Chapter
Excerpt
Prologue
Washington, D.C.
August, 1939
Ponderous, lead colored clouds hovered over the city, sucking the vitality out of it.
The stale, sultry air being disturbed by the ceiling fans in the Polish embassy did little to
alleviate the suffering of the building’s occupants. A weary courier carried his heavy dispatch
case to the office of the military attaché. He knocked on the door.
“Enter.”
The courier set his case on the desk, extracted a key from his pocket, and, after
unlocking the chain that secured the case to his wrist, stepped back and saluted. The man
behind the desk returned the salute.
“I have only now arrived, sir,” stated the courier formally, “I came straight to your
office.”
The man at the desk examined the seals on the case. They appeared to be intact.
“Thank you, Lieutenant. You may go.”
The lieutenant executed a precise about face before
marching out of the office.
The man sighed as he watched the earnest, youthful officer depart, wondering if he
had ever been that green, or naive.
Someone drummed his fingernails on the frosted glass panel of his office door. It
was the Ambassador’s trademark.
“Come in, please.”
The Ambassador, in his shirt sleeves, stepped into the office.
“I understand that the courier brought you another
shipment, Colonel.”
“Yes, the last one, I’m afraid. We have almost run out of time.”
The two men considered each other in silent commiseration. Both knew they were
powerless to influence the events about to en-gulf their country.
“When do you return?” The Ambassador finally asked.
“In three days. I am to be given command of an armored unit.” He shook his head.
“We have so few tanks – antiques compared to what the Germans possess.”
“How long?"
The Colonel grew thoughtful. "At the most, three months. The Germans will attack
before winter sets in. Hitler is not a patient man; he has nothing to gain by waiting until
spring."
The Ambassador nodded glumly as he contemplated the case on the Colonel’s desk.
He felt like crying.
Dallas, Texas
November 22, 1963
The man standing by the railroad fence near the grassy knoll glanced at his watch.
The motorcade was behind schedule. Carefully, he scanned the street to make certain he
could still pick out the zero point. He hoped that the flake in the building would wait until
the car reached the exact spot. If he did, they would fire together.
Camelot, that’s what the press liked to call the
administration. The man spat. It
was too bad that none of those dip-shit reporters had ever bothered to read a book;
otherwise, they would have known what was in store for Camelot.
He thought about the months of planning that had gone into his mission.
Everything
would have been perfect if it hadn't been for that goddamn Guzman. He had
been silenced,
but not quickly enough. Those jerks from Cleveland only thought they knew
something; still,
they were an inconvenience that would have to be dealt with.
He caught the faint shout of a distant bystander.
“Here they come!”
The man extracted a scoped rifle from its tan case. The case almost matched his
DPS uniform. Pulling up on the bolt handle, he
drew the bolt back less than half an inch;
just enough to assure him-self that there was a
round in the chamber. The lead sedan in the motorcade came into view. He lifted the rifle
to his shoulder as he had done hundreds of times in practice. The zero point was clearly
visible in his scope. He shifted his sights. The head of the youngest man ever to be elected
president of the United States was centered in the cross hairs. The front bumper of the
black Lincoln sedan crossed the zero point.
“Remember, pal, nobody ever tells you the entire truth.”
—Lee G. Feathers, Polygraph Examiner
April, 1994
Tuesday
Your time's up, I thought. The woman sitting before me was starting to repeat herself. She
wanted me to confirm what she already knew, and was willing to pay me $2,000 to do it. She had
the cash in her purse. I sighed, knowing that I wasn’t going to accept her money.
"Mrs. Grey, I appreciate your confidence in my abilities, but I have already explained to you
that I do not accept domestic cases. I'll be happy to refer you to a competent investigator who
specializes in your situation."
Her expression hardened sufficiently to express that she was not accustomed to being
turned down. "Mr. LeBlanc, when we met, I told you that I had been referred to you by my
attorney. That wasn't true. I don't have an attorney, yet."
My features remained parked in polite neutral.
Seeing that I wasn't going to reply, she continued. "Actually, I was referred by a close,
personal friend, Ted Meyers."
My expression did not waiver, though I swore silently. Ted Meyers was a valued client who
had sent a lot of work my way over the years. A successful entrepreneur who owned several
manufacturing companies, he dined with the rich and famous, and slept with their wives and girl
friends. His flamboyant lifestyle had made the
scandal rags often enough to make him a minor celebrity. If Meyers liked you, his generosity was
legend; if you were on his shit list, life could be unpleasant.
I stood up. "Will you excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Grey?"
She nodded, smiling brightly. "Grey is my maiden name. My married name is Lipscomb."
Her dazzling teeth were only slightly marred by the lipstick on them.
I stepped into my secretary's office, shutting the door behind me. "Karen, get Ted Meyers
on the phone, will you?" Karen twirled her Rolodex, located the number, dialed it and handed me
the receiver. His secretary put me through immediately.
"Adrian, how are you?" Meyers enthused, then continued
before I could answer. "I was
expecting your call. It seems Julie is in need of a top-notch private eye, so naturally, I thought of
you."
"I'm flattered, Ted." I replied, choosing my words carefully, "You do know that I don't
handle divorce work?"
"Who said anything about divorce? Julie has a problem she needs handled discreetly. Since
you're the best in the business at keeping a secret, I insisted on her calling you. You weren't
seriously thinking about not helping her were you?" I could still hear the smile in his voice, but his
teeth were showing.
"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
"Splendid. I knew you wouldn't let me down."
"By the bye, Ted, what's her husband's first name?"
"Harold."
"As in Harold Lipscomb of Newport Industries?"
"I believe so, now that you mention it."
"You believe so? Ted, I thought you and Lipscomb were mortal enemies."
"Don't be so dramatic. Harold and I are businessmen who occasionally chase after the same
piece of business."
"Uh huh."
"Anyway, Julie is an old and dear friend. I would take it as a personal favor if you would
help her out."
"Consider it done."
"Good. Give me a call in a few days – we'll do lunch."
I returned the receiver to Karen. "How much did I make off of Ted Meyers last year?
"Counting referrals, over $50,000."
"In that case, we have a new client."
"Ms. Snooty?"
"That's Mrs. Lipscomb to you. She’ll be leaving my office in about five minutes. Find out
what she's driving."
"Can do. I'll leave now." With that, Karen stood up and slipped into the corridor.
Julie Lipscomb was peering into her compact mirror when I reentered my office. I
estimated her to be in her early thirties, though she could pass for younger. Her well-rounded body
was encased in a tightly tailored, high-priced, dark-red suit trimmed in black. It was not quite
tacky. Her dark hair was expensively cut, as was the large diamond on her left hand. The woman
was attractive, and knew it. It was a good bet she made the most of her looks when it came to
getting her way. Sweet and innocent were not words I would use to describe my new client. No,
I decided, pain in the ass suited her perfectly.
"Mrs. Lipscomb," I articulated as I sat down at my desk, "would you please tell me exactly
what you want me to do for you?" Her expression was both relieved and triumphant.
"I thought I was clear. I want you to gather evidence that Harold is having an affair. As I
told you, he is going to be at our cottage tonight with – that woman." Her stricken mien did not
have the effect on me she was probably hoping for. Julie Lipscomb extracted an envelope from her
purse and placed it on my desk. "I have a map for you with directions to the cottage. About a
quarter of a mile from our cottage is an abandoned house that burned last year. You can leave your
car there." She went on to detail exactly where I should station myself for the best view of the
cottage and the best shots of people entering and leaving it. I wondered how long she had been
planning this.
"Mrs. Lipscomb, how do you know that your husband is going to show up tonight?"
She smiled a tight, conspiratorial smile. "Harold is such an organized man. He wrote it in
his appointment book. I made copies of it night before last. It reads "GH, the cottage, 7:00". GH
is Gwen Hiltie, his current slut. She works for him."
My new client rummaged in her purse again before ferreting out a bank envelope. "There's
$2,000 in there, Mr. LeBlanc. Ted
told me you charge a thousand dollars a day. I wish to retain your services for two days." She
frowned as I counted the money. There were twenty crisp one hundred bills in the envelope.
"My secretary had to leave. Would you like me to write you a receipt now, or mail one to
you?"
"Oh, there's no need for that, Mr. LeBlanc. I trust you," she breathed, gazing into my eyes.
I stifled an impulse to reach for my billfold to assure myself that it was still there.
"When I'm finished tonight, how do I contact you?"
"I will call you in the morning. You see, I can't risk Harold finding out that I'm having him
investigated." Julie Lipscomb rose, then dramatically extended her hand. "Thank you, Mr. LeBlanc. I
knew I could count on you." Her hand-shake was quick and firm. I noticed that she was missing
a button on her right sleeve. I also noticed the ample swell of her chest as she inhaled. I wondered
how long she had been married and how long she and Ted Meyers had been old and dear friends.
I was sitting with my feet resting on my desk when Karen rapped on my door.
"Well?" I inquired.
"She was driving a year old Lexus. I ran the plate through BMV. The car is registered to
Ontario Enterprises, Inc., which has its offices over on Detroit Avenue."
I pondered that information. "You ever hear of them?"
"Never."
I pondered some more. Karen Koenig is a wealth of
information. She is a fifty-three year
old Cleveland native who has lived and worked in the Cleveland area all of her life. She had been
the executive secretary for the owner of a long established machining firm that was liquidated when
he died of a heart attack. I hired her four years ago and have come to depend on her judgment.
"What did you think of Julie Lipscomb?"
"If Harold Lipscomb is really her husband, he doesn't give her a very generous clothing
allowance," Madam Koenig pronounced.
"Oh?"
"That outfit may have cost a lot of money, but it was at least three years old and missing a
button on one sleeve."
"What else?"
"Her civilized veneer is paper thin, probably only recently
acquired. That woman grew up
in a rough neighborhood and is trying to put on airs."
"You don't think she graduated from a posh finishing school?"
"I don't think she finished high school."
"I wonder what Lipscomb saw in her?" I mused innocently.
"Ha!" Karen snorted. "I just bet you do. Her manners may be phony, but the rest is all
real."
"So's her money. For $2,000, plus Ted's not so subtle arm twisting, I guess I can go take
pictures of hubby escorting Ms. GH to the cottage."
Karen Koenig pursed her lips. "Adrian, that woman is trouble. You had better watch
yourself tonight."
"Fear not, fair damsel. Ace Investigator LeBlanc is eternally vigilant." As it turned out, Ace
Investigator LeBlanc was eternally stupid.
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