Dead Air

By

RettaMichaels

Disclaimer:

If your laws do not allow you to read this story, then don't. All the rest of you people who read it, if you think it's true, boy, have I investment opportunities for you!

Chapter 2

The first time I called Chance, I didn't know what to expect. He sounded like hell and said he had went home from meeting me to get his things and move out.

It turned out his little brother knew someone from the restaurant where he'd worked and that person 'outed' him. His brother couldn't wait apparently, to tell his dad. So, when Chance got home, hell went into session and it took Chance throwing death blows to get the man off him. The man apparently turned on Chance's mom and that's when Lance got there. He said Lance knows martial arts and beat the father off the mother and then, had to withhold an attack from the brother who had a baseball bat.

Chance ended up in the hospital and was found to have a ripped tongue. Now, I'll tell you that for someone's tongue to be ripped from impact of fighting, that had to be some awful heavy blows He had to go to the hospital, but signed himself out. I'm still unclear as to why he checked himself out, but he says it was because he wanted to be with his mom which I can understand.

During our conversation, I discovered he wanted a relationship just as much as me. He was completely receptive about us building things. The more we spoke, the more I really thought I'd do what I had proposed to him about moving to their town and retiring there.

He said the cost of living there and houses were cheap. I did some quick internet searches for real estate sales in the area and did find homes going from anywhere between ten thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

For that matter, custom built homes brand new were going for three hundred and twenty nine. In D.C., where I rented, houses were going for a quarter of a million for a dump...basicly for about two hundred and forty thousand more than in Missouri..

One real estate office described their pricing as retirement pricing and I sure agreed. The grocery pricing was what really caught my eye. Here in D.C., prices of hamburger were floating anywhere between five and six dollars a pound. There, they were a dollar seventy nine. Turkey burger, which I used a lot of in my diet in D.C., was almost three fifty. There, it was ninety nine cents a pound.

I could go on and on, but as you could see, I could choose to retire in D.C., where I could eek out a living. Or, I could go there to retire and not have a problem at all. Everywhere I turned, I was getting the same answer. I needed to go to the Midwest.

On Monday, Sling and I snuck away to go to Quincy, to speak with the Mayor. When we got there, the terminal manager was shitting all over himself trying to not catch our rile. I smiled at him and said, “Sir, You're only under sanctions. If you don't mind, we need a ride to your City Hall to speak with you Mayor.”

“Does he know you're coming?”

“No, I figure he'll either make time to see us, or we'll be throwing some federal charges at him”

“What for?”

“My paperwork shows he was the person that hired that girl and never bothered to let her know there was our section in her hiring manual.”

“Is that who hired her? I never got an answer. I imagine I wouldn't if it was the Mayor who'd hired her.”

“Well, she got federal charges for her actions the other night”

“I knew you guys were upset.”

“Yeah, slightly, her actions threatened the lives of my whole crew and that plane. I was willing to overlook the part of not knowing Section Five of her manual, but I won't overlook her blatant disregard for safety in telling us to land that plane on a slick runway.”

“Yeah, I specifically told her I needed to put de-icer on that runway before you could land.”

“I understand. Your tapes reflected that. They also reflected she repeated she understood the directive and t hen immediately turned around and gave us clearance to land. I'll tell you now, that plane had been threatened before, but it was always our choice...never anyone else's willful conduct. For that, she got charges.

Now, you got sanctions. You know how serious those are. For me to think your Mayor doesn't get sanctioned because he's no longer in that position of authority is nonsense...especially since he's in a position of power over this airport.”

We drove down to the City Hall and as soon as we went in, I saw the Mayor entering his office. His dossier I had seen and his photos clearly showed he'd stopped using the Grecian formula.

Gene, the Airport Manager led us over to the Mayor's secretary. She said he'd just entered a meeting with the Building Commissioner and would be a while. I flashed my badge and said, “Ma'am, this is a federal matter, please ask him to make it brief.”

She looked surprised and I said, “Gene, what time does your office close out there?”

“Usually five pm, why?”

“We need to go to see Lance, could it be possible to rent a vehicle locally?”

“You can use my vehicle. Since my Maintenance Director is no longer employed, I can use his vehicle tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“That man in there is the one that would say it's a conflict of interest and I'm willing to bet he finds you two can use it!” he chuckled.

“You don't need to stay if you don't wish.”

“No...No...I'd prefer to get an answer on my request for who I think needs the Maintenance Director's position.”

“You can give it to me and instead of him approving it, he'll be told to approve it.”

“Ok, just don't get me fired.”

“You've got a secure position. It that man in there thinks he can go above my head to get you fired, then he's got enough yank to get anyone in the country fired....which I doubt.”

He nodded and said, “You must answer to someone really high up!”

“The President”

“Wow! They must think a lot of this program.”

“It's a multi national priority. Congress gave us funding forever.”

“Man, that must be nice not having to answer to anyone.”

“We do. We have to answer to the President.” I smiled.

“Yeah, but he doesn't have to approve your funding and you don't have to really follow much of a budget, do you?”

“No, not really, that plane of ours needed new engines after the other night and partly is that girl's fault, and the other part is that storm. Four engines aren't cheap and just the same, we go through about twelve of them a year.”

“Man!”

“Yeah,”

The secretary said, “He'll see you now sir.”

Sling stood back and when I got to the door, I motioned for him to come in.”

The Mayor came over and shook our hands and said, “How may I help you? And, who might I ask are you?”

“My name is Captain Jim Crane and this gent here is Dick. He's my pilot. I'm with the United States Air Force technically, but you don't need to know our squadron. We're here about the incidents the other night out at the airport.”

“I heard there were some issues the other night. I can safely assure you I've got that matter secured.”

“Oh, how is that sir?”

“We have that girl fired. And I've got a whole new staff going in out there.”

“Oh really? I was just speaking with the Terminal Manager and he said he's submitted the name of someone but you hadn't gotten to him.”

“That's probably because he's due to be replaced too.”

“Oh, well, that might be a problem sir.”

“I assure you it's no problem.”

“Well sir, it will be a problem. See, I'm the one that's in charge of your airport out there receiving it's government funding and I'll be the one you'll ultimately have to go through to get approval for any hires and I assure you Sir, he's only to be censured, he's not to be terminated.”

“I believe I know what I need for my staffing needs, sir.”

“I don't think you do sir.”

“And, how can you sit there and tell me how I can run my city?”

“Sir, the moment your city took a bit of federal funding, and entered into that contract, your city handed over it's ultimate decisions to us.”

He looked pissed and his eyes looked dangerous. “I believe, I'll have to contact my Chief of Police and have him come to arrest you.”

“Do that sir, and the moment you touch that phone, I'll be on my cell phone after arresting you for Federal Conspiracy charges. Now, I've been nice and I've attempted to not come in here leveling charges at you, but the first one will be dereliction of duty for when you hired that girl out there.”

“I assure you sir, I did not hire that girl!” He smiled.

“Then, sir, why is it your name is all over the forms They say you scheduled the interview. You interviewed her. Then, you hired her. Your name is on the training statements, and they're again on the statements which state you gave her all the manuals for her job. She states you did not, and that's a matter of record. Now, if you state you didn't hire her, I'd really be interested in arresting you and doing an investigation as to why you falsified all these documents.”

He looked surprised and said, “So, I'm either to take a dereliction of duty charge, or take falsification of documents charge?”

“That's about it. Of course, one means you stay in office, and the other means you'll be up on so many federal charges, your city is going to have to terminate you. I'll tell you now, IF you were in your old position, you would already be terminated. What I'm asking for now are charges because you are in more of an influential position with our contract.”

“I believe the city won't be renewing that contract.”

“Sir, are you as stupid as you sound? Or, do you stay up at night to attempt to think of ways to piss me off? Why don't you get your city's attorney on the line and ask him how fast you can bring that contract up for renewal and ask him what should happen if I am not satisfied with the performance of this city with that contract? Now, let me tell you the answer to the renewal question since I wrote that contract. It states the contract is a ninety nine year contract. It states we are the renewer of the contract. If we choose to renew the contract with you. If we don't, then, we take over that airport out there and that's exactly what happens if we find you in default for performance issues. I'll tell you now, sir, your actions are pushing me so close into throwing your city into default, I'm a cunthair away from getting up and walking out. When I do, SIR, believe me, a padlock gets slapped on that terminal and your air clearance privileges for American Eagle airlines will be over. When that happens, the default portion of their contract goes into effect and the city has to pay them ten thousand dollars for every flight they can't land. That contract sir, is not over for another five years. If I was American Eagle, I'd suddenly start saying I was planning on making your city a hub for regional air so I could get you for every penny I could. Now, do you continue to piss me off, or do you shut the hell up keep my handcuffs in my pocket?”

“Well, it seems you call the shots. My guess is we could suddenly stop maintaining the streets to the airport and putting any money into funding for the airport.”

I turned to Sling and said, “Call the media and let them know we're going to be having a press conference as soon as I get this man arrested.”

I stood up and said, “Sir, if you will please stand and turn around facing away from me with your hands behind your back and your thumbs facing inward, I'll come around there and cuff you up.”

“I will do no such thing! Who's your boss? I'll speak to him and have your job!”

“Sir, my direct superior is the President of these United States. He'll probably accept the call and be in a quandry of who to contact first. I'll assure you one of the first three phone calls he'll make will be the FBI who will get orders to come arrest you on a national security charge. Then, when I inform him of how many laws I think you've violated, he'll have a whole team down here doing damage control. Now, you've lost your airport as far as I'm concerned, and you've lost your freedom. That implied threat of going to my supervisor will be a one way ticket to Leavenworth.”

“All over that incident the other night?”

“Well that, and the failure to have a new Maintenance Director hired, and threatening your Terminal Manager's position for personal gain on your part, as far as I can see, and for hindering an investigation. Don't worry sir, I'll find charges. You had the option of taking the lighter charge or the taking the maximum I could throw at you. I'll tell you now, the street leading up to the airport is a federal highway. You, sir, obviously think I'm pretty dumb, or you've never actually been to your airport.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Sir, I want you to sit down, shut up, and take the charges that will keep your butt in office. Then, once you do that, I want you to appoint who that manager wants as a Maintenance Director. Then, I want you to never ever think of that airport as a pawn for anyone's personal gain again. That manager if he has any harassment from you, will have my phone number. If I receive a call from him stating you so much as insinuated you weren't going to do something favorable for that airport, you will have military aircraft flying over it turning any and all flights away. Then, sir, just as fast as I can get Sling over there to fly me here, I'll be in here or your home arresting you for charges that won't go away. Consider this your warning. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Here are your charges. I'm not even going to attempt to tell you there's enough evidence to make those stick. You know my evidence and if you want to state you didn't hire her, then so be it. I'll throw charges for falsification. When I do, I'll be in here taking that airport sir. You are acting in your city's best interest and if you violate that trust, I'll yank that airport and put it under federal orders for it to be locked down. My plane lands either way.”

“What's so important about your plane?”

“That sir is confidential. If you attempt to do an investigation to discover and you cause my client any undo harm, I'll be back throwing more charges at you. He's probably going to be seeking clearance for a federal morgue here and my suggestion to you sir, is to stand, smile, and promote the hell out of it. It's going to be worth about fifteen hundred dollars for each and every body he lands in here.”

“How much of an income is that?”

“If he gets the contract for it to be the sole morgue in the country, then it will be two planes landing and taking off every day. That's roughly about two hundred thousand dollars a day for your city coming in off that airport. But, then again, I'm sure you'll find a way of fucking it up.”

“Oh trust me! I'll promote the hell out of it! I had no clue.”

“Yeah, I didn't think you did. Now, see the streets out there are maintained better and get him that man's name approved.”

He nodded and said, “What do I do about these charges?”

“Sir, what's going to come about those charges is you'll be fined. The fine will probably be ten thousand dollars. It's steep enough for you to know better the next time.

Her actions nearly had a major incident out there and it's all because you never gave her the portion of her manual she needed. I imagine her lawyer is going to call you in to testify on her behalf. My suggestion is to fall and play mercy to the court for being that ignorant. I don't know why you didn't give her that manual, but be thankful you're Mayor now, and not in your old position. You're elected now, but you'd been fired if I were in here speaking with you on that level.”

I got up and Sling said, “What do you want me to tell the news?”

“Tell them the Mayor is going to be making a major announcement about a possible expansion out at the airport and sir...” I looked at the Mayor “Don't even begin to think about mentioning who it is, or what it is. Just mention an air service who already does business with the airport is proposing a major expansion and you're going to need about a hundred thousand dollars for equipment.”

“Will I?”

“Can't you always use it out there?” I gave him a look like, “Dumb fuck, I'm giving you a rope to get dollars and good will and you're too stupid to realize it.”

“Well, yeah.”

“That's all the further your political patronage goes out there. That man's job and everyone else's remains in his control.”

“Ok, anything else?”

“Yeah, grease the wheels for the man who's building that morgue to get his paperwork approved. From what I've seen, this city is notorious for requiring a license for everything. I'm amazed you even have a business in this town.”

“They do that because it used to be a notorious city with a lot of graft and corruption.”

“Imagine that.”

“No, I mean worse than what it is now.”

“Hard to believe. Well, you have a good day and just do Lance that favor and he'll appreciate it.”

“You ought to come down here and find yourself a place to live.”

“I have an idea I'll be moving about twenty miles down the road. I've met someone down there.”

“Oh, what's her name?”

“It's too early to tell. We've just begun conversations. That's where we're headed next. I'm wanting to show Sling here how cheap things are. He can't believe what I've told him.”

“He'll be amazed. Here's a copy of our newspaper. If you're referring to Lance Green, he's got another high profile funeral tomorrow and a visitation tonight.”

He showed me the obituary and as soon as I saw the photo, I said, “I'll be damned. Sling, would you look at that!”

Sling looked over and said, “What am I looking at?”

“That old girl there is the one that was dating that one fellow that had that medal. Her and her twin sister.”

The Mayor was standing there and said, “None of us realized she was a twin or her twin was a local businessman's wife who had passed away until this obituary.”

“Secrets come out when there's no one left to protect.” I looked at him and said, “She protected something I don't think she even had a clue of what she had.”

He looked at me and said, “Hmmm....She was really respected.”

“True. Now, she's dead. How'd she die.”

“A vehicular accident.”

“A lot of bad wrecks happening around here.”

“Yeah, that's two within a week.”

He opened another paper and showed the accident scene. As soon as he I saw the photo, I recognized the photo of Lance and Ty carrying the body of someone from the scene with some other individuals.”

I looked at the Mayor and said, “Can I have these?”

“Sure.”

I shook his hand and said, “Well, we're going to be going down there to pay our respects. You have a nice evening.”

“Give me a call if you need anything?”

“Will do. Once again, remember what we discussed.”

He nodded and we went out to the parking lot. The official vehicle of the airport was a White Ford Crown Victoria which probably had seen it's beginning as a Police car for the city. It rode good and when Sling saw I was driving, he said, “Let us arrive there in one piece. Ok?”

“Sure. Where do you want to eat?”

“Let's go down there and get your fella and then ask him where he wants to eat. That would be best as long as it's not fast food.”

“Ok.”

I noted the gasoline tank was full and said, “The map shows two ways. The way on the Illinois side is two lane and the Missouri side is four.”

“Which is quicker?”

“It's quicker on the Illinois.”

“Then go that way and drive safe. This isn't either one of us' vehicle.”

We went down the Illinois side and as soon as we got to the area around the Interstate, the fit and finish of the area suddenly improved.

Sling chuckled and said, “Maybe it's just me, but did we just leave the 1920's for the here and now.”

“I was thinking the same thing. You can sure tell where the federal money kicked in.”

“It's like night and day. Maybe we're just used to things being nicer since D.C, is all federal dollars?”

“Maybe, but it's nice now.

We crossed the bridge into Hannibal, Missouri. We'd no sooner gotten off the bridge when the whole hillside to our left depicted a mural in gravel of the town's noted former resident. Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain..noted author of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

The exit is a bit tricky as it's an uphill grade and the off ramp is blind. It looks like it's going flat and the hill goes on up over the overpass. I had to yank the wheel to make the off ramp.

“Damn Reap, I told you to keep us alive!”

“I've never seen an off ramp like this in my life. This one sucks. I bet they have a grave yard full just from this monster.”

“It sure took you by surprise.”

“The speed is what sneaks up on you. You think you're following the speed limit, so you're safe, but that optical illusion is what gets you.”

“I knew you'd fall for it. Pilots have a bit of a problem with it. It's not the road. It's that hill there and the angles all flowing together. It's so different from what that flat plain is over on the other side of the river, it startles you. But, if you think about how it is out in Colorado in the rockies, you'll see it's an optical illusion.”

“Well, it nearly had us off in that ditch.”

“Yeah, let's go the other way home tonight.”

“What if we want to stay tonight?”

“Then find us a good motel and I'll agree.”

“Ok, Well, the map says this road here is going to go around a corner and turn into Highway 79. Jeez, it sure did. What a town. It's full of surprises. Go around a corner and wind up right in the middle of tourist-ville and have a major highway go right through it all. I wonder how many pedestrians get hit here each year?”

“If you're going to live here, you'll get used to it.”

“I'm not knocking it, but man, that was a surprise.”

“Well, it says Lances funeral home is up here on a side street. There's the street. Hang on.”

“Man, you're going to get us arrested for sure driving like that. Settle down so you can see your boy without handcuff's on.”

“Oh, hush up. Haven't you ever been excited before?”

“Yeah, lots of times. Each time, I think about living afterwards.”

“Then do that now.” I said sliding into a parking spot. “We're here.”

“Where?”

“See that building down there on the corner?”

“Yeah, that big nice mansion.”

“That's Lance's funeral home and by the way, it's all custom built within the past three or four years.”

We got out and I wanted to jog. “Come on!”

“Man, how do you know he's even here?”

“He told me he had no plans on Saturday.”

“Maybe his plans changed.”

“IF they did, I'm coming after you for jinxing me.”

He came over and said, “I'm not dressed for a funeral visitation.”

“Neither am I...Oh, there he is. He's here!”

“Where?”

“He's the one opening that car door for that lady, can't you see him?”

“No, but who the hell is that?”

“I don't know. He's not in any of the background checks I did, but he's a looker alright.”

We walked up and Chance turned around. As soon as he saw me, he smiled and said, “What are you doing here!”

“I didn't know if you'd recognize me.”

“Not recognize you! Man! Your face is etched inside my eyelids. Each time I close my eyes, I see you in your uniform, but now, I can see you in a different outfit! Who's this?”

“This is Sling.”

“Your pilot!”

“Yeah.”

“Oh man! I finally get to shake the hand of the man that did that maneuver the other night. I know Ty's going to want to meet you.”

I leaned forward and said, “Who's that over there. He's interested in him.”

“Oh that's Jake. He's straight, but isn't he a hottie!”

Jake hearing his name came over and said, “Who you have over here Chance?”

“This is Jim, my boyfriend, and that guy there is Slingblade, but I don't know his real name.”

“Dick. Dick Logan.”

Jake smiled and said, “Glad to meet you guys.”

“Glad to meet you Jake.”

“They thought you were pretty hot looking Jake. See what you get for changing your look?”

“You guys thought I was hot!”

“Yeah, kinda, but since you're straight, that fantasy's gone.”

“Oh, then you'll need to meet my brother. He's the gay one.”

“Who's your brother?” Sling asked.

“Mark Jacobs. He's back up at Harvard, but he was here this last weekend. He's probably got a boyfriend, but I think his boyfriend is set on someone else.”

Sling smiled, and said, “If he looks like you, he's going to be a babe. That's for sure.”

“No, he's way better. Me, I'm a dog compared to him.” Jake said blushing.

“You have no idea how good you look then” said Sling.

“Guys, let's break it up, I've seen several people going in and having to open the door themselves.”

Jake smiled and said, “Sorry, Chance, go take a break and spend some time with him.”

We went in and as soon as we went in, I felt like I instantly gone into another world. The rotunda's ceiling had to be twenty feet tall. It's walls were in an oval shape and in the center was a huge crystal candelabra chandelier that had to cost a fortune. I don't know how big that thing was in diameter, but everywhere one looked there were prism effects from the quality of crystal it was made.

The tile on the floor was a beautiful marble. The tiles were bigger than twenty four inches square, they had to be thirty. In between each tile was a gold bead. I don't know how much he'd spent on this room, but man, it knocked your socks off as soon as you entered it.

Chance smiled and said, “You've never been here before?!”

“No, but man, this room is awesome.”

“The whole place is like this. Lance thought of all the details and you'll be blown away by them all. Let's go this way since the line is long.”

We went towards the hallway and then, he took us up the stairway. The wood in the stairway was a wood I'd never seen before. I don't know what wood it was, but it's color matched the marbling in the marble as did all the wood going up the stairwell.”

“Remind me to ask Lance what kind of wood this is. This is awesome.”

“Go over and knock your knuckles on it and you'll see.”

“What do you mean?”

“Go try it and you'll be blown away.”

I went over and knocked my knuckles. Sling did too and as soon as I rapped my knuckles on it, I said, “Concrete!”

“Yeah, he painted this thing sixteen times before he had it right. Now, he's got that color made up especially in case it ever has to be painted again.”

“So none of this is wood?”

“No, that over there is plaster. The stair treads look like marble, but they're wood. He's got bowling alley sealer on them and they won't ever look bad the way he's got it sealed.”

The stained glass windows was awesome. It was a picture of Christ knocking at the door. The realism and detail were amazing.”

“I'd tell you to knock on it, but I'll save you the time. It's not real glass. It's plastic that he did himself.”

“How'd he get that look?”

“Have you ever heard of a product called Shrinky Dink?”

“Yeah, I had them when I was a kid.”

“Well, he contacted the manufacturer and asked them for industrial sized sheets. Then, he did each panel up so it was perfect. Just wait because you're going to be amazed in a moment at all the details he's throwing at you.”

Sling whispered to me, “He's a fucking perfectionist. That window there would be a million dollar window if it were real.”

“That room down there probably cost him that much. That's real marble on that floor. I can tell the way my heels clicked on it. It's like the Capital rotunda. The marble looks the same.”

“That chandelier. Man, that had to cost him a fortune.”

“We'll ask, but I'd be afraid of what it cost.”

We got upstairs and Chance turned us left. “Over here is the Gallery. Everyone doesn't like this room, but I love it.”

We went in and as soon as I entered, I took a look at the carpet and the wood work and the fireplace and thought of the smoking room at the Waldorf Astoria.

When I was a kid, my dad would go there on Sunday afternoons to meet my mom's father. My maternal grandfather would visit with me and then, he'd pay my dad support for me to live with my dad. The smells in that room weren't like the Waldorf, but I sort of expected to find the dining room located where it was at the Waldorf.

When we crossed over to the lounge, I took a look at Sling and said, “He's taken rooms from every famous hotel and he's used them in this place. This is that little room you love out there in Denver at that hotel.”

Sling smiled and said, “Yeah, it's a bit bigger, and the one out there doesn't have those soda fountains, or drink dispensers, but it's the same.”

Chance said, “Guys, whatever you do, go see the rest room, and while you're looking, I'll get the coast cleared so you can see the womens.”

“What's so fantas......Oh jeez, Sling, look at this bathroom. Man oh man!”

Sling said, “We've got to tell the fellas about this. This is the shit!”

“Look at that. That's real marble.”

“No, I think it's that Corian stuff, but it sure looks like black marble doesn't it.”

“Lance has some taste. This place if it were an engine, I'd say it was a sixteen cylinder Rolls Royce. A Pratt & Whitney wouldn't even touch this.”

Chance smiled and said, “The whole place is like this and he's going to build another one over in Quincy that's going to house that morgue and a crematorial parlor.”

“Did you tell him about us possibly making the arrangements to get him the exclusive?”

“Yeah, he's trying to figure out a way to get the cold space. You should see all the options he's thought of.”

“Tell him it doesn't have to be fancy. Oh well, what am I thinking? We're here, I can tell him. Come over here though for a moment, I'd like to give you a hug.”

Chance came over and gave me a hug, he said, “Mom, I'd like for you to meet Jim.”

I turned around and there stood Mrs. Brewer in a maid's uniform. “Mrs Brewer, it's so nice to....”

“Jim, Please don't all me Mrs. Brewer. I've gotten remarried and I'm now Mrs. Truman.”

“Mrs. Truman?”

“Yeah, I married Mitch Truman. His wife just passed away last week as did my husband. We were introduced and it just clicked for us. On Saturday, we took off to Las Vegas and had a nice weekend wedding.”

“Well, Congradulations!”

“Yeah, I'm not really working here. They've just had a busy time of it, so I offered to help where I could.” she smiled.

“Just the same, I realize you've had a time of it and now I'm understanding you're going to be having a nice time of it.”

“Let's hope.”

“No, Mrs. Truman, in my job, I've got information at my fingertips....databases of information...when I was doing the background checks on Chance, I saw a lot. The information was to the point I was telling myself the wrong ones got hooked up with the wrong ones. Now, to hear the right ones finally got hooked up, well.....it's great.”

She smiled and said, “I'm glad you can see that. I think Chance got hooked up with someone that's great too.”

“Let's hope.”

“You say that like you genuinely DO hope. Let me tell you, that boy over there has clung to you like a life raft.”

“Well, for some inexplicable reason, I'm drawn to him too.”

Sling said, “He's got that women's rest room open for us.”

We went in and what I saw was incredible. The toilets were GOLD! Now tell me how many women wouldn't want to come sit on one? I'm a guy and I had to. Chance laughed and he said, “I don't know how many guys all have done the same thing. They see it and they've got to sit on them”

“IT's heated!”

“Those lights in the ceiling are infrared light bulbs. The heat radiates down and heats them, but get this...” He flushed the toilet and said, “Feel the edge.”

I felt it and said, “How'd he do that”

“He piped the hot water to flush it. He said the cold made the metal too cold.”

“Man, he thought of everything.”

“Yeah, and then, some. The security in this place is way better than most banks. I could show you some things downstairs, but not right now. What I do want to show you is out here.”

He led us out and kissed his mom. I smiled as she came over and gave me kisses too. She said, “Don't make a stranger of yourself.”

“Oh, I won't. I think we're going to stay over tonight so I can look for a place.”

“Have Chance take you by some of the places he's scouted. It will save you time.”

“Ok”

I turned to Chance and he said, “Well, I did kind of hope.”

“No, I'm glad. That tells me your heart is in the right place.”

Sling said, “Chance, the other night right after meeting you, this man began talking about settling down. Until then, he hadn't said one word about actively being interested in retiring. Now, it's like it's all he can talk about. That, and you. So, to hear you're seeking to make a future too, I'm going to tell you now, IF I didn't like you, I'd be telling him to watch his back. NOW, I can tell him he's a lucky son-of-a-bitch and mean it from my heart. I just wish I was as lucky.”

Chance smiled and went over and hugged Sling. “Thanks Sling. What we're going to do, is we're going to find you someone. I've got a good idea you'll really like Mark. Mark is Jake's brother. The problem there is he's just beginning a law career.”

“That's ok. I'm not planning on retiring out so early. My hope is to eventually pilot Air Force One.”

“Well, he'd love that. And let me tell you now, if you and Mark get together, you're going to be one lucky son of a bitch. That guy is GQ model material rolled up in Abercrombie. My advice is to get him and get his heart, because the one that has it now, although he's my cousin, doesn't have it the way it should be.”

“What do you mean?”

“He likes older men. He sees one, he suddenly is all hormones and no sense. He'd be working here tonight, but Lance had to let him have the night off due to hormones and a gaggle of older preachers downstairs.”

“He that bad?”

“I love him, but he's worse than a whore at a nudists convention.”

“What's Lance going to do?”

“Well, fortunately for Lance, there's someone down at the city that's taken just as much of a liking to him as he has to him. Hopefully, they'll make the hook up.”

“And when they do, that will leave Mark out in the cold.”

“Yeah, which sucks because Mark needs someone really bad.”

“When's he going to come home again?”

“Most likely, it will be Easter. I think Ty and Gregg are looking into purchasing a jet, but I'm not sure.”

Sling said, “They need to look into leasing. The only way I'd purchase a jet now would be to haul passengers because the amount of outlay versus the repay of one is really tilted.”

“They've got one in mind that's a Russian business jet. The air frames are put out by Boeing.”

Sling looked at me and said, “Sukhoi”

I said, “What?”

“The Russian Company is Sukhoi, No one is giving them consideration, but as you see, their speed of filling a market is what's going to have them seriously in contention in a few years.”

“They good?”

“Basicly, It's a Boeing plane with the world's top engineering. Boeing is taking lessons from them. What's good about them is they have an order to fill time of like two months. Boeing is filling their orders in like four years. Lear fills their orders in like one to two. When you have one that's filling them in a matter of months, then you're really going to have the market of buyers paying attention. The plus side of it is if I were starting an airline right now, I'd be doing it with those planes because they're affordable, efficient, and reliable.”

“Man, it sounds like you've looked into this.”

“Yeah, I saw one in D.C., and liked the looks of it. So, when I got home, I looked it up on Wikipedia and then, their website. If they're looking for one of those, I'd say go for it because they can get one of those versus a Lear for a lot less AND, they'll get a whole lot more plane.”

“You'll have to show me that plane on the web when we get back to the hotel room.”

“You're staying!”

“Yeah, we've not gotten a room yet, but we wanted to come by and see if you wanted to go eat and then, we could look at some places and then, we could get a room.”

He looked at me and smiled and then asked shyly, “Is Sling sleeping in the same room?”

“Yeah, I'm afraid nothing fresh tonight. I'll come back next week when I've got time off.”

“Ok” he looked downcrest.

Sling smiled and said, “Maybe for a Snickers candy bar, I can go to the motel's swimming pool for an hour or so.”

“For that, I'll buy you a family sized box!” Chance giggled.

He took us down in the elevator and then into the basement. “Down here is the embalming room and the morgue. The reason I'm showing you this is because I want you to see the safety features he's got put in for things. Notice, if you will that door locks. Then, there's this door to get into the embalming room. Back there is another door which locks which gets you into the morgue area.”

Lance came down and said, “Hi guys! I sure didn't know you were in town. This isn't a surprise inspection, is it?”

“No, we had to come lay down some federal charges on that incident the other night. And, since we were in the area, we figured we'd come down and visit Chance.”

“Oh,” Lance said looking down, “Chance is working and this is the biggest visitation I've ever had.” He paused and said, “Chance, go before I change my mind.” Lance then paused and said, “It won't happen for every time you come to visit. I have a business to run and he's an employee.”

“I understand. It wasn't right of me to impose. He can stay here if he wants and then afterwards, he can come to our hotel room.”

Lance smiled and said, “No, let him go. If he knows you're here and can't be with you, he'll hold it against me and I won't get a bit of performance from him. I really wish you'd forewarned me.”

“I do want to visit with you and Ty too.”

“That's not going to be possible until tomorrow night. We have this funeral tomorrow and then have to be back here for preps of another.”

“Did anyone think to do a toxicology on the bodies for that funeral up there?”

“No, why?”

“It's something in the back of my mind. I can't tell you, but that woman is Chance's biological aunt. I can tell you that because any search in any database could find that information. What I can't tell you is

there's some information to which I'm privy that has me questioning some things.”

“I wish I could help you more, but his body was brought here directly from the scene as he was dead then. The Coroner ruled and that's all it basicly takes for me to receive it. Her body probably has a lot more information as she was taken to the hospital and there'd be a lot of test results you could get there.”

“No, the test results wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know it she was tampered with there.”

“Oh, so you suspect foul play?”

“I can't say yes, and I can't say no. What I am saying is there's a piece of information which Sling here knows too that is leading me to think she was a part without her knowing.”

“Really!”

“Yeah.”

Sling said, “Go ahead and tell him boss. Another set of eyes isn't going to hurt. Chance isn't going to spill the beans and neither is Lance.”

“Ok, but you can't tell another soul.”

Lance said, “I can't do that. Anything I'm a part of, I'll have to tell Ty. If I'm in danger and he can't know, then that's stupid.”

“Ok, you can tell Ty, but no one else.”

“Ok”

“Chance, your aunt and you mom dated a guy by the name of Daniel Joseph Scott. You might recognize the name because your real name is Daniel Joe, and your brother's name is Daniel Joseph. Now, your cousin up there in that chapel is named Daniel Joseph too. A whole lot of the same names for two women if you ask me.

In my data base for doing background checks, I can pull up information about anyone and if there's dna, I can see it and cross correlate as to who's related, and who isn't. The government doesn't use it for anything sinister, I don't believe, but I think the potential is there for them to test one drop of blood at a crime scene and pull up a whole family by that dna match.”

Chance said, “Ok, so you could tell I was adopted and you could tell who my real mom is?”

“Yeah, your mom upstairs isn't your blood mom.”

“No, but she raised me, so she's my mom and if you can't respect that, then we don't have a relationship.”

“No, I'm not saying that Chance. Give me a chance here!”

“Ok, but as long as you know that.” He looked irritated.

“I know that. Now listen to me because we're wasting Lance's time.”

“Ok”

“Your mom and your aunt up there dated the same fella. One of his photos with them from a prom has him wearing a medal that was only given to five individuals. He was wearing it in one photo, but in the next, he wasn't. We don't know the significance of that, but we do know it wasn't given out by the usual forms of military, but the secret service and it was something to do with them protecting something at the Vatican.”

Lance said, “What'd the medal look like. I've buried a lot of people with medals.”

“It's doubtful if you've ever seen it before since only five people ever received it.”

“Well, I'll tell you now, we're burying that woman up there with military medals like you wouldn't believe. So, trust me if that medal is endangering anything, I want to know.”

“Oh, I didn't know that. Why's she being buried with the medals?”

“I don't know, we were told it was something to do with some past military experience she had.”

“She had military experience? It wasn't in her dossier!”

“That's what we were told.”

I looked at Sling and said, “There were five medals. If three went to him, her, and her, then, who'd the other two go to?”

“I don't know, but if she wasn't listed as military and her sister wasn't listed as military, and they had medals, and we've been told it was a super top secret operation, then I'd say there's probably another guard out there or two.”

I looked at Lance and Chance and said, “Here's the description of the medal. If it's up there, I'd like to get a few photos of it. I want to know where it was made, and everything I can about it.”

I gave Lance the medal and said, “That's it.”

Lance said, “It's there. The reason I know is because that was going to be the logo of our funeral home. We were wanting the flower vans to be painted with that and the crest to be on everything.”

“Crest. I hadn't thought of it being a crest. Has anyone did a search of any family Crest's on the internet?”

Lance shook his head no and said, “I don't believe Ty has, I'll have to ask him.”

“Tell him if he hasn't, then don't. I'm thinking me doing a search in this database I was that might have gotten that woman killed up there.”

“She wasn't killed. It was a car accident.”

“How do you know? Were you there?”

“I saw the scene and saw the truck.”

“And was there anything there that didn't make sense?”

“Yeah, she had on her seat belt and was driving and yet, she was squeezed up through the sunroof whereas her husband was killed at the scene.”

“Sort of strange, isn't it?”

“Yeah, considering she had enough cognizance to ask for my funeral home by name when they took her and then, she died in the hospital.”

“What were her injuries.”

“Ruptured spleen.”

“Oh, a Princess Diana death. Looks normal enough to make decisions, but dies a mysterious death in the hospital.”

“No, she was dead alright. I embalmed her.”

“I'm not saying she wasn't. I'm saying the list of suspicious activities keeps getting more and here here.”

“Yeah, that much is true.”

Sling asked a question and said, “Excuse me for a second, I need to get back onto the medal. You said you and Ty were going to use this as your logo. Did you come up with it, or did Ty?”

“I came up with using both our names for the funeral home, but Ty was the one that thought of the shield. We were wearing our night outfit which looks very military and he said he thought it'd look good with a crest on our upper left chest like over our hearts.”

“And he used the identical colors and description as what we told you?”

“Yeah.”

Sling looked perplexed and said, “Either it's eerie, or he's seen that crest and not known it. It popped into his mind at that moment.”

Lance said, “We could ask him” He turned and said, “Why don't you guys come up to my office?” He turned to Chance and said, “You haven't shown them that yet, have you?”

“No, I hadn't shown them the chapel or your office. But everything else is shown.”

“Ok.”

“If you don't mind Lance, I'd like to see your Escalade up close.”

“Ok, we've got another one since the last time we saw each other. It's nearly identical to the one we had, and don't be surprised if the garage really looks full. We got some really good deals on vehicles.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we spent seventy five grand on eleven limos, flower truck, and Chance's Escalade.”

“Chance has an Escalade now?”

“Yeah, the one we got, we got for him. Ty has a new one ordered for him.”

“Can he drive it?”

“You'll have to ask him. They're licensed and insured, but sure, I have no issues with it. But, if you're using a parking spot out there, I'd ask you pull your car into the garage to open up a parking spot for a guest.”

“Ok”

Lance took us up the steps and then into the office. When we reached the office, Chance got behind the desk and began moving an ink pen holder. He was looking at something and then, he pulled up a monitor in what I thought was a photo frame above a fireplace. He said, “That guy there is little Mark.”

Sling said, “Man, oh man, that kid's a looker. I thought his brother was hot, but my God.”

“Yeah, Mark's a hottie, but if you ask him, he'll tell you he thinks everyone else is and he's not. He's not about the looks.”

“Man, his dad there is just like him though. That kid's got genes.”

“Yeah, that's his dad Mark Sr., his mom, Joan, Jake, and then, that's Gregg, Ty's brother, and Heather, Gregg's fiance. You know Ty, Lance, me, mom, and that's Ty's dad and my step dad.”

“Yeah, that make's you Ty's step brother now, doesn't it?”

“Yeah, I'm happy about that. Ty and I have been close and then, we weren't, and now he's back to being my friend.” The way he said it told me there were some issues, but his eyes said they were resolved.

Ty came in and said, “Man! I'm glad to see you! He's been pestering the hell out of us about whether, or not, you're serious, but now we can tell him you are.”

Ty smiled and I said, “Good to see you too!”

He chuckled and said, “Well...well...well, I finally get to shake hands with Sling. Dude, you guys need to lighten up a bit on that plane so I could have shook your hands. The job you did flying the other night was awesome. I'm just glad I get to finally meet you.”

“Good to meet you to!” smiled Sling. From the way he smiled, I knew Sling had a hard on for Ty.

Ty looked at the monitor and said, “Your showing them family photos?”

“Yeah, Sling thought Jake was a hottie, so I told him about Mark.”

“Mark's supposed to be with Len.”

“After yesterday, I think Len's going to be going for Pete. So, rather than have Mark broken hearted, I thought we'd play match maker.”

Ty nodded and said, “Sling, Mark's a good guy. He's a lawyer, and he's insecure when it comes to guys. He wants to be told