The Extortionists
Carter answered the knock at the door dressed in his usual attire of jeans and an old t-shirt. He swung the door open wide with one hand and ushered Jessica in with the other. “Hey! I was wondering when you’d show up,” he stated, closing the door behind her.
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“Sorry. I was here five minutes ago because I was anxious. But then, I thought I should wait awhile so I didn’t seem overly eager. Was I supposed to be here sooner?”
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Carter pondered the question for a moment. “We never actually set a starting time when we talked the other day, did we? I guess I’m not used to the whole being a boss thing. I usually try to be in,” he said with finger quotes, “by nine. But for the record, I never book meetings until ten or eleven if I can help it.”
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“Sounds good to me.”
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“I’ll give you a key, so you can come and go as you please.”
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“Well, at least your commute is easy,” she said.
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“Yeah, it’s not bad, I guess.” Carter stood silently for a moment, considering what he should do next. Come on, dummy. At least try to act like you know what you’re doing. This is the only person who responded to your ad. You can’t afford to weird her out and lose her on the first day. “There’s a coffee machine and some mugs over there. I’ve got some different flavored pods next to the machine. You’re welcome to bring in any kind you like too, of course.”
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“Thank you,” Jessica replied politely again. Despite her attempts to hide it, Carter could tell she had noticed his awkward manner.
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“The bathroom and kitchen are through here,” he said, leading her down the short hallway. “Make yourself at home. And then this used to be the bedroom.”
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“What is it now?”
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“At the moment it is the everything-that-doesn’t-have-a-place room.”
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Jessica peered through the doorway and casually inspected the room filled with shelves of boxes, bins, and random items. “And where does that door go?”
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“Oh, that just leads to my apartment,” Carter said. “Yeah, I was going to hide it behind a fake bookshelf or something, but I thought, who actually does that, right?”
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“True, but it would still be kind of fun.” Jessica grinned.
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Carter smiled at Jessica’s affirmation of the idea he had attempted to pass off as a fleeting thought. “How was your birthday? Hope you didn’t party too hard.”
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“No, of course not.”
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“That wasn’t a test. I mean, I like a good party as much as the next guy.” Carter stopped and gazed quizzically at the ceiling for a moment. “You know, I’m not sure that’s true. I don’t go to a lot of parties, and when I do, I’m usually looking for the first chance to bail and go home. But hey, if you like to party, go for it!”
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“Good to know,” Jessica laughed. “To tell the truth, I’m not a big party person myself. Last night I just went for a nice supper with my parents and then headed home. I spent most of the night immersed in a hot bath and a good book.”
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“Huh, that sounds like a good evening,” Carter said, then twisted his bottom lip. “Come to think of it, my place doesn’t have a tub and I’m not much of a reader. But it sounds nice for you.”
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“It was, thanks,” Jessica smiled back.
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“Alright.” Carter moved back to the office, then sitting behind the desk and pulling open a drawer. He lifted out a key and passed it across the desktop. “There’s your key. It will get you in the front door. Make yourself at home in the office. We’ll get you your own desk and anything else you need.”
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“Okay.”
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“As you can see, I’m not much of an interior decorator, so if there’s anything you think we should do to spruce up this place, just let me know.”
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“I’ll be sure to do that.”
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“Good. Now, what do you say we get to work?”
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“Sure, what’s on the docket today?”
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“We have an appointment in about an hour and a half with the lady who owns the flower shop down the block,” Carter explained. “In the meantime, why don’t you do some online shopping and see if you can find that desk of yours?” Carter lifted the lid of the laptop sitting on the desk and then spun the screen toward Jessica.
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“What’s the password?”
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“Right now, it is password, but you can change it to whatever you like. Just let me know what you choose.”
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“You’re going to let me pick your password?” Jessica asked, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
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“Of course not. You’re picking your password. I got that for you at Best Buy yesterday. I figured we’d get tired of sharing a computer pretty quick.”
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“Wow, that was super nice of you.”
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“Anything for my favorite employee,” he laughed. “You shop. I’m going to get prepped for the meeting. Find something functional, but don’t blow the bank. Once you’ve got it picked out, let me know and we’ll get it ordered up for you.”
“Got it. Thanks again, Carter.”
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Carter gave her a quick smile and then buried his face in a file sitting on the desk.
* * *
“Good morning, Mrs. Panichuk,” Carter greeted the florist.
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“Good morning, Mr. Everton,” the plump Russian woman said with a friendly, somewhat toothy smile. “Please come in.”
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“Thank you. This is my new associate, Ms. Reynolds.”
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“Nice to meet you, my dear.”
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Mrs. Panichuk led them to the back of the flower shop to a small desk that was reserved for meeting with clients making especially large orders. According to the shop owner, those orders were most commonly for weddings and funerals, the occasional sweet sixteen or anniversary, and every once in a while, a penitent husband who had made an enormous mistake.
“So, Mrs. Panichuk,” Carter began. “Guillermo tells me you’re having a bit of a problem.”
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“Da. Some of those local boys are causing me much troubles.”
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“What kind of trouble?” Carter asked. Jessica sat quietly observing, presumably not wanting to overstep her bounds, or put her foot in her mouth on the first day.
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“They say I must pay them monies to protect my shop. They say if I no pay them, bad things happen. Then they do bad things. Breaking, smashing, knocking over. Khuligans!”
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Carter wasn’t exactly sure what the last word meant, but he assumed it wasn’t good. “How many guys are we talking about?”
“Mostly just two boys. Sometimes there is three.”
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“What do you think will happen if you don’t pay?”
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The faint yellow glow that had surrounded Mrs. Panichuk since they had sat down around the desk now grew into a blazing yellow light. “They will destroy my shop. Burn it to the ground. Maybe they will hurt me first.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “Perhaps worse.”
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She’s terrified, Carter thought, squinting against the light that only he could see. “I would like to help you, Mrs. Panichuk.”
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“Oh, thank you, young man! Thank you! I do not have much monies, but I will pay you what I can.”
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Carter suddenly felt as though he were only marginally better than the punks who were extorting his new client. This is different, he attempted to reassure himself. You’re trying to make an honest living, not taking advantage of an old lady. “I typically charge an hourly rate plus expenses. I can’t say exactly how much that will add up to. It depends on how long it takes to get these guys to leave you alone. Once the job is all done, we will settle our accounts.”
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The sense that Jessica was staring at him momentarily distracted Carter. Without turning to look directly at her, he could not be sure if it was because she was upset that he was taking this poor woman’s money or because she had noticed him inexplicably squinting. Thankfully, his words were quieting Mrs. Panichuk’s fears, and the yellow glow was dimming.
Just in case it wasn’t the squinting, Carter added, “If need be, we can work out some kind of payment plan to give you a little more time.” It was an offer he may have made anyway, but he knew today it was, at least in part, an attempt to make a good impression on his first day as a boss.
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“Thank you, both of you,” Mrs. Panichuk said, on the verge of tears.
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“Do you know when those guys will return?” Carter asked.
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“They said they would come back in ten days.”
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“And when was that?” Jessica blurted out before she could catch herself. She gave her boss an apologetic look.
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“Two days ago, isn’t that right? Carter confirmed with a slight smile at his new employee.
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“Da.”
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“That will work fine. We’ll be ready for them. When they come, offer them some money. Maybe a hundred bucks. Tell them you will give them more next week. Hopefully, that’s enough to pacify them for now.”
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“But they will take my money,” the confused shop owner objected.
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“Yes, but we will get it back.”
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“How?” Jessica asked, cupping her hand over her mouth a split second too late.
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“My associate and I,” he said, throwing Jessica an amused look, “will watch from some place nearby. When they leave, I want you to put a vase full of white roses in the front window. That will tell us that the ones who just left are the guys we’re looking for.”
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“I see,” Mrs. Panichuk said.
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“We will follow them and find out exactly who they are. Then we will politely ask them to stop harassing you.”
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“But what if they will not listen to you?”
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“Then we will ask again… less politely.”
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“Alright,” Mrs. Panichuk said. Her voice quivered slightly and Carter couldn’t help but notice her fidgeting hands. “I will do all the things you say.”
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“Excellent. Now I have one more thing I need to tell you,” Carter said, pulling out two business cards. “This is my card,” handing her a card which read Everton Investigations. “If you need anything, you can call me at this number right here.”
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“Okay. Thank you.”
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“And this is my other card,” he said, handing her a business card for Jack of All Trades Handyman Services. “What was your mother’s maiden name?”
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Jessica saw the confused look on the woman’s face. “Your mother’s family name before she was married.”
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“Oh, Janovsky.”
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“Very good,” Carter nodded. “If you need to get in touch with me, but you are worried someone is watching you or listening in, call the number on this card. Ask to make an appointment with Mr. Janovsky.”
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“I do not understand.”
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“Anyone who overhears you will assume you’re hiring a handyman for some kind of odd job. The name Mr. Janovsky will tell me it is you who is calling and that we need to set up a discrete meeting.”
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“And no one else will be any the wiser,” Jessica beamed, excited to have learned her first P.I. secret.
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“Exactly.”
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“Okay. I will do,” Mrs. Panichuk said.
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“Good, we will see you next Wednesday.”
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“Goodbye, Mrs. Panichuk,” Jessica said with a warm smile. “Don’t worry, it’s all going to be okay.”
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“Thank you. Thank you both.”
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The pair stepped out of the flower shop, but not before Mrs. Panichuk had persuaded Jessica to take a small bouquet of daisies with her. “What a nice lady,” she stated with a grin.
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“Yes, she seems that way.”
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“You think she’s not?”
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“No, it’s not that. I’m sure she’s perfectly lovely. I just meant I’ve only met her this once, so it’s hard to say for sure based on a single meeting.”
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“Wait, you’ve never met her before?” Jessica scrunched up her brow as though she were solving a riddle. “You live like a block away and you’ve never been in her store?”
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“I don’t buy a lot of flowers. I guess I never really had a reason to.”
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“Well, now you do,” Jessica chuckled. “These are going to liven up that drab office of yours. And once they die, you can go fetch us some more.”
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“Oh, can I?” he said in mock offense. “That sounds more like associate work than boss work.”
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“Fine, I’ll buy the flowers if you pay for them,” Jessica playfully said.
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“Deal.”
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“So, do you always do that thing with the fake business card?” Jessica asked. It was clear she was eager to learn more tricks of the trade.
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“Yeah. Have done for a long time,” Carter said as he booked an Uber. “Nine times out of ten you don’t need it, but if you ever do, it is invaluable. You could set up your own dummy business too eventually, just in case.”
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“Is the phone number on both cards the same?”
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“No. They have to be different. You don’t want someone rifling through your client’s wallet or purse and realizing the fake card has your real number on it. However, all calls made to Jack of All Trades get forwarded to my cell number, but with a different ring tone.”
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“And why the mother’s maiden name?”
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“First, because most guys don’t have a maiden name,” he said with a grin. “Neither do single ladies like yourself, I assume, and it’s just simpler to do the same thing for everyone.”
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“Who says I’m single?” she objected.
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“You’re not wearing a ring and you spent your birthday with your parents and alone in a tub, so I just assumed…” Carter floundered.
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“Relax. I’m just giving you a hard time.”
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“Oh, good,” he replied, quietly exhaling.
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“What’s the second reason?”
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“Social Media.”
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“Huh?”
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“82.5 percent of married women use both their married and maiden names in their social media handles. You know, like Potter Parry, Start Rehman, or Reilly Sinclair.”
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“82.5 percent? Really?” Jessica asked, sounding a little surprised.
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“I don’t know,” Carter said flippantly. “Seems like it. Anyway, it makes it far too likely for someone eavesdropping to make the connection.”
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“There’s one thing I still don’t understand.”
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“The car should be here in three minutes,” he mused, glancing impatiently at his phone. “What don’t you understand?”
“Even if someone calls and sets up an appointment on the down low, how do you actually meet with them? I mean, if they’re being watched, you’ll get spotted the second you show up.”
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“Absolutely. That’s why I rarely show up.” Carter let Jessica dangle for a moment, then explained, “I typically send someone else. Usually someone from a temp agency who looks a lot more like a legit handyman than I do. I even have a prop tool belt in the everything-that-doesn’t-have-a-place room.” He paused, contemplating how much ribbing was appropriate on the first day. She seems like she can handle it, he decided. “After all, I look kind of… average.”
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She flushed slightly but seemed to enjoy the jab. “Right. Do you prep the temp on what to say?”
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“No, I give them a little earwig so I can hear the conversation and tell them what to say to the client.”
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“That’s all very cloak and dagger of you!”
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Carter lifted his arm across his face and gave her shifty eyes for a few seconds before lowering his arm again. “Like I said, you rarely need such drastic measures, but if you ever do, you’ll be so glad you have them in place.”
* * *
“So, what do you think?” Carter asked as Jessica walked into the office the next morning. Her new desk, which had been delivered the previous evening, was assembled and positioned to half face his desk and half face the window. Carter had shifted his desk over to do the same. The vase of daisies Mrs. Panichuk had given her yesterday sat atop the desk, bathing in the early morning sunlight.
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“Wow! How long did that take you?”
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“Far longer than it should have, I’m embarrassed to say. All the instructions were in Swedish.”
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“Guess you should have had one of your handyman temps come do it for you,” Jessica said with a grin. “Well, I appreciate it.” She sat down in the chair and swiveled back and forth a couple of times.
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“Don’t get too comfy,” Carter instructed. “We’ve got an appointment to get to as soon as I grab a thermos full of coffee. You want one too? I have several extras.”
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“Sure, and I brought some new coffee too.”
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“What kind?”
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“Pumpkin Spice.”
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“Oh, you’re one of those people,” Carter said as he headed down the hallway.
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“If you mean friendly, likable people, then yes, I’m totally one of those people,” Jessica called after him.
A few minutes later, Carter returned with two small thermoses. “Here you go,” he said, handing the green thermos to Jessica.
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“Thanks.” She smiled and walked over to the coffee machine. “Hey, I had a couple of questions about yesterday.”
Please don’t let it be the squinting thing. “I noticed you were awfully quiet. If I knew you better, I might even say uncharacteristically quiet.”
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“I think you know me well enough. It wasn’t for lack of things to say. I just figured I shouldn’t blab too much on the first day.”
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“I admire your restraint,” Carter chuckled. “However, now that you’ve been here for two days, I think it’s safe to remove the muzzle a bit. If you feel you have something really useful to contribute, be sure to speak up. Just remember, sometimes I steer the conversation in a certain direction for a reason.”
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“Got it. Helpful comments welcomed. Questions about procedure saved until we’re on our own,” Jessica grinned as she screwed the cap onto her thermos. “It’s all yours.”
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“Thanks.”
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“So, question number one,” she began tentatively. “Why did you tell Mrs. Panichuk to pay those guys when they show up again? I mean, I get that we’re going to tail them from the flower shop, but does she have to hand over her money?”
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“The money isn’t for our benefit, it’s for hers,” Carter said, as he finished filling his thermos.
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“I don’t understand.”
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“We’re going to follow the goons when they leave no matter what. The only question is how much hassle they’re going to give her while they’re there. If she gives them a little cash, they are far less likely to do anything too rash. They might demand she have more to give them next time they come around, but they’ll want her to feel like the payoff is worth it, so odds are they’ll play nice.”
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“But if she doesn’t pay, they’ll take their fee out on her shop instead.”
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“Or worse, on her.”
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“Hmm, a hundred bucks doesn’t seem like a terrible price to spare her from that.”
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“That’s exactly what they’re counting on,” Carter said grimly as he closed his thermos. “What’s question number two?”
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“Where are we going?”
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“New client,” Carter stated as they left the office.
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“Do you usually take on more than one case at a time?”
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“Sometimes. It depends on how much attention they will require.”
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“How do you mean?”
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“Well, there’s not much for us to do on the flower shop case until next week, so we have some time to kill. If all goes well, we’ll be able to wrap this one up before we even get to that one.”
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“And what is this one?” she asked as they stepped out of the building and headed up the street.
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“The manager down at the Shop N Save says there’s something fishy going on.”
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“Something fishy? Like what?”
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“Someone keeps coming in and stealing the seafood,” Carter replied with a proud grin.
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“Oh, you’re one of those people,” Jessica said, returning his jab from earlier. A nervous expression swept over her face, as if she was suddenly worried that her second day was too soon to give her boss a snarky response.
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“Relax,” Carter said, noticing both the expression and the bright flash of yellow. “I don’t mind a good wisecrack now and then.”
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“And I don’t mind a lame pun now and then either,” Jessica said with a smile.
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Hmm, this might actually work out, Carter thought, glancing over at his new associate with a grin. But I wouldn’t count on it.
