Chapter 49: An Invisible Man’s Work is Never Done

July 12, 1985

[On the way I told Linda, “It figures. The one weekend that we needed to get a whole bunch of stuff done and we get shanghaied. Sometimes it really sucks to be a crime fighter!”]

This whole thing made this weekends planned events tentative now. We couldn’t buy rings without all six of us being together. With Mary being tied up with Tom for who knows how long, I was starting to stress out. Mary flashed, “Charlie, You magnificently shortsighted yet overthinking dumbass! Anyone not with you, that matters, can still see what you do. The jewelry store is only 5 miles away. Go ahead and go with however many are home. You did a fine job picking out my engagement ring. I trust you’ll do the same with our wedding rings.”

Bob flashed, “Yeah, I think Zale’s is open until 9:00 on Friday nights. Linda can choose for us.”

Jamie flashed, “I’ll be home in just a few minutes. Linda and I can fit in the back seat of your Mustang, at least to go 5 miles. If all goes well, we can hit the Manor for supper,” she giggled.

“Yeah, but Jim thinks Agent [Fred] Callas and TJ might want you to hang with them tonight. I’ll see if that’s still their plan.”

“Oh, that’s right. Well, Greg can pick out rings for us too. Try and find out, okay Charlie?”

I told her I would.

Gracie flashed us, “Jamie, Jim is sending Trooper Li Yung to pick you up at home. She has an unmarked squad car and will take you to rendezvous with Fred, TJ and Janet. She should be there shortly after you get home.” Giggle. “She’s really cute too, so keep my horn doggie away from her.“

“HEY. I resemble that remark. Err, damn, you know what I mean.” Ed flashed.

“She IS a 4^th degree black belt in Kung Fu! I’m more worried about you than her, Fido.”

Linda laughed, “Fido Bedfellow. I like it Ed! Kinda sounds like Clint Eastwood in ‘Any Which Way but Loose.” Then we were all laughing.

Ed, of course, immediately came over to meet Trooper Li. He is nothing if not predictable. She was a looker too. She was about 5’5” and built very well for an oriental lady. She must have been warned, as she gave Ed an evil grin before shaking his hand. She was wearing a mid-length skirt and a comfortable top, with her badge hanging on her waistband. She said she was working under cover. Jamie grabbed a few things and put them in her backpack. After kissing everyone she left.

Ed wished Trooper Li would kiss him too! He is such a horndog.

Ed asked if he could go with us, since he was all alone till Gracie got back. I was glad he fit in the back seat with Linda, because Greg sure wouldn’t.

It was just after 5:30 when we got to Zales. The six of us had decided to all get matching wedding bands. We asked to see wedding rings that they had in multiple sizes in stock. We found one that we all really liked. It had like a wheat engraving with multiple tiny diamonds in the head of the wheat stalks. We flashed our significant others so they could see it and it was a unanimous decision.

The jeweler put all six in a box and each ring had a tiny label with each person’s name on it. We were getting ready to check out when I caught the jeweler’s eye and motioned him to come over. I pointed at one more ring, one size smaller than any of the others and held one finger up to indicate I wanted that one but in a separate box.

Linda, Greg and Ed had gone just looking at other items so they didn’t see what I was doing. When the jeweler wanted to put a name on it I just waved him off and gave him a thumbs up. He winked at me and grinned, getting the idea that I wanted to keep this one a secret. I took that ring and put it in my pocket. It was a good damn thing I had my AMEX card. The seven rings came to over $5600.

We were just getting ready to leave the store when Dad flashed.

Dad added, “Tom and Mary are on the way, along with backup in case they do hit that place. Just so you know.”

Did Dad say unusual? Well, two minutes after he flashed, two surly looking black dudes wearing trenchcoats entered the store. It was still 85 degrees outside. That qualified as unusual.

Before they knew what hit them, I used one like a club and swung him around like a baton and threw him into the other guy. Their automatic machine guns skittered harmlessly across the floor. I then smashed both of their heads on the floor, rendering them unconscious. The jeweler was freaking out. When he started pointing to the guns, he slowly fainted. I kept him from falling hard.

I looked outside and saw a car parked behind my Mustang. Another black dude jumped into the front passenger seat and started pointing a gun in the store.

Bad move on his part.

I may have used too much force, but I raised his gun up so hard, it ripped a hole in the roof! Unfortunately for him, he didn’t let go and both of his arms went too. The sharp, ragged edges now trapped his arms and he was stuck. Just then, the driver reached around his hapless accomplice with a huge barreled gun. Suddenly, the gun turned inward. BOOM, BANG. The gun through the roof was now six inches higher. Greg was holding onto Linda, grinning at me. The driver had just shot his buddy’s nuts off, hitting himself in the thigh. About that time, three St Charles squad cars pulled up, lights a flashing. Tom came running in, “Is everyone okay?”

I grinned, pointing at the perps. “Yes, except frick and frack here, and dumb and dumber out there. Dad said not to wait for them to draw on us if something looked strange. Trenchcoats in July looked strange to me!”

He was chuckling, “You got that right and those weapons proved ‘Jonah’ did the right thing.”

He saw the passed out jeweler and went over to him. He was just regaining consciousness when Tom asked him, “Are you alright? Did you see what happened?”

“Oh yes, oh my, I never seen anything like it! I think those two men were going to rob me. Suddenly, the one guy was spinning around like a bowling pin and crashed into the other guy! Their guns fell out of their coats and the next thing I knew they were banging their heads on the floor. I think that invisible guy was here. Oh me, oh my ... It should all be on tape. Let me show you!”

Tom told his deputy to cuff the suspects and he motioned for me to follow him and the jeweler into the back room. When we got there, there was no tape in the machine.

The jeweler said, “I don’t understand. I never take that tape out. It runs on a loop. Somebody purposely did this?”

Tom asked him if he was alone tonight. He said his janitor should be around someplace. It was obvious he was gone. We walked him outside, where Tom’s boys were trying to extricate the driver and the guy with his arms sticking out the roof. A pair of handcuffs now replacing the gun.

The jeweler pointed at the almost shooter, “That’s Reggie! He’s my janitor! What’s he doing in that car? Are his arms stuck in the roof?”

Tom stifled a laugh, “Yes, the results of his partner shooting him in the gonads. How long has he been working for you?”

“Just a week, he seemed like a good worker. Do you think he messed with the tape?”

“Possibly”

“I don’t think he’ll be coming back to work here,” the store owner mused.

“OR making any babies.” Tom chuckled.

“I’ll know if he messed with the tape when we dust the machine for prints. How long has it been since you were last in the back room?”

“Lunch time, like 12:00 maybe. I’ve been busy today.”

Tom had his CSI guys dusting the back room and searching for the tape. He told Greg, Linda, Ed and me to take a walk down to the coffee shop at the end of the mini mall and wait for him. We couldn’t move my car anyway, since it was blocked in by all the squad cars and a tow truck. Tom didn’t want the media to see us.

The jeweler made sure we didn’t forget our rings and said he was sorry for us being inconvenienced by all this.

I was amazed that he never even considered that we had anything to do with what happened.

I saw Mary sitting in Tom’s car and smiled. “I love you sweetheart,” I flashed to her.

She winked at me, “I love you too Sugar Bear. I see you got our rings.” She pointed at her eyes, “All seven of them!”

I don’t know HOW she does it! AND I don’t care. I just know I love her and she loves me. I am pretty sure Sarah doesn’t know about the seventh ring. Mary IS wonderfully sneaky that way.

Speaking of Sarah, she flashed us, just after we ordered our coffee. “What in the world is going on? Every news agency in the area is talking about some organized crime spree. It’s also being reported the there was an incident where ‘Jonah’ foiled a bank robbery. Holy shit! Can you tell me what’s going on?”

I was chuckling and I knew the whole clan was listening. “Well, you can add that ‘Jonah’ just got done foiling a jewelry store robbery too. The dumb bastards tried robbing the store we were getting our rings from. Where are you right now?”

I could hear her giggling, “I’m home, feeding Boris and Natasha. I just heard it on the news. I might have to go back to work if this gets any deeper. How much can you tell me that I can print?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out shortly. Tom Gregory, Jim’s son, is finishing up at the jewelry store and will be joining us soon. If you go back to work, please don’t go alone. I’ll find out the juicy details and will make sure YOU get the scoop! The perks of being in love with Jonah.”

“I’m not in love with Jonah, I’m in love with you and Mary, Charlie. I’m also in love with your goofy brother, Linda, Greg and Jamie, too.”

Bob weighed in, “Yeah Sarah, well, Linda and I are in love with you too. I’m even falling for your screwy cats!”

Greg chuckled, “And Jamie and I can’t wait for you to be on our cruise with us! We’re calling dibs on the first night sleeping together with you and Charlie and Mary.”

“WHAT CRUISE?” Sarah screeched, “We’re going on a cruise? When?”

We were all laughing, “You didn’t hear us all talking earlier? We got a special invitation to go on a cruise that my client Stan gave us. It’s the week after our wedding, so it’ll be our honeymoon. We’re going to talk about it more tonight.”

Tom and Mary came in and sat with us. “Can we go to your place and talk? I’ve got a lot to say, and it’s too delicate to talk about here.”

“Sure, is this thing going to go on all weekend?”

“For some of us, oh yeah. For you guys, it might be almost over. It depends on what we find out from the four guys we just hauled in.” He chuckled, “Well, the guy singing soprano, maybe not so much.

Ed rode with Tom and Mary, while Linda rode with Greg and me. When we got home, Sarah gave Mary a kiss that sizzled. When she went to Linda, Linda held her fingers like a cross, warding her off. They giggled and settled for a hug. Greg, Ed and I got a kiss that rivaled Mary’s.

We got everyone a drink and sat at the kitchen table. Tom asked if it was safe to talk with Sarah there, knowing she was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. I told him, “Yes Tom, she’s on our side. She won’t report anything you tell her not to. In return, I would like to make sure she gets the ‘scoop’ every time we get the chance to give it to her.”

Tom’s eyebrows raised, “You mean you would write a story, just the way we wanted if we asked you to?”

Sarah smiled, “Yes sir, like Charlie said, I’m on your side. I’d just like to get the inside track on stories in return.”

Tom was silent for a minute. “That may be the way we can lessen the danger on something we are going to have to do. Sarah, how late can you get a story in for tomorrows paper?”

“If I tell Harry its front page worthy, he can hold the presses till midnight.”

“Charlie, can I use your phone?” Tom asked excitedly, “I gotta call Dad right away. I don’t want to use the radio for this.”

“Sure, you can take it in the other room if you want.”

We heard bits and pieces of an animated conversation between Tom and his dad. After a minute Tom came back. “Sarah, if you can call in the story, I need you to come with me to Elgin. Everyone is going to rendezvous there. I should be able to get you home by 10:30 or 11. I’m picking up Jamie to bring her home anyway. If this works, this whole thing could be over by tomorrow afternoon! What do you say?”

“I’m at your service, sir. I just have to call Harry and tell him I’ve got a scoop for the front page. Can Mary come with us?” Sarah and Mary were grinning at each other.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s go, times a wastin’, I’ll tell you guys the whole story when we get back. There’s a lot to this case and I’ll be wanting something stronger than iced tea, too!” Tom was chuckling as the three of them left, after Sarah finished calling her boss.

As soon as they left, Linda said she was starving. We realized it was 7:30 and we had not yet had dinner. Linda suggested Greg and I fire up the grill. The girls had just bought preformed, ½ pound hamburgers and fresh buns. We put four on the grill, while Ed helped Linda make a salad and slice a tomato and onion. By 7:45 we were sitting on the patio, sucking on a drink and greasing down on our cheeseburgers and salad. Mmmm, who needs Mickey D’s?

Right at eight, Larry and Becky came over followed shortly by Emmy, Sally and Bill. I was hoping the conversation would just center on the cruise, but that was not to be. The number one topic on all of their minds was the six bank robberies that happened simultaneously right at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I guess I can’t blame them because it had been all over the news. At this very minute, they had no idea THAT was just the tip of the iceberg.

Once Ed, Greg and I got everyone drinks, we all gathered around the patio table. Larry and Emmy, while not knowing the whole story were privy to the fact that Bob and I were the ‘Invisible Man’. Trying to discuss this with them and not tipping off Becky, Sally and Bill just seemed to be a fool’s errand to me. I was really starting to stress, not wanting to lie to people who are near and dear to my heart. The main one I couldn’t completely trust was Bill and my reasons for that could be unfounded. There were a lot of things that even Larry didn’t know, or Emmy either for that matter.

Mary weighed in, sensing my stress and told me that telling them was completely up to me. Dad weighed in, saying he felt it was a very bad idea. Greg flashed that maybe just telling them about Bob and I being Jonah, would be enough to placate them. Bob flashed, even though he was very busy, saying he agreed with Greg. Three to one, Dad lost.

Ed and Gracie hadn’t heard the exchanges, but we all agreed their abilities needed to be kept a secret. I decided to be proactive and asked Bill to give me his hands. Emmy smiled at me, knowing what I was doing. I looked him in the eye and asked him, “Bill, can you keep a secret that could have life or death consequences for all of us?”

His eyes got wide then he said, “Of course Charlie! I have an idea what you’re about to tell us. I want you to know that I would never, ever say anything to anyone about what I already know you can do. You know it’s been almost a month and a half and I have never said a word to anyone. You can trust me to keep your secret.”

I smiled at him, knowing he had just told me the truth. There wasn’t even a shred of possible deceit in his mind. I did get a flash, that he had been thinking about some of his illicit clients and knew that if they ever approached him he would let me know so I could take care of the situation.

That’s all I needed to know.

I flashed to the gang that because of this conversation, I was going to tell them about the ‘Invisible Man’ and that Bob and I were him. They all understood everyone else’s abilities were to remain a secret from anyone who didn’t currently know.

Even Tom, Jim, TJ and Janet didn’t know that Greg and Linda, acting like a team, could do virtually everything that Bob and I could do. Both Greg and Linda were on board, knowing we would keep that a secret.

I told everyone about how I had foiled the bank robbery here in St Charles. I told them that on tonight’s news, they were going to hear how Jonah also foiled a jewelry store robbery on Randall road. The one most taken aback was Becky. This was the first time she ever even had any idea that there was anything special about me other than that I healed quickly. It also reinforced the fact that I could tell Larry anything.