Chapter 4: Larry

As George turned back to the room, Josh had by this point set up his laptop, an iBook.

“You were going to tell us about Rico, Larry,” George started.

“I was?”

“Yes,” George said, “You were. You want us to get you out of this, right?”

“You can’t possibly...” Larry started, “Well, actually, what you did for ... oh hell, what do I have to lose. What do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with who he is.”

“You don’t know?”

“If we did know who this Rico was, why would we be asking you who he was?” Akilah rolled her eyes, “I for one do not like to be wasting the time.”

“You’re not American, are you, honey?”

“Honey, you are going to be calling my wife?” Josh asked.

“I didn’t know. Sorry.”

“No, I am not an American,” Akilah replied, “I have residency but I was born in Gaza City, in Palestine.”

“Stop stalling,” George pushed.

“Lombardi.”

“Look, I know I’m a private eye and everything,” George said, “But I don’t know every single hood between here and Las Vegas. Who the heck is he?”

“You’ve never heard of Federico Lombardi?” Larry asked incredulously.

“Oy veigh ist mehr.”

“That fast?” George asked Josh.

“You not knowing, I’m not surprised,” Josh sighed, “He’s a Macher, but outta Miami. Utt de zey, a record this guy has.”

“You’ve got the internet on that toy?” Larry asked.

“An Airport I have on here, don’t let the shape fool yuh,” Josh said, “Connected to the satellite in the van.”

“What the hell do you guys charge?”

“$650 a day, plus expenses,” George replied.

“Always the plus expenses, they do the forgetting about,” Josh added.

“What’s not included in the base price?”

“I’m the only thing included,” George said, “Akilah is $350 a day, so is Josh, Jill is $250, each tail car costs 50 cents a mile plus fuel expenses and any damages, use of the van is a dollar a mile, I forget the rates for the communication equipment, but you pay for each day or a part of a day its in use. Motel is extra, of course, as is all food. Your wife asked for and received an itemized list of un-receipted additional expenses. She okayed all of the equipment we are using today. Let me see...”

George read the dossier that had been pulled up on Josh’s computer. It was linked back to the server equipment on their train, and therefore had the same functions. He was a very dangerous adversary, to say the least.

“You sure aren’t a budget agency,” Larry commented, “I would have thought a bunch of kids-”

“Our agency is housed in $4 million worth of privately owned rail cars,” George said, “Parked at a busy Amtrak yard in downtown Los Angeles. No, we aren’t budget. And that’s good because you are absolutely in a mess right now.”

“Of course I’m in a mess, I’ve got Rico breathing down my neck,” Larry whined, “My wife thinks I’m a cheater, and I’m in bed with Frankie.”

You’ve got more than one Rico breathing down your neck, George thought, “Let’s take care of Rico Lombardi first. I’ve got an idea.”

George pushed the transmit button on his Nextel, “Jill, Jessica off the phone yet?”

“She just got off it,” Jill said, “Why you askin’?”

“I need her.”

“You can’t have ‘er,” Jill asserted, her voice filled with a sense of authority. “She’s freakin’ grounded. I’m drivin’ her car back myself, even.”

“What is she not allowed to do?”

“She can’t drive her car,” Jill replied firmly, “And once we get back tomorrow morning, she ain’t allowed to be on her phone or go anywhere ‘cept home and school for a whole week. And you better believe you can’t pay her.”

“Oh, good, free help. Both of you get in here,” George replied, “I need both of you.”

The two girls came into the room. Jessica looked as rebellious as she was with her eye shadow and purple-and-green tinged hair, her baggy shirt, and JNCO jeans. George had felt somewhat pushed into taking her on as his secretary by Jill when Jessica turned 18, and he still felt that way. She was rebellious and childish and it got on his nerves. But he needed a car that hadn’t been made. Akilah’s Volvo sure had, and he wasn’t going to be sneaking around feds with a Grumman step-van whose purpose they surely knew.

“You want to play a part tonight?” George asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Jessica’s affirmation was said as a challenge.

“Listen, Jess, if you want me on your side, stop treating me like shit. Seriously.”

“George,” Jill said.

“Dyaenu!” Josh exclaimed, “Stop with the sniping, all time with you two nagging on each other like a couple of fahrklempt yentas! Jessica, George is your boss, okay? George, Jessica’s not a fool, you with me?”