Chapter 4

He drank his beer and stared at the TV in his room. He had watched the local news religiously since he had gotten out of the clinic. He was not on the news. He was not a missing person, and this only added to the mystery. Who was he? And why didn't anybody give a damn?

His job had gotten better. He had been promoted to driver. That meant more pay, better hours, a uniform, and best of all; he didn't have to load his own truck. His shoulder would now really have a chance to heal, and he could have life without pain.

He had been able to pay his rent. But that money had come along in an unexpected way. He had hustled pool. There was a bar/pool hall just a block from his motel, and he found it, by accident, checking out the neighborhood. He walked in, picked up a cue and became Sterling the Shark. He was the best pool player in the neighborhood. Another talent he had had no idea he possessed.

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"Hey, Snake Eyes why don't you sign up?" Harding, one of the dock workers said. They were all standing around the bulletin board at work, looking at the sign for the company picnic and entertainment wanted poster.

"That's a good idea you had there, Chris. Jay, here, has a great voice." Tony Barone. Another freight loader said to Neal. He leaned in. "It pays pretty good, too. We've all heard you singing when you thought nobody was around."

Neal shook his head. He liked to sing. But he had had no idea anybody had heard him.

"Look," Chris stated. "…it's not a big deal or anything. The company just likes to have entertainment at these things. They say it promotes unity or some such crap as that. Truth is…they just don't want to pay professional entertainers the big bucks. So they give the company employees a few hundred dollars to show off their talent. If they're any good, that is."

"I'm not auditioning…." Neal said, stepping back and putting his hands up.

"It's nothing like that…you show up and do your thing. If they like it, you'll see a few hundred dollar increase in your next paycheck." Chris explained.

Neal nodded and smiled. He would consider it. He definitely liked the sound of a few hundred dollars extra in his check.

"I'm not sure I'm going to be there." Neal replied.

"Oh, you want to be there. The company goes all out, has the thing catered and everything. The food is great, the booze is even better." Barone stated.

Neal considered it. "It sounds pretty good. I'll be there."

Tony and Chris nodded. "Great, you won't regret it. See ya Saturday, Jay." Chris said as he and Tony left the building.

Neal nodded. He headed back to his truck to park it. He then walked the two blocks home.

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"Jay." His supervisor called him into the office and handed him an envelope addressed to Burke Premier Events. "This is who's catering our picnic Saturday. The shop is on your route. Just make sure it's signed for. I'd prefer that Ms. Burke, Elizabeth, sign for it. But any of her employees will do."

Neal nodded. He stuck the envelope under his arm and exited the office. He got into his truck and looked at the name and the street. Neither meant anything to him. An hour later he walked into El's shop. He smiled at two young women, an young African-American woman and a pretty blond. He mentioned El's name and was told she was out. He told the two young women he really needed to deliver the envelope to her personally after they offered to take it and sign for it. After waiting about 10 minutes, Neal decided to leave. If he didn't, he would be behind on his other deliveries. The blond signed and took the envelope. She then laid it on El's desk.

"He was gorgeous. I've never seen a man that…he was just…" Shelly, the blonde woman, shook her head.

"Uh, huh. I think, just for him, I could take some cream in my coffee." Jasmine, the African-American woman, stated. "Those eyes…amazing."

El arrived as she heard the two of them talking. She figured out the topic of the conversation quickly. "So…who is this 'hunk of man' we're talking about?"

The girls looked at each other and then fell silent.

"Oh, come on." El pleaded. "I love listening to your dating stories, so spill."

"It's not a guy we're dating." Shelly started.

"It was the delivery guy…" Jasmine replied. "…he brought you an envelope. It's on your desk."

"He was tall, and had the bluest eyes I've ever seen." Shelly continued. "…absolutely gorgeous."

El looked at both women for just a moment. She then shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Shelly asked.

El shook her head again. "It's nothing…just…we have that big event Saturday."

Shelly and Jasmine nodded and got back to work. El went back to her office. She opened the envelope. It contained the balance of what Allied Parcel Service owed her for catering their company picnic this coming Saturday. She prepared the check for deposit and then went back to her other duties. But her mind kept drifting back to Shelly's and Jasmine's description of the delivery driver.

El had her doubts, but she had made up her mind. There was one thing that would answer her questions once and for all. She grabbed her purse and the envelope from the delivery driver and headed off to the federal building. She called Peter to let him know that she was on her way.

TBC