Case 32 - Just Out Of Reach, Part 2


    It was easy for Keiko to feel a little depressed.  She was at her hideout condo, alone, wondering what exactly Sean was doing out there.  He had proven his loyalty, so she wasn’t worried about him betraying her.  But she wasn’t entirely convinced that his confidence would keep him out of trouble.  Keiko knew how ruthless people could be; Sean thought the better of his boss, but she wasn’t so sure.

    She shook off the thoughts that caused her mind to wander, and went back to preparing a late dinner.  Once again, working on something would keep her mind busy and prevent her from thinking too much about what was happening out there.

    Just when she was ready to sit down to eat there was a knock at the door.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Figures,”  she mumbled to herself as she went to see who it was.  She had to be cautious - it could be anything from an annoying neighbor to a wrong address to Sean.  Or it could be the police doing a door-to-door search.

    It turned out to be Sean.  She peeked through the peephole in the door, and saw him standing outside, looking around suspiciously.  Fortunately, there was a dusk-to-dawn automatic light out there which made it easy to see quite far, and the parking lot was well lit.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hi,”  Keiko greeted him as she opened the door.  She quickly shut it after he entered.  “You weren’t followed,”  she reassured him, referring to his behavior outside the door.  “This parking lot is closed on all sides, and I recognize all the usual cars out there.”

    Sean smiled, and then hugged her.  He looked down into her eyes.  Keiko could tell he shook off his first thought, and instead asked her, “Were you about to eat?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.  Do you want to join me?  I can set out another plate.”

    He paused for a moment.  “Yeah, sure.  I went to a party for a couple hours, but I didn’t really eat.”

    Keiko nodded and raced to the kitchen to get another plate.  “What sort of party?”  she asked him from there.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Boss is had a thing for a couple hours at his house.  I’m sure his wife and kids were real happy about it.  Before you ask, I had to go--”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know, I know.  If you didn’t he’d think you were with me, and he’ll harass you about it later.”  Keiko shrugged.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yeah, pretty much,”  Sean agreed.

    She served him some of her pasta, and then sat across from him.  “Were you careful with your words?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I...didn’t get to say much.”  He smiled.  “I kind of wandered his house, trying to get away from the noise of all the cops there talking.  His daughter Celia told me I was hot, and I ended up having sex with her for a while.”

    Keiko rolled her eyes and sighed.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What?”  Sean asked.  “I told you it’s always her idea, never mine.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m not saying anything,”  Keiko idly commented as she continued eating.  Then she paused again to add, “Just don’t get shot or arrested or something.  I’m not in a position to help this time.”

    A few minutes of uneasy silence passed.

    Finally, Sean spoke up again.  “Are you mad at me?”

    She shook her head.  “No, I’m really not.  I stopped caring a long time ago.  Can we talk about how to get me out of my mess now?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh, right, sorry.”  Sean quickly switched topics.  “I guess it wouldn’t be too comfortable to hide out here for a very long time.  I suppose you could relocate outside city jurisdiction for a while.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I don’t know if that will work, if the county and state cooperate with him.”  Keiko thought a moment about what she just said.  “I may have to leave the state for a while.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Where would you go?”  Sean asked.  “And would you miss me?”  He smiled at her.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’ll let you know when I think of it,”  she said.  “And yes, I would miss you.  But you’d be free to visit me.  Anyway that’s one of two alternatives I can think of.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What’s the other?”  Sean dared to ask.  He was almost afraid of the answer, and he was right to be.

    Keiko looked him right in the eye and replied, “Confrontation.”

    Sean wasn’t sure she meant what he thought, so he asked, “As in...?”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“As in taking on your boss face to face, in his own office, his own territory.”


---


    There was some manner of pride displayed when Keiko confidently strode into the lobby of the Garden City Police Headquarters.  She was an excellent judge of people and their character; by her estimate, that would be the least likely thing for them to expect.  As long as she was calm, and confident, they would stare and watch her go past.

    Keiko could see a few officers stand frozen with their hand on their belt, unsure if they should react.  She was very obviously unarmed - she wasn’t even wearing a jacket, only a buttoned shirt with the long sleeves rolled up, blue jeans, and boots.  Drawing a weapon and holding such an unarmed suspect at gunpoint, in a building full of cops, would have appeared a cowardly act.

    She approached the reception desk and quietly asked the wide-eyed receptionist if she could speak to the Chief.  The woman handed her a visitor pass without moving anything except her right hand and arm.

    After obtaining the pass, Keiko moved quickly and carefully into the elevator.  As soon as the doors closed, she leaned her forehead against the control panel and let out a relieved breath.  She made it this far, but there was no turning back now.

    As soon as the doors opened again, she moved without hesitation to the first office just to the left of the elevator, ignoring the Chief’s secretary who asked her if she had an appointment.  She burst into the Chief’s office, but didn’t charge him or make any threatening moves.  He was, after all, armed, and well aware of her capabilities even with bare hands.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I know why you’re after me.”  Keiko said plainly.  “I’m here to negotiate a resolution.”

    The Chief frowned from behind his large oak desk and leather chair.  The walls of his office were covered with trophies from hunting and fishing trips, and awards from his military service.  On his desk was a plaque that read ‘Chief Franklin Lawrence’.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Follow me,”  he said.

    Keiko did as he asked.  She followed him into the same elevator she just exited from, and stood behind him as the doors closed, and it ascended all the way up to the highest floor.

    Then she continued to follow as he exited at the currently empty top floor of Police Headquarters.  He led her into an empty office, with no walls, ceilings, or lights except for the waning sunlight from outside.

    Naturally, her heart raced quite a bit.  She worried that he was going to kill her where no one could see or hear, and dispose of her body where no one would find it.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I would guess your career pays pretty well, doesn’t it?”  he asked rhetorically.  “Six, seven figures at least.  Do that for a few years and you have quite a nest egg saved up.  I bet you make five times my salary in just interest.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What are you getting at?”  Keiko asked, careful with her questions not to admit anything where he might be recording her every word, looking for a confession.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I have a bit of a gambling habit,”  he continued.  “My wife has expensive taste in cars, homes, and clothing.  My daughter is going to college soon.  Needless to say, I have a lot of expenses, and a rapidly shrinking salary.”

    Once again, in case he was baiting her, Keiko said nothing.  She crossed her arms impatiently instead.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I want two hundred and fifty thousand,”  he said, finally getting to the point.  “It’s fortunate you came here to meet me.  Two hundred and fifty thousand, and I say you explained everything sufficiently and the charges have been dropped.”

    Keiko cocked her head slightly to one side, eyeing him, unsure if she should believe him or if this was still a trap.  Once again, she chose her words carefully, making her answer sound almost theoretical.  “How would I get something like that to you?  I couldn’t just walk into the police station with a suitcase full of cash and deliver it to you.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Go to the airport,”  the Chief replied.  “Buy a briefcase that locks there.  Go to the bank inside the airport, and get the cash.  Then bring it to me in the men’s room next to baggage claim.  I’ll be waiting there.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I get it,”  Keiko noted, “No security cameras in there.”

    Without replying, he quickly herded her to the elevator.  “I’ll call downstairs to make sure nobody stops you on the way out.  Now get going.”


TO BE CONTINUED?
    


-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2011 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- World Class and all characters therein are property of 
--    Strike Two and Jason Froikin.