Chapter 10

"Who was the THIRD person to go on that mission," I asked Marilyn. I had a pretty good guess. I remembered that the "Test" was done over a four day weekend. The secret Detroit trip we Junior Executives took to meet the Real Estate agent started on a Friday morning after we reported to work.

The ruse that was used for each Junior Exec was different, but for some reason, meeting or whatever, each wasn't seen for the rest of the day and was listed for another meeting on Monday to explain their absence. It worked like clockwork because no one seemed to notice the regularity, every two weeks or so, that another of us wasn't around for the four day weekend.

Thinking back on my fateful Friday, I remembered I'd been told right after I got to my desk to leave a message on my Voice Mail Box saying I'd be in meetings all day and would return on Tuesday after attending a Monday seminar. That covered my absence. Then I was to report to Jim Rose on the ninth floor.

On my way up to the ninth floor I'd stopped to see Percy Simon to chat for for a second. He worked in the Personnel Department as an assistant to the Senior Executive there. We were friends from College and even had started the same day at Randolph Industries. We both were friendly with Tom Blake and I wanted to get a message to him I was going away for the weekend and would not be able to be at his barbeque that Saturday.

Up on the ninth floor I met with Jim Rose for a few minutes where he gave me a company credit card for expenses, details on my hotel reservation and other instructions for my trip including a list of the properties I was to visit. I'd been told to pack for the trip ahead of time but to leave my suitcase at home.

After finishing my meeting with Jim, to leave the ninth floor offices, he escorted me to the private Senior Executive elevator. He activated it with a special key. It only shuttled between the ninth floor and the Senior Executive sub garage. That way, no one would be the wiser that I'd left.

After the elevator opened, Jim reached inside the elevator, pressed a button, patted me on the back saying "Have fun!" and the door closed between us. As he had explained, a company limo was waiting right at the elevator door to take me home to pick up my luggage and then to the local private airport. Randolph Industries had their own private Lear Jet parked there. The engines were firing up as I crossed the the airstrip tarmac and moments after boarding, I was in the air.

Such luxury was usually reserved for the company elite and I remember thinking, "I could get used to perks like this, real quick." It was sort of common knowledge among the Junior Execs that anytime one of the Seniors wanted to go anywhere, they could use the company jet at cost. Well, seeing there was a full time crew on standby all the time, the only cost was fuel, landing fees and any other taxes that were levied.

That kept the accountants and the tax man happy about any impropriety or unreported benefits. It was still a giant perk. Flying anywhere in the World by their private jet was cheaper than multiple plane tickets and all the extra charges that they come with. Of course, the best part of that perk was no waiting in lines, no lost or misdirected baggage and never a missed connection. Ever!

But the real point of my thinking about all of that was, a couple of weeks after I'd taken my trip, I thought it was a little strange Percy Simon disappeared for a weekend. He simply said he'd been appointed to attend an Human Resources Convention and would be away. More importantly, as I thought about it, he'd said it was in Detroit!

Marilyn said, "Right, Percy was the third to go on that test."

"I've known Percy for ages. I don't think he'd be involved in anything like this," I told her.

"What if he's next." she said very concerned. "What if he's next?"

"Why would you think that?" I asked.

"I just have a feeling it's all about that Detroit thing. Something's just not right. First you, then Tom," Marilyn said. "I have a bad feeling that someone else is going to be next and my bet is it's going to be Percy.

"I could see if it was Tom and he thought he could eliminate you so he'd get the job, I could accept that. But murdering two or more Juniors before you in seniority just doesn't make any sense. There would be lot's of questions. Now with Tom dead, it just seems the answer has something to do with Detroit."

As we spoke, I realized Tom's Spirit wasn't there with Marilyn. Where was he. Without saying anything I realized that Marilyn didn't know where Tom's Spirit was. As I formed the question, "Where's Tom?" Another voice spoke up saying, "You Dufas!"