Chapter 17

‎When I got home after the pretend interview, I loaded a cardboard box with cardboard containers of worms. Once the SUV was loaded I drove the route I had chosen for my summer worm business. It would likely take longer for me to make the trip come summer.

‎The worm business was just my way to show a working business. It was my money laundering business. I neither had nor needed a lot of the bootlegging money. I was also lazy as dirt, so it worked out well.

‎It was almost dark when I arrived back home to find the car belonging to Lois parked just off the gravel road. It was parked on a gravel pad I had made for parking my guest’s cars.

‎Lois wasn’t in the car so I entered the house with some concerns. I found her with a cup of coffee in her hand looking out the window over the deck.

‎‎”Did I leave the door unlocked?” I asked.

‎‎”No Ed your locks are shit,” she said. “When you didn’t answer your phone all day, I came to check. It is nothing more sinister than that,”

‎‎”If you say so,” I was a little peeved. After all she had broken into my house and snooped around. She probably would deny it but I was sure she had a good look around while she waited. Fortunately there was nothing for her to fine. I had cleaned the place out a long time ago.

‎After a few awkward seconds she asked, “Since I’m already here, would you like to have dinner out somewhere or not?”

‎‎”‎Sure we can go to dinner if you like,” I suggested. My tone must have given it away.

‎‎”You sound less than enthusiastic. I think I should just go home,” she said.

‎‎”Okay,” I replied. I for sure wasn’t ready to let her off the hook for just showing up.

‎‎”Okay,” she said walking out the door. I watched her all the way to her car.

‎Something gnawed at me all evening. Since I had been paranoid ever since leaving the JOB, I had long ago purchased a bug sweeper. Those things came from five bucks to five hundred and more. The one I had chosen was well under a hundred.

‎I really wasn’t expecting anything so when I found a bug on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinets, where i stored my glasses, I went directly from there to my deck. The deck was clean and so was my work space under the house.

‎I made enough coffee to fill my three cup thermos, then I put on a thermal puff parka. After I was disguised as a blue Pillsbury Dough Boy, I went onto my deck. I didn’t light the fire pit, I just sat there thinking.

‎I hadn’t gotten past the, ‘this was a terrible betrayal of trust’ issue. I wanted to kick the shit out of Lois. I needed to be sure before I did anything, and I was sure. I just wanted to be even more sure. I wanted to catch her in the act. If not that that at least get her to admit it, before I kicked her ass out.

‎‎”Dad, John?” John’s voice came over the cell phone.

‎‎”Sure son it’s me. What can I do for you?” I asked.

‎‎”Do you really think the witness is unreliable?” he asked.

‎‎”Of course not, she is telling the truth. She will tell it on the stand. The outcome will depend on the Insurance Company’s Lawyer,” I said. If you coach her to tell all that she knows about her neighbor and the black man who drove the car, you might get away with her. Unless she has another ax to grind.

‎My suggestion is to settle it, if there is a decent offer on the table,” I suggested. “Tell me something how much shit would a police department be in if they were bugging a place where you held client consultations and planning meetings.”

‎‎”If they were doing it without a warrant, they are in deep shit, why?” he asked.

‎‎”Somebody planted a bug in my house. It’s a new one. I’m just not a thousand percent who did it or why,” I said.

‎‎”Well, you find out who is behind it, and we will sue the shit out of them,” he said.

‎‎”John, you are a lawyer watch you language. What would your mother say?” I asked with a laugh.

‎‎”In the meantime don’t talk business with me at home,” he said. “Also check your cars for bugs.”

‎‎”I’m way ahead of you,” was my reply.

‎I called Lois when I was sure she had enough time to either get back to her home or office. She didn’t answer her phone so I sent a text. ‘Lois I found a bug in my home. I told John about it. He told me not to touch it but to get it to the police tomorrow and insist that it be checked for Prints, DNA, and a serial number. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t your bug before I go to the cops tomorrow. Let me know.’

‎After the text was sent I sat back to await the next move. If she planted the bug the next move was hers. If she didn’t plant it someone else did, so we had a mystery. She should be able to help with it, since she was a detective.

‎That was my plan going forward anyway. I really hoped she hadn’t been involved.