Chapter 16

I awoke early on my first day with an office of my own. I was an over forty school girl it seemed. Since the little town of Avery was close enough to Tryon to share a business park and shopping area, we had far more restaurants available to us than was reasonable for our size town. Even so I was one of the few people in town who at that moment couldn't take advantage of them.

Since I owned only the three wheeler at that moment, I was in effect operating without a car. I lived downtown, and my new office was also downtown. Even in the small downtown I had my two biggest needs filled. The rest of life might prove impossible without an auto, but I had made the decision to find out if it were possible.

After my morning shower I rode the trike two miles to the mall. Once there I parked it and began to walk. I did plug the battery pack's quick charger into a mall circuit designed for just that purpose. In the 45 minutes I walked around in circles, the battery recharged. It was only one of the better things about the new batteries. They lasted longer, weighted less, and recharged much faster. That very expensive battery pack was what made the trike experiment possible.

After the mall, I rode it back to the downtown office. My new office was on the outskirts of downtown so it was just outside a comfortable walking distance. It also skirted a fairly rough section known for drugs, alcohol, and violence. Such being the case, I was happy to have the .38 returned to me.

Once inside the office I made myself as comfortable as possible while I waited for the various vendors to arrive. The first to pull into my small parking lot was an unmarked van. The man who removed himself did so with some difficulty since he was at leave a hundred pounds over his ideal fighting weight.

I guessed that he was the telephone installer. It was a pretty reasonable guess since the buildings power was a simple transfer of the bill to my name, and I wasn't going to install cablevision. The full tool belt pretty much ruled out the city's water worker. That and the extension ladder he brought with him.

"Miss Avery?" he asked at my front door.

"Yes that's me and which one of my installers are you?" I asked.

"I work for Wilson Utilities, but we install for Ma Bell," he said grinning. "I'm going to have your phone and Internet on in a jiffy."

"Good, I can at least be entertained while I wait for the city. Unless they have changed a lot over the years, they are the slowest."

"I think they would call it the most laid back," he said grinning. "Well let me get to it." I worried for him on that ladder but he got it handled much quicker than I would have expected.

When he left twenty minutes later, I had a wireless network as well as a land line with four extensions. Yes I went for all the hookups. One just never knew what the next day would bring, I decided.

I put a note on the door at ten and walked across the street to the hospital waiting room to use the bathroom. When I returned. I felt much better so I called the detective in charge of Jane's case.

"Detective Hammond," I said when I had him on the phone.

"Yes, and who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Lucy Avery, I represent Jane Sutton, in the drug possession and conspiracy case." I said.

"I see and what can I do for you?" he asked.

"Well if you charged her with conspiracy to force her to cooperate, you may have succeeded. If you have the district attorney call me, we can probably work out a deal."

"Why would I want a deal?" he asked.

"Oh you have the shooter all wrapped up in a bow then?" I asked. I wasn't one bit worried.

"Can she pick him out of a lineup?" he asked.

"And a photo array, if her memory returns." I suggested.

"I'll have Marco call you," he said.

"Dear god. how did Lowball rate Marco?" I asked.

"I think it was more how did Marco rate Lowball. The murder was most horrific. You were gone when it went down. It got tons of press. Marco might be planning a run for something."

"Could be he is looking to join the new regional defense team," I suggested. Jeff and his dad were always talking about expanding into Charlotte. Maybe they finally had started recruiting.

"I keep hearing rumors about that. but nothing ever happens," Max said.

"Well now that I'm gone maybe they can afford to do it. I was their big drain I think," I said with a laugh.

"They have seemed happier the last few court dates," Max said.

"You truly are a prick Max. I tried to keep this professional but you insist on getting personal." I said with a laugh.

"It's just how I am Lucy. So are you ready to start dating yet?" he asked.

"Oh course I'm dating now, I'm just not dating cops," I said.

"Oh it might help our working relationship," he said with a light hearted voice.

"God I wish I had taped this call," I said.

"Do you want a copy of my tape?" he asked. I couldn't tell if he were serious or not.

"Okay have Marco call. if he wants to deal. Let me give you the new number. Max was the first to get the new office number. With that taken care of, I had nothing to do. It was an interesting feeling not to have half a dozen active folders on my desk.

While I waited for Marco, I went to Walmart's online computer sales store. Walmart had begun to sell refurbished computers online and deliver them to the store. I figured I could get one of the kids to pick up the computers for me. I quickly ordered two laptop computers for under $600. From my use at home I knew that the laptop would do anything the desk models would. They weren't always exactly the same. but I just love puzzles, so it was a no brainer.