Jaye Michael

PART THREE: REVOLUTION

Chapter Twenty Five: Acumination

When the president does it,
that means that it is not illegal.
– President Richard Milhous Nixon

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 9:10 P.M., SUITE 1443, QUEEN’S CASINO AND HOTEL, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Rita was ecstatic. She had just cleaned herself up and dressed herself. John Smith had just ordered some champagne for a celebration while John was in charge of Joanie and his body.

“Li’l Missy ah must congratulate you’all. You’all delivered everythin’ exactly as promised. I think it’s time to finalize ouah negotiations.”

“I’ll drink to that,” John smiled.

“Well Joanie deah, ah don’ know if you’all wanna to do that.”

“Huh. Why not.”

“Well. Ah told you ah ran a drug company and ah do. What ah didn’t tell you’all is that ah happen to have a bunch of friends in South America who ah in charge of production.”

“So?”

“They strongly believe in exclusivity.”

“Again, so what? We’ve already discussed that.” John wasn’t sure where this was going but she was getting a bit worried.

“Ah video taped the entire process so ah know that you are personally required for this to work. You’all were sellin’ yourself and my partners would be very angry if ah did not collect.”

John started edging toward the door to the suite. “What do you mean collect?”

“George,” the Texan bellowed, “Whah don’t you’all come in here.” The door opened and the guard came in, standing stoically just inside the entry. He seemed even larger standing there with his arms crossed and looking mean.

Now John was really worried. “Why are you doing this? We had a deal and I just delivered. Now back off or I’ll never tell you how to do it.” Slowly, she began to slip toward the bedroom door.

“Rita?”

“Yes, Mr. Smith.” She came bouncing out of the bedroom looking fetching in a pink halter-top and short shorts. She brought a gun out from behind her back and pointed it loosely in Joanie’s general direction.

“Well Li’l Missy, ah think you all are about to take a trip.”

Rita brought her other hand out from behind her back. It held a syringe.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 11:00 A.M., ST. IVES HOTEL, ROOM 1728, FROM THE RESEARCH LOGS OF DR. MAXIMILIAN STERNLICHT

Dr. Sternlicht completed packing and called for a bellboy. At the front lobby, the same clerk was on duty as when he had checked in as Mr. Hoyden Tiresias.

“Hello, my name is Maxine Stern. I’ll be checking out for Mr. Tiresias. I’d like these valises shipped to Newark Airport and I’d like the remainder of the funds he situated in your depository minus the agreed upon 25% gratuity.”

“Certainly, Madam. I’ll just need Mr. Tiresias’ signature on a release for the funds he placed in the safe.”

The woman smiled and confidently handed him a signed “power of attorney.” At the confused look on the clerk’s face, she smiled even more and said, “I know, you’ll have to authenticate that with your supervisor. Go. Go. Go.” She shooed him off and went to sit patiently in one of the plush padded chairs.

Eventually the clerk returned. “The power of attorney will be acceptable Ms. Stern. Please sign this release and we’ll settle the account.”

“Fine, and when you’ve concluded your enumerations you may hail a taxicab.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 4:00 P.M., ST. IVES HOTEL LOBBY

They walked up to the front desk and flashed their badges. Before speaking a word, the clerk immediately escorted them to the door by the manager’s office. The clerk said, “One moment please.” and then disappeared behind the door.

“Please come in.” The clerk was back a moment later, obsequiously holding the door to the manager’s office for them. The room was quite plain compared to the ornate decoration of the lobby. It had an unadorned wooden desk of light oak, a matching meeting table with six chairs, and two padded chairs that looked like they could have come from the lobby. A short, portly, balding man in his forties with an obsequious smile greeted them from behind the desk.

“Welcome to the St. Ives. My name is Brian Miller and I’m the day manger. How can we help you?”

The badges were shown again and the man’s smile became just a bit more forced. He gestured for them to sit and they did. Eunice noted his surreptitious glance at her legs and, with a bright friendly smile; she first adjusted the short skirt of her suit and then began playing with the pendant resting between her breasts. The man quickly sat down and Eunice thought she saw several small beads of moisture forming on his brow.

Deborah cleared her throat and, after a surreptitious frown in Eunice’s direction so that her partner would stop teasing the man, spoke. “We’re looking for someone.” She placed a wanted poster on his desk. “This man is wanted for theft and possession of stolen property. He has an accomplice. She may look like this.” Another wanted poster was placed next to the first.

“Surely you don’t think someone like that would come into our hotel?”

“It is possible. We would like these posters to be distributed and we’d like your permission to speak to your staff.”

“Certainly, but please do it here in my office. I have no interest in upsetting our clientele. I’ll start by bringing in the front desk staff.” He gestured to the table. “You can set up over there.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 4:40 P.M., ST. IVES HOTEL MANAGER’S OFFICE

“That’s just about everyone here now. The last of the desk clerks will be back from his break in a minute or so and I’ll have him come in.” There was a knock on the door.

“Ah, excellent. James, please come here. I’d like you to meet Ms. Caughlin and Ms. Branca. They’re from the FBI. They’d like to speak to you for a few moments.”

“Thank you for your time,” Deborah extended her hand. He seemed a bit flustered and she quickly glanced back to see if Eunice was being a tease again, then, after confirming she was not, grabbed his half extended hand and shook it firmly.

“Please sit down. We’d like you to look at these pictures.” Once he was seated, she continued. “The man is wanted for theft and possession of stolen property.” She gestured to one poster. “He has an accomplice. She may look like this.”

She watched as the man glanced at the manager standing behind the women before beginning to answer and interrupted. Without turning away from the desk clerk, she spoke to the manager. “Please tell this man to be cooperative.”

“Certainly. Certainly,” the manager blushed and nodded to the desk clerk.
“James, please answer these people’s questions with complete candor.” James saw the manager scowling but took him at his word and carefully examined each photograph.

“I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?”

“Well, there was this really snotty guy that checked in about a week or so ago. I only saw him once, but this guy could be him.”

“Why is it that you remember him if you only saw him once?”

“As I said, he was rather snotty and he wouldn’t provide a credit card.” James pointed to the manager. “I had to get approval to accept cash from Mr. Miller. He then placed a large sum of money in our safe.

“Is he still here?”

“Uh, I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean, ‘You don’t think so?’ Is his room still booked?”

“No. Some lady came by earlier today and checked him out.”

“Did the woman look anything like the woman in this wanted poster?”

He examined the second poster carefully and then shook his head. “No. I’m sorry but I can’t tell.”

“Then can you describe her?”

“Sure. She was pretty, you know, a really nice body but dressed very conservatively, and maybe 30. She acted older, but she looked younger. She had wavy platinum blonde hair about half way down her shoulder blades. She talked funny, I don’t know, kind of stilted I guess you’d call it.” He looked up from the poster. “Actually, except for the hair she kind of looked like your partner there.” He pointed at Eunice.

“You said she was here earlier today. When?”

“Not long before lunch. I went to lunch about eleven-thirty so it must have been about eleven.”

“What was she wearing?”

“Well, I remember it was very conservative, oh I said that before didn’t I?” His eyes unfocused as he thought. “It was a...a blue pinstripe suit with a calf length skirt.”

“When she left where did she go?”

“I don’t know. She had me call her a cab. Maybe William at the front door knows.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 5:25 P.M., ST. IVES HOTEL MANAGER’S OFFICE, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

“She’s using a Eunice but with long ash blonde hair, last seen in a blue pinstripe suit. She just checked out of the St. Ives using the name Maxine Stern, which means she’s probably making her move.” Deborah listened intently to the telephone.

“If all the mass transportation options are covered, Eunice and I will head towards the theater district.” She listened again.

“That’s right; she seems to be heading for a Broadway show.” Another brief silence.

“Good. Have Kevin and Lyle meet us there.” She hung up and turned to the others. “Thank you for your assistance Mr. Miller. Let’s go, Eunice. We’ll meet the others at Eighth Avenue and Forty-Fifth Street and then fan out.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 5:35 P.M., STREETS OF MANHATTAN, NEW YORK

“What the hell were you doing back there?”

“Huh?” Eunice L. asked innocently.

“Great dialogue. You know what I mean. Back at the hotel. What were you doing taunting that man?” Deborah briefly glared over at Eunice while she drove.

“You mean the skirt and the pendant?”

“Yes I mean the skirt and the pendant.”

“Oh. Well, I saw him gawking at my legs and he.... Watch that truck!” Deborah swerved.

“You were saying?”

“He was staring at me and so I thought I’d give him a reason to stare. How was I to know it would affect him so much?”

“Because you’re a woman. Because you used to be a man. How many answers do you want?”

“You’re right,” Eunice L. answered, chastised. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. It’s just the first time anyone’s really looked at me like that and...and I just couldn’t resist.”

“Well okay, but please don’t do that while we’re working. It’s hard enough to be taken seriously as a woman in law enforcement and that kind of crap just makes it worse.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 5:55 P.M., CORNER OF 48TH STREET AND 8TH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

“Almost all of the matinees will be out by now so we’re not likely to find Maxine Stern in the area, but we might find a ticket collector or an usher who recognizes her picture. Did you get the retouched photo we requested?”

“Yes. Here.” Kevin distributed copies to each of the other three. “Let’s start here, move down to Sixth Avenue and then back up Forty-Seventh Street. You take one side of the street and we’ll take the other. We probably don’t have a lot of time and this is a long shot anyway, so let’s do this quickly.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 6:25 P.M., 46TH STREET BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH AVENUES, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

“Deborah,” Eunice L. called to her partner excitedly. “I think we’ve hit pay dirt. I’ve got an usher here who remembers someone who looks like Maxine Stern. She apparently demanded he get her a taxicab after the show.”

“That sure sounds like our man, I mean woman. When was this?”

“Actually, not too long ago. The show ended at five forty-five and it was at least fifteen minutes later before she stopped him for the cab.”

Does he remember anything more?”

“Well, he’s not sure, but he thinks it was a medallion cab, not one of those gypsies.”

“No number, no cabby description?”

“No such luck. I’ve already got our liaison in the New York City Police Department checking it out. Let’s meet at the Papa Pete’s Pizza at Forty-Fourth Street and Seventh Avenue in five minutes.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 6:35 P.M., PAPA PETE’S PIZZA, 44TH STREET AND SEVENTH AVENUE

Kevin twirled his chair and sat straddling it with his elbows propped up against the back. After a moment’s hesitation, Lyle E. copied him.

“Okay folks,” Kevin said, “it’s time to come up with a miracle. The odds of getting a match on a cabby in the next few minutes is pretty close to nil. He’s not acting like he’s being followed so he, I mean she, will probably complete whatever schedule she is following. We need ideas regarding what she might be doing next.” Kevin looked to the others sitting around him.

“Well, I hate to admit it,” Eunice L. said after waiting to see that no one else was going to speak, “but the only idea I’ve got is that I’m hungry and the smell of this food is definitely not helping.”