Jamie Garrett - Riley Reid 03 - Ends and Beginnings (3 page)

I met Lisa at the Side Car Diner the next afternoon. We were going to have lunch, and I was going to let her know I was leaving town.

The night before, after waking up, I had spent the rest of the morning on my laptop. I looked up the address that Richard had given me. It was 1324 Cumberland Lane, Richmond, Virginia.

According to the internet, the address was located in a trailer park. I wasn’t able to bring up any satellite pictures of the specific trailer, but it did produce a picture of the outside of the park. As far as trailer parks went, it looked nice. Still, I’d take my gun with me.

When I arrived at the Side Car, I scanned the restaurant from left to right. There were several diners. At the counter, I saw the ample backs of a couple truckers. Near the end was an old man, who I saw eating there almost every time I went.

The Side Car was pretty full. It never was that crowded in the morning. A family was in my favorite booth. Since I didn’t see Lisa anywhere, I decided to wait for her to arrive before finding a seat.

I went back outside. The scenery couldn’t have been nicer. Behind the liquor store across the street, I could see trees with leaves in different shades of orange and brown. Virginia in the fall; it was a lovely sight.

The air smelled like burning leaves. All the birds still hadn’t left for the winter but had gathered in large flocks. You’d hear not a sound, then they’d fly overhead in loud, unsynchronized wing flaps. I could pick up the noise made by squirrels scurrying about the forest floor.

I was so entranced by the natural beauty outside that I didn’t notice Lisa pulling up. She was driving her aged sports car. Once an impressive, modern beast of automotive technology; it had turned into a relic that barely ran. But new cars are expensive. Used ones aren’t exactly cheap, either.

The first thing I noticed when Lisa got out of her car was her hair. For years, Lisa Williams got the same haircut. Or she got a variation of it. Her signature haircut was long, tightly curled hair that went down to her shoulders and behaved like long springs.

Lisa’s new haircut consisted of the two sides of her head cut short with clippers. The top was styled in a wavy fashion with some sort of gel. It was the type of haircut someone ten years younger might’ve had. Despite my reservation, I complimented her on the new look.

“Hey, girl,” said Lisa, as she walked up to me and gave me a hug.

“Did you get a new haircut?” I asked, knowing full well that she had.

“Yeah, I got it for my new job. You like it?” Lisa modeled in front of nonexistent cameras.

“It’s nice.” Lisa and I made our way inside. “New job, huh? You finally quit the makeup counter?”

“Yep, finally. I got a job down at a bar in Norfolk.”

Lisa and I chose the only open booth in the Side Car. It wasn’t our favorite or usual, but it worked. Carol quickly arrived to take our orders.

“Good afternoon, Riley, Lisa,” greeted Carol. She took out the little notepad she used to write down orders out of her lightly-stained apron. “What can I get you two lovely ladies?”

“I’ll have a burger, medium rare, with lettuce and tomatoes,” I replied.

Lisa didn’t even look at her menu. “That sounds good. I’ll have the same.”

“Two burgers, coming right up,” said Carol with a smile. She started to walk away in order to deliver our orders to the kitchen. After a couple of steps she stopped and turned around. “I almost forgot. There was someone here asking about you.”

“For me? Who?”

“He didn’t give me a name, but something about him … he gave me the willies. So I told him that I don’t know you. He described you to me in detail. And I told him that I’d never seen you before. I told him that he must’ve been mistaken.” Carol seemed proud of herself. She should’ve been.

“Thanks, Carol.”

“No problem, sweetie. Just promise me you’ll stay out of trouble.”

I mimicked a cross across the left side of my chest. “Cross my heart.”

Carol left and headed towards the kitchen.

“So, you said in your text that you wanted to tell me something?” asked Lisa.

“That I did.” I removed the paper wrapping from my straw. I then stuck the straw in the complimentary glass of ice water that was in front of me. “I’m leaving town for a couple of days.”

“Okay.” Lisa seemed intrigued, but with her it was impossible to tell. “Where you going? I hope it’s a vacation. Lord knows you need one.”

I didn’t answer right away.

“It’s not a vacation, is it?” asked Lisa with a tilted head. “Of course it isn’t. So … are you going to at least tell me where you’re going?”

“Richmond. That’s my first stop, at least.” I took a sip of my water.

“Richmond? That’s where Richard said your dad’s car was, right?”

“That’s where it’s registered to. I figure it’s time to start really looking for my dad. No more browsing for clues online. If I want to find him, I’m going to have to leave Stone Harbor to do it.”

Lisa took in what I said. Then Carol came back with our food. It looked as good as it smelled. And it tasted as good as both. Once we had both made some headway into our meals, we continued our conversation.

“I think it’s great you’re going to go find your dad. Frankly I’m surprised it took you this long,” said Lisa in between bites. “How long are you going to be gone?”

Lisa asked a good question. And the fact of the matter was, I didn’t know. I didn’t know where the path I’d chosen would take me. Maybe it would end in Richmond. Perhaps I’d find myself on the other end of the country. However long it took, I wouldn’t come home until I discovered what I was looking for.

“However long it takes,” I answered.

“Well, don’t take too long. A woman can get bored in a town like this without her best friend,” said Lisa with a straight face. The tone of her voice betrayed her intended seriousness and delved into playfulness.

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“See that you do.”

Lisa and I finished our meals. We got up from our booth, leaving a generous tip behind for Carol. Then we went to the register and paid our checks.

When we got outside, there was that awkward time between leaving the restaurant and going our separate ways. We didn’t look at each other, but instead at our surroundings.

“So, where are you off to?” asked Lisa.

“Probably to the office. Tonight I’m supposed to have dinner over at Richard’s. You?”

“I got physical therapy. Then I got work.”

Lisa was referring to the physical therapy required for her rehabilitation. The previous spring, we both were attacked in my offices. A loser by the name of Martin Goldberg led a small group of thugs into Reid Private Investigators. They intended on killing us.

Martin’s thugs weren’t very good at being bad. They tried to get to Lisa and I but failed. We got away. The rooftops of the other abandoned buildings around us were our escape route.

Running across rotting rooftops was dangerous, but we had no other choice. Unfortunately, not all of them were capable of holding weight. Lisa had the bad luck to step in the wrong place. She fell straight through.

Lisa hit a glass jewelry display case before hitting the ground. The result was a spinal injury. It wasn’t too serious, otherwise she’d wouldn’t have been standing next to me outside the Side Car. She had spent a month in the hospital, though. Physical rehabilitation was the last thing she had to do before getting a clean bull of health.

“Well…”

“Well…”

Lisa and I stared at each other for a few seconds. Then she gave me another hug. “Be careful, Riley.”

“Aren’t I always?”

Lisa laughed. As she walked to her car she said, “See ya when I see ya.”

I sat in my car outside the Greyson residence. The usual atrocious periwinkle blue color of the house was nowhere to be seen. Richard had hired some painters to put on a new coat of a different color. He chose peach, which wasn’t great, but significantly easier on the eyes.

After turning off my engine and removing the keys, I got out of my car. I walked across the lawn to the front door. Without a knock or doorbell ring, I let myself in. It was unlocked.

There was a lot of activity in the kitchen. I could hear Sam and Richard talking, or rather arguing. Both of their voices were raised. I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

I quietly hid behind the wall by the entrance of the kitchen. Neither of them noticed my presence. There was something about the tone of their arguing that piqued my curiosity. It wasn’t unusual for them to come into conflict with each other, but never before had I heard it so intense.

“Then explain it to me! You must have a good reason, or an excuse.” Sam was on the offensive. “Tell me that it was Pritchard who made these calls. Tell me it’s all a mistake. Jesus, tell me anything. But don’t stand there and try and deny the obvious. Do not insult my intelligence!”

“What’s going on in here?” I asked, as I purposefully interrupted their argument. Both of them were surprised to see me.

“Hey, Riley. I’m just telling this bonehead that if he doesn’t turn the temperature down, he’s gonna burn the potatoes.” Richard was referring to the pan full of sliced potato, garlic and small pieces of bacon. I could smell it as soon as I opened the front door. But it was a lie.

“I’m not gonna burn anything. Worry about your pork,” said Sam as he stirred the potatoes.

“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s in the slow cooker!”

“Well … then find something else to worry about and leave me alone.”

“So …” It was a little awkward in the kitchen. I figured I’d try to break it up a bit. “When are we going to eat?” That was all I could think of.

“In a couple of minutes,” replied Sam.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Yeah, honey, you could set the table,” requested Richard.

I felt like a teenager again. No matter how old you get, those older have a way of making you feel young. In their eyes, I guess you are. That form of rational thinking doesn’t change how annoying how it is and was. But I was in no mood to argue.

I wanted to leave Stone Harbor on a good note. Especially when I knew that when I told Richard, he’d act like he was happy for me. In reality he’d be a little hurt. But he had the right to know.

There was a part of Richard that wanted to see himself as my father. He wasn’t, though. I was, and still am, very grateful for everything he’d done for me. Richard took me in when I was desperate, abandoned. When I needed shelter, he gave it. When I needed food, he provided it. None of that changed the fact that I wasn’t his flesh and blood. I wasn’t his daughter.

I went into one of the cupboards and got out a small stack of plates, three to be exact. They went on top of the kitchen table, one at the head and then the two remainders were placed on either side. Then I went back to the kitchen to get the silverware.

Sam and Richard were finishing up. Richard was breaking up the pork with a large serving fork on top of a platter. The detective scooped the potatoes slices out of the pan and into a bowl. I made my way around both men to the drawer with the forks and knives.

“What are you guys having to drink?” I asked. Sam and Richard were already sitting at the table. I was going to get a bottle of water for myself. The polite thing to do was see if they wanted anything.

“A beer,” replied Sam.

“Better make that two,” added Richard.

When I returned to the table, we started to eat. Something seemed a little off. There was tension when I arrived, but that was petty arguing between father and son. Something thicker hung over the table. And most of it came from Sam. Why was he upset with Richard?

“Have you two gotten any closer to finding out who was behind all that mess you got into that last couple months?” asked Richard out of the blue.

Sam didn’t answer. He glanced up from his plate for a moment, then he kept on eating. So I answered the old man’s question.

“Maybe. I think we got a break.”

“Really, and what’s that?”

“Well, we went to go see Pastor Pritchard a couple of days ago.”

Richard appeared interested. And his questions matched the look on his face. “The pastor? It’s a tragedy what he became, what he is. He was always such a good man.” My adoptive father went a bit too far with his compliments. Why shower the pastor with praise? The man was a murderer and a liar.

“Yes, it’s horrible.”

“So, what did he have to say?”

“Not much.” I loaded my fork with a mix of potato and pork. “He told us nothing we didn’t know.”

I didn’t want to reveal too much. Richard’s sudden interest in what Pastor Pritchard may or may not have confessed was worrying. Dark thoughts entered my mind. There was a possibility that he knew something about the drug ring. After all, he was the second most powerful man in the Stone Harbor Police for thirty years. If Pritchard was telling the truth, two people in that very department were crooked. Until I figured out who, there would be no sharing of information with anyone other than Sam.

“Hmm.” Richard knew I was lying. He, too, was once a detective. But he didn’t push the subject. That, perhaps, was more telling than if he had. My adoptive father knew something. And I was too much of a coward to look into it any further.

As our meal drew to an end, I decided to tell Sam and Richard about my upcoming trip. I waited until it was almost time to clear the table. That was so I could escape with a full stomach in case things went sour.

“I’m going to be out of town for a few days, maybe a week.” I tried to say it as casually as possible.

Richard and Sam both looked up at me. Neither had seen that coming. Rarely did I ever venture outside of the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. It was unusual.

“Where are you going?” asked Richard, as he leaned back in his chair in an attempt to relieve the pressure building in his belly.

“Yeah, Riley, where are you going?” asked Sam, with an added tone of anger. He had every right to be upset. I was leaving right when our most promising clue in busting the drug ring was revealed to us.

“I’m going to the address you gave me, Richard. I’m going to and try to find my dad.”

“You’re going to Richmond?” My words were like nails on a chalk board to Richard. He was a good man, though, and tried to fight how uncomfortable they made him. That was done by asking me the question.

“For starters. Then I’m going to see where the trail takes me.”

Sam didn’t say anything else. Instead, he got up from the table and went upstairs to the bathroom. I could tell he was mad at me. I just hoped he got over it quickly.

“You going alone?” asked Richard.

“Yes.”

“I suppose it needs to be that way.”

“It does.”

Richard got up. I could hear some creaking bones as he rose. The broken down former detective waddled over to me. Before I could get up, he leaned over and hugged me around the shoulders and collar. I returned his affection the best I could.

“I hope you find him,” said Richard as he embraced me. “I really do.” No, he did not hope I found my father. But it was nice to hear the white lie.

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

Richard stood up straight. He yawned. “Well, I’m going to turn in. Please call me in a couple days. Just so I can be sure that you’re all right. Can you do that for a worrying old man?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Okay then, be safe.” Richard slowly walked towards the staircase. As he went up, Sam came down.

I started to clean up. Sam helped me. Through the clearing of the dinner table, no words were spoken. It wasn’t until I prepared to wash the dishes in the sink that he talked.

“Do you really need to find him right now?” asked Sam. He was in the kitchen with me, putting away food.

“I’m sorry, are you saying I shouldn’t try and go find my father?”

“Of course not! I’m just wondering, why now? We are so close to breaking our case. I can feel it in my bones. One more month, one month, and it’ll be solved!” There was passion in Sam’s plea. It was heartfelt. And I knew he didn’t want me to go on not knowing where my father was. But it was more important to him to find out who was behind the drug ring. That, he could not hide.

“How can you be so sure?” I turned from the sink to face Sam. “We’ve been at this for several months. How can you be sure that we need only one more?”

“What Pastor Pritchard told us…”

“Was a dead end! We don’t even know if what he said was true.” I was pretty sure what Pritchard had said was true. But I was and still am the sort of person who would say anything to win an argument. I’m not proud of it.

“I looked into it, Riley.”

“What did you look into?”

“There has to be a link between Fresh Horizons and the drug ring in town, something beyond Prichard and the doctor, someone in charge. It took me a little while to figure it out. Then I remembered he number one rule for finding corruption”

Both Sam and I said in unison, “Follow the money!”

“How did you get access?” I suddenly found myself ignoring the dishes in the sink. Sam had my full attention.

“It wasn’t easy. I didn’t want to let anyone know what I was looking at, so I had to lie to Chief Owens. I told him that I wanted to look over Fresh Horizon’s financial records for Medicaid fraud.”

I raised one eye brow. “He believed you?”

“Apparently, he did. I got full access to all the records.”

“Don’t leave me hanging. What’d you find?” I asked.

“Did you know Jimmy worked for Fresh Horizons?”

“No, Amy never mentioned that. Neither did he.”

“Well, he did. I don’t know exactly what he did there, but he was well paid. In fact, he was suspiciously well paid. So I delved into his phone records.” In that moment, I really wished I was a cop, to be able to have access to those kinds of records. No case of mine would go unsolved. Sam continued. “He called Pastor Pritchard a couple of hours before we got to the Branch’s house. There were numerous calls to Dr. Janice Wen in and out of prison. And there was one more person he called and got called by on a regular basis.”

“Who?”

“I don’t want to speculate on who yet, but I will say where the calls came from. They came from right here, from this house.”

I heard Sam’s words, but I didn’t want to believe them. There were implications within them that I dared not even consider.

“Are you saying…?”

Sam cut me off. “I’m not saying my dad made those calls. But the Pastor and dad were good friends. I wouldn’t put it past that fake man of god prick to make those calls from here.”

“And if it wasn’t him?”

“In the highly unlikely case that my dad made those calls? We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”