Chapter 45

I held my new cell phone and pointed the camera at the kid tagging the building I had just closed escrow on. Putting some such garbage on it shows something to someone about territory. Hell, it was my building, so I was going to fix this issue. I had heard that this was happening all over the valley and decide I needed a non-lethal way to make my point. I pulled out the paintball gun that I had purchased. I knew that clothes could be dumped and then it was my word against their word, and nothing would happen. Pictures or not and I held little hope of the camera taking useable ones as it was just about dark now.

Did I mention I don’t play fair? A friend of mine likes to hunt and human scent carries a long way. The fragrance of nature is not so much a concern for animals. I got the friend to go pick up a little peppie le pew scent oil and then he was kind enough to load several balls with a mixture of it and saline. This was my first opportunity to check out how it worked.

I liked up on the gluteus maximus and took the shot. I was just around the corner as I stood back listening. Then there was a shriek and when I looked back the hooded figure was gone from sight. There on the ground was a can no doubt it was the offending can of paint. I waited for a few to ensure that no one had stayed back to watch and then walked up and took the can, placing it in the bag I had brought. Evidence you know must be preserved.

It was late the next morning after I had explained my hunting trip to the three of them. They had near wet themselves laughing at what I had done. The door opened and a tough-looking older Hispanic man was walking in with a smaller child in front of him.

“Hello, can I help you?” I asked extending my hand to him.

“I hope so. I would like to talk about what happened last evening.”

“Well let’s sit in my office and discuss it.”

We did the introductions and I learned that he was Hoberto and his daughter Zoey. We were sitting in our chairs, and it was getting a little back to nature there.

“I think I’ll open the window.” I walked over and cranked it open. Then closed the door on my return. “What would you like to discuss?”

“Why did you shoot my daughter?” he asked.

“I didn’t shoot anyone, but it smells like she ran into a skunk somewhere.”

“My wife was helping her last night to remove the smell and said there is a welt on her butt.”

“I don’t see any welt and I am not going to ask her to show it to me to believe it is there.”

“I am not going to ask her to show it to you. My wife does not lie.” He was a little louder and more animated.

“Well, I don’t know anything about a welt. What I do know is I found this at my building this morning.” I pulled out the bag with the paint spray can. “You know anything about this Hoberto?”

He looked at the can sitting there and then at her and what transpired was a lot of rapid-fire Spanish between them. I don’t speak Spanish or the Mexican equivalent of it. But I do read people and he was looking to be made a fool by his daughter.

“I take it you know about this can?” I asked.

“I keep cans like that in my garage at home.”

“And?” I questioned.

“It appears a daughter of mine took some of those cans from my garage and was using said can to tag your building.”

“How did you know it was my building?”

“My wife works for the county, and you know friends help friends. She found out you owned the building, and I was instructed to come to talk with you about her smell and welt.”

“As I said, I know nothing about the skunk attack other than she still smells like it. And seeing no welt I have nothing to say about that.”

“I’m sorry I have taken your time with this. I will deal with it.”

“Who is going to repaint my building.” I watched her sink even further into her chair at that.

“Repaint your building?” He asked.

“Of course, her body language tells me she was the one who was tagging it. She has to make it right and as her parent that falls to you.”

He looked at her and then more rapid-fire language was exchanged, she was near tears when he finished.

“Can I make payments to you for that?”

“Humm, I don’t want your money I want hers. Tell you what she’s fourteen or thereabouts?”

“Yes, she was fourteen last month.”

“I like you, have friends, and let’s see if we can get her a work permit from the district and she can work twenty hours a week to pay for it.”

“What can I do here?” it was the brake I was waiting for. “Go out and talk with Ms. Tiffany at the front desk, then all of the other women and knock before you come back in.”

“That means closing the door behind you.” Her father said.

She was out of the seat and my office like she was shot and when the door closed Hoberto asked. “What are you doing?”

“Teaching her a lesson and helping you and your wife out.”

“What?”

“She your only child or the last one?”

“She has four older siblings, but they are out of the house now.”

“Which means she is all alone and free to go find trouble to get into.”

“I guess that’s about as right.”

“For twenty hours a week, she will come work for me to pay off her debt to paint the building. It’s going to take all summer you know at minimum wage to do that.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Because she and her gang are going to go tag my building all summer if I don’t get her away from them.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Pretty smart there.”

“She is out there learning that she is going to be my girl Friday. Gets to do all the jobs the others dislike.”

“What happens when those are all done.”

“Hell, if I know once she has been here for that long we will find another project for her.”

“You know it is my responsibility for her.”

“Never said it wasn’t I’m just buying some insurance on my property is all.”

“I can live with that and more importantly her Mami can live with it. I knew she did that and that you did what you did.”

We talked a little bit more about his business and mine and just shot the proverbial shit until there was a knock at the door.

“Enter” I called out.

She came in and sat down. Then spoke. “They said there was a lot I could do in the office for them?”

“Who said?”

“They did.”

“They who,” I replied.

“The women in the office.”

“Did they not tell you, their names?”

“Yes”

“What are their names?”

“Ms. Tiffany, I forget the others.”

“Well go back and ask them again. The most important lesson you will learn today is to remember a person’s name and call them by that until they tell you differently.”

“And close the door” Hoberto added as she was headed out again.

He and I shared a quiet laugh as she went back out and then a minute or two later came back and knocked on the door.

“She had three business cards in her hand and looked very confident.”

“Did you just pick those cards up and not ask them their names again?” I asked.

Her face dropped and she knew she was busted. “Yes,” she answered in a soft voice.

I made a motion with my hand and sent her back out the door. “Do you need me to tell you to go ask each of them or can you do that on your own?” She turned and closed the door and then it was five minutes later when she came back to the door and knocked.

“Enter”

She came into the room and then sat in her chair. I looked at her and she fidgeted and then said. “There is Ms. Tiffany at the front desk, she is the office manager she said. She also said she wanted a raise for having to do the same work twice. Then there is Ms. Carol she was nice and said I was learning a valuable lesson early in life. Then there is Miss Penny she said she is not into the Ms thing, and she is still a Miss. And Miss Sasha who told me to tell you she wanted business cards now too.”

“Did you stop to tell Ms. Tiffany that she needed to order her the Business cards?”

“No, she said to tell you.”

“Do I look like the office manager who would order the cards?”

“No. Ms. Tiffany is the Office Manager.”

“Well?” I asked

She turned around and went out the door closing it as she did. I reached over and handed him a business card.

“How did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You know what you did, she went out there to do what you wanted her to do without you telling her to.”

“Amazing she is fourteen and can think for herself.” I laughed

“I cannot wait to tell her mother.” He laughed

There was a knock and my enter reply.

She sat down.” I asked Ms. Tiffany to order the cards for Miss Sasha for you.”

“I think you will make a good girl Friday,” I replied

“Girl Friday?” She inquired.

I reached out and picked up my well-worn copy of Robinson Caruso and handed that book to her. “Read this and make a report on the character name Friday in it. Bring the book and the report back to me on Monday. That is your employment interview.”

“Employment interview?” she inquired.

“Yes, the report you write will tell me if I am going to hire you or not. If not, your father is going to pay for that building to be painted.”

The worry came across her face then and she looked at Hoberto and he gave her that parent look. Four older siblings had no doubt ingrained that ability.

“One last question, were you going to tell me your name at some point?”

“I’m Zoey,” she said.

“Zoey, that does not seem to be a Spanish or Mexican name?”

“It’s the name I chose last year for me.”

“That’s nice, what is the name on your birth certificate?”

She looked at me and then at her father and then back at me.

“Consuelo,” she said with a timid voice

“Why would you want to be Zoey when you have the name of a princess as your own?”

“The others make fun of my name.” She replied in that small voice

“Well, I like Consuelo much more than Zoey.” I made the yuck face as my kids called it. “I will either call you Consuelo or given they you were tagging my building like a cholo I’ll call you the princess cholo. Your choice, tell me on Monday. And make an appointment with Ms. Tiffany before you leave so I know to be in the office then.”

They both stood and I did, I shook Hoberto’s hand and then reached out to shake hers. She looked at me and then at her father who nodded and shook my hand.

“It was nice meeting you. I look forward to the report”

I heard the front door lock then and four naked sluts come walking into my office. “What did you just do?” Carol asked.