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Todd smiled even as the iron bars clanged shut behind him. The cell
had obviously just been completely scrubbed and smelled clean, that
hint of bleach still in the air. The stainless steel sink and toilet
gleamed, and instead of a paper-thin mattress on a metal cot bolted to
the wall, an obviously brand new single bed sat in a corner of the
cell. Nothing fancy, but it would be infinitely more comfortable.
The bedding felt new and the pillow was still wrapped in plastic. A
portable privacy screen was folded beside the toilet, and Todd's
street clothes, the ones he had on that morning, lay folded at the end
of the bed. A radio stood on a small stand beside the bed along with
a number of J.D. Robb novels. All the comforts of home, thought
Todd. He removed the toothbrush he had received from Gloria and
placed it on the stand, noting that someone else was also concerned
about his dental hygiene as there was another brand new toothbrush
sitting beside a new tube of toothpaste on the small stand above the
sink.
By the time Dave Walker made it downstairs to see how Todd had settled
in, Todd had already changed into his own clothes. He didn't
particularly care for the orange jumpsuit.
"So, what's the deal with the first class accommodations?" Todd
asked.
Dave sighed. "It's far from first class, Todd, but it was the best I
could arrange on short notice."
"I didn't realize the police budget was so flexible," Todd said.
"It's not," said Dave. "But I'll be damned if the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is going to treat one of the
city's biggest contributors to Charlotte's underprivileged kids like a
common criminal when you haven't broken any laws in our city!"
Dave was clearly pissed off by the whole deal, so Todd didn't press
the point. "Thanks for letting me wear my own clothes," he said
instead.
"Hell, Todd. We got the damn warrant, and we had to follow through on
it. That meant sending somebody out to pick you up, and then you had
to be there too."
Todd understood that the delay in the execution of the warrant had to
have come from higher than Harry or Lew would have dared to pull on
their own. Now he knew where the order had come from.
"We had to follow all the procedures for booking, which of course
meant the jump suit, but hell, even weekend drunks don't have to wear
them while they sleep off their binge. I'd like to have put a TV in
your cell, but that would have required running cable. I do promise
you that if you have to stay here more than a few days, I will
personally run a cable from the roof down here!"
Todd laughed. "Thanks, Dave. I can live without TV. I appreciate
the books, though, and the radio."
"Wait till you see the meals," Dave said with a smile. "Annie is
making them up special for you. Since Bubba is on voluntary duty to
the new unit, she can come and go without supervision. Of course,
starting tomorrow, you can have whoever you want come to visit you.
We do have to restrict visits to a room, but we won't stop anyone you
want to see from bringing you anything. And we'll make sure that
anyone from any law firm other than the ones you approve simply won't
have access to you."
"I appreciate all you're doing for me, Dave. Hopefully I won't be
here long enough to start scratching dates in the wall."
Dave Walker laughed, shook Todd's hand, and headed back to his office.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
From their new office, Lew had found Joe's contact number at the
Southside Holiday Inn. Lew also had Joe's cell number but had decided
to try the hotel first. Joe had been busy entering his information
into his laptop and was preparing to send it to his boss when Lew had
called.
When he heard about the possibility there was a bill of sale inside
the camera bag and that the charges all stemmed from the possible
theft of the camera, Joe got very excited. Enough so that he asked if
he could stop by and get a copy of the charges. Lew said he had
already run the papers through the photocopier in anticipation.
"Joe," Lew said hesitantly. "I don't know who's paying your boss or
what connections he has, but if that person had any clout in Ohio, and
with the proof in hand that Todd has never been in Ohio, and the fact
that the Akron PD isn't planning on coming down here to pick up Todd..."
"I understand," said Joe. "If an official in Ohio overturned the
charges, you'd have no reason to hold our friend."
"Exactly," said Lew.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Four hours later, Joe Johnson was sitting in the offices of TKO
sipping on mineral water as he examined the contents of the camera
bag. He had already contacted the colleges in Harrisburg and New York
and had fax copies of Todd's full time enrollment for the time he was
supposedly living in Ohio. Todd had lived on campus at both schools
and records showed him paying continuous rent on the dormitory rooms.
All Joe had to do was prove the camera had been bought when and where
Todd had claimed.
Getting into the door at TKO had proven easier than expected
considering the turmoil that had gone on. Until that afternoon, Joe
had had no idea who the client was that had been paying for his
services. When he had found out, he had let out a low whistle. He
knew Regan boats. Had one himself that he used for fishing when he
wasn't out of town working.
Carefully, he lifted the cover, hoping that Todd's memory was
correct. He slowly undid the zipper of the small pocket under the top
and gently tugged out the papers. Ten years shouldn't make them
fragile, but Joe wasn't taking any chances. He smiled with
satisfaction when he read the receipt for the camera purchase. The
name of the store and its location were all clearly legible along with
the handwritten details and serial numbers for the flash, each of the
lenses and the camera body. Hell, the warranty cards were still
inside the case, at least the half the purchaser kept. Joe was
already sure he had enough information to have the charges dropped,
but the warranties would be further proof if required. You just don't
travel to Pennsylvania to buy a camera if you were living in Ohio.
Joe was glad when Robert had left to pick up Vanetta at the airport
and taken Ami with him. She had not stopped crying since he had
arrived, and while he understood her emotional state, he was much more
in tune with Kelly's detached state. Joe knew that after the crisis
passed, she would drop like a rock and sleep, but she had a
personality trait he admired - courage under fire. Laura was strong,
like her father, but not used to the legal wrangling involved.
Joe hoped to meet Todd in person. From what he had been told after
his arrival at TKO, and what he had heard from Sergeant Lew Weaver,
Todd had been given the chance to make a run out of the city, knowing
who was after him and what for. Instead, he had chosen to take a
stand, making him a man, Joe thought, obviously stronger and more
decent than the gene pool that had spawned him.
Using the phone at the TKO offices, Joe called his boss on the West
Coast and verified that the camera had been bought in Harrisburg and
that college records showed that Todd had been in Pennsylvania and New
York from the time he had finished high school through his graduation
with honors from the Fine Arts department at NYU.
Joe was a little ticked that information from Cleveland had been so
slow getting to him about Langstaff heading to North Carolina. If he
had known on Monday that Langstaff had left Ohio, Joe could have
warned Todd. It ended up the local police had given Todd just as much
warning as he could have. At the request of his boss, Joe was asked
to stay at the TKO offices until he received further instructions. He
had agreed and then proceeded to call around to the different hotels
looking for Langstaff. Kelly and Laura and the one named Cara all
pitched in. Laura was using her cell phone as was Kelly. Joe had
told them to just ask for their Uncle Gerry who was supposed to be in
town on business, and they started calling. Less than a half hour
later, Cara, on a call to the Southside Holiday Inn, was informed that
she had missed her `uncle' by a few hours. He and his associates had
already checked out.
"He's decided to cut his losses," said Joe to the girls. "There's
thin and then there's really thin. This charge was thinner than
really thin, but I think they hoped to freeze all of Todd's finances
and force him to pay out just to end the battle. I guess they didn't
realize that Todd has good friends... and good partners," he added
with a smile. Kelly had informed him of her and Todd's early morning
run to the bank to liquidate his accounts.
Laura was the one who said Joe looked familiar, but he assured her
that they had never met.
"But you've been watching us haven't you?" she asked.
Joe nodded but was wary of divulging too much.
"I could feel your presence," she said finally. "But it wasn't a bad
feeling, so I didn't pay too much attention to it. Not like the other
time when that man was caught by my uncle Lew."
Joe was spared the need to explain his own spying on the group when
Vanetta burst through the door. She was indignant and upset and sent
Joe a look that made him feel glad he was on the side of the team out
to save Todd. Kelly calmed Vanetta down and explained that the
immediate threat was gone, and probably for good, but now they were
working on getting Todd out of jail.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Todd, meanwhile had kept himself amused with one of the J.D. Robb
novels while reclining on the bed provided. He was oblivious to all
the activity going on to secure his release, but honestly felt inside
that he had done the right thing. If his birth parents were willing
to have him thrown in jail just to get at his money, then simply
having his name changed would never be enough. He would make sure his
will was iron tight and that neither his `mother' nor his `father'
would have any room to maneuver on his estate should he die before
them.
He considered Chuck his father now, and got a bit misty eyed thinking
of the strong role and presence that Chuck had brought into his life.
Hopefully, he would get out soon enough to take a weekend off to spend
with Chuck and Anna and his new sister, Deanna. He would do a family
portrait of them that would rival anything he had ever done for an
elected official or even the benefactors to the various charities he
himself supported.
Despite his childhood, Todd had survived and made something of his
life. The money wasn't important to him, but he wasn't going to turn
it over to greedy people who had no scruples or morals. Todd needed
very little in the way of material things in his life. His cameras
were just tools that he used to achieve an end, and that end was
simply the happiness of doing the best he could at what he liked to
do. Yes, he got money for it - good money - but, he spent nearly as
much on worthy causes as he kept for himself, and the only real toy he
had ever bought for himself was the Hummer. Sure, he had spent a
small fortune on the rings for the girls he loved, but again, that
wasn't out of a personal need but rather to show Kelly and Laura how
much he loved both of them. He sighed once more and had just turned
back to his novel when a sudden sharp bark made him jump.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Annie hadn't been pleased when Dave had called her and told her that
he had no choice but to bring Todd in to wait for extradition to
Ohio. She was about to fly into him about arresting law abiding
citizens when he told her who had signed the arrest warrant.
"Damn his miserable hide," Annie had hissed. "I'll bet there was some
kickback for Richardson in this to make him take the time."
"I didn't want there to be any secrets between us, Annie," Dave
explained. He went on to tell her that he had given Todd a chance to
leave the city, but that Todd had decided to fight the battle brought
to him.
Annie decided right then and there that her initial feelings about
Todd had been correct, and made no bones about saying so. "He's got
spunk if not brains," she said. "Harry warned me to get Bubba out of
town when Richardson turned his sights on me. I didn't listen and it
nearly cost Bubba his life. I might not have shown my appreciation
for the extra effort you and the boys put in to save Bubba," she
patted Bubba, his head resting in her lap, "but I know you went to bat
for me. I'm hopin' you're doin' the same for Todd."
Dave explained how he had converted the largest holding cell into a
temporary oasis, and Annie laughed. Then he hit her with the real
reason he was calling. "What ever it costs, Annie, I'll pay it," Dave
said. I don't want him eating jail food while he's waiting for what
happens next,"
Annie shook her head for a moment trying to fathom what Dave had just
said, then her heart softening said, "No worries about the cost,
Dave. "I cater so many jobs now that it won't be anything to keep a
few meals aside, I almost always have leftovers anyway. As long as I
don't have to be strip searched every time I get to the jail."
Dave laughed and promised her if that was necessary, he would do the
search himself, and she laughed again.
"I'll bring a meal over for him in a while and arrange to get to the
jail early in the mornin' and drop off breakfast for him and leave him
a boxed lunch. Maybe I can get Jacob to bake a file in his brownies,"
she said, laughing, then turned serious. "Am I going to see you
tonight?" She asked.
"The only thing that could keep me away would be you telling me that
you're tired of seeing me, my darling Annie."
"Ain't gonna happen," she said. Sighing with happiness, Annie hung up
the phone.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
"So I hear you're some kind of big-time criminal these days," Annie
said to Todd, though the smile in her eyes took the sting out of her
words.
Todd smiled back at her and said, "I see you're using the make-up.
You must still be on that big date."
"Yeah, whatever," though Annie had the courtesy to blush before she
berated him for speculating about her love life.
Annie had brought prime rib and broiled potatoes along with steamed
broccoli, and thermos of sweet tea.
"What?" asked Todd, feigning surprise. "No wine?"
Annie huffed with a loud "pffffft" noise then laughed, "Don't push
your luck buster," she grinned and then asked him if he was trying to
turn his cell back into the drunk tank. Todd laughed back, both of
them knowing that Dave had already bent so many rules that, if word
got out, there might be a formal investigation. Todd hoped he
wouldn't be behind bars long enough to get Dave into trouble.
The officer who had accompanied Annie and Bubba and opened the door to
let her deliver his food had left once she was back out of the cell
and made sure the door between Todd and Annie and Bubba was again
locked. A reminder to Todd that while he had good food and very good
accommodations considering the circumstances, he was still behind bars
and his freedom was very limited.
Todd thanked Annie for all the trouble she had gone to and rubbed
Bubba's head through the bars, and then he was alone with his thoughts
again. Todd wondered how Kelly and Laura were doing and remembered
that Vanetta was on her way back from San Francisco. He knew that
Kelly would hold up through the company picnic.
Rebel Heart was a hell of a band, and Todd had fond memories of his
night with Kelly and Laura on the boat restaurant at Brookhaven,
listening and dancing to their music.
Shortly after nine, a guard came to Todd's cell. "Mr. Ayres? There's
a phone call for you from a Mr. Regan. Do you want to accept the
call?"
After saying he would most certainly take the call, Todd wondered how
Chuck had known where he was and how he had managed to call in.
Either way, Todd was happy to take the call from his adopted father.
Todd sat down and was handed the phone. "Hello? Chuck?"
"Hello, son. How are you holding up?" Chuck asked gently.
"They're making it easy on me, Chuck," Todd told him, "but I don't
know how long I'll be here before somebody from Ohio comes to get me."
"Todd, did you think I would sit idly by and let somebody snatch you
from your home and your lovely ladies, one of whom is going to present
me with a new grandchild?"
"I don't see much anybody can do about it," sighed Todd. "They've
tried to move on my assets, and I think I'm pretty secure there, but a
lot of it depends now on how long I have to wait to see a judge.
August isn't the best month for a court appearance according to what
I've been told."
"Do you trust me, Todd?" asked Chuck.
"Totally, Chuck," said Todd, "though I can't see what anybody can do
about this situation. Will you keep an eye on Kelly and Laura for me
this weekend? You are still coming up aren't you?"
Chuck wanted to cry. He could hear the desperation in Todd's voice.
Not surprisingly, the young man he had taken to his heart as his son
was more concerned about others than himself. "Todd," he managed to
say finally, "you just have faith. I've got a few more calls to make
tonight, but I'll be damned if you go to Ohio unless you want to go.
Nobody is going to force you to go. As for Kelly and Laura, don't you
worry. I'll be calling them next, and yes, I will be there at the
picnic, as will Deanna and Anna. Brenda and Amanda are coming up with
us. We'll see you there. I'd say don't go anywhere, but that would
be a real lousy pun, so I'll just say hold on tight and have faith."
"Thanks, Chuck. I'll do my best."
Chuck whispered goodbye and hung up.
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Vanetta was fuming. Who was this stranger who had moved into the
studio and had Kelly and Laura calmed down? Didn't he realize that
Todd was in jail?
Ami was still visibly upset. People couldn't just come and take
someone like Todd away. That's not how you rewarded someone as decent
and loving as Todd.
Joe said to Vanetta, "I'm on your side. The man who hired me is going
to be calling me here with more information and instructions as to
what to do with the data I've collected on his behalf."
"I'd like to talk to talk to this man," said Vanetta, but Joe hadn't
been told he was allowed to divulge who had paid for the surveillance.
Joe was saved from this crisis by the phone ringing.
Vanetta, who was still standing, snatched the phone from the cradle.
"TKO, Vanetta speaking," she said.
After listening a minute her scowl disappeared and a small smile
appeared on her lips. "Sure, Chuck," she said. "Hold on a minute and
I'll patch her through."
"Kelly," she said, "Chuck Regan would like to talk to you!"
Kelly rushed to the phone and started to tell Chuck that Todd was in
jail when he interrupted her and said he had just finished talking to
Todd.
"You did?" Kelly asked incredulously.
"Yes, I did, Kelly. He asked me to pass on his love to you and Laura
and for you not to worry."
"But, Chuck, how can I not worry. We've got this private investigator
sitting here in the studio with all kinds of paperwork but no
answers."
"I know, Dear," said Chuck. "I'd love to talk with you longer, but it
really is necessary for me to talk to Mr. Johnson now. I'll see you
on Friday and we'll get a chance to catch up then."
"He works for you?" asked Kelly, not believing her ears.
"The company he works for has been watching out for all of you for a
while, at my request," said Chuck. "If I can talk to him for a
minute, we'll see if we can't get Todd home in time for the picnic."
As Joe had expected, Kelly finally broke down and started to cry as
she waved him over to take the phone.
"Yes, Sir," said Joe as he took the phone.
"Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Johnson. All I need for you to do
now is to take all the documents to Mr. Ayres' business lawyer and
have legal notarized copies made of everything and delivered via
whatever method you think is most secure to Sandusky, Ohio, by
tomorrow morning. Can I count on you for this?"
"Yes, Sir. I'll handle this myself if you'll just give me a contact
name and address."
"Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I need the papers delivered to Mr. Russell
Garrett at Garrett Boating in Sandusky. He will be expecting you.
You can get detailed directions when you arrive in Sandusky by calling
555-625-8899."
"I'm on my way, Sir."
~~~~~ // ~~~~~
Wednesday morning, Ohio governor, Bob Taft, woke up to a phone that
wouldn't stop ringing. He was upset as he was supposed to be on
vacation with his family, and very few people had the number to the
private cottage he was using on the lake. It had better be something
damn important.
Ohio was, like a number of other states, situated on the Great Lakes
and a popular tourist destination, especially with boaters. Chuck was
counting on that. He didn't know the governor personally but knew
many of his supporters. In business, which way you bent politically
didn't mean a thing. Not when one of the largest suppliers of
pleasure boats started calling in favors. The owner of the largest
boat dealership in Sandusky, who sold a great number of Regan boats,
was a personal friend of the governor's and a big supporter. He
relayed to Governor Bob Taft all the information that Chuck had made
available to him.
The governor listened and thought carefully before he answered. This
seemed like such a trivial matter and should be left to the courts,
but if, just if, this information was correct, then an innocent man
was sitting in a jail cell in Charlotte, and the young man had some
powerful friends.
"If you can prove this camera was purchased in Pennsylvania," the
governor said, "and you can prove this young man lived there at the
time of the alleged theft, I'll sign the damn papers myself."
"That's all I needed to hear, Bob," said Russell Garrett. "Chuck
Regan already provided the proof."
"Fine, then, Russell. Get it to my office and I'll sign them on
Monday when I get back to the office."
"No need to wait that long, Bob," said Russell in a more persuasive
voice. "I can bring all the paperwork to you this afternoon. How
about I stop by the cottage myself and you can sign it right there and
then you can call the Akron PD and tell them yourself."
Bob realized this wasn't just a request from his friend and supporter
and knowing that it would take more time to argue than to sign the
damn papers and make the call, he put the charm back in his voice.
"Sure Russell. I'll have the beer chilling in the refrigerator, if
you're not in a rush, and I'll have the state troopers rush the
paperwork over to Akron. How does that sound?"
"That sounds like a man of action who deserves to be in public
office," said Russell. I'll see you around two. Then you can lie to
me about all the big fish you've been pulling out of the lake from in
front of my cottage."
At four o'clock, the man charged as Theodor Vanden Ayres walked out of
the CMPD a free man, with a clear record, ready to start his life
again as the person he had made himself into. Todd Ayers -
photographer, lover and partner to two beautiful women, and a father
to be. As far as he was concerned, he was an orphan who had been
lucky enough to find a father substitute in Chuck Regan.
Betsy and Adrian never did see their son again, nor either of his
wives or their grandchildren.
Eddie Labadie was charged and found guilty of stalking and possession
of a concealed weapon. His mother was the only one at his trial. He
was sentenced to 7 years.
To be continued...
--
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| alt.sex.stories.moderated ------ send stories to: <story-submit@asstr.org>|
| FAQ: <http://assm.asstr.org/faq.html> Moderators: <story-admin@asstr.org> |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|ASSM Archive at <http://assm.asstr.org> Hosted by <http://www.asstr.org> |
|Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d; look for subject {ASSD}|
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+