The Favor
Chapter 3
...
The private investigator shot dark looks his way as he spoke with officers, and Deeks smiled at him every time. He could tell it annoyed him, which is why he kept doing it. The cops had separated them for questioning, which was fine with him, but Price looked anxious and irritated by their interrogation. The three assailants had been escorted out earlier, with one complaining that his gun had been stolen, which is what the cops were asking Price about. Deeks thought about ratting him out, but finding Kai was his top priority and he didn't want him arrested, at least not yet. He still needed additional information the man might have discovered that wasn't in the files he'd already given him. He was surprised Price continued to lie about having the weapon. Why keep it, and why lie about taking it? It didn't make sense. It left him with questions of his own about the real reason those three men had come to his office. Deeks was doubting his original explanation, and guessing the man was suspicious of him as well. Price didn't seem the trusting sort, but then again, neither was he.
"I'm not letting you search me or this office without a warrant," Price said loudly. "Those three attacked me and threatened my secretary. They're lowlife punks and liars and I intend to file charges."
"And I'm a witness," Deeks said. "I'm also a lawyer, so unless you intend to arrest him for something, I think you've got three bad guys who need to be processed for assault. Why don't you call it a day and let him get some medical attention? They pistol-whipped him, remember?"
The cops grumbled among themselves, but eventually moved toward the door after instructing Price not to leave the city.
"Nice seeing you again, Deeks," one of the officers stopped to say. "Heard you made another career change."
"No choice, Tony."
"Yeah...some of us think you got screwed."
"They tried, but I managed to land on my feet," Deeks replied. "Why don't you come by the Squid and Dagger for a drink on the house?"
"Sounds good. I'll bring some of the guys," Tony said.
"No girls?" Jasper Price asked.
"Oh, they'll be a few of those," Tony said. "They want to meet Deeks' wife...see who nailed him down."
"Is she cute?" Price quipped, finally smiling at Deeks.
"You're on your own with this guy, Deeks," Tony said, giving him a warning look. "I got paperwork to file."
Once the room cleared, Deeks turned to confront Price. "Stealing a piece of evidence and lying about it to the police is a crime. So is trying to hack my juvenile records."
"Just curious about you, friend," he replied.
"Friend? That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?" Deeks said. "If you want to know something about me, just ask. I may answer the question or I may not. I came here to talk about a fifteen-year-old runaway. I save your ass, and you decide to go digging into my background?"
"It's what I do," Price said nonchalantly. "Besides, I didn't get very far. But you already know that."
"Just a good friend watching my back."
"Is he or she hacking me now?"
"No, but he is checking you out. Turnabout being fair play and all," Deeks said pleasantly. "Look, I don't know what just happened here or why, but I'm pretty sure you lied about the reason those guys got physical. The thing is, I don't care. I'm just doing my superior a favor and trying to locate a kid. We can work together to do that, or I can take what you've already given me and never see you again, which is sounding better and better."
"You seemed sensitive about your juvenile record. It made me want to know why," Price said. "I don't like working with people who keep secrets."
"Isn't that what you do?"
"Touché, again," he said, with a quick grin. "Guess we all have secrets we want to keep that way. I'll give you that."
"Awesome."
"But I do have one question," Price said. "Why didn't you tell them I took the gun?"
"Good question. Why didn't you?" Deeks asked.
"I asked you first."
"I don't work for LAPD anymore."
"Fired?"
"Phased out my job and me with it."
"So, payback then?"
"No, just not my job. Not my case. Kai Webber is."
"Okay. Something you should know," Price said as he walked back into his office. "Harry thinks his son Ralph is still in Corpus Christi, but he isn't. He's here, and offering me more money than Harry to find his stepson."
"Did you accept?"
"Maybe I did and maybe I didn't. Does it make any difference?"
"It probably will to Harry Mayne."
"But why do you care?"
"Because it's dishonest, and because I used to be that kid and want to find him," Deeks breathed out, fighting to control his anger.
"So you were a juvenile delinquent," the man said triumphantly.
"Wrong. And that's all I'm going to say. You have a nice life, Jasper," Deeks said, and walked out of his office.
"Don't you want Ralph Mayne's cell number?"
That stopped him, and made him even angrier than he already was. He turned back to face him, and the man looked very pleased with himself. In that instant Deeks felt a deep dislike for the man. Something was missing behind his smug exterior. He was manipulative, yet charming when he wanted to be. He was the type that worked every angle, used every advantage without worrying about the consequences for anyone but himself. He had found his true calling.
Deeks held out his hand for the note Price offered. "You don't give a shit about this kid, do you?"
"Let's just say, you're a hell of a lot more likely to find him than I am. Sand makes me sneeze."
"Then why'd you take the job?"
"Harry Mayne knows my father," he replied, his expression hardening. "I don't say no to my father."
"You know, don't you?" Deeks said.
"Know what?"
"That Ralph Mayne is abusing his stepson."
"I've shared all I'm going to, Agent Deeks. Now show yourself out."
Jasper Price turned and went back into his office, shutting the door behind him. Deeks understood now. Kai brought back too many memories for the man, and he didn't want to face any of them.
...
His phone buzzed as soon as he got in his truck, but he didn't pick up. He needed time to process what had just happened. He now wished he had told the cops that Jasper Price had taken his assailant's weapon. Maybe being arrested along with the three men who attacked him would knock some of the arrogance out of him. Or not. Whatever reason he had for taking the gun, it wasn't a good one. He'd worked with an unscrupulous partner at LAPD, and knew cops who kept a throw down weapon to use in case they were involved in a bad shoot. And this guy sure as hell wasn't trustworthy on any account. Trying to stay out of Price's mess now left him feeling guilty. When his cell buzzed again, he answered, his anger expressed in his voice.
"What?"
"Somebody kick your dog or something?" Admiral Kilbride asked.
"What can I do for you today, Admiral?"
"Sounds like you could use a drink, Agent Deeks," he replied. "Meet me at Gladstone's on Pacific Coast Highway. Harry and I are having lunch. They actually have lobster rolls that are fairly decent. Not as good as Mason's in Annapolis, but damn good for the West Coast. Hopefully a beer and some food will calm you down enough to tell me what or who's got you so pissed off."
"Did you know Harry's son is in town?"
"Ralph? Who told you that?"
"Harry's PI, Jasper Price," Deeks replied. "Are you telling me Harry doesn't know?"
"He didn't say anything when he called about lunch."
"So this lunch is his idea?"
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"
"I'm wondering about a lot of things," Deeks said as he headed for the coast. "Ralph hired Price too."
"Well that puts a kink in things."
"Yeah, you can say that. He has no intention of looking for Kai. He's taking money from both Harry and his son and doing nothing to earn it."
"He knows you're helping Harry find Kai, right?" Kilbride asked.
"Absolutely."
"Then why reveal that information to you? You could just tell Harry and his ass gets fired."
"He claimed this is still his case, so maybe Harry knows. Maybe he's just milking Ralph. Or maybe Ralph wants the whole thing to go away and is willing to pay Jasper Price big bucks to make that happen."
"You mean get rid of the kid?"
"Or make sure he's never found."
"Does he strike you as someone capable of taking out a kid?" Kilbride asked slowly.
"I could ask you the same question," Deeks said. "He said he met you at Harry's house. What was your take on the guy?"
"We did meet. Briefly. He's got an impressive military record, but he's a little too cocksure for me. Liked to talk about himself too much. I don't trust braggarts," Kilbride replied. "But Harry is friends with his father, and that old reprobate promised him that his son would get results, or he'd know the reason why."
"Yeah, I got the feeling his old man rode him pretty hard most of his life." Deeks said. "Listen...I'll see you at lunch. Right now, I gotta go. I think I just picked up a tail."
"Looks like you didn't waste any time stirring the pot."
Deeks ended the call without a reply and changed lanes. He turned onto a residential street and cut over to Santa Monica Boulevard. Whoever was following stuck pretty close, which was a rookie mistake, and Deeks slowed down to let him get even closer, hoping to get a look at his license plate. But the guy was smart enough to keep at least one car between them. To say he was pissed was an understatement, so if he couldn't get the plate then he'd lose him. This section of Santa Monica Boulevard was lined with car dealerships, and he made a quick turn into a Ford dealership, pulling into the service bay out of sight from the street. His tail could either reveal himself or drive on. Deeks got out to watch the side street, but the guy was gone. When a mechanic approached him, he asked where the nearest long term parking lot was, and then called Kensi.
"Hey, Kens. Interested in a free lunch?"
"On you?"
"No. On Admiral Kilbride and Harry Mayne."
"Where?"
"Gladstone's. But you have to pick me up first," Deeks said. "Someone was tailing me, so I thought a car change was in order."
"Who?"
"Not sure who was actually doing the tailing, but I'm pretty sure it was instigated by Harry Mayne's PI, Jasper Price."
"Why would he do that?"
"Not sure yet, but it's on my list of things to find out," he replied. "Right now I could use your help charming a couple of old Navy guys over lobster rolls and beer. I'm not sure I'm being told everything."
...
He told Kensi everything that had happened on the drive up the coast. She was surprised he'd kept the theft of the gun to himself, but understood his reasons. She did remind him he could face charges for it, and that added to the guilt he was feeling. He quickly changed the subject to the invitation he'd given his cop friend, Tony, to bring some of the guys to the bar for drinks. When he mentioned some of the female officers were interested in meeting her and why, the conversation took off on a completely different tangent. The banter lightened his mood considerably. Once they arrived at the restaurant, he was glad she was there. She had always been good at reading people and situations, and right now he needed that.
Admiral Kilbride looked surprised and not particularly pleased to see her, but he covered that quickly. Harry Mayne was a much thicker version of the Admiral, except he was almost completely bald. Deeks was surprised by the Hawaiian shirt he wore and by his soft voice. Intelligence sparkled behind his eyes and he seemed completely delighted by Kensi, his smile bright and honest when they were introduced. When Deeks told him she was a Federal agent he wanted to know all about her career path, showing genuine interest in everything she shared.
"Hope you like lobster, Kensi, cause my old friend Hollace here ordered enough lobster rolls for half the restaurant," Harry said. "Course it might be because I'm footing the bill."
"They're small here," Kilbride grumped as a huge platter was set in the middle of the table.
The conversation lapsed as they plowed through their lunches, but Deeks caught Harry shooting looks at him from time to time. So he decided to find out if Kilbride had told him about his son.
"Talked to your son lately, Mr. Mayne?"
"That's Rear Admiral Mayne, Agent Deeks," Kilbride growled.
"I'm retired, Hollace. Call me Harry, son. Rank doesn't mean anything right now. It sure as hell hasn't gotten me my grandson back," he said. "To answer your question, Hollace told me you think my son is in town."
"Jasper Price told me Ralph had been to see him," Deeks said. "He's paying him more than you are to find Kai."
"I'm not sure how to take that," he said, shaking his head. "But then again, Ralph always thought money could buy anything or anyone. At least he's finally interested in finding the boy."
"So when Kai first ran away he just ignored it?" Kensi asked, her eyes flashing.
"They've had a strained relationship from the beginning," Harry replied, staring down at his plate of unfinished food. "Kai was twelve when his mother married Ralph. He was an angry kid. He acted out and got in trouble in school and out. My son didn't...and still doesn't have a lot of patience. He was hard of the boy. That's when I moved to Corpus Christi. Thought I might be able to help Ralph connect with the kid."
"And did you?" Deeks asked. "Maybe found out just how hard your son was being on Kai?"
"Deeks," Kilbride bristled.
"I don't mind straightforward questions, Hollace. Whatever he needs to know..."
"Has your son ever hit Kai?"
A pained expression flashed across the man's face, but he looked directly at Deeks when he answered. "Not while I was around, and if he had, I would have knocked him out."
"Do you think your son is capable of physically abusing the boy? When your not around?" Deeks pressed.
"I can't answer that. To be honest I'm afraid to even think it," he whispered. "I sure as hell hope not, but..."
"It could be the reason he ran away," Deeks said gently as Harry stared out at the sea.
"Kai's a sweet kid," Harry mused. "Tough, but with a kind soul. Nothing like Ralph. He's got a sharp mind. He's curious about things, you know. Craves knowledge. Loves sports. We spent a lot of time at the beach together. The boy is quite the surfer. Talked about California waves all the time, hoping he could ride them someday. It's why I think he came out here when he ran away. The boy can be moody, but he seemed happy, at least he was when I was in Corpus Christi."
"I thought you still lived close by?" Deeks asked.
"I haven't lived there for over a year," he replied. "I was offered a teaching position at the Navy College at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. I thought things were squared away with Ralph and Kai, so I took it. Now I wish I hadn't."
"What about his real father? Is he still in the picture?" Kensi asked.
"His dad was a Master-at-arms in the Naval military police," he replied. "He was killed in the line of duty trying to stop a drug shipment. I don't think the boy ever got over it."
Deeks took Kensi's hand, knowing the story struck close to home. "My dad died in the line of duty too, so I understand Kai's anger. Dealing with that kind of pain is tough. I spent time on the streets afterward, and I can tell you there's no comfort there. I want to help you find him."
"Thank you, Kensi," Harry said.
"One more question," Deeks said. "Kai has been missing for a week. Admiral Kilbride told me your son had washed his hands of the boy when he first went missing. Didn't seem to care if he found him or not. So why the sudden interest?"
"I'd like the answer to that myself," Harry said. "He knows I'm out here trying to find Kai. He knows I hired Jasper Price. So why didn't he call me to tell me he was here?"
"And why hire Jasper Price if he knew you already had?" Kensi asked.
"I think you should fire that bastard," Kilbride said.
"Don't do that," Deeks interjected, getting a sharp look from the Admiral.
"Why not? The man's not trustworthy," Kilbride said.
"What's that old saying about keeping your enemies close?" Deeks replied. "I think Harry should pump him for updates as often as he can. He may give up some information we can use."
"I can do that," Harry said. "And I'm calling Ralph. He has some explaining to do."
"You wouldn't happen to have a photo of your son you could share with me, do you?" Deeks asked. "I kind of wonder if that's who was tailing me after I left Jasper Price."
Harry pulled his phone and shared his son's photo, which included his wife. Ralph had strong features like his dad, but with a thick, dark head of hair and a scruffy beard and mustache. He was smiling in the photo, but his wife wasn't. Deeks wasn't sure if that meant anything. He didn't want to read anything into it that wasn't really there.
"What's your next move, Deeks?" Kilbride asked.
"I believe surfs up, Admiral."
...
By the time he retrieved the old pickup Hetty had left at the boat shed and reached Big Dume Beach, an offshore wind had kicked up. The wave sets were perfect and he was stoked to get out there. The sun was hanging low as he waxed his board and checked out the hard-core surfers still working the waves. He didn't recognize most of them, but a few of the older guys were known to him. This particular pack was ruled by an "old gangster" named Rooster. He'd gotten his name from crowing loudly whenever he successfully pulled off a punt, launching himself above the wave and taking to the air. Early on he was considered a kook, but one of the older guys had taken pity on him back in the day and he'd straightened out, eventually becoming one of the top surfers on the coast. He was a peacekeeper. One of the good guys. Deeks caught his eye, gave a wave and waited for him to come over to connect. His dark hair was longer now, and curled well past his shoulders. He wore only board shorts, showing off some tattoos Deeks didn't remember. He still had the lithe figure of a young surfer, but his calfs were rock hard.
"Shaka, brah. You lost?" Rooster asked with a laugh. "Ain't seen you in a while. World snag you?"
"Something like that," Deeks replied with an elusive smile. "Needed to take a breather today, you know?"
"You used to be a dawny," Rooster said.
"Shit happened this morning," Deeks said as he zipped up his wetsuit. "Just need to chill for a bit."
"Got it," Rooster said and took a couple of steps back to give him space. "Waves are off the hook right now. Go find peace, brah."
Deeks nodded at him and jogged down to the wave line. Throwing himself on his old board, he duck dived the incoming waves, wasting no time paddling out until he was well past the sets. A few surfers were reading the swells and he swung around to join the line up. If Kai was around this area, Rooster would know and hopefully look out for him. If the kid was good, then he'd be noticed. If not he'd be hard to find, just one of many wannabes.
Deeks settled and waited, feeling the rise and fall of the swelling waves beneath him. A familiar feeling of serenity filled him and he slowly began to smile. He closed his eyes, absorbing the feel of the powerful sea, waiting for that perfect wave. And then it was there, and he flattened himself on his old board and began powerful strokes in his rush to catch it. Just before it crested he stood, waiting for the perfect moment to drop down the face and settle into the pocket. Perfect. He worked the wave, thrilled by how in tune with the wave he became. He did nothing fancy, working it all the way into the white water before cutting back and heading out to catch another. When his muscles began to burn, he rode his last wave in and hiked up his board, the end of the wave boiling around his ankles. Rooster greeted him with a shaka hand gesture and walked with him up to where he'd left his towels.
"Surprised you're still ridin' that old log," Rooster said.
"Good board got swiped," Deeks replied.
"Bummer, Marty. But hey, you made some impressive cutbacks out there."
"Rusty though."
"Hard times, brah? You look worried."
"Been looking for a friend of a friend," he said as he toweled off. "He's just a kid. Name's Kai. Fifteen. I think his dad's been pounding on him. Need to find him before he gets in trouble."
"Kinda sounds like you when we first met," Rooster said. "You gotta picture?"
Deeks pulled the photo Kilbride had given him out from under his stuff and handed it over. Kai looked stoic in the picture, his straight blond hair long on top with bangs that hung over his eyes like he was hiding from the world. You could see one blue eye and a small scar on his chin. A surfboard obscured most of the red tee shirt he was wearing. He looked like almost every kid on every beach in SoCal.
"He looks just like you, Marty," Rooster said with a wicked grin. "You sure he ain't yours? You got around, brah. He ain't Phoebe's is he?"
"We were just friends, Roost," Deeks replied, but didn't look at him when he said it.
"Friends don't lie to friends, brah," he said softly. "But let me ask Bodie. He's a fixture at most of the hot spots. Spends every day close to the water."
"How is he...now?"
"Goofy. Slow. Sweet," the man said quietly and turned to look out at the ocean. "Nothin' like he used to be. He was a real charger. Woulda gone pro if that kook hadn't crashed into him. Still has trouble getting his words out. Now he's just happy to work the whitewash. Sad, brah. Hella sad."
"You think he'd remember if he's seen this kid?" Deeks asked.
"It's funny, but he never used to remember anyone's name. Couldn't spare the time to learn 'em," Rooster said. "Now, he likes to talk to everyone he meets. Experiences the surf through them. Remembers faces too. It's kinda weird. Shares all kinds of gossip."
"If you see him, could you show him the picture?"
"Sure, brah. Can this kid surf?"
"Don't know. Never met him."
"Friend of a friend. Got it," Rooster said, and then smiled. "Hey, Marty. I'm meeting Phoebe for a dawny at Zuma tomorrow. Come get wet with us. Be like old times."
"Sounds good, brother. I'll be there."
"Bodie will be too."
"Awesome."
...
...