Chapter 9

Timothy Angel

Rose Ritter

Before we entered the police station I checked the time on my dumb phone. It was a couple of minutes before 11AM. Jenny didn’t even know that I had invited the state police to meet us at the police station. When I was sure we had everyone present I laid it all out. I drew my conclusion then answered their questions. I walked away from the police station by noon.

Jenny checked us out of the motel, and then drove us all the way to my place with only one stop. I had to insist on the one stop so that I could work the kinks out of my hip. While I suffered the walk inside the convenience store, I used the painful trip to refilled my thermos. After that we were back on the road again.

“Well Jenny, it’s 7PM do you want to stay here, or drive on home tonight,” I asked.

“I’m ready to get home and back to work on my script,” Jenny suggested with excitement in her voice.

“Good luck then,” I said as I kissed her goodbye,

It was barely 7PM and I was worn out, I seriously considered going to bed and forgetting all about everything and everyone. I knew that there would be hell to pay if I didn’t tell Thia that I was back in town.

“Thia, I don’t have your work schedule, so I’m just leaving this text. I’m exhausted, so I’m going to bed. I have the phones turned off. If you need me come by otherwise, I’ll try to find you tomorrow morning.”

I made a second call to Mica. It was pretty much the same message that I left for Thia. I had no idea what Mica would do. She would probably be curious, if nothing else. Her curiosity could take the form of a phone call or she might drop by. The last time I saw her she appeared to be pissed because I allowed my life to go on without her being a part of it.

Roger’s research was something of which she didn’t approve. Mica though I should get a job working security for the brewery.

How did she put it? “It was time for me to do something 100% safe.” 100% safe was moving back into The Haven. Even that wasn’t a 100% safe. I just had to mention Alyson’s name. That helped her decide to storm off. Of course Mica was jealous of Thia without knowing exactly why. She obviously sensed something unspoken between us.

During the next two weeks I did a little work for the local lawyers. I realized without the Hammer and Tong money I would starve. Well without my pension, and the extra money from the Hammer and Tong, life would not be pleasant. It would even be life on the edge of poverty. That’s what I was thinking after only a week without a job. I still had almost all the money from my fire insurance settlement. I was really just feeling down. I was certainly not financially stressed at the time.

It does explain why I was so happy to get the call from a movie company operating out of the research triangle park. “Hello,” I said to the unknown caller. “The is Ed Rogers.”

“Mr Rogers, I hear you are a story researcher,” The male voice suggested.

“Actually, I do all kinds of research,” I explained.

“Even better,” he said.

“So what can I do for you?” I asked.

“I need you to find someone for me,” he said.

“First of all who are you, and why do you want to find this person?” I asked.

“I’m Timothy Angel. I am directing a movie for the Durham County Independent Production Company. I’m trying to find Rose Ritter,” he said.

“Does Rose Ritter have reason not to want to be found?” I asked.

“Nothing that I know of,” Timothy Angel said.

“I charge $350 a day and all expenses. The retainer is $1000 in cash. You can do a bank transfer through PayPal. I’ll give you my account information for the transfer, or I’ll wait until you can arrange for it to get to me,” I said.

“I can do a PayPay transfer tonight. So when can you start.” Timothy asked.

“Get me everything you know about her and I’ll get started. I will bill you for expenses twice a week electronically. I’m sure your company can do direct bank transfers.” I said.

“I get that you want to be sure that you are being paid,” he said.

“You can bet your ass I do. You should know there are no guarantees,” I explained.

“I get that,” he said. “Just follow all the leads.”

“Right, so how many other researchers have you had working on this?” I asked.

“Just a couple of others,” he replied.

“Has there been a missing persons report made,” I asked.

“Yes two years ago, according to the information I have,” he said.

“Tell you what, why don’t you send me the reports you have and I’ll read them. If I think I can do something then I’ll have you send me a retainer. If not I won’t waste your money.”

“That is nice of you Mr Rogers, but I really want you to look into her disappearance,” he informed me.

“Then email me copies of the other reports,” I suggested. Then I sent him a copy of my email address.

It was later that night when I received an email with a very large attachment. Thia showed up at my door shortly after the email arrived in my box.

Thia and I loved to push the boundaries that we had carved in stone. Her husband was still trying to work out their problems, without knowing the cause of them. I was the problem, but I just couldn’t stop being in touch with her. We both should walk away. If not both, then one of us should be strong enough to walk away. I only knew that I wasn’t going to be the one to do it. I had tried, but I just couldn’t stay away. Obviously she couldn’t either.

I pulled her inside and gave her a long and not very fatherly kiss. My hands were all over her still solid body. We were both choking and gasping from suppressed feelings. I was sure she felt the same things I did. We allowed the feeling to run loose for a while, but in the end we reeled them in.

“We have got to stop this,” she said straightening her clothing.

“I know,” I said my eyes were probably flashing signals that said no we don’t have to change a thing.

“What are you working on?” Thia asked. How she knew I had a new job, I could never figure out, but she always seemed to know.

“Missing person, Last reported in a small Virginia Town,” I said.

“We need to have a secret meeting in a small resort in the mountains. I loved our meeting with Alyson. God I miss her. I know you do to.”