Misdirection

Chapter 1


         I couldn’t remember the last time I was so sapped while shadowing a female culprit. This assignment came my way as a panicky husband had strong fears his wife was being unfaithful. I had been on the job for what seemed like an eternity.

         This night appeared to be no less exciting than the last seven evenings. I was parked just up the street from my client’s home. My client exited the house jumped in his car and sped away. A short time later the wife appeared, jumped into her Mercedes, and journeyed to a Starbuck’s nearby. There on each previous occasion, she’d met a gentleman, have a cup of coffee and return straight home.

          I took several pictures of the pair at each meeting. None of the pictures exposed much. All I could see was a pair of adults engaged in conversation over a “cup-of-Joe.” In my mind, there seemed to be little reason for my client’s nervous suspicions.
         I periodically checked my watch to keep track of the time the two had invested in this encounter. To my surprise, they had more than doubled their time together from previous visits. I soon came to realize that there might be some essence to this investigation after all. I continued to observe the suspects as their conversation appeared to become heated. They pressed back from one another, fingers were pointed both ways and their faces displayed tension that I had not seen beforehand.

         I reached for my binoculars. In the back of my attentive mind, something clicked. Intuition told me this case was soon to take a sharp turn from boring toward a substantial professional investigation.

         My name is Myles McGowan. My friends call me M, M & M or just Myles. On encounters with ladies in the past and following brief physical activity, I am referred to as “My, My.” I entrust it to others to comprehend why a woman would refer to me, a lovable man, as “My, My or My, Ooooooh My.”
         My ego, as it applies to my carnal proficiency, is that of a smooth Alpha male. Aside from this quality, I take pride as a professional detective. The short description for my work is “private eye”. I gravitated to this work following a short career as a policeman. This was preceded by six years military service as a Military Police Officer.

         I am a tad beyond six feet tall a bit past 225 pounds in weight. I have dark wavy hair and green eyes. I’ve never found it hard to mix with the opposite sex. I have had few relationships with women that were anything but spontaneous in origin and short term in duration. That all changed when Iris De Feo came into my life. I’ll develop more details about Iris as I feel necessary.

         I‘ve always been a defender of the “underdog” as well as those that are less fortunate and far beyond the comprehension of the rich, famous and wealthy. I grew up in humble
surroundings. I was taught to respect honesty, loyalty as well many other honorable human attributes. I detest greed and the abuse of power demonstrated by so many in our society. That having been revealed, I am devoted to my job. I set my own hours, my rates and I’ve gotten very selective about cases and clients. Like every business man, I have had my share of peaks and valleys. I am gratified to say there have been far more ups than downs. My life at best is a roller coaster ride day-to-day. Financially, I make an excellent living, compared to many other professions. My biggest drawback is I have a hard time hanging on to my earnings. I am a chump for horse racing. I’m forever a soft touch for friends in need of some monetary funding. However, to date, I know when to cut my losses at the track. When a friend is in need, financially or otherwise, I bust my butt to provide the support they expect from me. I truly believe, “What goes around comes around!” It works for me and I am the only one responsible for my decisions by and large. In a nutshell that is what Myles McGowan is about.

         In a heartbeat, the couple I had been observing jumped up from their table.  They exited the coffee shop. They proceeded to the gentleman’s car. They jumped in and shot off at a rapid pace into the night. I was barely able to compose myself and follow the two suspects at a safe distance. I followed their car for some 45 minutes as they made turns often and still in great haste. They suddenly stopped in front of what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. I stopped far enough away where I felt I could observe them undetected.
         They exited the car and entered the old building. Shortly, a light flashed on within the building. The light blazed through a window. It became necessary to leave my car to gain a more advantageous point to perceive what the couple was doing within the warehouse. I approached slowly and with caution. As I neared the building, I judged that I was within 100 feet of the structure. Wham! Bang! Boom! The total building had ignited into a ball of flames and a pillar of nauseous grey-black smoke.

Chapter 2

          I awoke with the reality of a pounding headache. Lying on my back, I could smell the fumes of a fire, I heard the sounds of fireman engaged in a battle with smoke and flames and I was staring into the face of Pug Puglisi. Pug's a detective, a friend and former partner of mine with the local police force. My skin felt damp and cold. Time slipped away as did my consciousness.

         It took some time for me to gather my thoughts. Reality finally set in, as I realized I had been knocked unconscious by the force of the blast that demolished the warehouse. Pug and I had been buddies for many years. Our friendship began, when we were still in high school. We served in the military together for six years. We were also partners on the local police department for the better part of two years. I had chosen to leave the department for personal reasons. Pug remained as a first-class detective. As close friends, there was lots of common ground between the two of us. Pug, however, was a better politician than I; hence he remained with the department. We had stayed close even after I left the department and went into business as a private investigator.

I was gradually regaining some sense of my situation. I was suffering from the effects of a mild concussion. I became aware that I was lying on a bed in a hospital. My eyes focused on Pug as he sat beside the bed. I glanced toward the opposite side of the bed, and there was Iris, heavenly blue-eyed my soul mate.

         In times of distress, she was my constant and ever vigilant tower of strength. I could perpetually count on her sustenance. She epitomized everything noble in life and her resilient personality, helped me beyond many situations, where my stubbornness lingered as a continuous roadblock. She and I had become close over the course of several years. So much so, we spent a great deal of time at one another's homes. We were both hesitant at moving on to the next level in a relationship. She had come off a bad marriage, and as for myself, there had been several relationships that ended bitterly. In reality, both of us appreciated a certain amount of independence, as well as the accord of developing a long-term relationship.
         In a short time I had come to my senses. Pug spoke after a brief silence, "M, seems like you got yourself into a pickle here?" He glanced at Iris and continued, "Iris, if you don't mind, I need to speak to him on just what was going on tonight at that warehouse.” Upon hearing that, Iris left the room. Pug then turned his attention back to me. Pug questioned, "Well, stud, it appears you got yourself into something that you could not maintain control?" He continued, “I know you're under the weather right now, but as soon as you're feeling up to it and you are up and around, you get your backside into stationhouse. We need to have a sit down. I need to get an explanation from you is just what took place prior to the explosion and the demolition of the warehouse." I nodded in agreement and casually closed my eyes as I drifted back into slumber.

         When next I awakened, Iris was sitting by me, and there was no one else in the room. She asked several questions of which I tried to be as cautionary as possible and yet not to arouse her fears any further. Iris has always been part of my work, however, she knows the business I'm in, and knows that it's not always as it seems. She is aware my work is not safe 100% of the time.

         Iris bent down to kiss me goodbye. As she left she said to call and she'd be at the hospital as quick as she could to take me home or back to the office, whichever I preferred. I was so tired that it was almost in an instant my eyes became so heavy that I dropped off into another deep snooze. As I was sleeping my brain went over and over as to the incidents that led up to the eruption at that warehouse. I was thoroughly mystified and in a fog. In my mind, it appeared to me, that when I made it back into the office I would be starting at ground zero with this case. Right now I needed to sleep. I needed time for my body to mend.

Chapter 3

         The following day I awakened early. It must have been around 6 AM. As luck would have it my doctor was doing his rounds and I was one of the first patients he was to see. The doctor gave me a quick look over and suggested that if I chose to go home, wait a couple of days before getting involved with any strenuous activity. Knowing that the doctor would release me today I agreed with all of his suggestions. I also told him I would give him a ring within the week to see if I needed to come in for a follow-up visit.

         I dressed as quickly as possible. Iris said she would be there as soon as feasible to take me home. I called for the day nurse. A let her know that I would be checking out and would appreciate if she could get all my valuables that had been checked in at the desk when I was admitted two days ago. She complied. All I had to do now was wait for Iris. Can't say as I felt tiptop but, I needed to get back on the case. There were several angles that had come to mind while I was sleeping and I would pursue those as soon as I got back to my office. My secretary, Jinks, had placed a couple of phone calls to me at the hospital and left a message that I needed to get back to her to get back up to speed.

         Iris arrived shortly and she helped me to gather my belongings. We jumped in her car and headed straight to my office. On the way Iris and I chatted back and forth about the events that had occurred over the last 72 hours. Iris is no nosy person, but she is direct and honest with our relationship. She expects to be informed as much as possible as to my comings and goings. I did my best to explain to her what was going on with the case that led up to the explosion at the warehouse. She was befuddled as to what had taken place in such a short time. She knew in all of my investigations I was very thorough and very methodical. She was well aware of the risks that I would or would not take on a case. It was not in her nature to have an ongoing relationship with a man in my kind of work that was irresponsible, careless or unethical. I have perpetually appreciated her feelings. It was the glue that made our relationship stick together at this point.

         We arrived at the office; she let me out and returned to her place of business. I rushed upstairs and as usual there was Jinks, my ever faithful and loyal secretary. I was truly blessed to have Jinks as an employee and confidant. She never missed a day of work. I could trust with my life as well as with hectic office at all times.

Jinks acknowledge my arrival with a big smile. She was never one to be too inquisitive but I could tell by look on her face she wanted to hear all the details of the past several nights. Not wanting to disappoint her, I shared with her most of the specific details of my recent investigation. I also related to her that I was going to do further researching of the so-called chap who had hired me to shadow his spouse. As always, Jinks was responsive to my explanation. She gave me a quick account on all the messages that associated to McGowan Investigations that had been received during my absence. None of which was as pressing as my current situation. I needed to find out about more about my current client.

I got a call from Pug. He told me he would send a squad car by to pick me up and bring me into his office. I accepted the invitation knowing full well that I would get the third-degree. I hung up and went to the bathroom in my back office, jumped into the shower for a quick clean-up. I dressed immediately to wait for the squad car.

A squad car picked me up within the next half hour. A patrolman drove me directly to the police station. There Pug put me through the who, what, were, why, when and how of interrogation. It was standard procedure, but historically, it helped get to the bottom of most situations as they applied to an ongoing investigation. Prior to attending the interrogation Pug proceeded to give me the third-degree about watching my back and keeping him informed as to what was going on with my investigations. I thanked him for his concern and told him I would attempt to do a better job in the future. With this I excused myself and the patrolman drove me back to my office.

First thing I did when I got back to the office was make the phone call. I was trying to reach my so-called client, J. B. Brinton. As expected, I found out the phone had been disconnected. This really got my juices coursing. Had I been set up? What was the purpose? What was there to gain by involving me? There was a lot to think about. Whenever I need to do a lot of thinking I always ended up at my favorite bar, the Idle Hour. It was a rather seedy bar in a rough part of town. However, I found most times being there relaxed me and I was able to gather my thoughts, compose myself and concentrate firmly on the tasks at hand.

Chapter 4

I sat quietly in the booth at my favorite bar called The Idle Hour. More often than not, it was in this setting, where I could compose myself and concentrate on the business at hand. I had little to go on for this case. I tried to call J.B. Brinton. I got no answer, in fact, the phone had been disconnected. On my list of things to do, I added check out the address that Brinton had given me as his home. So here I was in a quandary as to which way to pursue an investigation. I was just ready to leave when my old friend Chuckles Blake came through the door of the bar. I motioned to him to come over and have a seat. In the past, Chuckles had been a great resource for not only information about what was going around on around town; he had a nose for inside information at the racetrack. His racetrack information was always solid. In fact, I won a few bucks on his information. Being the kind of guy I am, I always slipped Chuckles a five or ten spot when I won.

As soon as Chuckles sat down I ordered a round of drinks. Chuckles enjoyed his booze, so much so, I had bailed him from the "drunk tank" on several occasions. Nonetheless, he was a good friend. I could always count on him for reliable information. Chuckles always seemed to be in the "know" about what was transpiring in the background of city life! Quite often he had delivered information to me that had a strong impact on cases that I had been working.

    After a few hits on his drink, I put a few direct questions to Chuckles. His demeanor changed immediately. His body stiffened, he looked over both shoulders and he leaned toward me and began to whisper, "M. There is more to that story than even the police know at this point." I pressed Chuckles to expand on his story. He was more than willing, but he appeared to have become very cagey with his voice level as he narrated the information to me in almost a whisper. Upon finishing his story, he started to leave. I thanked him for the information. I shook his hand and palmed him a $10 bill. He thanked me for the drinks and rushed straight out the door.
    It was now time for me to deduce just what the situation was relative to my current case. Chuckles had provided me with some good information. His story had saved me several hours of foot work and phone calls. His story appeared to expose a conspiracy far greater than any case I had solved in the past. I was exhilarated at the challenge by this opportunity. I could feel the adrenalin starting to flow in my veins.
First things first. I needed to call Jinks to see if there were any messages or if I needed to make any phone calls. As always, there were a few messages and several phone calls I needed to make. Fortunately for me, I had my cell phone. I hauled out my notepad, just in case I needed to write myself notes.
    My first call was to Pug. During that conversation Pug related to me some of the evidence that had been discovered at the warehouse fire. First and most important, there were no bodies found in any of the debris. That fact alone puzzled both Pug and me. Pug confided in me that it appeared to be a very professional job at the warehouse. He also revealed that the department would immediately round up all the local arson specialists that they had rap sheets on file. We concluded our conversation by assuring each other we would be in touch as needed.
    My next call was to Iris. She of course was concerned as to how I was doing since my exit from the hospital. Most of our conversation was about nuts and bolts with her job. Iris is a lawyer at a very prestigious firm in the city. She takes her work very seriously. She has a great reputation as a litigator. I enjoy all of our conversations. They are always varied, interesting and most often thought provoking. I told her I would be working late. She wanted to know if there was a chance we could meet for late-night snack and or dinner. I explained to her. I had no idea as to how long the evening would be for me. We concluded our conversation with love and kisses, and I explained I would call later.
At this time the bartender gave me a wave from behind the bar. He told me I had a phone call on his line. This was to be a bombshell. The call was from none other than J. B. Brinton. He started to give me a song and dance about his situation. I was not having any part of it. I explained to him I did not appreciate his lies. I almost got myself killed and he still owed me money for my time and efforts. He apologized all over himself and said he would like to meet later that evening to rectify the situation. Of course I was very hesitant. I told him I would think it over.
If that did not beat all. Here I had a client that lied to me, almost got me killed and now he wants to make amends. I was really put out about the situation. It was one of those times where it is damned if you do and damned if you don't.
    I placed a second call to Pug.  I had to find out if the police had any record of J. B. Brinton. If so, I wanted to find out as much as possible. I also asked Pug if he could run down any information on the home address that this Brinton character had given me. With that, I hung up and called the bartender for another Manhattan on the rocks. I do not usually drink while I am on the job. However, under the circumstances I felt I was due a good jolt.

Chapter 5

    I jumped in my car and proceeded back to my workplace. On the way, I had time to shape some my ideas. In my mind this case was about revenge, greed or hatred. I was not sure which of the three ideas would dictate my thought processes.
    I knew I must get back in touch with Pug. He surely had to have some original ideas of his own. For my part, I needed to get back in touch with the J.B. character. I would agree to meet with him, but on my terms. I would have to set a time and place of my choice. I would show up much earlier than I would schedule with Brinton. I knew I had to protect myself better on this instance.
    I reached Brinton at the number he had given to me during our last conversation. I scheduled a place and time with Brinton. He did not appear to sound enthusiastic about either time or place. I reminded him he was a dubious character and he had lied to me. I told Brinton I would meet him at the old docks. I would be alone and unarmed. I told him I preferred the daytime. I said I would meet with him the next day. I specified Charlie’s Naval Repair, an old boat shop that had been closed for years. That gave me plenty of time to think through the meeting itself. I expected to gain a new outlook from a chat with this Brinton character. I would have the luxury of speaking with Pug and getting an update on the warehouse explosion. It gave me some extra time to pursue the true identity of J.B. Brinton. I put my foot to the floorboard of my car. I needed to get to the office as soon as possible.
I made it to the office in record time. Jinks greeted me with her effervescent smile, as always. She also told me that she got what appeared to be an urgent phone call from Chuckles Blake. He repeated to her over and over that it was very important that I get back to him ASAP. She also said there was a call from Puglisi. He directed that he had an update for me regarding the warehouse explosion. Other than that, she said business was usual on this sunny day. Oh, she almost forgot. She said Iris had called and was still hinting for a late evening meal. I said thanks and excused myself to the privacy of my office.
I eased behind my desk and placed a call to Chuckles Blake. I had recently purchased a cell phone for Chuckles. It sure made it easier to stay in contact with this trusty informant. Sure enough I reached him on the second ring. We spoke at some length as to what was going on with my circumstance. Chuckles assured me the information he was about to relate was solid. He went on to explain that he had spent the previous evening at the Idle Hour Bar. He told me that he overheard a couple of street tuffs talking about the recent warehouse explosion. What caught his attention most was the fact that the activity of two local con artists was the topic of their conversation. The names he overheard were Dice Marshall and Della Smear. I of course, recognized both of these names. I had previously crossed paths with both these culprits. They had been in and out of trouble for years in the metro area. Pug had a file on each one of them better part of 2 inches thick. Both had served a bit of jail time. However, they had never been convicted of anything major.
        It was late so I decided to for my apartment. I knew Iris would headed in that direction. I was due a quiet evening with my lady friend. I was also looking forward to knocking down a few Manhattans and consuming a hot meal. After that, it was up to a creative mind as to what would transpire.
    I left the office, knowing that while I was on the way to my apartment I would make a phone call or two. I made a quick call to  Pug. I linked some information that Chuckles had given to me about Dice Marshall and Della Smear. Puglisi did not sound too surprised about the information. Of course he had his dealings with these two over the years. He did tell me that he had put an APB(all-points-bulletin) out on Sparks Selby. We ended the call by agreeing to touch base with each other in the morning.
Iris was waiting for me when I entered my apartment. She chirped, "The stakes are almost done. I have your Manhattan right here in hand. Have a seat and I will meet you in the front room."
The aroma of the steaks made my mouth water. I could not wait to get my hands around a good stiff drink. Iris mixed my Manhattans perfectly. This one was no exception. She preferred a dry martini. We toasted by touching glasses. That first drink was marvelous. Iris coiled up on the couch as I parked my body in my overstuffed chair. We knew it was going to be warm, loving and comfortable evening. We had been looking forward to this evening of peace and quiet. 
Following dinner, I helped Iris clean the kitchen and the stove. We washed the dishes and put them away neatly. We sat for a bit longer in the front room. Iris said she had time for one more drink. She whispered she would have to excuse herself because she had an early court date. Our evenings together never lasted long enough. Even though we have had an extended relationship, neither of us was ready to give up our individuality. Often we agreed to disagree about this fact. However, for the time being, life went on as usual. We never argued about this very often, but it was a sore subject.

Chapter 6

The first thing on my plate today was my meeting with William R. Cundiff. I had told him the time and place I would meet. I knew full well I would show up 30 minutes early. I have always found it important to check out my surroundings when making a meeting with any character I knew little or nothing about. Cundiff fit that evaluation. I entered the old boat repair shop and found a convenient place to remain out of sight. Somewhat to my surprise, Caniff’s car pulled up in front of the repair shop within a few minutes. Like me his arrival was ahead of schedule. Cundiff came through the doorway, very carefully. He too was looking for a place to hide. Feeling secure, I stepped from my position and made myself visible to Cundiff. I startled him, but it was only short-term. Right away, he started apologizing and making excuses for all of the events that led up to the warehouse explosion. He promised from now on, he would be forthright and above board. He started by giving me some background on who he really was, not J.B. Brinton. He explained he did this to protect who he really was and not expose himself to public scrutiny.
    He said the whole episode began several weeks ago. He had been approached by Dice Marshall and Della Smear. They claimed that they had run across his name through a friend at the racetrack. Whereupon they decided to approach him about an opportunity to make a big score at the racetrack. Basically, the score would encompass a small financial investment scheme. A jockey and a trainer would need to be bribed. Last but not least, a horse would have to be doped. According to the two con artists, it was foolproof. Cundiff at first showed them little if any interest in their scheme. At this point, they were willing to do a dry run to prove there was big money to be made. That set the hook and Cundiff was in for a big surprise. He was the dupe in a major con job.
Cundiff began to chirp, "This whole experience has been a fiasco for me. I have been a good businessman, most of my life. However, like so many I became powerful and greedy. When I heard about this plan to make quick dollar through this Dice Marshall character, it seemed like a good idea. I used a great number of resources to check out Dice Marshal as well as his girlfriend. I looked into the possibilities of running a scam at the racetrack. Everything looked possible. Again, I let my greed and power get the best of me. Just to be sure we had a test run. I slipped $1000 to Dice Marshall, and he laid off the bat for me. What a thrill it was to see a simple bet explode into a nice pile of cash. At this point, I devised a plan of my own. I told the two con artists that I would be willing to bet as much as $100,000 on a single race. However, I said, the cash would have to be split up into 10 or 15 separate bets. From that point I would use my accountants to scatter the winnings into offshore accounts. The IRS would have a great deal of difficulty in following the paper trail. I was so proud of myself. It just goes to show you, when you are an honest business man, you forget about being dishonest and you will never make a living at it. Marshall and Smear seemed a bit hesitant, however, after a bit of thought they both agreed to my plan. My big mistake was I tried to double cross the two con artists out of their share.”  Cundiff paused at this point, and hung his head in what appeared to be complete humiliation. It was obvious he had regretted his involvement in the race track caper, or so I thought at the time.
I felt like Cundiff was telling the truth. However, I was not believing everything he told me one hundred percent. I explained to him, “Sooner or later you have to get in touch with the police. A crime has been committed here and a large sum of money is still outstanding. The best thing for you is to go home, get in touch with your attorney and then get in touch with the police.” With that, I excused myself jumped in my car and headed to the office. I knew Jinks would be worried since I had not talked to her today.
Heading into the office I gave Jinks a call on my cell phone. She was elated to hear from me. She said, my first job was to give Pug a call. According to Jinks Pug was distressed over some current events. His message was to call ASAP. I told Jinks I would be in the office within the next hour.
As I came through the door Jinks reiterated, "You need to call immediately. His voice was very determined, and he said it was enormously important that you reach him as soon as possible." I thanked her and walked back into my office. I called Pug as I was moving under my desk. "Hey Pug, what’s shakin’?” Puglisi indicated to me there were several new developments relating to the warehouse explosion. I told him that I was ready to listen, but I had some new information to give to him. According to the Cundiff he was very rich and very powerful in the investment community. He did not have a police record; however, his name had come up in various schemes as it related to money. The latest appeared to be one that involved the local racetrack. According to Pug an insignificant horse had made a surprising amount of money on a single race within the last week to 10 days. The real surprising part, the jockey and the trainer had both disappeared. He went on to explain he had a sit down with Sparks Selby, the arson suspect. But Pug indicated it did not take much pressure on Sparks for him to come clean about the warehouse explosion. He was ready to implicate Cundiff, as well as Dice Marshall and Della Smear. He claimed he knew nothing about the racetrack scheme.
As Pug took a deep breath, I interrupted by telling him I had had a meeting with Cundiff. That did not seem to surprise Pug. He assured me he would contact Cundiff and let him know it would be in his best interest to come to the police station. With that, we ended the conversation.
Suddenly, it hit me out of the blue. There were six suspects who were involved at the racetrack and with the warehouse explosion. I paused to give this some thought. The revelation was, only one of those suspects was in custody. If Mr. Cundiff had taken care of the jockey, the trainer, Dice Marshall and Della Smear, I was the only person that could tie Cundiff to both events. With this thought in mind, I knew my life was at risk.

Chapter 7

         My next move was to contact Cundiff. I would attempt to set up another meeting. At this meeting, I intended to brace Cundiff about all the suspects involved with the race track scam. I wanted to hear from his lips as to where everyone was and what he expected the conclusion of this scam would entail. I made the call. I had no trouble in reaching him. We set up another meeting same place as last time. As before, I planned to show up early. I was positive Cundiff would do likewise. The big difference this time, I would leave my cell phone on after I contacted Puglisi. The purpose for this was for backup of the story and also Pug would have the ability to locate me. That is, as long as the cell phone was operating. This done, I gave Iris a holler. She was happy to hear from me. She said she would love to fix dinner for me at her apartment. Plans for the evening were now complete.
         I drove to the home that Cundiff had told me was his house. This is where things all began. I made a couple of calls to real estate people that I knew. They both told me the same thing, this house was vacant, however, it was being rented by someone named J. B. Brinton. What a revelation.
         Next I made another call to Pug's office. According to the latest information that he had, none of the missing suspects had been located. Sparks Selby was sticking his story. It seemed except for my information, the case was stalled. I told Pug about my plans to meet Cundiff the following day. He was more than willing to go along with the setup.
         It was just after five o'clock in the evening, I decided to shut things down, and head over to Iris’s apartment. I had suddenly acquired a heavy thirst for several Manhattan's. Iris arrived at her apartment within a few minutes of my arrival. As we entered the door she excused itself to change clothes. As for me, I opened her bar and began helping myself to the first of what I hoped would be several Manhattans. I sure enjoyed that drink. I was especially looking forward to one of Iris’s meals.
Iris and I enjoyed a meal of pepper and onion's. It was one of my very favorite. As always, when the meal was finished, Iris jumped up from the table and began scurrying around the kitchen. She never liked to leave things a mess in her kitchen or in their house for that matter. Once the kitchen was clean and dishes put away we moved to the sofa in her great room. There we chatted back and forth about how our work had gone on that day. She was currently involved in a high profile case. Being the diligent person Iris was, she did not share many of the details with me. I was always interested in what she had to say about her work. She was methodical with every aspect of a case. In a court room she was a shark. When prosecuting she left few stones overturned. I have had the pleasure of watching her work. Trust me, I would hate to be a defendant where she was the prosecutor.
After a time we changed directions with their conversation. As always, she expressed interest in what I was working on. I told her I would probably come to a crossroad, at least to this moment. However, I chose to share the following points I knew about or I was in control of:
  1.My client, Wm. R. Cundiff, a.k.a. B.J. Brinton, had hired me to do the job, which was basically a ruse. He was involved in the scam to get rich quick at the race track. He was not to be believed, when his lips were moving.
2.Sparks Selby had set up the explosion at the warehouse.
3.Dice Marshall and Della Smear were two con artists that had supposedly approached Cundiff with the scheme to make quick money.
4.Chuckles Blake has informed me about the big con.
5.Sparks Selby was in custody.
6.A jockey and a trainer were in on the scheme.
7.As of now, all suspects were either missing or  in jail.
8.It appears I am the only person who has been in contact with Mr. Cundiff, who is alive and well.
  9.As I had scheduled another meeting with Mr. Cundiff.
10.My detective friend, Pug Puglisi was aware of my meeting with Mr. Cundiff.
11.$500,000.00 was still missing following racetrack scam by Marshall and Smear.

I had one more piece of business to take care of this evening. I call Chuckles Blake, I told him I would  meet him at the Idle Hour Bar in about 15 minutes. He was a bit hesitant, that when I told them there was money for him, he agreed. I hung up excused myself and headed for the bar.
Chuckles reached the bar at about the same time I did. I told him we did not need to go in. I explained the situation to him. I told him I needed him to do the job for me. I gave him my spare cell phone, some cash to rent a car and directions as to who he was to follow and how to keep in touch with me. It was my plan to have him follow Mr. Cundiff this night, as well as tomorrow, right up until I was to meet with him at the old boat shop.
I felt secure with my plan. Chuckles left to get started on his surveillance. I returned to Iris’s apartment. There I wrap my hands around one more Manhattan, curled up with Iris and enjoyed the rest of the evening. That night. I expected to get a good night’s sleep. I was at peace with my plan in position. I knew Pug would be listening on the cell and I also planned to have my trusty 9 mm pistol with me that day. For the time when all seemed right with the world. I had a few good drinks, a great meal, spent a good evening with my lady and I was about to wrap up a case or so I thought.

Chapter 8

         I awoke the next morning refreshed and keen to  see this case resolved. I took a quick shower and shaved very close. It was my plan to take Iris out for an evening. At least that was my plan, if I could wind-up this case once and for all.
         I put on a fresh pair of trousers, a pull over, my loafers and my black leather bomber jacket. This achieved, I finished dressing by holstering my reliable 9 mm pistol. I attached my ankle holster with my 25 cal. weapon. Standing in front of the mirror I assured myself I was equipped for the day ahead.
         I called Pug at the stationhouse. He had been waiting for my telephone call. He was prepared to go and he said he would have back up at the old boathouse. I recapped that I would give him a call on the cell phone as I arrived at the boathouse.
         My next call was to Chuckles. He had been tailing Cundiff since last evening. Chuckles convinced me that everything seemed to be going according to plan. I told Chuckles as soon as he saw Cundiff arrive at the boathouse, his job was done. I told him if all went well, there could be an extra bonus for his work on this case. I hung up and headed for my car.
         In my car, I headed for the old boathouse, feeling very confident. In my mind, I had set in motion a good strategy. But like so many things in life it was not me who was in control of the situation. I had tried to cover all bases with Cundiff, Pug and Chuckles Blake. Time would tell if everything fell into place.
As scheduled, I arrived at the boathouse, about 30 minutes prior to when I had to told Cundiff to meet with me. I quickly found a place on the interior to be somewhat hidden but more importantly, protected. I settled in to wait for Cundiff's arrival. From where I was hiding, I tried without success to visually locate Pug. I knew Chuckles would not arrive as he was following Cundiff's transportation.
It was not long until Cundiff's car stopped in front but just short of the boathouse. It appeared he had company with him, besides his driver. As Cundiff exited the car he was followed by two rather large and intimidating characters. They walked toward the boathouse. The two big dudes stopped just short of the doorway. All three men looked both directions. Cundiff entered the doorway. Cundiff spoke, “Good morning, Mr. McGowan, I see as usual you have arrived early.” I acknowledged Cundiff with a nod of my head. Cundiff piped on, “I have a proposition for you. If you would give me just a moment or two I will explain my offer.” Cundiff hesitated but a moment, he started his tale back when he first met the con artists Dice Marshall and Della Smear. He re-explained how they set him up for the experiment with their con scheme. He took the bait and bet some money to see if their con would actually work. He was very pleased to pick up $1000 in winnings. He then gave it some thought for a day or two and decided to go along with the con artists on a large bet. So much so, he put up $500,000. Again, he won knowing full well it was set up with the trainer and jockey of the horse that won the race. However, he took it upon himself to run little scheme himself. He told the two con artists that he would electronically make his pay off to them. He had lied to them. He split the money up into 10 offshore accounts. It was at this point, he had hired me to watch the con artists. At this time, he admitted to me that not only had he set up the warehouse explosion, he was responsible for the disappearance of the trainer and jockey.
I felt very good about the fact Pug was listening to this entire conversation. I felt comfortable in the fact this case would be a slam-dunk. I was in for a big surprise. Cundiff told me he’d be willing to pay me for my time as well as a bonus. That is, if I would do him a small favor. This favor was to get rid of a pistol. Cundiff's two body guards came in to the boathouse. They both pull weapons and pointed them at me. Cundiff  handed me the handgun. Without thinking I reached for the weapon and captured it in my hand. It hit me like lightning. That was exactly what Cundiff wanted me to do. It made sense to me that this was the pistol that had been used to get rid of Marshall, Smear, the jockey and the trainer. Given time. I am sure it would have been used to get rid of Chuckles and yours truly. I was now in a real quandary. Just then, sirens from a police cars could be heard. Cundiff and his two henchmen exited the building, jumped in the car and raced off.
I thanked my stars that I did not get shot when Cundiff and his goons made their escape. I staggered outside, and his fate would have it, Puglisi pulled up and beckoned to me. I jumped in the car with Pug. In an instant, we were after Cundiff and his henchmen. I heard several sirens. I looked in the rearview mirror, there were at least two other police cars in the chase. Behind them, Chuckles was following in his rental. I felt good. Pug grabbed the handset of his car radio. He began to broadcast through his radio what was going on and where with the high speed chase. We both knew it would be just a matter of time before we would tighten the noose on Cundiff and his gang. It would come none too soon for my money.
I would be so glad when we found the missing persons, discovered the AWOL money and when we put Cundiff and his confederates behind bars. This had been a challenging case, but as of yet, it was not complete.

Chapter 9

         Pug put the handset down. He gunned the engine. The quest forged ahead. Cundiff and his boys had about a 30 second lead on us. This did not deter Puglisi. He loved a good chase. He picked up the handset his car radio and called for help to all units in the immediate area. He gave a description of the car, the occupants, the direction they were traveling and a caution that they were armed and dangerous.
         For a time it did not look like we would gain on Cundiff's car. They were running through every stop sign and stop light. They knew where they were headed, and we were handicapped by being safe as we tailed their vehicle. I could feel tension building throughout my entire body. Pug was no less tuned to the business at hand.
         To my astonishment, the chase had evolved into an encompassing circle of the city. Almost as quickly as we had left the docks to pursue the chase, we were arriving back at the docks once more. Pug and I pulled up behind the Cundiff vehicle. We could see Cundiff moving down a long stairwell. He and his thugs were trying to reach a waiting powerboat. Pug and I came to the stairwell. For an instant we lost sight of the escaping criminals. By the time we reached the bottom of the stairwell, the powerboat had begun its flight toward open ocean.
         Pug then began his flight up the stairwell and back to his car . I of course was right behind. Once he reached the car Puglisi put in a call to the Coast Guard. He gave them a description of the giveaway boat and the suspects who were on board. Now there was nothing left to do but to return to the police station.
         We arrived at the police station to sit and wait for a call back from the Coast Guard. It was not long before we got our call. To our surprise, the Coast Guard found only one person on board of the getaway  powerboat. They told Pug that they took him into custody and would be returning to port shortly. Pug and I looked at each other. In total bewilderment. This was a case of misdirection.
         We sat there, shaking our heads. About that time, I got a call on my cell phone. It was none other than my friend Chuckles Blake. Chuckles had called to account for his time. He informed me that he had also joined in the chase of the bad guys. Though he was some minutes behind, he was able to arrive just as Cundiff and his two thugs used another getaway car. It became apparent that Cundiff had this whole scenario planned far in advance of this date. Chuckles went on to tell me as Cundiff left the dock scene he observed, Pug and me going down the stairwell. It was but a few seconds that Cundiff and his henchmen reappeared at the end of the dock. Once at the end of the dock, they entered a waiting car and sped away from the dock. Chuckles had the good sense to follow at a safe and undetected distance. He had now pulled up outside of an apparent hideout for Cundiff. He took it upon himself to make this call.
         Chuckles gave us the address where he had observed that Cundiff gang. Without hesitation, Pug had a SWAT team dispatched to the address. He and I jumped into a squad car and headed to the same address. We were both overjoyed that having another opportunity to arrest Cundiff and his cohorts. Lo and behold, when we arrived it was the same address is where this case had originally started my investigation.
         By the time we got there, a SWAT team had taken the three suspects into custody. The biggest surprise, however, was the fact that the two thugs turned out to be Dice Marshall and Della Smear. Both had been wearing disguises. I was very impressed with their cover up. As for Cundiff, it was good to know that we now had him in custody.
         Suspects in hand, we returned to the station house. There the three suspects were put in three separate interrogation rooms. Marshall and Smear were interrogated by other police officers. Pug and I were looking forward to a long session with Mr. William Cundiff. By now, he had accumulated a stack of paperwork that related to Cundiff. Most of which was about his financial dealings in the area. He seemed to be quite a character. He had been indicted for fraud several times but never convicted. He was worth millions of dollars on paper. It seemed Cundiff had become more greedy over the years. It also appeared at one time, he was above board and an honest businessman. That changed over time and as he gained wealth and power. He had become quite a force in local financial circles.
         At the beginning of the grilling Cundiff came off as being very aloof and not forthright. As time wore on, however, Pug wore the weasel of a businessman out. Biggest surprise, it was not until we were almost concluded with the interrogation, that Cundiff even asked for a lawyer. At this juncture, he was given a moment to call his lawyer. By the time his lawyer arrived, Cundiff had written and signed a full confession regarding this case.
         Cundiff's lawyer said that his client would be willing to pass off information about other crimes. That is of course if the district attorney's office would give him some consideration as it would apply to the charges against him with this case. Pug basically assured, the lawyer that any information that proved to be worthy and helpful to solve crimes would certainly get full consideration by the district attorney's office. Puglisi added he could not speak directly for the D.A.’s office.
         It had been a long day. But Pug felt we deserved a little reward. Off we headed to the Idle Hour. On the way I called Chuckles. He had been anxiously awaiting my call. I asked him to meet us at the bar. There I would fill him in on all of the details, as well as thank him for his conscientious work. That out of the way Pug and I raced to the bar. We were bound and determined to enjoy our liquid rewards.

Chapter 10

         The next day I arrived at my office before Jinks. It was my intent to get caught up on overdue paperwork. I also knew that I needed to sign some checks. Jinks had been after me for this for a few days. This done, I opened my case journal. I had really gotten behind with my entries. My case journal was this heart and soul of my business. When I first started in the private eye business, I made every effort to keep concise and thorough notes. It was important, to me, not only to distinguish the case, but also to include all suspects, witnesses, the surveillance that took place and all the ancillary things that came up during my investigation. I cannot say that I did the best at keeping up with every case. However, when I finished with the case, I made every effort to put into writing exactly what had taken place during the inquiry.
         The old clock just chimed 8 AM. As it finished with the last chimed, Jinks came through the door. I yelled at her to come back to my office. She was more than happy to find out that I had finished with the Cundiff Investigation. We chatted a short while about what had been going on at the office for the past two or three days. As far as Jinks was concerned, there was little to really get caught up on other than checks. She just hated answering the phone when it was about late payments. As always, I apologized and handed her the checks that I had just completed signing. She assured me she was happy that I was back in the office. She knew full well that it would be short-term.
         I gave Pug a call. He was really excited. The case seemed to be very close to a slam-dunk. All the suspects were accounted for. The missing trainer and jockey had been located in Mexico. All the money that had been acquired during the scam had been accounted for. As far as Pug was concerned, this case was but one step away from closure. He assured me he would keep me informed as to how the district attorney's case proceeded against Cundiff and the other defendants. According to Pug, he did not foresee any problems.
         I sat back in my chair and reassured myself that this had been a good case. Actually it had gotten better from the appalling beginning. I looked back at some of my mistakes, but I also eyeballed some of the good fortune that had followed me during my surveillance. I have always been thankful to have Pug as a good crony. I am also thankful that I had someone around like Chuckles. Speaking of Chuckles, I called him to inform him that there would be a nice bonus waiting at the Idle Hour Bar. He was more than happy to gain this news.
My next piece of business was to call my lady. As usual, Iris said she was knee-deep in work at the office. I inquired if she could make time, I would like to take her out for a nice dinner on the town. As I expected, she accepted. We were both looking forward to a nice quiet evening. “ God is great, life is fine and I love my Manhattans.” – Myles McGowan -