"What now" thought Jack as his beeper started going off in his pocket! He knew it was his main source of 'work' but it was still usually irritating with it's timing. As it turned out he was walking by a pay-phone at the time so he stopped. Jack called his machine and heard there were two messages on it so he started with the newest.
"I just saw him" came a ladies voice over the earpiece, "He acted like he didn't know me, I don't know what to do, please help!"
"That will teach me to start with the oldest first" he figured the message was a follow-up to the older one. Turns out he was right "Hi, this is...Mrs. …... White". False name, not a good start Jack thought. "My husband has been gone for a couple days now. He never leaves without telling me, he took nothing with him and there has been no contact with any of our friends. I was given this number by a friend of a friend, he said to tell you it was Russ and I was OK."
Russ Tuit was one of Jack's few friends that knew what he really did for a living. He was a computer hacker that was no longer allowed online (officially) because of a little trouble he got into a few years back. If Russ sent her it was probably OK, but so far it sounded like a pass to Jack.
The message went on, "I wish I had more to tell you, but my husband is always very punctual and communicative with me about everything he does. The only thing I can fing that he did not mention to me was a memo about a meeting with a Mr Sal Roma..."
Jack's mind immediately disregarded the rest of the message...that name, could he be back? The champion of the Adversary! Jack's mouth went dry and he couldn't focus he eyes on anything for a while as his mind struggled to comprehend what he just heard. What are the odds there could be another Sal Roma that has something to do with a prospective client of his? Not good, and that was if you believed in coincidences, which he did not.
Jack restarted the message again to get "Mrs. White's" number and immediately dialed her back.
"Hello"
"Hi, this is Jack. You called me about a case, meet me at a little bar called Julio's in two hours, here is the address..." Jack hung up after he made sure she knew where she was going and realized just how shook-up he was when it hit him they did not even discuss price! Have to fix that later, if he could even begin to put a price on the possibility of facing Rasalom again!
Nestled into his normal corner booth, of his office as Julio referred to it, Jack sat and stared at the door waiting for his prospective client. "How 'bout a beer Meng?" Julio shot out from the bar.
Jack glanced over at him standing under the ever present "Free beer tomorrow" sign and pondered the idea...no, better stay fresh for this one. "Thanks, but no, maybe a coffee?" The coffee sucked here, but it would certainly keep him focused on the problem coming his way.
Just as he completed that thought the door closed behind a lady that was probably quite a looker ten to fifteen years ago. Could hold her own even at this age actually thought Jack as she got closer. She was dressed very professionally in a white dress-suit and clutch to match.
She stopped at the bar and asked for Jack just in time to avoid the usual gruff greeting Julio usually put on for the preppies, kids or up-town people that wandered in for the novelty. "Hang on a second, serving a customer first" He muttered.
"Here is the coffee Meng..."
"Show her back here" interrupted Jack, another sign he was rattled. He always got Julio's impressions and sized people up before revealing who he was. "I need to get myself in line here" he thought.
"hey lady, come over here" Julio uttered as he moved back to the bar.
"Jack? I am Mrs."
"I need a real name if we are going to work together, and it is not White" Jack remarked before she could stumble over another rendition of her name.
"Fair enough, I am Mrs. Gayle Whitton and my husband's name is Clark. I am very worried and I am praying you can help me."
"Mrs. Whitton..."
"Gayle, please."
"OK, Gayle, You said you just saw your husband, if so then why do you need me? Couldn't the police or hospital just pick him up and he would be safe and sound by now?"
"That is what scares me so much. I saw him and I know he saw me, but he acted as if I was not there. I looked into his eyes and they were...well...empty!"
Jack started to wish he did get that beer now. "Gayle, I still have to wonder why you didn't have him picked-up and taken to a hospital or someplace safe."
"That was the other thing that scared me, as I pressed him for an answer a van pulled over next to us and a couple large men guided him into it and drove away. I asked who they were and what they were doing to my husband, but they ignored me. I yelled and waved, but they just drove off. I know I had just called you, but I immediately called back after that happened I was so scared!"
"That is fine, you did the right thing, were there any marks or signs on the car? Any identifying features on the men you may have noticed?"
"No, nothing...wait a minute, there was something. When the men were pushing Clark into the van one of them got his shirt snagged on the door of the van and he had a strange mark on his back."
Jack tensed, he knew what was coming, but had to let her tell him. No feeding information, that tended to taint the truth at times. "Go on, what was it?"
"I really don't know, it looked like a circle with a strange star in it."
"Shit!" Jack's mind started firing away...the Septimus Order! Could this case get any worse? He shoved a card across the table past the now cold coffee he no longer had the stomach for. "Here is my fee, I usually need half up-front, I know I neglected to mention it on the phone before, so I will take you at your word for now."
"No problem, I have almost that much now, I assumed you would work that way" She reached into her clutch and pulled out an envelope. "Here you are."
Jack shoved it into his pocket without counting. That was the least of his worries right now. "OK, you already told me where you saw him and I have a few ideas, so go home and I will be in touch."
