It was seven o’clock when I woke to sunshine beaming in through the window directly in my face that Friday morning. Kate was already up, showered and gone to work, but her scent still lingered on the fresh sheets and in the bathroom. Anyway, there was coffee in the pot and a note to say she’d call me later.
I took a leisurely shower, poured a mug of coffee, took it out onto the patio and, wearing only a towel, sat quietly, contemplating the events of the past several days. By eight thirty, I was back inside with a second cup of coffee and an egg sandwich. I was kind of getting used to the lazy life, and liking it too but, as they say, all good things…
I placed the empty mug and plate in the sink and went back to the bedroom and dressed.
It was a little after nine-thirty when Ronnie called.
“Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” I said, brightly. “How was your evening?”
“Nothing special, except that someone stole my car. How about you?”
“How the hell did that happen?” I asked. “Oh, I know, you left the top down again, didn’t you?”
He didn’t answer, which told me that he did. I sighed, shook my head, then filled him in on the events of the previous evening, including my run-in with Chief Johnston at the hospital.
“Nice,” he said. Ronnie always was one for the understatement. “How are you feeling?”
“Nice,” I said, mimicking him. “Kate stayed over. How much better can it get?”
“Not much,” he said. “Hey, I’ve found us an office, a couple of blocks from the Flatiron Building on Georgia Avenue. It’s the perfect location, close to the courthouse and bail bonds.”
“Sounds about right,” I said. “How big?”
“Big enough for you, me, a cute secretary and room to grow.”
“Talk like that in front of Kelly and she’ll cut your—”
Kelly was, is, Ronnie’s wife. A flirt he might be, but Kelly was the love of his life.
“Send me the address,” I said, “and I’ll meet you there in an hour. I’m on my way over to Doc McDowell. It’s time for my wellness exam. Shouldn’t take long. You have a ride, right?”
“Yes, I have a ride. I’ll use Kelly’s Subaru. See you in an hour, boss.”
“Oh, come on. Let’s not start that… Hey, remember that kid from the Sorbonne you beat at poker the other night?”
“Which one? There were two.”
“Tim Clarke. I hired him last night to do our tech stuff.”
“Geez, Harry, that kid can’t be more than fifteen.”
“Seventeen, but he’s a hacker with some mean computer skills. We can use him. I asked him to call me this morning. I’ll have him meet us there and you get him set up, okay?”
“Whatever you say, boss.” The sarcastic tone was a bit much.
“Don’t do that, Ronnie. I’d hate to have to fire you even before you start work.”
“Hey, I have started. You already owe me.”
“Later, Ronnie. Don’t forget to send me that address.”
I disconnected, feeling pretty good about the way things were shaping up. My new business would soon be a reality, but my first case as a PI was not going quite so well. There were a lot of big pieces of the puzzle missing, the biggest being Phoebe.
Where the hell is she? I thought. Her father sold her? He can’t do that, she’s an adult… At least she said she is… Damn it, Harry, he couldn’t do it anyway; she’s a human being, for God’s sake. Geez, I hope she’s still alive and if she is, I hope to hell they haven’t completely brainwashed her…
Daniel McDowell was my regular provider, my GP, and an old friend. I went to him because I knew he was discreet. I’d known him since I was in high school at McCallie. He had a small practice over off Gunbarrel Road along with about fifty other doctors in the medical neighborhood. He’d also helped me out on a case with the CPD a couple of years back and played golf with my father every once in a while, and with me not so often.
More giant leprechaun than man, his large belly would shake like a 1926 Model-T driving through a field of potholes whenever he laughed… and he laughed a lot: a big, happy-go-lucky Irishman with wispy white hair, a crooked smile, and an infectious laugh—always laughing at his own jokes whether they were funny or not. The Doc had a great mind and an eye for detail along with a sincere love of mankind. How he did it—like everyone—was beyond me. There are a lot of people in this world who don’t even deserve to live, let alone be liked, Goliath being one of them. But the Doc would like even him, I’m sure.
The little bell jingled as I opened the door to his office. It was still early, but the Doc didn’t really have set hours. He operated his practice almost like a walk-in clinic, which it wasn’t, but he never turned anyone away. He firmly believed that ailments wouldn’t wait, so why should the patient. He’s one of a kind, and I wished there were more like him.
I checked in with Mandy, his receptionist/daughter, and took a seat next to a striking young girl in a tight skirt with long legs crossed at the knee and an iPhone at her ear. She was gorgeous. I tagged her to be about twenty, twenty-one, five nine with coffee and cream skin, a full head of bushy black hair, and a smile that could melt a heart. It sounded like she was talking to her mom or dad, or maybe both, laughing and joking about a girl at school she’d been dating. There was something special about her, an intelligent air that was uncommon in girls her age… and the accent… West Indian? Fabulous!
Mandy opened the glass sliding window. “Jacque. There was a problem with your card. Do you have another one?”
“Momma, I gotta go. Love to you and Dad.”
She stood and went to the window. “Prob-lem? What prob-lem?”
“They declined your card; I’m sorry.”
She rubbed her forehead and pulled on her hair. “It must have been dat payment for school. Can you hold off for a week or two? I lost my job, and I’m looking for another one. I’m sure something will come along soon.”
“How about I hire you?” I said. “I’ll give you an advance so you can pay your bill.” Where the hell did that come from, Harry? I thought.
She looked me up and down and gave a little scoff. “You’re kidding, right? That’s the worst pick-up line I ever did hear. Forget it. I’m not that kind of girl.”
I grinned at her and said, “No, seriously. I’m a private investigator and I’m looking to hire a personal assistant. Tell her I’m okay, Mandy.”
“He’s the best of the best, Jacque. If you don’t take the job, I will.” At that I had to smile: Mandy would never have left her dad, but I appreciated the vote of confidence.
“A PI? You must be a good one. How else would you know to hire someone with a Bachelor’s in Criminology without interviewing them?”
“Like Mandy said, I’m the best of the best. How much is her bill?”
Jacque held up her hand. “Not so fast. What’s your name?”
“Harry Starke. And you’re Jacque.” I watched as she raised her eyebrows. “I heard Mandy call your name.”
Her smile lit up the room and her laugh could brighten anyone’s day. Her hand went down and reached out for me to shake it.
“Jacque Hale, personal assistant to Harry Starke, private investigator. When do I start? Oh wait, my schedule is kind of hectic right now. I haven’t graduated yet, but I’ll be done in a few months, but I can start this afternoon, say at one o’clock. Is that okay?”
I took her hand and shook it. “Perfect.” In my jacket pocket was an old card from a guy selling life insurance. I turned it over and wrote my phone number on the back.
“Now, if you’ll give me yours, I’ll have Ronnie text you the address.”
She nodded and held out her hand. I looked at it then at her. She was smiling… then I got it.
“Oh, okay,” I said and handed my iPhone to her.
She entered the number and handed it back to me.
“One o’clock then, boss?”
“Don’t call me that. My name’s Harry. Okay?”
I took out my wallet and handed a credit card to Mandy. “Pay her bill and send me a receipt.”
Sometimes things just happen for a reason. I could tell Jacque was holding back the urge to hug me and that was okay. She’d have plenty of opportunities to do so down the road. In the meantime…
Doc McDowell came out of the office door, walked straight up to Jacque and gave her a big hug. “It’s negative. You’re not pregnant.” His belly went up and down as he laughed.
“That’s a relief. I can’t wait to tell my girlfriend.” The baffled look on my face must have said it all. “It’s a joke,” she said, laughing. “He says it to me every time I come in. I’m gay. Can’t get pregnant from a girl. Get it?”
It doesn’t happen often, but I blushed which made all three of them laugh.
“Well, it looks like the great Harry Starke has met his match,” Dan said, his great stomach shaking.
“Good thing because I just hired her.”
“Two of my favorite people working together side by side. Oh, the fun you’ll have. Come on back, Jacque.”
“You better let my new boss go first. He’s a busy man, and I wouldn’t want to get fired before I even start.”
I was in kind of a hurry. “You sure?” I asked her.
“Absolutely.”
She was going to work out just fine.
We went back into the examining room and shut the door. He had his nurse pull three vials of blood and as she laid each one down, I couldn’t help but think about that thug Goliath, and I had to smile.
“Do you want to share your little joke with the rest of us, Harry?”
“Ha, nothing really. I was just thinking about a killer I know who faints at the sight of his own blood. Big guy too, about six-seven and three hundred pounds of fat.”
“Well, if his cholesterol doesn’t kill him, the diabetes will,” he said as he watched his nurse put a cotton ball on my arm and pull out the needle.
He turned to a cabinet and grabbed a specimen cup, scrawled my name on the side and handed it to me. “Put your sample in this and leave it on the sink.”
I went into the bathroom, did as he asked, opened the door, and bumped into Jacque. Oh great, my pee’s still in there.
“Pardon me,” she said. “I didn’t know you were in there.” She squeezed by me, shut the door, and a second later I heard a hoot of laughter. The door opened again and a beaming Jacque handed me the container.
“Well boss, looks like our first meeting has been christened.” And she shut the door still laughing. That was twice in less than thirty minutes she’d made me blush. This was going to be one hell of a working relationship.
“I’ll take that,” Mandy said as she reached around me.
McDowell was standing in the doorway of the examining room doing his best not to laugh, but it didn’t work.
“I can’t wait to see what she does to you in an office,” he said, holding his stomach. “You’re good to go, Harry. I’ll let you know the results as soon as I have them.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling a little humiliated.
“Bye, boss,” came a yell from inside the bathroom.
“See ya,” I yelled back and left with the two of them still laughing at me.
Geez.