Chapter 3: Conclusion

When we left our story, I was still sitting in the bar trying to figure out whose story I believed. Was it Terry Sudcliffe's tale of humiliation and destruction, or was it, his brother, Bob's tale that Terry was a lunatic?

I continued to sit at the bar and talked with the pretty bartender for some time after the two brothers had left. We couldn't make head or tail out of which story was the true one.

I finally raised my hand across the bar and said, "Hi, I'm Doc to my friends." She smiled warmly and shook my hand, "I'm Janice."

I asked, "Would you like to have some dinner when you get off work? I'd like to continue to pick your brain about all we heard today. I think I can make a saleable book out of it."

She looked at her watch, "I get off at seven. That's only an hour. Here, let me set you up with one on the house and by the time you finish, I'll be off work. There's a good diner just a block down the street."

So I sat there and waited while she completed her shift. I started really eyeing her at this point. She was a trim little redhead with perky breasts and a nice, juicy butt. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans that almost looked painted onto her trim frame. This could prove interesting!

At seven she handed the reins of the bar over to the late shift man and came around the corner of the bar. "Okay Doc, let's move. I've got a boyfriend to get home to by ten o'clock"

My heart dropped and I thought, boyfriend, shit. No nookie tonight.

We walked slowly to the diner she had suggested and after inspecting the menu ordered the fried shrimp platter with French fries and hushpuppies -- a cholesterol raising nightmare of a dinner, but very good.

Over dinner, we discussed the brothers' conflicting stories. I was leaning toward Bob's version being the true one. While Janice thought Terry's was the real story.

Janice leaned over the table and asked, "So, how do we find out?"

I dumbly asked, "Find out what?"

"Find out which story is true."

"Eh?"

She smiled and stated, "I want to know which story is true. I hope its Bob's story. If its Terry's version I'm appalled. How could any brother treat another brother that way? How could a wife treat a husband that way? How could a mother and father do that to a son? How much degradation and humiliation could a group of people pile on another human being for apparently just the fun of it?"

"Are you serious?" I had to ask. Here was a raving beauty asking me to let her get involved with finding out the truth. How could I say no? I couldn't!

She nodded her head and waited for me to respond.

I looked at her face for several seconds. Hmmm, researching a possible story with this fine little thing for a couple of weeks. Why not?

"Okay. We'll find out." I said with a laugh.

Then I got serious, "We'll have to able to travel to wherever the story takes us. We probably will have to lie sometimes to get the information we will need. We'll probably be forced in to very close contact many times during this adventure. Like sharing a room when two isn't available. Can you live with all of this?"

She thought for a moment and then nodded.

I continued, "I got plenty of money for this research project and can cover your expenses. I expect you'll provide your insights and opinions as we find out new facts."

Janice smiled, "When do we start, boss?"

"Right now. Have you got internet at your place?"

"Yes, a high speed DSL."

"Okay, you go start some research. Search for the names of Terry or Robert Sudcliffe and see if there is any info on the next about them. Add "Atlanta" to the search since Terry mentioned their home in Atlanta several times. I'm going to go check out the phone book and see if they are local now. If not, I'll call the various hotels close by and check for the room of either Terry or Bob Sudcliffe. If I find one of them in a hotel, I'll go snoop and get some info on them.

I glanced at my watch. "I'll meet you here tomorrow morning at nine. We'll compare notes. Pack a small travel bag and have it ready to go if we need to travel. Leave it at your place and we'll stop for it before we leave."

"What should I tell my boyfriend?"

"Tell him the truth. Here's my business card with a list of my books. He can check out that I'm legit. Can you take off work for two weeks?"

"Sure. I've got some savings and I'm so curious about this whole thing I got to know what the truth is."

"Okay. Here, this is my cell phone number." I said as a I wrote it on a napkin. "What's yours?"

She laughed and reading my number from the napkin, she simply dialed my phone and let it ring. I laughed back and stored her number into my phone. I simply listed as "Janice". She stored mine in her phone as "Doc". Smart girl.

We talked another moment or two and then I stood up, "Then let's move partner. See you in the morning. If you find out something earthshaking, call me."

I returned to my hotel room and immediately scanned the white pages for either a Robert or Terry Sudcliffe. There were no Sudcliffe's at all in the phone book. Struck out there. I began calling hotels asking for Mr. Sudcliffe's room. I struck pay dirt on the third try.

"Hello, Grand Hyatt Hotel, how may I help you?"

"Can you connect me with Mr. Sudcliffe's room?"

"Just a moment please. I'll connect you."

I almost yelled, "Wait a second! Is that Mr. Terry Sudcliffe?"

"No, I'm sorry it's not."

"Oh, it must be Bob Sudcliffe's room." I said glibly.

"Yes, do you want me to connect you?"

"No. I'm looking for Terry Sudcliffe. Goodbye." I said as I hung up.

Now I knew that Bob Sudcliffe was staying at the Grand Hyatt.

As I grabbed my car keys I thought, okay, I'll just go down there and collect some information.

Arriving at the hotel, I walked into the lobby and up to the front desk. I placed one of my business cards on the desk and slid it to the man behind the counter. Under the card was a hundred-dollar bill neatly folded, it was hidden from casual observation. I'd waited until no one was around the front desk. I asked, "Mr. Bob Sudcliffe is staying here. Can you tell me what his home address is?"

The man lifted the card and deftly pocketed the bill. He inspected my card and asked, "Doing research for a book, sir?"

"Yes."

He turned and looked through the ever present row of green folders. He found the one he wanted and opened it, pulled out a check in record sheet and read to me, "1220 Mockingbird Lane, Las Vegas and he leaves tomorrow." He put the folder back in the stand and turned to greet another customer just walking up to the desk.

So, Bob lives in Vegas? Cool! Little Janice and I can have some fun while unraveling our mystery. I almost rubbed my fingers together as I dreamed of time in Sin City with my new partner.

I got back to my hotel and fired up my laptop. I checked out the various public record databases in Las Vegas and found that a Robert Sudcliffe did indeed own a house at 1220 Mockingbird Lane. I found several archive articles in the Vegas newspapers about his attendance at various lavish events and some of the construction projects he was deeply involved in. This guy was heavy hitter -- rich and powerful.

The next morning I met Janice at the diner and we discussed our findings while we had breakfast. Janice went first and told me she'd found nothing on either a Terry or Robert Sudcliffe. She had found several hits on information about an Angie Sudcliffe, a bit-part actress in Hollywood. According to her bio she would be about the right age. She'd been born in Atlanta.

I filled Janice in on what I'd learned about Bob Sudcliffe.

I told her to come with me and we returned to the hotel. I got into the tax databases in Atlanta and found a Terry Sudcliffe had owned a home there three years ago. After that date, he'd dropped off the records. I wrote down the address from the tax database. I did another search for the houses on either side of the Sudcliffe home and found that Sam and Betty Weller still lived there. I tried a quick search of the Atlanta newspaper, but the online archives only went back two years. There was nothing on a murder of Terry Sudcliffe's wife.

"Okay Janice, time to move. We're going to Atlanta. Let's see what we can dig out on this Terry Sudcliffe."

Janice did a search for airlines and found us a flight that left in three hours. I gave her my credit card and she bought our tickets and checked us in. She turned off my laptop and stowed it in my carryon bag.

As I checked out, Janice stood next to me and leaning over whispered, "He dumped me."

"What?"

She said in a normal voice, "He dumped me. He said I must not think much of him if I was going to run off for two weeks with another man."

I said, "I'm sorry Janice."

"Don't be. He's an ass if he can't handle me being an independent woman."

I didn't say anything else. We got into my car and she gave me directions to her apartment where we picked up her travel bag and headed to the airport.

After the lousy TSA security check wait and the standard flight delays, we left about ninety minutes late.

We arrived in Atlanta and made our way in our rental car to the Homewood Suites Hotel. Janie had booked us two rooms. We rested for an hour, took much needed showers, and then met for dinner. Janice was dressed in a pair of blue shorts with a trim white blouse accenting her body.

After dinner we took a leisurely drive to the street address listed as having belonged to Terry Sudcliffe. It had a "For sale" sign in the yard. I pulled up in front and stopped. I looked at Janice and said, "Want to be my wife for an hour?"

She looked at me kind of funny but quickly made up her mind and said, "Anything you want, boss."

I explained, "Okay, we walk up to the Weller's house and tell them we're a married couple looking at the house for sale and would like some information about the neighborhood."

"Let's go."

We walked to the front door and rang the bell. A moment later a woman I took to be Betty Weller appeared at the door. She was a well built little blonde with set of lips a man would love to have wrapped around his dick. She smiled and asked, "Yes, can I help you?"

I replied, "Yes, We're the Hunters. We're thinking of maybe buying the house next door. Could we ask some questions about the neighborhood?"

Betty smiled and said, "Sure! Come on in and meet my husband, Sam."

We entered the house, she showed us to the living room. She said she would go get her husband and put some coffee on, to make ourselves comfortable.

Sam entered and introduced himself. He was about six feet tall and about one-hundred-eighty pounds. He had light brown/red hair color that appeared to come from a bottle.

We sat waiting for Betty to join us. We passed the time with general comments about the weather, how long both couples had been married, what brought us to Atlanta to live and stuff like that. I handled or deflected all of Sam's questions. Janice just sat occasionally taking my hand and smiling and nodding at something I said.

Betty brought in coffee and we sat sharing the hot aromatic liquid. "Good coffee." I remarked.

"Oh, a friend of ours brings it to us from Hawaii. Bob goes there every couple of months on business and he always brings a few pounds of this blend back to us." Betty volunteered.

"Oh, that's nice." I responded as I filed away the fact that "Bob" goes to Hawaii every few months.

I started, "Look, we hated to bother you but we're considering buying the house next door. Can we ask a few questions about the house and neighborhood?"

"Sure, fire away." Sam said.

"Okay, well, first, is this a friendly neighborhood. Do all of the neighbors get along?"

San and Betty both chuckled at that question. "Oh my, yes!" Betty answered.

Sam jumped in, "We have neighborhood parties almost every month. The Sudcliffe's that used to live in that house were some of the most central people involved with those parties. At least Kim Sudcliffe was. Terry was always kind of an outsider looking in, if you know what I mean. But Kim was right in the middle of the parties. In fact you can say she was the party most times!" With that remark, Sam and Betty chuckled again.

Sam continued, "But since they moved, the parties continue with each couple taking the central role for each party. We're all very friendly here!"

We asked about children in the neighborhood, schools and all of the stuff buyers might ask about. Janice told the Weller's that while we had no children yet, she wanted at least two.

Now I decided to try an end run question. "Sam, we heard a rumor that there had been a murder in that house. Is that true?"

I could see Sam tense up and immediately relax. "Oh hell, no. There was no murder. I don't know where that story came from. The Sudcliffe's divorced. Terry started drinking a lot and Kim became frightened of him. One night he showed up at the house and damn near beat her to death. She left him after that incident. His brother, Bob, had taken up with Kim and when he found out about it, he beat Terry within an inch of his life. He pretty much ruined Terry after that. He made sure Terry couldn't get work in the area, and destroyed his reputation. He basically ran him out of the area. Later he married Kim and they moved away from here. Last I heard, they were expecting their first child."