Chapter 93

Since I had never been involved in construction, it was interesting for me to help out. I mixed plaster for the Mexican artisans and held windows in place for carpenters. It was quite an experience. After three days, I was able to move furniture into the center unit. It had once been the office, so it was mine. It would also have been the 5th unit, if I ever decided to rent it.

What had once been the lobby became my living room, and dining room. There had always been a small kitchen and bedroom with bath. I suppose the fact there there was very little to do structurally made the owner's unit the fastest to get finished.

Even though the unit was technically ready to move in, I didn't make the move right away. One of the reasons was that I was still paid up for a couple of more days at the motel. The other was that the boiler had not been thoroughly checked. I wanted that done before I had it fired up. Without that boiler on line there was no heat and no hot water, and that would not be acceptable even to me.

"You know this is going to be a screwy utility system?" the heating and air tech said to me.

"Yeah I know. I will provide heat but not air conditioning. I have a reason for it. Some people will use much less air conditioning, if any at all, while other would wind it up and drive me to the poor house. With heat they can open their windows, if it gets too warm, or complain if it gets too chilly." I said.

"I know," the tech said. "What I am going to do to balance the system is wait until they are finished, then I am going to come in and adjust the rooms so that they all have the same temperature. Using those numbers we can work out the rest of it," he explained.

"But I want the heat on now," I said.

"I am going to get the boiler on and open the valve to the landlady unit. I'll come back once the project is finished to balance it all out. Right now I want to make sure it won't blowup."

"I need hot water as well," I replied.

"The utility room is outside your back door. Yours is the only unit that has a back entrance into the alley." he informed me. "I will make sure everything is labeled. You will have to kill the hot water separately from the cold. There will also be a valve for the heated water for each of the radiators as well."

"Just make sure everything is labeled and easy to turn," I said as I turned him loose on my boiler.

By the time my rent ran out at the motel, my apartment was ready. It was the only one that was, but that was okay as well. I got a few of the guys from the shelter to help me move my things from storage to the apartment. I didn't do it to save money, I did it to give the guys some work and to kill some time myself.

Vlad had been gone a week and one day when I moved into the apartment. I expected to hear from him any time during that week. He promised to chase down Davenport for me and get him extradited to the states. Davenport needed to face a felony homicide charge for the ex-con who tried to off me.

Instead of Davenport, I got a package in the mail. The package contained a patch of dried skin. There was also a note.

Dear Max,

I know you won't take my word for it, so if you make a finger print from this patch of skin and compare it to the prints on file for Davenport, you will find them a match. If you have a forensic expert test it, he will confirm that the skin was removed from a cadaver.

Davenport resisted arrest, I am sorry. I know you wanted to do it yourself. If it is any consolation, I did it myself and it took him a while to die. He was truly repentant for attempting to take your life. You could probably forgive him now.

Vlad.

I felt certain that Davenport's money in the former Soviet Union bank had disappeared. I didn't even need to check to be sure. It would be the most logical reason for Davenport to have died slowly. He needed to be convinced to cooperate I am sure. No matter the reason, I mentally stamped closed on Davenport's file. I also mumbled thank you to Vlad. He might not have been a great lover, but Vlad had proved to be an exceptional assassin.

Even thought I was living in the apartment complex, it was not finished by any means. On the first morning I awoke in the place it was to the sound of trucks with bad mufflers pulling into the parking lot. I took a shower in what had to be the hottest water I had ever felt. It took me forever to get the hot/cold mix bearable.

Men were still finding there way onto the site as I left my front door headed to breakfast. I didn't get very far. I saw Helen's catering truck parked just inside the entrance to my parking lot. Instead of driving to find her, I walked across the parking lot.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Have you stopped eating?" she asked.

"Of course not, I was on my way to find you." I replied.

"Well these guys will do a better job with a good breakfast. It might not be hot off the grill but it's better than most of the crap they would eat."

"Helen, you know I thank you, but this is way too much for you to do." I said.

"I stopped by, I'm not staying. Here," she said pushing a brown bag out to me. Besides I paid for the gas with the others, you are just my good deed for today." I paid her in spite of the fact that she didn't want it.

I was in my work jeans covered in cement dust, when the phone rang. "Hello Jen," I said into it.