“You’re not really going to do this are you?” Jessica asked for the umptheenth time.
“Yes, I am really going to walk into their offices and talk to them,” Tracy assured her. “And you are not coming with me.”. They had both established that it would be too dangerous for Jess to show her face. Not only was it likely the Clan would be looking for here, there was a very good chance, someone from her past would recognize her has well.
Besides, investigations rarely happened in teams. The only thing insurance companies hate more than paying out claims seemed to be giving their people what they needed to support their customers.
She would be going alone.
“Then what do I do while you’re gone?” Jessica asked.
“See if you can find out more about this Tim Connacher,” Tracy motioned toward the laptop at the motel desk. She was positive Tim Connacher was really Teddy Weidner, but he had managed to cover his tracks extremely well. She couldn’t find anything about either man. She had served with Teddy, knew he could be charismatic and conniving, but she had never known him to be a stellar manipulator of digital information. Getting people to orbit around him had been his skill, not controlling machines. He must have had some help.
But, right now, she had a missing client, and someone in the Clan was trying to cover it up. Why? What were they on about. The way Tracy saw it, this was her best path. She’d triggered the claim, then secured the contract to investigate it. It was simple enough and better than that, it was legitimate. Her credentials and the plan would check out. She’d ordered a new outfit by drone which had been dropped off just before dawn.
She now found herself standing in front of the motel mirror adjusting her business suit. The tan fabric offset her ebony skin and the tailoring showed her curves but not too much. If only she could be a little taller, a little thinner, and a little younger. She chided herself for being so self critical, then focused on the task at hand. She had also ordered a small belman cap which she pushed on her unruly hair. The outfit screamed late twentieth century flight attendant, but she like the look. Prim, proper, professional, but ready to serve. The main point was non-threatening. She wanted them to see a bureaucrat, a busy body, a paper pusher, and nothing more.
“They have offices are here in Detroit,” Tracy said picking up her brief case. Professionally, Red Spider ran all their business through Royal Oak Holdings LLC, and Rutherford Industrial Solutions Incorporated. This morning she would be paying a visit to Royal Oak Holdings at their offices at Five Mile and Middle Belt. It was an odd location for a multinational concern, given that it was nearly as vacant as the automated motel she and Jessica were staying in. “You should move hotels, or return to Florida,” Tracy told Jess. “I’ll catch up with you after the interview.”. Jessica nodded. “I’m not going back to Boca.”
“Don’t feel safe there?”
“I don’t feel safe anywhere.”
“I get that,” Tracy straghtned up. She was delaying. “Time to go.”. She hugged Jessica and left the room and tried ignore that her heart was trying to beat itself out of her chest. Was she really going to do this? She did not give herself a chance to think about it a second time.
The trip to the headquarters building of Royal Oak Holdings was short and uneventful. The auto-ride-share dropped Tracy off in front of the two story office building that reminded her of the one she’d watched burn the night before. A solid row of reflective glass windows sandwiched between layers of red brick. She walked up the three steps and the doors swing outward for her, letting her into the lobby. An android receptionist sat behind the front desk, staring at her as she entered.
“May I help you?” The silver machine with blue eyes asked.
“I’m here with Omnilife group. You have an insurance claim and I have been asked to inspect.”
“I see,” The robot replied.
“I have an appointment with a Mr. Bob McKinny,” Tracy said. “Is he in?”
The computer paused a moment then replied, “Yes, Mr. McKinny is available. What is your name?”
“Tracy Richards,” Tracy said. She figured the truth would be her best protection.
“I’ll let him know. Yes. I see. He is coming. You may have a seat,” The machine motioned toward a bank of hard plastic chairs against the window.
Tracy nodded politely then selected a seat and sat. Without pulling out her phone, she sat primly and stared around the office. A few minutes later the double doors beside the lobby desk swung open and a wall of a human stepped through them. Tracy stood up, but was still astonished at how large the man was. He stuck out one giant bear paw sized hand and said, “Ms.Richards, Bob McKinny.”. Tracy wasn’t sure if he was the same man she had seen coming out of the burning building the night before, but she wondered how many human mountains were members of the criminal organization.
“Pleased to meet you Mr. McKinny,” Tracy stood up and took the offered hand. She was not a small woman, but her hand up to her wrist disappeared inside the mans grip. His skin was surprisingly smooth and his grip gentle despite his obvious strength. He stepped back and motioned for her to follow him down the hallway from which he’d come. “Let’s go to my office and I can answer all of your questions.”. Tracy nodded and fell in behind him as he lead the way into the bowels of the building. Her heart, which had calmed during the rider over, renewed it’s frantic pounding in her chest. She tried to calm herself, she was after all, just an insurance investigator. However, logic was an insufficient tool against the visceral experience of following a man who could snap you in half without breaking a sweat into his private office.
McKinny’s office was larger than she expected, but he made it look small. An oversized captains chair sat behind and enormous faux granite desk. The combination took up more space in the office than ordinary furniture making the space feel cramped. McKinny pointed to a padded leather seat for her to sit opposite the desk, and he lowered himself not ungracefully into his leather captains chair. “Now, how can I help you?” He asked.
“An automated report came in from the insurance company about one of your vehicles being in an incident last night?” Tracy said, opening her briefcase and taking out her tablet.
“I wasn’t aware that we’d had an incident, much less filed a claim,” McKinny said leaning back.
“The claim filing was automatic.”
“And you’re looking into this morning?”
“Well, you have to understand, you are a very good client, and the company wants to keep your business.”
McKinny scowled at her. Tracy had seen some ugly expressions in her life, but she was surprised how much his disapproval impacted her. It made her blood run cod. “Bob” - she doubted that’s what others called him, was not a man you wanted to displease. His confidence about that filled the room.
Tracy coughed and changed tactics. “The truth is, I’m a contractor Mr. McKinny, and investigating car claims is very… competitive.”I get the business because I’m prepared and I do them accurately and professionally.”. She sat up a little straighter, trying to reclaim some of the space in the room.
“Ah,” McKinny leaned back in his chair, looking at his finger nails like he wanted to bite one.. “So if you didn’t jump on this, someone else would have?”
“Vehicle accidents are rare these days,” Tracy spoke the truth.
“You from around here?” McKinny asked, tapping his large thick fingers on the desk instead of biting them.
“No, are you?” Tracy answered and deflected back. This was not quite going the way she imagined. But how exactly had she imagined it?
“I’m from down South. Dade County actually,” McKinny answered. “South Florida, you know the area?”
A shiver ran down her spine. Was he there, at Nina’s house? Had he burned that too?
“Not particularly well,” Tracy replied. She tried to steer the conversation back on topic. “I don’t want to take up much of your time,” she said trying to get down to business. “From what I can tell your company vehicle was damaged by some kind of fire?”
McKinny held her gaze. “It was an explosion,” he said without emotion.
“An explosion?” “Had to be. Buildings don’t burn like that.”
Tracy looked at her tablet, pulling information from the record. “And this was in farmington?”
“Yes, outside the offices of Safety Shipping Solutions.”
“Are you saying that Safety Shipping Solutions offices exploded last night?”
The hackles on Tracy’s neck stood up. She knew she was in trouble. She felt a bead of sweat forming on her upper lip. Could she make it to the door? Probably, but not likely out of the building. She hadn’t seen anyone else, but she doubted she could outrun man mountain Dean sitting in front of her.
McKinny continued. “Damndest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Tracy took notes, and tried to think. Keep playing the role. “And your car was passing by when this happened?”
McKinny shook his head slowly. “Nope. It was parked out front.”
“Parked out front? But that doesn’t match the record,” She looked at the file. “The engine was engaged, and the vehcile was only paused for a few moments before it was damaged.”
“It was only parked for a few moments. That’s how long it took me to burn the place to the ground.”
Tracy looked up sharply. McKinny smiled. “Did you know that you match the description of an insurance investigator who happened to be at a similar fire in South Florida two nights ago? And here you are in Detroit talking to me. It seems to me Ms. Richards that you are unusually committed to know the truth, that is, if Richards is really your name.”
Tracy found it hard to breathe. She reminded herself that she had been in combat. He was playing with her. He wanted something from her. She could handle this. “It is my real name. And I am really an insurance investigator.”
“Yeah, I was surprised at that,” McKinny said. “I checked. Either you’re a top shelf fraud, or your credentials are legit. And it’s a good thing for you that they are legit.”
Tracy raised an eye brow. “It is?”
“Yes. You see, you’re going to work for me now. Well, at least for my boss. But you’ll report to me.”. McKinny leaned so far back in his chair Tracy thought it would break, but the thing must have been reinforced with steel or something because it didn’t even groan.
“You know, I wasn’t too sure about you, but the Bossman thought it was a good idea. Me? I like to do things the old fashioned way. You know, eliminate witnesses. Burn the evidence. It’s not always about effectiveness. Sometimes its about tradition and fear. People don’t like the smell of burning bodies and when you torch their stuff it sends a message you see?”
Tracy wondered if McKinny was afraid of anyone or anything. The way he talked, accountability is what happened to other people, never to him. Never to someone he cared about, if he cared about anyone at all. “I thought we should hunt you and your little girl friend down like dogs, but Keres, well he’s the boss for a reason. He knew you’d come back. So he tells me to wait here. And here I am. And there you are.”
“Why would you be waiting for me?”
“Two reasons. First, my way wasn’t working so good. No one was getting afraid, and you turned up again. Now I’m thinking if we cut you, then the whole thread is gone, but the bossman doesn’t think like that. He thinks things get worse the more we burn.” McKinny shrugged, his massive shoulders making a motion that looked like a small earthquake. “But he also reasons that if you’re willing to follow this thread for what? For some dumb insurance company? Maybe you’d be willing to work for us. So I have an offer.”
Tracy considered her options. She took her tablet and put into her case, and then folded her hands, sitting up like a school old time school marm, and said, “Mr. McKinny, I happen to be an excellent investigator. What exactly is it that you need?”
“Me? I don’t need anything,”” McKinny replied, “but you? You’re going to need to find Tim Connacher, or what ever the hell he’s calling himself these days. You see, Timmy has something that belongs to us. And Keres Typhone does not abide people taking his things.”
“What did Tim Connacher take?” Tracy asked. Despite the danger, she was finally feeling like she was getting to the root of what was going on.
“Our dignity,” McKinny said leaning forward, his voice deadly serious. The answer surprised Tracy.
“You see, Mr Connacher perpetuated a con against Mr. Typhon. He sold him something that doesn’t exist. He sold it to many people. Only instead of delivering, he skipped town. I think you understand why that kind of behavior can not be tolerated Ms. Richards,” McKinny’s eyes looked as cold as death. No, not cold exactly. Steely with determination she realized. He was going to enjoy catching Connacher, enjoy what he was going to do to him. McKinny’s eyes were the color of revenge.
“Perhaps you can help me here,” Tracy asked very carefully. “I’m looking for Geoffrey Stikine, and his family. I don’t know anything about Tim Connacher,” which was only half true. She knew Teddy, but nothing about Tim, or what Teddy had been up to playing Ted.
“Stikine? He’s nothing. Collateral damage as far as I’m concerned,” McKinny waved a bear paw of a hand dismissing him. “Near as I can tell Connacher suckered him too into his little scheme. Connacher doesn’t have two cents to his name, or at least he didn’t have money he could spend, not here on Earth. So he used Stikine to escape the system, and his…. creditors.”
“So Stikine was not involved with you or your organization?” Tracy wanted to confirm what she had just heard.
“Don’t care about him at all, except, we are not the only ones looking for that pleasure cruiser,” McKinny admitted. “We want to find it first.”
“So you made it difficult for the others to follow his path?” Tracy guessed.
McKinny nodded. “At least that was the idea, until you showed up. But now we have secured your aid. A fully licensed insurance investigator with no history of any crimes or anything. I know. We checked. You Ms Richards can go anywhere.”
“And where would you need me to go?” Tracy asked.
“Off planet. You and your girlfriend are going to find that ship.”
“Girl friend?” Tracy tried to act ignorant, something she was very bad at.
At that moment the door swing upon and two men were standing in the hall holding up an unconscious woman. It was Jessica.