Blood Money Read online

  “Well, I appreciate that, Peter.”

  Thurston smiled. While they were shaking hands, he grasped Mark’s right forearm with his left hand and pumped it more firmly. As they turned to go towards the house he said, “Let me give you the grand tour before we get down to business.” He placed his hand on Mark’s shoulder and guided him toward a large mahogany double door that would rival the entrance of a French Chateaux. It was meant to impress people, and it certainly impressed Mark. Thurston swung the door open and the grand tour began. As they moved from room to room, Thurston limited the conversation to announcing each room prior to entry.

  When the tour was complete, he turned to Mark and asked, “Well Mark, what do you think of our humble home?”

  “Peter,” he replied, “It is the truly most beautiful home I have ever seen. I can see why you are so proud of it.”

  “We have lived here for eight years now. We have three homes. The others are in Florida and Arizona. My wife and I like this one best. By the way, Glenda is in Florida right now getting the place down there ready. It’s a shame she didn’t get a chance to meet you. I’ll be joining her tomorrow for a well-earned month off. There’s nothing like deep sea fishing to relax a person. Do you fish?”

  “Nothing like deep sea fishing. My dad and I went out on Lake Erie a lot. He loved to fish. I always found it very relaxing just being out on the water. We never caught anything worth talking about, and anything we were lucky enough to catch, we threw back. Those were the days when you didn‘t eat anything you caught in Lake Erie.”

  “You have fond memories of your father. That’s great. I have many, too, from my childhood. Those were good times.”

  “They sure were.”

  “Maybe someday you can come down as my guest and try your luck out on the ocean. We could fly down together on the corporate jet and have us a great weekend.”

  “I would like that, Peter.” Mark dismissed the invitation as a polite gesture; a “someday we should do lunch kind of thing.” He changed the subject with a question, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how do you maintain a house this size?”

  “We have a housekeeper that comes in three days a week. Glenda insists on taking care of the kitchen. She does all the cooking for us when we eat in. We cater for our dinner parties. The grounds and pool are maintained by a service. I know it’s not the picture most people have of we ‘Ridge’ dwellers. Most of my neighbors have full time maids. We weren’t brought up with money, so we feel differently about domestic help. Besides, it is just the two of us. We never had children or pets, so there‘s not too much mess.” He turned and started walking toward the kitchen. “Let’s go out on the patio and talk a bit. I have a carafe of coffee ready if you would like to have some.”

  “Sure thing.”

  The patio was made from pavers, with keystone retaining walls holding back lush flower gardens and potted plantings. Every plant was in bloom, creating a colorful backdrop to the heated pool that took up a good portion of his back yard. The patio area had three tables with umbrellas and padded rocking chairs. Four chaise lounges rounded out the patio furniture. At the end of the patio there was a thirty by sixty foot Grecian swimming pool surrounded by a sandstone decking. More chaise lounges were scattered around the pool area. Mark looked at all this luxury and the thought came to him that he could really get used to a lifestyle like this. A sterling silver tray with coffee service was set up at the nearest table. Mark walked over, poured a cup, added two packs of sweetener and sat back in a chair.

  Thurston’s house was situated so that you could not see neighboring houses from the patio area. All that was visible were trees growing in their backyard. Thurston poured a cup of coffee and sat down opposite Mark. “Mark, I asked you out here for a few reasons. First of all, I want to apologize for the deception in the NRBA case. I was doing a favor for the Defense Department, and it had to be undercover. I guess you know that my company is taking over the operations of the NRBA under the Lifeflow Laboratories corporate banner.”

  “I suspected as much once I found out what was going on with them. I understand that you could not discuss an on-going FBI investigation.”

  “Well, anyway, I guess my excuse, then, is that I was only following orders.”

  They both laughed. That was the first indication that Peter Thurston had a sense of humor. In some strange way he began to remind Mark of his father. What was with that?

  “You know, I feel especially bad that Special Agent Harrigan was hurt. None of us could have foreseen that happening. I was sure that we would get the project completed without anyone knowing who was behind it. I don’t know all the details about what happened, and it is probably best that I don’t. Still, I hate it when one of the ‘good guys’ gets hurt.”

  “I was a lot closer to the situation, and I couldn’t help either.” At this point Mark had to pick his words carefully. Thurston may have been involved in the original sting operation, and he no doubt knew that Susan worked under cover, but Mark was not sure if Thurston knew that he was working undercover for the FBI. There would be no reason for him to know.

  Mark continued, “Unfortunately, there were risks that went with her work. I did hear that she is coming along well, though. They expect her to have a full recovery.”

  “Yes, I know. I spoke with Dennis Peterson at the FBI office in Cleveland yesterday. If there is any way I can help her when she gets out of the hospital, I hope someone will let me know. I feel a little bit responsible.”

  “I’m sure they will. But I think she will be fine. She has a lot of people that care. I was proud to have had the opportunity to work with her. She is a really brave lady.”

  “I am glad to hear that. Now, for the other reason I asked you to come here today, Mark.” He picked up a book that was on the table and removed an envelope from underneath. It had Mark’s name typed on the front. “I want you to have this bonus for the great job you did. I know you submitted your bill, and it should be processed on Monday. This is something extra that I just want you to have. I won’t take no for an answer. Please just take it with you. You have earned every penny of it for the fantastic job you did.”

  “That’s very kind of you, Peter. Thank you!” He sensed it was time to leave. Mark took the envelope from Thurston, put it in his inside jacket pocket and got up from the table. They walked around the house to the parking area.

  As they approached the car, Thurston said, “Mark, it has been a real pleasure working with you. I think we should do more business together. I intend to have my Human Resources people contact you about doing some background checks for us. We especially will be needing to look closely at Lifeflow Laboratories employees. We can’t be too careful these days, can we? Well, thanks again for doing such a great job.”

  As they shook hands, Mark replied, “It’s been a real pleasure working with you, Peter.”

  “By the way, I was serious about you coming down for some fishing. Perhaps we can get together next spring if your schedule is open. I will be in touch.”

  “That sounds great, I would like that very much.” He got into his car and rolled down the window to say, “You have a great day, Peter.” Mark started his car and drove down the driveway. Within a few minutes, he was at the Fairfield Commons Mall. He pulled into a parking spot and reached for the envelope. His eyes opened wide as he read the amount. Peter Thurston had just given him a bonus of $25,000. Mark knew, at once, that he had to share this with Susan, but he would have to do it in a subtle way. He earned the bonus in pursuit of his PI business, but Susan’s participation as a Federal Agent prevented her from receiving money as a reward. Then again, she was acting on behalf of Cybernetic Solutions, but of course that was funded by the FBI. It all was a bit confusing, but he knew that he would just have to find a way to share the money, especially since she did most of the work. This was a special situation, after all.

  CHAPTER 34

  Denny’s was crowded for a Monday morning, but as a regular, Mark
could always count on his booth in the corner. Bruce had just arrived. They settled down to their coffee as they waited for breakfast. Both decided to try their latest offering, the “Meat Lovers” breakfast.

  “How was your weekend, Bruce? Did you do anything special?” Mark asked.

  “Well, as you can imagine, when I got home after our meeting I was floating on air. Angelina insisted that we go out to celebrate. So we went over to Bravo’s for some great Italian food and libations. It was all good. I love that place. How did yours go?”

  “Oh, it was pretty uneventful. Mark decided to keep his visit to Thurston’s house to himself. “I caught up with some chores at home and did some planning for our training session today. We’re going to get you started with some of the routine things. I’ll set you up on the computer system with your own password. Brenda worked things out with her part-time employers so she will be working full-time starting today. She has agreed to help me with the break-in. I’ll be with you until Wednesday. Then I have to go run up to Columbus for a few days. I have a new customer that needs me up there off and on for a while. Next month I need to attend an advanced computer course at an out-of-state college. I’ll be away for about four months. But I’ll always be available by phone, fax or e-mail, and I might get back for a couple of weekends. But like I said, Brenda knows the ropes. Truth be known, I’ve been sort of using her as an office manager for the last few months, so she will be a big help to you. I know that you’ll do just fine.”

  The food arrived just as he finished. Their eyes widened when they saw the large-sized servings. This was certainly the way a man should start a day.

  “I’m sure I won’t have any problems. I’ve always been a quick learner. Wow, look at the size of that plate.”

  “Well, if you learn nothing today, at least you’ll know how to fortify yourself with a good breakfast. You can’t go wrong starting your day at Denny’s. I’m glad that, like me, you have an appreciation for the better things in life.”

  Breakfast at Denny’s was one of the lessons he had on his list. They both smiled as they dug in. It took them only five minutes to empty the plates. One last cup of coffee and they were on their way to the office.

  Brenda was there when they arrived. “Good morning, you two. How was your breakfast at Denny’s, Bruce?”

  “It was great. Good Morning, Brenda.”

  “I see that you started doing some packing,” Mark said, noting several packed cartons stacked up in his office.

  “Just stuff I know we won’t need in the next few days. I walked over to the new suite on Friday. They had the doors open to help dry the paint. That is a really nice office. I’m going to feel right at home there.”

  “That’s the idea. I thought the same thing when I saw it for the first time. There will be plenty of space for everything as we build up our client base. We should be able to do more initial meetings there and fewer at Denny’s. We will just have to do more screening on the phone before we set up the meeting. Anyway, with our client base mostly businesses now, having the meetings at the office will work out better. It will be a lot more professional.”

  He helped Brenda stack a few more of the boxes she had filled to overflowing.

  It was time to get on with the training. “Come on Bruce, let’s get started. The list is long and the time is short.”

  “I’m ready to go when you are, Mark.”

  They spent the next four hours going over the client files and acquainting Bruce with the computer system and billing structure. Mark had shopped at Best Buy to outfit Bruce and Brenda with a full complement of computer equipment and software. He decided to stick with his laptop configuration. He made copies of the special programs that were proprietary to his business. They were very happy campers. He could tell that it would work out for the good of all concerned.

  He went to the new offices and was pleased to see that the wiring for the computers was underway. It’s nice when things work out according to the schedule.

  CHAPTER 35

  Old habits die hard. Mel Tarkington needed to get the juices flowing. Marshalls Spa and Gymnasium in Peoria, Illinois provided such an outlet. He paid the thirty dollars for gym access for the day. He wanted to mix it up with someone, but the gym was empty except for a handful of weight lifters. It turned out to be a day to use the heavy bag. He donned his open-thumb bag gloves and began to punish the bag with short, powerful jabs. He danced around with a rhythmical pace. He was settling into his groove.

  As he continued to work out, he noticed two “suits” enter and make their way to the service desk. “Shit,” he thought as he immediately pegged them as either undercover cops or FBI agents. They showed something to the attendant, who looked at it for a minute and then pointed in Mel’s direction.

  Mel waved to them and sped up his dance around the bag, never letting the two men leave his peripheral sight.

  They scanned the lifters and looked at him again for a minute as he increased the tempo; pretending that they were scouts. He put on a good show for them.

  They were neither impressed nor suspicious. After a few minutes, they turned and left the building. Mel eased up on the bag…a slight smile appeared on his face. Feebs are so inept, he thought. I thank God for that.

  Later, on his way out of the gym, he stopped by the desk to make sure his instincts were correct. “Were those guys scouts? Did they ask about me?”

  “Naw! They were FBI agents looking for some fugitive.

  “Then, I put out my best for nothing?”

  “That’s the way it goes, Mac. I thought you looked good, if that counts for anything.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Mel smiled and left the gym. He was still one jump ahead of them. That’s all that was important. He was feeling invincible.

  CHAPTER 36

  The time was close for Mark to depart for Quantico, Virginia for training. Bruce and Brenda were all set up down in Centerville, except for the physical move of furniture to the new offices, which was scheduled for next week. He felt quite comfortable leaving things in their hands. Anyway, he was always a phone call or an e-mail away if he was needed.

  Mark wished that he felt the same about leaving Susan alone for the next seventeen plus weeks. Of course, he expected to be back for most weekends, but that wasn’t the same thing; it wasn’t day-to-day. This promised to be the busiest and most stressful period he had ever experienced, but it was a price he needed to pay for their future.

  Susan was feeling much better, but the shattered bones in her shoulder made drug-free rest impossible. Her surgery wasn’t scheduled for at least three more weeks. Mark hoped that it would be near a weekend so he could be there for a few days to comfort her. She shouldn’t have to go it alone.

  He approached her room with trepidation, went through the security check and knocked gently on the door to her room. As he opened the door, he put on a smile and stepped into the room. “How’s my precious love today?”

  “Who is it?”

  “Very funny, Irish. It really sounds like you missed me?”

  “I was just putting you on. Of course I missed you. You’re the main reason for my wanting to get well as fast as I can. I am so looking forward to a lifetime with you.”

  Mark moved quickly to the chair where she was sitting. She grimaced as she tried to get up.

  Don’t get up. You don’t want to make anything worse.”

  He grabbed the arms of the chair and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft. He lingered there for a few minutes as he ran his hand through her hair. It was soft and shiny. It looked like she was being pampered a bit. She certainly deserved it, after all she had been through.

  “How are you doing, Sue?”

  “As well as can be expected, I guess. I feel good, except for the pain in my shoulder. It only hurts if I move too suddenly. It’s like a knife being pressed into my shoulder. I’ve never experienced pain like that before.”

  “Have the doctors given you any schedule y
et?”

  “It looks like it may be several more weeks. I’ve asked why it was taking so long and they tell me it’s because they are going to put a stainless steel plate in my shoulder and it has to be sculpted. They needed to make computer models to determine the exact size and shape. They just can’t take one off the shelf. If it isn’t just right, they would need to go back in later to reshape it. Nobody wants to go that route, least of all me. So we just have to be patient while the process takes its natural course.”

  “It sure sounds complicated. I’m so sorry you have to through this. If I had come up the night you called, this would never have happened.”

  “Mark, you’ve got to let that go. Stop beating yourself up. Dennis offered to help, too. It was my decision to go it alone. Anyway, it probably wouldn’t have changed anything, except that you might have gotten yourself killed.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “We both know that Portman wasn’t going to let anyone stop him. He would have thought nothing of killing you if you had gotten in his way. Look what he did to me and Roland, and to his partner in crime, Schaeffer.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” he said as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.“Still, I wish I had done something other than taking a sleeping pill and escaping into la la land while you were going through that ordeal. That’s the part that bothers me most of all. If you had called me needing help, I wouldn’t have been there for you.”

  “Enough of that nonsense. Promise me that you will let this thing go. There is nothing to be gained by rehashing things with a bunch of would’ves, could’ves and should’ves.”

  “I guess you’re right. I promise I’ll clear it from my mind,” he said, as he raised his hand as if to swear.

  “Well, okay, then. What else is troubling you? I can tell that something is on your mind.”

  “I guess it’s a promising sign that we’re so close that you can read my feelings. You’re right. It’s about my training program at Quantico. I have to leave tomorrow.”