Regnad Kcin- Private Eye... The Case of the Erstwhile Accountant- Part XI

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What had I done, I thought as I stood in the ornate bathroom shaving. I looked in the mirror and the guy looking back should never attract a woman like Elnora Pimpledick... I was pushing fifty with thinning hair, I drank and smoked too much and it showed. I figured it must be the protection thing, she felt more secure, protected with me around. Oh well, it was a role I had played before and this would probably not be the last time. I looked into the bedroom where the still slumbering Elnora lay on her side, a little smile on her face.

My mind went back to our lovemaking the night before... like two hungry, desperate creatures cling to one another for dear life- searching the other for sustenance. I heard her stir, sensing I wasn't there and she got up and came into the bathroom. Her body was incredible for a woman in her forties, fit and sleek. She came behind me and put her arms around me kissing my shoulders and neck.

"Good morning," she said squeezing my buttcheek gently. After grabbing a silk robe from a hook, she slipped it on and said: "I'll get us some coffee." With that she departed. Neither one of us wanted to talk about what had happened and I guess it was better that way... sometimes things just are what they are. I had no idea where this would go- I'd just play it by ear. There was something else nagging at me this morning... that black detective that had been so rude to Elnora. You just didn't treat rich people like that without a lot of backup and I was curious as to exactly where his was coming from. I called Manny Salinas and told him of the encounter.

"His name is Dexter McKinley," Manny told me, "nickname Blackie, he gave it to himself. He's from Chicago and get this... he reports directly to The Weasel."

The Weasel was Capt. Leroy Cummings- also from Chicago, and he brought the Chicago style of corruption along with him. If it was dirty, he was into it... rumors in the force were that he had the goods on everyone and he was blackmailing them all. If a city councilman was gay, The Weasel knew. If some judge had a kid with a drug problem, The Weasel knew and made them pay, one way or another. In The Weasel's world, everybody paid- it was the best kept secret in the LAPD. This shed a different light on things... and not for the better. Cummings had his eye on the Chief's position and planned to blackmail and bully his way into the job. Manny said he'd check the warrant for the Pimpledick search and get back to me. I thanked him and hung up... sooner or later, I had a feeling, "Blackie" would show up here.

Elnora returned with two steaming mugs of joe. I told her what I had learned from Manny. Her first reaction was to file a complaint with the department, but I convinced her to hold off, at least until I heard back from Manny. This guy was dangerous, but so too was I, and between the two of us, I was the more determined... I wouldn't let anything happen to Elnora, or Flora. I was becoming fairly certain it was McKinley that was behind the bombing at Flora's place.

It didn't take Manny more than 15 minutes to call back and inform me that no search warrant for the Pimpledick properties has been issued by any judge in LA County... Blackie's search had been totally illegal.

Flora stuck her head inside the door. "Good morning lovebirds," she smiled. Elnora and I looked at one another in embarrassment.

"You could hear?" I asked.

"They could hear you in El Segundo," Flora replied with a laugh. "It's ok, you're grown... I'm happy for you. You've needed someone for quite a while boss, I was beginning to worry."

"What's on the agenda for today"" I asked trying to change the subject.

"I'm meeting Otto at the office," she replied, "He thinks he's figured out part of the code."

"Take my car," I told her, "Elnora and I will meet you there later."

"Are you serious?" she asked a shocked expression on her face. "You never let anyone drive your car."

I had a dual purpose in letting her take the ZX- first I had a sneaking suspicion that Blackie McKinley, having found nothing at the Pimpledick offices, would tail my car to work. Elnora and I would trail behind in Elnora's Bentley and watch, then double back to the offices before returning to the house in Thousand Oaks to see if we could catch him performing another warrantless search. If he was at Elnora's without a warrant, I had him by the short and curlies, Weasel Cummings or not.

We left to let Elnora get dressed and I sent Flora away in my beloved ZX: "Be careful," I cautioned her.

She replied with a huge grin followed by squealing tires as she exited the driveway. Elnora had joined me and we followed behind in the Bentley after giving anyone following time to get into place. My hunch was right, he picked her up on the 23 Freeway and followed her onto the 101. I called her to tell her she had a tail and to be careful, then phoned Manny to get her some backup. Then Elnora and I took the exit that would take us to the Wiltshire Blvd. offices. When we got there I pulled the yellow plastic crime-scene tape down so we could enter.

They had given the place a good going over, telling me that they hadn't found what they were looking for. "What a mess," Elnora exclaimed as she stood surveying the damage. Furniture was overturned, couches slashed. File cabinets were open and records strewn all over the floor. Elnora slouched into a chair dejectedly.

I knelt in front of her taking her hands. "Look," I said, "you're in charge now and there are people depending on you... on the company to get their accounting done. You need to call the office manager and get her down here. We need to get this cleaned up and back to business as usual."

Janet Hitchcock was the office manager... she was relieved to hear from someone. She recounted to Elnora how the cops had shown up and directed everyone out of the building. Janet assured Elnora that she would call the other employees who were anxious to return to work. Elnora instructed her to tell them that there was a bonus coming for everyone who helped get things going again.

After making sure that Flora was safely at the office and Otto was there to look after her I called Mike Patterson of the LAPD Bomb Squad. We has a little time to kill while waiting for Janet and the others so I thought I'd put to good use.

"Hey Mike," I greeted him, "what if I wanted to sabotage someone's car... officially off the record of course."

"Anybody I know?" He queried.

"Maybe," I replied. "I don't want anything lethal. Just a lot of smoke and then their car quits."

"What's up?" He asked. "Does this have anything to with what I took out of your car?"

"Yeah," I told him. "Plus I've got somebody tailing me and my employee... the same someone I'm convinced put that bomb in her apartment."

"Someone on the force," he ventured, "so it is someone I know."

"Yeah," I said deciding to let it all out, "Blackie McKinley."

"Oh shit," was the reply, "in that case it would be my privilege. You sure you don't want something a little stronger?"

"No Mike," I returned with a grin. "I don't want to involve you in any murders... at least not for now."

"Consider it done," he told me confidently. "Just keep your eyes in the rearview." He laughed and hung up.

Janet Hitchcock showed up as did several of the other women. "I didn't know what to do after Mr. Philip was killed, she said. "Are we in any danger?"

"No," I assured her, "I doubt it. Those cops were looking for something specific- something I doubt any of you would be aware of."

Elnora stepped up admirably. "You'll have to call someone to haul this trashed furniture away and order some more," she told the office manager. "And have the girls start to put those records back in order- we have people counting on us to have their accounting done. Do you know how to take care of the inputs and everything?"

"Yes Ma'am," said Janet, "we do most of the work anyway, so it won't be a problem."

"Anything you need, you call me," Elnora told her, "and thank you all for coming so soon. If the police show up again, don't let them in without calling me or Mr. Kcin, do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am. The last time they just barged in and forced everyone out," Janet said.

With that out of the way, Elnora and I headed for Thousand Oaks, I wanted to check the house before going downtown to check out what Otto had found. On the way, I called Kevin Lucchese, a Vietnam Vet I used from time to time... I had a job for him. Kevin was as tough as they come even though he was pushing 70 there was no one I'd rather have backing me up in a fight- he had been a sniper in Nam and was deadly accurate with any number of weapons. I told Elnora I wanted him on board, to watch the house when we weren't there, or to provide security in any number of scenarios I could foresee coming up. He readily agreed and headed immediately to the address in Thousand Oaks.

I have to admit I was enjoying driving around in Elnora's Bentley convertible... and I was also becoming rather fond of the way Elnora sat close to me while we drove anywhere. She would hold my right arm with both hands and put her head on my shoulder, it was nice and despite all of my rules and reservations I was beginning to like her too.

We had no longer pulled into the long circular drive when I heard the sound of a motorcycle... a Harley with a sidecar pulled in and a gigantic black dog ran across the lawn and launched himself at me. After knocking me down he began licking my face, while Elnora watched in shock.

"I see you still have Vito," I laughed rubbing the dog's ears.

"Always," said the man who leapt off the Harley. He was short but powerfully built. By his looks you could never tell he was almost 70, he looked no more than his mid fifties. His hair was streaked with silver, but his features were smooth. I got to my feet and we shook hands.

"Elnora," I said, "meet Kevin."

"Hello, Kevin," she said, trying to look like she met people like him every day. "Welcome to my home."

I gave Kevin a brief rundown of what was going on and what to look put for... particularly in regards to Blackie McKinley. I would fill him in later about the rest, at the moment I wanted to get downtown to my office. Elnora insisted upon coming with me, I think she was still a little intimidated by Kevin, so I agreed.

"Make yourself at home," she told Kevin not taking her eyes off of Vito who had decided to introduce himself to her.

"Oh Reg," she said practically climbing me.

"It's ok," I told her scratching Vito's ears. "Here, give it a try, he's really nice to people he likes."

"What if he doesn't like me?" She asked nervously reaching out toward the dog. He licked her fingers and nuzzled up to her.

"See," I said, "he likes you."

She knelt down and let him lick her face. "Hello, good boy," she said, "I think he likes me."

"More than that," I told her, "he'd give his life to keep you safe... so would Kevin and I."

She looked up gratefully, still petting the dog. "Thank you... thank you all."

With that out of the way, Elnora and I headed downtown after telling Kevin to help himself to whatever was in the kitchen. We'd have to do some shopping on the way home.