Chapter 13

Finn

Marty was sitting across from me, a rather bored look on his face.

“What’s with the look?” I questioned, unused to this demeanor. Like Jerry, Marty was one tough son-of-a-bitch. An ex-cop, as were most detectives, he’d learned his craft on the streets and sometimes on the wrong side of the law. I’d relied on him for everything from doing a background on a competitor to gain a little subtle blackmail, to acquiring insider information at the highest levels of government to buy off the right congressmen. He had people everywhere. I didn’t know a lot about him, but enough to know I wanted him working for me and not against me.

“Let me get this straight,” he began, crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair. You want me to do a background on some little chickee you picked up out of a snowbank and she doesn’t even know her name?”

His tone didn’t set well with me. I began to question the wisdom of getting him involved. I took another track.

“You can’t do it?”

“Of course, I can do it,” he guffawed and I knew I’d found the right nerve. “What’s in it for you, Finn? I’ve got some leads I’m running down on the CEO of Traxton—good shit that could put you in an excellent position of acquisition—and you want me to spend time on this instead?”

“This isn’t company business, Marty. This is personal and that means you ask questions of anybody, but not me.” I think he understood the inflection in my voice because the arrogance left his face and he could see his whale client becoming a shark.

“Sure, Finn, I see that. After all, you know I get things done and that you can trust me.”

“Forget the sales pitch, Marty. You doing this or not?”

“Yep.”

“I want it yesterday. No, make that last week,” I said, giving him a clear picture of priority. “I’m leaving Friday night, and you can get to me through Leigh. I won’t be in the office, but she’ll get anything you have to me. And, there’s always my cell.”

“So, I’ll talk to the doctor, the nurse, but who else? Who has she come into contact with?”

“Just me. I like it that way. I’m going to get a shrink in there to talk to her. I want to know if the memory loss is being faked, but I’m pretty sure she’s legit. Your job is to find out what she might not want to remember, and not bring back any flies with you. No trails leading here, you got that?”

“Not a problem.”

“Oh, yeah, there’s a chef and someone who did her hair and nails. Check with the nurse; she’s keeping a 24/7 eye on her. You can talk to Elspeth herself. She knows I’m doing this and wants to find out what she’s blocking herself. Just take it easy on her. Don’t be an asshole, okay?”

“Yeah, I get it. When this is done, I can get back on the Traxton report?”

“You must have something pretty good there. You’re acting like a kid who made his mom a present in school and can’t wait for her birthday to let her see it.”

Marty frowned. He probably didn’t have that kind of relationship with his mother as he seemed to have a problem relating.

“Yeah, whatever.” He wrote me off. Marty was like a coon dog on a scent; he couldn’t be swayed by a rabbit or a bitch in heat when he was on the trail of something he considered good.

“All right, get out of here.” I stood up, tucking my shirt into my pants. “Any info comes straight to me; no relaying it through Leigh and, for God’s sake, steer clear of Jerry.”

“You got it.” He tipped his hand to his forehead and stood up to leave.

“Marty…”

“I know. You want it yesterday.”

I didn’t hold him up by saying anything further. He’d done plenty of work for me in the past. I think he understood that this was something different and certainly more important.

I finished out the day with signing over authorizations so Jerry could carry on in my absence. I was looking forward to Friday night more than any date or weekend with a female. I told myself that, anyway.

That niggling voice in the back of my head was trying to bring some conscience into the situation. Elspeth was more than sex.

Be quiet, conscience!

No, truly, she was a gentle soul in need of rescue and that’s all this was about.

Damnit, conscience, you’re leaping to conclusions!

I should ask the nurse, Mary, to come along and act as chaperone.

We’ve already crossed that line and she’d only be in the way!

Mary could maybe be a combination maid, chef, and maybe she’s got some counseling training for those moments when Elspeth needed a woman to talk to, to help her remember.

Face it! You don’t want her to remember. You want her to begin her life again, now, with you. To hell with anyone from the past! If there was anyone who cared, they’d be looking for her!

It was no good. I couldn’t hide from the truth. To me, Elspeth represented purity—the untouched woman who only had a history of being with me. I was the only one she trusted. I was her knight in shining armor. That felt good—damned good. That was what I wanted and there were many who could testify that I got what I wanted. Always.