Chapter 18

‎I sat alone in the corner by the rear door. I turned off the light and my phone just like I do any other night. If the bug belonged to Lois, she had no other choice than to recover it. I stayed more or less awake so as not to be surprised. The reason I wasn’t on combat alert was that her coming in the dead of night was most unlikely.

‎I did expect her first thing in the morning though. I expected her to just materialize at the door with her head down and try to pass off some lame excuse on me. The most likely excuse was that she was just acting on orders from someone else. She would plead guilty to me, but promise a fight, if I went forward with my threats. The second oldest line in the cop’s play book.

‎It was 8AM and I was expecting to hear something soon. My cell phone rang cutting the tension in the room like a knife.

‎‎”Hello,” I said to an anonymous voice.

‎‎”Okay, you caught us,” the male voice said. “I suppose you documented everything.”

‎‎”You better believe it,” I said. ‎”You got sloppy and for nothing. I’m a worm farmer, nothing more.”

‎‎”Don’t try to feed me shit like you do your worms,” the voice said.

‎‎”You need to check your sources whoever they are I’m so clean I squeak. But my son and I plan to fuck your ass to the wall. I do assume we are both taping this so let me tell you what comes next. John and I go to the state police and demand an investigation. I will provide the bug and the copy of this tape. It was properly preserved for analysis. No doubt heads are going to roll.” I said.

‎‎”Alright what the fuck do you want?” the voice asked.

‎‎”Who am I speaking to?” I asked.

‎There was a long pause then, “Chief Deputy Malloy,” was all he said.

‎‎”I need to get with John to decide how to best handle this. I sure as hell don’t want any more harassment,” I said. “Surely your man or woman didn’t leave any prints or DNA on the bug.”

‎‎”You know that shit pops up in the least expected places,” the Chief Deputy said.

‎‎”Ain’t that the truth,” I agreed. “Just to let you know I’m not in this to cause any shit. I just plan to make damn sure you don’t cause me any trouble going forward.”

‎I hung up without saying goodbye. First thing I did was to call John. “John are you in the office? I asked.

‎‎”Yes so what is so important?” he asked.

‎‎”What do you think,” I said just to rattle his cage.

‎‎”So what happened so far?” he asked. “Was it the chick.”

‎‎”I don’t know who put the bug in my bonnet, but it was authorized by the Chief Deputy,” I informed him.

‎‎”So what do you want to do?” John asked.

‎‎”It was a no harm no foul situation far as I’m concerned. I do want it on the record so that we can use it later, if we need to. Let’s not really test it, but let’s keep that option open for leverage. You figure that out. But make sure all the I’s are crossed and all the T’s are dotted,” I said.

‎‎”Okay, I’ll make sure they stay off your ass. No more fishing trips, but you know they will come again. They are even more positive you are guilty of something. An innocent man does not sweep for bugs,” he offered.