Chapter 22

Day 18

Midnight found Eddie and May twenty minutes away from Eddie's tenant farm house. They left May's apartment almost immediately after the police finished their on scene investigation. Since they couldn't find any forced entry and since May could only show a few things out of place, the cops didn't seem to take it seriously. They did agree to make a report for the insurance company on the necklace. They weren't told that May didn't have any insurance to cover the jewelry. She had very little jewelry and all of it cheap, so there was no rider.

Wes' sweep would tell the tale definitively. The only reason to break into May's apartment would be to plant a bug. Well they might do it just to rattle her which they had done. She would be even more rattled, if Wes found bugs.

While Eddie and May were on the way to Eddie's place, Wes was sweeping May's apartment. It took him about two minutes to find the first bug. The guy who planted the bug hadn't been all that creative. There were wireless bugs in the light fixtures and switches. He didn't seem to have a lot of hope, since he only put one in each of the two rooms.

Wes went from May's place to Mike's home. He called before he arrived to have Mike waiting for him in the drive.

Wes: Mike it looks as though they planted two bugs in May's place. I have no idea about your place, but I need to sweep it anyway.

Mike: Sure Wes, whatever you think.

Mike led Wes inside. Wes started in the basement where he pulled two bugs, then went upstairs. Wes found one in each of the common rooms.

Wes: Mike I should check your mom's room.

Mike: I'll get her out. (Through the door) Mom you need to put a robe on and come out here. Wes needs to sweep your room for recording devices.

Once Mike's mother came out wearing a grandma's robe, Wes went inside her bedroom to sweep. He found a bug in the desk phone and one in the light switch to her bathroom. Wes also checked the obvious places for a video camera and came up with it in the heating vent.

Wes: Mike come on outside. (In the driveway) I have no idea how long you have been on tape, but you both have. I hope you didn't do too much work from home, since you were pretty much being overheard even in the shower. You don't sing in the shower do you?

Mike: I hope not.

Mike realized that he might have been the source of the leak. If the bad guys found Rose, it could be his actions. It was a sobering thought.

Wes: Well be careful what you say around home. I'm going to have to talk to Salina's Parole Officer tomorrow, so don't expect me in until noon. Tell the boss for me. I don't want to have any discussion on it.

Mike: Sure Wes, you don't think the boss would try to stop you?

Wes: I'm sure he won't, since I'm not going to tell him.

Lucille finally got to bed around midnight. She had been trying to decide what her damage control plan should look like. This was the second time she had been burglarized. He must have come when the nanny was at the park. How they avoided the security system she didn't know for sure, but her own team had proved that it was possible no matter how good it was.

The world had gotten impossibly complicated since she began the job. Back then no one bothered to bug ordinary people. That kind of thing was saved for criminals. Today bugs were almost routine. Sure they required court orders, but the paperwork was so routine it was seldom scanned by the judge. If his clerk put it in front of him, he signed it.

She intended to go to the wall with the invasion of her family's privacy. When her office opened she intended to file a complaint with the Assistant Deputy Director of the FedPol. He was a few steps high up the ladder than Eddie had been. She intended to get the Senator to sign off on it since it was his investigation they were spying on. She couldn't even guess who they might be. There could be any number of people in the Swamp Dog Pocket.

When Eddie and May arrived at his home the place was chilled. He quickly lit a fire in the Kerosene heater. He also moved the ceramic electric heater from the bathroom to the kitchen. It started putting out heat immediately as did the Kerosene heater. Within ten minutes they were able to remove their coats.

May: I see we are back to one tiny bed. I'm beginning to like that.

Eddie: Don't get too used to it. Your place will be clean today, plus Wes and I are headed to Maine to find Rose Seabold.

May: I should go with you.

Eddie: If Rose shoots me, you couldn't pack my ass out. (Laugh)

May: I could call 911 as well as Wes, and I know the law.

Eddie: I will feel better if I'm not shepherding you around the woods. No offense, but I could easily get you killed. Wes is in his element there.

May: Then take us both. I really don't want to be alone right now.

Eddie: I'll think about it and let you know tomorrow before we go. Now we need to get to bed. You take the sofa bed. I'll sleep on the floor.

He placed his finger to his mouth so that she wouldn't answer. Then he went to one of the back rooms for his magic box. He pulled two bugs from the house, one from the kitchen and one from the living room. He dropped them into a glass of water.

Eddie: So much for our uninvited guests.

May took off her sweater and jeans. She removed his tee shirt from a dirty laundry pile and slipped it on. She then did that woman thing, where she removed her bra under the tee shirt. She skipped off happily into the bathroom with her makeup bag to do her evening things.

Eddie knew that she was flirting. She could have taken the tee shirt into the bathroom to change. She had done it to elicit a response and of course human nature being what it was she got one.

May: Boss we have slept in the same bed before and nothing happened. I think we can manage it again.

Eddie: May I don't think so. You know what kind of trouble you could get into. You are the only one still in the government. The rest of us might get a slap on the hand, but you could damage your career, if you let anything happen.

May: I'm a lawyer. Don't you think I know all that?

Eddie: I'm sure you do, but it's not every day I am put in this position.

May: Boss the only question is do you want to sleep with me or not.

May moved close as she said it, then wrapped her hand around his very visible erection. She also tilted her head back to be kissed. Eddie didn't disappoint her. As a matter of fact all his good intentions went right out the window. The small day bed in his living room was big enough since they were almost joined at the hip all night.

When Wes returned from Mike's house Salina forced him out. She wanted to be alone to try to think things through. She also had to deal with the many people who stopped by to ask her if it was true. When she answered they wanted to know what they were going to do without her.

At 6 AM Wes left his tiny apartment in a neighborhood only a few steps up from the one were Salina lived. He ran when he hit the empty sidewalk. Even the street vendors weren't open at 6 AM. Wes had been able to sleep only because he knew how to sleep in the middle of a war zone.

After his long, exhausting run, Wes drove to her parking lot. He waited there until she came outside. When she emerged from the building she was dressed in her best clothes.

He drove her to her appointment with the parole officer. When he parked the car, she tried to talk him out of going inside.

Wes: I'm going in and now. I think we should have asked May to come along as well.

Salina: It wouldn't have helped.

Wes: It couldn't have hurt.

Salina: I called Lucille last night since I knew she would be awake. She said she would send someone.

Lucille hadn't sent anyone. When the receptionist showed Salina into the PO's office there sat Lucille.