Chapter Twenty Eight
Peter
We split up to get the job done quicker, I didn't trust Dr fucking Cullen, he could kill off the last witnesses at any time and we needed answers. Charlotte would go to Simmons widow, see if he'd left any paperwork at the house. It was a long shot but we were short on possibilities and had to try every avenue. In the meantime I went to his offices where his partner still carried out business. It was a slightly run down building and their offices were on the third floor. The business was still called North and Simmons, he hadn't bothered to have his late partners name taken off the brass plaque or the frosted glass door. I had rung and made an appointment so when I opened the door the young girl behind reception smiled pleasantly and called me by name,
"Mr Whitlock. Mr North will see you in a moment, if you'd take a seat."
I nodded and sat down picking up a glossy magazine from a coffee table in the centre of the waiting area but listening for any voices. Mr North was on the phone to a client, he'd done some work on a civil case and was tying up loose ends. When he put the phone down I hear the buzzer go and the receptionist ushered me in to his office. Mr North was a short, fat, balding, guy who stood up behind his desk and shook hands introducing himself.
"So Mr Whitlock, how can I help you?"
"I'm not sure you can. I used your partner Mr Simmons some years ago for a custody case and I wondered if he'd left any paperwork here in the office on his death. I only heard about it recently and I really don't want the papers to fall into the wrong hands, it was a rather delicate matter."
"I see. Well I'm afraid most of his closed cases were disposed of after his death or passed on to new lawyers if clients took their work elsewhere. If you could give me a name I could have Miss Evans take a look."
"Thank you. The name is Harris, Mr and Mrs Harris of Little Rock. Their contact was a Mr or Dr Cullen."
He smiled, the names weren't ringing alarm bells with him.
"Just a moment."
He rang through to the receptionist who was sent to look in the files for me.
"Of course if the paperwork does still exist I couldn't just hand it to you."
"Of course. I just wanted to know if it exists and perhaps have a quick look at it...for a consideration of course. I understand your time is valuable."
His eyes narrowed but he wasn't making enough money to turn down a bribe outright. We sat in silence until the phone went again. He listened murmuring into the receiver then looked at me with a greedy smile,
"Miss Evans had found a letter regarding the case you were interested in, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to allow you to see it but as you will appreciate I must charge you for my time."
"Of course, would $500 dollars be enough to cover it?"
His eyes bulged and he nodded,
"That would be perfect Mr Whitlock."
I passed over the crisp new $100 dollar bills and he folded them putting them into his pocket as Miss Evans brought the thin manilla folder in and set it on the desk in front of him. He slid it over to me and I picked it up opening it to reveal a letter written to Simmons by someone signing themselves Mr London.
Payments to Mr Harris will cease from the child's 12th birthday and he is to be instructed to burn all correspondence between yourselves. He is however to continue to send a photograph of the child and a short report once a year to the usual address. I enclose the final payment and enough to cover your expenses.
C. London.
I nodded and pushed it back across the desk to him,
"Did you ever meet Mr Harris or Mr London?"
"No, they weren't my clients."
"Do you know anything about Mr London?"
"Only that he was rich and never met with my partner in person. All business was conducted by telephone or letter. Only once did he meet a representative and that was a man called...Becker I think."
"Thank you for your help."
As I left I thought we'd just linked Leo Becker to Bella and a Mr London but had no idea who this Mr London was but I'd bet my best hat that he was Carlisle Cullen.
I rang The Major and left a message on his voice mail before meeting up with Charlotte,
"So, what's our Mr Becker doing?"
"Same as always, working the phones but he's getting very agitated, his associates don't seem too eager to look for Bella, rumours have started to come in that she's being protected by some rather dangerous bodyguards. He's been trying to get someone for the last half hour but they're busy."
"Well if he's got a few minutes spare lets introduce ourselves."
We decided on a covert approach and used the fire escape which led to his office window, climbing in while he was out shouting at his secretary. When he came back in he started and would have run but I grabbed his arm and put a finger to my lips.
"Make a sound and I'll rip your fucking arm off."
I yanked it hard just to make my point and he cried out in pain but my other hand was already over his mouth and the secretary in the next room didn't hear him.
"Right, sit down and maker yourself comfortable then we'll have a friendly little chat."
He sat down rubbing the arm I had just let go of and I perched on the edge of his desk forcing him to look up at me.
"Who are you?"
"Now see, that's not the way it works Leo. You don't mind if I call you Leo do you? Of course you don't. It's very simple, I ask the questions and you answer them. Then when I've finished you get to keep breathing...possibly. Understood?"
He nodded, his eyes wide with fear and his heart going so fast I thought he might be headed for a coronary.
"Leo, we know you are trying to trace a young lady by the name of Bella Swan/Harris and you aren't having much luck are you?"
I waited until he nodded then smiled and continued,
"What do you know about this girl?"
"Nothing, just that she's a nuisance."
"A nuisance? Well I guess that's a polite way of putting it. Who is employing you?"
He hesitated and I grabbed the front of his shirt,
"One reminder, that's all you get before I start removing body parts. I ask the questions, you give me the answers. Got it now?"
He nodded again, his face going red until I let go of the collar then he took a few deep breaths.
"Who is employing you?"
"Mr London."
"There see, much less painful. Why?"
"Why?"
"Yes, why does he want the girl dead?"
"I don't know, I just get orders not explanations."
"I see, so you have no idea why you've killed Mr and Mrs Harris, Simmons, and a truck driver among others?"
"No, I just follow orders."
"Is it Mr London you are trying to contact so urgently?"
"How did yo..."
He stopped seeing my face,
"I need to tell him I found out that her father, I mean real father, has been spotted in Phoenix, at her mothers house. We've had it under surveillance for some time."
His phone buzzed then and I picked it up,
"Mr Becker there's a Mr London on the phone for you,"
Handing the receiver to Becker I motioned for him to answer but not mention my presence.
"Hello Mr London. Did you get my message?"
"He's at the house in Phoenix?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes as far as we can tell."
"I want them both killed, now."
"It will take some time to set that up."
"Now. You've got men there watching, aren't they armed?"
"Well yes but.."
"Do it."
Mr London rang off and I took the phone from his shaking hand,
"Well, well, he gets you to do his dirty work for him. I want you to call your men off now."
I handed him back the receiver and he dialled a number.
"Surveillance stops now. Pull back."
"You sure Mr Becker?"
"Just go. Your job is over."
He put the phone down and looked at me,
"I've done what you asked."
"Good boy"
I patted his cheek a little too hard and he winced,
"Now can I trust you not to report to Mr London as soon as we leave?"
"Yes of course. I won't tell him anything."
"Ah, if only that were true Leo but you see I don't trust you and even more worrying I don't like your line of work. I think its way past fucking time you retired."
He didn't even see it coming when I snapped his neck and carried him over to the window,
"Char ring The Major, warn him there might be a couple of unwanted loiterers around at Bella's mums."
As she passed the message on I rested Leo against the window watching as his body sagged against the sill. When she had finished we leapt from the window and watched from a dark alley as Leo's body slipped out the window and bounced against the metal fire escape before plummeting to the ground below.
"Pest control job over, let's get the fuck out of here."
