Chapter 58

The second day with the Pros from Dover started out with me waiting for them. I didn't have any real plans. It was to be a day with just more of the same boring crap, so I didn't mind waiting.

"At your service," I said into the office phone.

"My god Maxine is that how you are going to talk to me?"

"No Jen, I'm sitting at my desk. I don't have caller ID here. I thought you were a client."

"Well hell, I am a client. Marty told me to keep an eye out for anything fun that I could send your way. He is willing to pay the freight in order to get his little show off to a roaring start."

"I am not going to fake shit just for his stupid show. Nor am I going to do anything to endanger my people, just so we can look cool for him. I do things the smart way, not the violent way."

"We know that, it's why he wants you for the show. He could hire an actress to play wonder woman and give him blow jobs on the side."

"So what's the gig?"

"You are going to love this one. It's a recovery, not just the notice this time. You are going to pick up the item."

"And what is this item you that are so mysterious about."

"On no bitch, first you have to let me tell it my own way."

"Well at least get on with it before I fall asleep."

"Corporal James A. Dewey enlisted in the United States Army two years ago. This is all according to his mommy, who is my pro bono client. Actually like I said Marty is paying the bill for it."

"Get on with it Jen. I might be too old for the job at the rate you are going."

"Dewey is off for his first tour of duty in the big sandbox, when his wife decides she just don't love him anymore. Sounds like a country song don't it."

"One I have heard way too many times from some crying soldier," I replied.

"Well she took everything of course," Jen added.

"Of course," I replied.

"Dewey wasn't rich and they didn't have much, so he don't give a crap about the money or the crummy furniture, but Dewey and his dad restored a 1966 Ford mustang 2+2, whatever that is."

"Nice ride," I admitted.

"So she took off with the car. Now that car was his before he married her. Not gonna be community property, if I can get a friendly judge, and when haven't I been able to do that."

"Jen, that isn't hard. When you were between husbands, you screwed all of them."

"Yeah honey, but some of them retired and the ones since Bob don't owe me. Anyway I got an order to seize the car and put it into impound until the hearing."

"Is that legal?" I asked.

"The court can order anything. She can apply to get it back, if she gets a lawyer. My guess is she can't afford a lawyer."

"Is that her only car, cause I got to tell you I feel bad taking her only way to get to work."

"She has a little Dodge of some kind. She took the car because it is the only thing of value they had. His is the only name on the title, so she hasn't been able to sell it yet. Dewey is afraid she will sell it for parts. It really is valuable."

"So this kid is in the sandbox, and she takes off with his car?" I asked. I was warming up to the job.

"Not only that Max, but his dad passed the same year he joined up. It's about all he has left of his dad."

"Am I going to need a locksmith? You know she won't hand me the keys, court order or not. I'm not going to jail for kicking her ass over someone else's property."

"I got the spare key his mommy had. She had it from when he was in high school and kept losing his."

"Yeah I can remember those days," I agreed. "Get me the information pack, and I'll see what I can do."

"Don't forget to take the camera crew along."

"Oh honey, I have been playing nice with the 'Pros from Dover'."

"The who?"

"Never mind it's a not so funny private joke."

"Well, continue to play nice with them. This project is important to Marty, and Marty is important to my firm."

"Not to mention he was one of those old lovers, like the judges."

"You make me sound like a whore," Jen said.

"Hey if the '8 inch stiletto fits'," I replied.

"The packet is ready, just come get it as soon as you can."

"Lucas will be in shortly, when the 'Pros' get here; I can send him that way."

"Good, Marty is anxious for you to get started on something interesting."

"The the 'Pros' should have been here to film this conversation." I suggested.

"Well they don't need to know everything we do."

"So you plan to manipulate them?"

"Of course Maxine dear, it's what I do. You are the only one I don't manipulate."

"No sweetie, I'm the only one you can't manipulate. Even though I have seen you naked, I can still resist you."

"So, I'm a better fuck than a lesbian," she said laughing at me.

"Go back to work, I'll send Lucas over for the packet." Since Jen was in town, we could afford to pick up the packet and take a look before we began the day's real work. We might be able to work the recovery into our day. Most likely not, that would be too easy, but it was worth a try,

"Good morning boss," Lucas said as he entered with Gwen right behind him.

"Good morning Lucas, and Gwen," I smiled at them both. "I hope you two had fun, I am into my third cup of coffee."

"Sorry boss, we went to breakfast and it just kind of got late on us."

"Ah well if it kinda happens again, I'm going to send you home."

"Hey we never had office hours," Lucas said.

"Well we do now. I have something for you to do. I want you to run over to Jen's for a file and a key. Be sure you get both."

"One of you go with Lucas the other come with me." I said to our Producers.

"I'll go with Lucas," Gwen said.

"I would rather you come with me," I interjected.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because if Lucas gets sloppy with Mike at his side, then it's on Lucas. If Lucas gets sloppy with you by his side, I would never know whose fault it was. And I would hate to deal with you in that case."

"Oh you don't think I can keep my personal and professional lives separated."

"Lucas if you could you would be the first human being to do it."

"She is right," Mike said. "If I step into shit you would be less likely to hop in without thinking, than you would be if it were Gwen."

"They are right," Gwen said to Lucas.

"Okay, but it sucks that you don't think I can handle myself." With that he stormed out.

"Come on Gwen you can watch me serve a couple of papers while we wait for them." I drove to a small retail store in the Crossroads Mall. It was almost ten when we arrived, so we went to the food court for coffee.

"You don't like me much do you?" Gwen asked.

"I might not if I gave you any thought at all. Problem is I never thought about you personally at all. You are just as someone on the outskirts of my life."

"You don't like me screwing Lucas."

"You can fuck him all you want, just don't fuck him up."

"I won't," she replied.

"Good, then we don't have a problem."

When the stores opened, I went inside the small retail clothing store while Gwen hung back and pointed her cell phone at me.

I did the look at my clip board thing and asked for the little girl whose name was on the court order. It was an order for her to produce her son at a custody hearing.

"I'm Judith Adams," the young woman replied.

"I have a registered message for you. Would you sign on line five please?" The young woman signed without any hesitation. Once she signed, I handed her the plain brown envelope.

I turned to her and said Judith Adams you have just been served with a court order to produce your son at a custody hearing. The details are in the envelope."