William Redman Carter: Chapter 22

Posted: January 05, 2006 - 04:16:56 pm



The four bodyguards settled around the conference room in the office of a local

private investigator. None of them looked very happy. Their current assignment

was proving far more difficult than any of them had anticipated. Frowning, Rock

asked, "What did you find out about the homeless folks?"

"Fat Fred is a protégé of Happy Harry. As far as I know, there's nothing to

worry about with regard to him. He'll keep the other homeless under control,"

answered Derrick Grant with a shrug.

"Happy Harry is a Druid, right?" asked Colt.

"Yes."

Making reference to Lucy's habit of handing out coupons for meals at local fast

food places to every homeless person she encountered, Natalie said, "I don't

like the fact that she's always talking to the homeless. I don't care who Happy

Harry is, but it isn't safe for a young woman like her to talk with homeless

folks like that."

Happy for a change that she had the night shift, Nicole said, "All you can do is

be ready for anything."

Derrick interrupted, "Don't worry about the homeless. Your clients have a lot of

friends among that crowd."

"How do you know that?"

Laughing, Derrick said, "I asked two of them questions about your clients and

the next thing I know, there's twenty of them surrounding me and wanting to know

why I was so interested in them. Less than ten minutes had passed between

talking to the first guy and the rest of them showing up. I've never seen

anything like it. I didn't even know that we had that many homeless in this

town."

"What do you suggest?" Cole looked at the private investigator thoughtfully as

recollections of Sherlock Holmes and his Baker Street Irregulars came to mind.

"If I were you, I'd develop some good contacts in that crowd. You'll be

surprised at what they can tell you about what is going on."

The four bodyguards exchanged glances at that piece of advice. Putting the man

to the test, Rock asked, "Would you give Ling that advice?"

The private investigator blanched, but answered, "Yes, I would. I'd tell her to

make friends with Fat Fred."

"When we get her on the conference call, you can tell her that yourself," said

Nicole.

"Okay."

"What about the woman at the college?" Natalie asked. That was the threat she

was the most concerned would become real.

"I did a thorough background investigation on her. Here's the file," Derrick

said as he pushed a folder across the table. The expression on his face wasn't

encouraging.

Natalie picked it up and looked over the contents. Frowning, she said, "She came

from a broken home. There are rumors she was molested by her stepfather."

Derrick said, "She's got a juvenile record, but we can't get to it â€" it's sealed

by the court. I hired a firm to ask some questions in her old neighborhood. They

say that she was picked up for shoplifting, passing bad checks, and possession

of marihuana. Some of the kids that knew her said that she was a bully."

"Shit, that's not good," said Nicole. She leaned forward resting her elbows on

the table with her arms crossed. She frowned as she reflected on the news. It

worried her that William had made a special effort to tell her that Missy would

be a problem.

Rock growled and said, "Those two aren't even eighteen years old. No damn reason

they should have people around them like that."

"William is worried about her," Colt said.

"I'm not sure if that is good or bad. He's got a fucking bird watching the next

door neighbor," said Rock. He was regretting taking this job more than ever.

Derrick said, "Don't underestimate William. His name among Native Americans is

Talks With Animals. They believe that he can actually talk to animals."

That wasn't news to the four bodyguards, although the bird was the first example

they had seen of anything to that effect. Rock said, "One shotgun blast and that

bird is dead."

Pushing the last folder across the table, Derrick said, "Here's the background

on the neighbors. The husband is an attorney and is currently living with his

mistress. She's some sort of Dominatrix and makes a bunch of money at it.

Apparently, he's really into that scene."

"Whatever turns his crank," said Nicole. At the look from Rock, she grinned and

added, "Does the idea of getting beat up by a woman with a whip turn your

crank?"

"Not really."

Derrick ignored the little exchange and said, "The wife has all of the money in

the family. She inherited about ten million from her parents. I have no idea why

she hasn't divorced the husband."

Colt asked, "What about the guy in South Dakota?"

"I haven't gotten a report on him, yet," answered Derrick not wanting to have to

report that to Ling. Running a complete background investigation in a small town

without having the target know it was happening was a lot more difficult than

doing the same thing in the big city. A man who asked questions in a small town

ended up getting a lot of questions asked in return.

Dreading the conference call with Ling, Natalie said, "This has been the longest

ten days of my life."

"We can't put it off much longer. She's waiting for us to call her," said Colt.

While the bodyguards were briefing Ling on the events of the past week, William

and Lucy were supposed to be at home. They were under strict orders not to leave

the house. Of course, the couple had taken the opportunity to drive into town

for a treat at a local ice cream parlor. As they sat in one of the chairs, Lucy

said, "They're going to be mad at us."

"I know."

"You're driving them crazy," said Lucy with a grin.

"I'm sure they are telling my mother all about it," William said. He asked, "So

how do you enjoy having a bodyguard?"

"I was really glad that she was there when I ran into Missy," answered the young

woman. She would never forget the look of raw unbridled hatred Missy had given

her.

"Yeah, I'm worried about Missy," William admitted. He was silent for a moment

and then said, "Don't forget that you have friends here in case something ever

happens."

"Friends?"

"Happy Harry's people," answered William.

"Oh." Having met most of them through William, she tended to think of them as

his friends. She was always amazed when some homeless person she had never met

addressed her as Lucy Diamonds. She kind of liked it when they called her by

that name, since it was so much better than the nicknames the kids in high

school had used for her.

William took a sip of his milkshake and gestured to her little paper cup

containing a single dip of vanilla ice cream. He said, "We have to finish before

Ling calls to yell at me."

She laughed and ate a spoonful of her ice cream. The weekly calls from Ling had

become a joke between them. The appearance of a bag lady coming into the ice

cream parlor caught her attention. The woman approached and, in a voice filled

with fear, said, "'cuse me, but you're Half Feather and Lucy Diamonds, ain't

ya?"

William turned and looked at the woman taking in her tattered clothes and dirty

appearance. She looked as if she was terrified to talk to them. Nodding, he

said, "Yes. How can I help you?"

The woman licked her lips nervously and said, "I was locked up earlier this week

in the local... Where I was don't matter none. Well, maybe it does. I was in

jail if'n ya needs to know. While I was in 'dere, some woman was really talkin'

nasty 'bout Lucy Diamonds. She was talkin' 'bout hirin' someone to hurt her real

bad."

"Was her name Missy?" asked William in a soft voice intended to diminish her

fear.

"That's the one. Real hateful woman, she is."

"Thank you for telling us," William said in a soft voice. She looked scared as

if she were a rabbit surrounded by a pack of dogs. He asked, "Would you care for

some ice cream?"

The woman looked around and noticed the other customers staring at her. She was

used to stares. Lots of people stared at her while she was pushing her shopping

cart around. Just because she was used to it, didn't mean she was comfortable

with it. She said, "Tain't really the place for a person the likes a' me."

"Nonsense, everyone likes ice cream. We'd really like for you to join us,"

William said getting up and holding a chair out for her. "What would you like?"

Embarrassed by the gesture and unwilling to create a scene by refusing, the

woman sat down in the offered chair. After a moment of hesitation, she said,

"Well, I'll take a bowl of ice cream, jus' like Lucy Diamonds is havin'."

"Wait right here and I'll return with it in minute. Vanilla?"

"Chocolate if they got it," answered the woman. She looked down as if afraid

that she had made an unreasonable demand. She actually shivered.

As William went to the counter to get a scoop of chocolate ice cream, Lucy

turned to the woman and said, "We haven't met. I'm Lucy."

"I'm Just Jan," answered the bag woman knowing who Lucy was. Everyone on the

street talked about the woman who handed out coupons for food to anyone who

asked.

"Jan, it's nice to meet you."

"It's Just Jan," replied the woman. She'd gotten her nickname when she had first

started living on the street by insisting that everyone call her just Jan.

Before she knew it, everyone was calling her Just Jan. After a while, that was

who she had become â€" Just Jan. Glancing at William as he waited in line, she

asked, "Is Half Feather always this nice?"

"I'm the wrong one to ask. I think he's nice all the time," Lucy answered with a

smile.

"Imagine, him pullin' out a chair for the likes o' me. He's a right gentleman,

he is," said Just Jan. The idea that someone like him would take notice of her

was too much to believe. She paused to watch William order her chocolate ice

cream. She turned back to face Lucy and said, "You're such a pretty little

thing. Hate to think of that horrible woman hurtin' ya. You take care of

yourself, ya' hear me?"

"I appreciate the warning," Lucy said.

"You or Half Feather ever need somethin', you tell Just Jan. I'll help ya,

don'cha worry about that. I've become much more 'sponsible now. I been takin' my

meds for a year wit'out fail," the old woman said gesturing with her finger in

the air.

"I'll remember that, Just Jan." She wondered what required her to take

medication and then realized that it was probably a mental disorder. Her heart

was breaking thinking about the woman being forced to live on the streets

because of a chemical imbalance in her brain.

William arrived carrying a cup with a double dip of chocolate ice cream and

handed it to Just Jan. Smiling, he said, "I hope you don't mind a double."

She looked at the cup and then up at William awed that he would even consider

giving her so much. Standing, she said, "Thanks fer the ice cream. Ya'll don't

need ugly ol' me inter-fearing wit' yer date. Ya'll have a nice time. An' you,

Lucy Diamonds, take care a ya'self."

"Please stay. There's no need for you to leave," William said gesturing at the

chair she had just vacated. "We would enjoy your company."

Touched by his insistence that she join them, the old woman reached out and ran

a filthy hand over his cheek. Voice cracking with emotion, she said, "You'se a

good boy. Your momma's gotta be proud a ya."

William watched her turn and run from the ice cream parlor. He was touched by

her gesture and knew that the moment of vulnerability she had shown must have

been extremely difficult for her. Sitting down, he took a drink of his shake

before he said, "It was nice of her to warn us."

"I think meeting you was almost too much for her to take," Lucy said looking at

him tenderly. Considering his wealth, there were times when he amazed her. He

treated the bag lady with the same kind of respect with which he would show the

president, possibly more.

"I bet she's on medications for schizophrenia. We'll stop by the park on the way

home and talk to Fat Fred. He'll watch over her," William said knowing that

coming to warn them was probably the hardest thing she'd done in years. In a

soft voice, he said, "Maybe it is time for her to meet Happy Harry."

"Good idea," Lucy said. She returned to eating her ice cream. After a few

minutes, she began to giggle.

Curious, William asked, "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking. I'm going to be able to tell our children that you took me

on dates to an Ice Cream Parlor," Lucy said. The idea was so old fashioned that

she found it funny.

"I like the sound of that," William said without laughing.

Confused by his reaction, she asked, "The sound of what?"

"Our children," William answered. He closed his eyes and tried to see a future

in which his children appeared. He drew a blank. His future wasn't his to see.

Shaking her head, Lucy said, "Not until we're married."

"Of course," William said with a laugh.

The park didn't look very inviting in the dark of early evening. William,

holding Lucy by the hand, led them to a section of the park where there wasn't

normally much traffic. Looking around, William decided they were in about the

right area. He called out, "Fat Fred, I need to talk to you."

Some bushes rustled and a large man appeared from behind them. Looking over at

William, he said, "You don't need to shout, Half Feather. I ain't deaf."

"I didn't think you were. I just didn't know if you were here or a mile away,"

William said.

The big man waddled over to where William and Lucy waited. Looking over Lucy, he

said, "It's good to see you, Lucy."

"Thanks, Fat Fred. It's good to see you, too."

"It's hard to miss seeing me, considering how much of me there is," said the big

man with a laugh. "Now I know that the two of you wouldn't come by the park at

this time of night to enjoy the sights. What can I do for you?"

"Just Jan stopped by and gave us some important news. It took a lot for her to

do that," William said.

"She out again?" asked the homeless man. He had heard that she was in the local

jail, but didn't know how long they were going to keep her. In a gruff voice, he

said, "Last I heard, she was in the local slammer for trespassing. Someone said

she found some store that had forgotten to lock their door and went inside to

sleep for the night. She knows better than that."

"Yes. She said that she had been locked up," Lucy said.

"She told me about some threats that a woman is making against Lucy," William

said. He looked down at the ground for a second and then back up at the big man.

"Lucy is important to me and I appreciate the warning."

"She went out of her way to tell you this news?"

"Yes," answered Lucy, "she came in the Ice Cream Parlor to tell us."

"Ice Cream Parlor, huh? It's rare for her to get around a number of people like

that. She must have really felt it was important to do that," said the man. He

frowned and scratched the back of his head with a meaty hand.

"Like I say, I appreciate the warning."

"Looks like it is time for me to take a little more interest in her well being,"

Fat Fred said. He scratched his belly and said, "I'll make sure that she gets

some of those coupons for food you hand out and gets over to the pharmacy for

her pills. She's done real good about staying on the pills."

"Thanks. I was thinking Happy Harry might talk to her sometime."

"Easy enough to manage," said Fat Fred. He'd put out the word and Happy Harry

would hear about it. "Good thing you came by."

"Just wanted to do right by her," William said.

"Well, I got something different to tell you."

Curious, William asked, "What?"

"We caught some guy asking questions about you and Lucy Diamonds. He said he was

working for your bodyguards and wanted to find out if some of us represented a

danger to you."

"What did you tell him?" William asked shaking his head. He was sure the man was

exactly who he said he was. The four bodyguards were so terrified of Ling that

they would investigate everyone who talked to him or Lucy.

"Told him that anyone that wanted to hurt you was going to get... ," he paused

and looked at Lucy, "hurt real bad."

"My bodyguards are meeting with a private investigator right now," William said.

Nodding his head, Fat Fred said, "He offered me some money to tell him if any of

us heard of anyone making threats against you. I took the money and turned it

into food coupons for our flock to use."

"I'd guess he's the real deal. I appreciate you telling me about it. I'll

mention it to my bodyguards. If they didn't hire him, they'll find out who did."

"Good," said Fat Fred as he turned to head back into the bushes. He paused after

a few steps and said, "You two take care of yourselves. If anything happens,

find one of us and we'll help you all we can."

"Thank you, Fat Fred," William said.

"Thanks. Take care of yourself," Lucy said.

"Thank you. You guys watch out for us and we appreciate it. We wouldn't be able

to sleep in the park at night if it weren't for you. Most folks wouldn't have

thought to come here and let me know the good thing Just Jan did for you. That's

a real nice thing," said Fred as he disappeared into the bushes.

William put an arm around Lucy and led her out of the park. Rustling sounds from

bushes announced the presence of folks trying to rest. In a soft voice, William

said, "He'll take care of her. We'll be hearing good things about her in the

future."

"I know," Lucy said looking at William. She hadn't known that he'd arranged it

so that the homeless could sleep in the park at night. She wondered what that

had required.

He whispered, "We better get home before the Flintstones do."

Giggling at the use of their private nickname for the bodyguards, she said,

"Ling hasn't called yet."

"You had better drive. I'd hate to try to talk to her and drive at the same

time."

They hadn't reached home when William's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his

pocket and answered, "Hello, Momma Ling. I was just telling Lucy that it was

time for you to call and let me know how irresponsible I've been."

There was a low growl over the phone, before Ling said, "If Marjorie wanted to

hurt you, she'd have a meal of roast raven before coming over to your house. How

dare you trust your life to a bird!"

"Wow. Roast raven. That's a good one," William said chuckling.

Lucy laughed at the image her words invoked. She was glad that she wasn't

talking to Ling, particularly since she could hear Ling from where she was

seated. Stopping at a light, she looked in the mirror and said, "Oops. I do

believe that the Flintstones are behind us."

William looked behind him and saw the familiar Hugger. He said, "We're busted."

"What are you doing?" asked Ling. "Don't answer. I know. You two went out for

ice cream while you were supposed to be staying at home."

"How did you know?" William asked honestly surprised at the accuracy of her

guess.

"I know you," said Ling.

"Okay, we went out for ice cream and we are on our way home," William said.

"Is Lucy driving?"

"Yes, she is," William answered.

Ling's voice got a lot softer when she said, "Keep her safe, William. I'm

worried about that woman at the school. We got some real bad news about her."

"Don't worry. Lots of people are looking out for us," William said. He didn't

like the fact that Missy's name kept coming up.

There was a moment of silence and then Ling said, "Remember. You are your best

line of defense. You may have bodyguards, but you can't count on them for

everything."

"I know, Momma Ling," William said thinking that she must really be worried.

"Have Lucy work on her martial arts. I know she's getting better, but she's not

good enough yet. I wish I was training her."

"You're worried," William said.

"I love you, William."

She hung up before he had a chance to reply. William closed the phone and sat

back in his seat looking thoughtful. Looking over at Lucy, he said, "I've never

heard her that worried."

"About Marjorie? Doesn't she know about Cole treating her?"

"She's not worried about Marjorie. She's worried about Missy," William answered.

Lucy bit her lip and concentrated on driving. If she gave too much thought to

Missy, she knew that she would start screaming. Despite the fact that a week had

gone by, she couldn't get the look of hate that the woman had given her out of

her mind.