CHAPTER 37
Rick Shaffer listened intently as the private investigator he hired told him everything he could about Duncan MacLeod and the people closest to him.
From the information the man had gathered, each of the people who had accompanied MacLeod to Ridgetop were close to him and seemed more like his family than mere friends.
"Joe Dawson" the man turned a page of his notebook. "MacLeod's been coming into his place for years. He also has a club in Paris, not far from the barge we know MacLeod uses as his home. According to several police reports, the two have been in some tight spots. And then there are the stories neighbors and frequenters to the clubs told my people. Strange stories. They are both very protective of one another. Dawson has a daughter, but they aren't particularly close." He handed a folder to Shaffer. "It's all in here."
Shaffer nodded for him to continue.
"His girlfriend Amanda has an interesting hobby. She's a jewel thief, and I don't mean petty crimes." The man laughed. "She's living with MacLeod now, but takes regular trips out of the country to feed her habit. Couldn't find any family."
Shaffer wasn't surprised by this of course. Immortals rarely did.
"Richie Ryan . He's got a rap sheet from juvi a mile long. MacLeod bailed him out after the kid tried to rip of his antique store, and the two have been almost inseparable, especially since the murder of MacLeod's previous girlfriend and business partner. He's like the guy's kid brother or something. He lives near the dojo MacLeod runs, and teaches some classes there. Really into martial arts . and fencing if you can believe that." The investigator smirked.
Again, Shaffer didn't seem surprised.
"And then there's Claudia Jardine, concert pianist and diva wanna be." The man scoffed. "Seems she's brilliant, but doesn't have many friends outside of MacLeod's circle. A little on the difficult to please side. The people who've worked with her don't particularly like her . but she draws the audience so they overlook most of it."
"And what is her connection to MacLeod?" Shaffer asked.
"He placed her with her adoptive family when she was a small child, paid for her education, lined up the best instructors, arranged auditions with premier music schools, and since her career took off he's a regular at almost all of her openings. Seems he will travel any distance to support her." The man told him. "Her adoptive family doesn't really seem to be in the picture any more."
Shaffer smiled. "So he's been like a father to her?"
"That's exactly how I'd say it. She's like his daughter." The man continued. "And right now, she's living in Seacouver in that house you said belonged to your friend. Ryan lives there too, and from what I've seen, the two are an item. A real case of opposite attraction."
Shaffer thought silently about what he'd just learned before asking one final question. "And Adam Pierson, did you find anything on him?"
"Not much." The man replied. "Seems he is also a regular at Dawson's, both here and in Paris. Regulars say Pierson keeps to himself and disappears for months and even years at a time, but Dawson doesn't seem to mind and the two are close. And when I say disappear, I mean disappear as in without a trace. I've run all kinds of checks to find him, even scanned the files on that computer you had us swipe from the house. Found one or two credit card numbers embedded in the browser's memory that I think might be his . using an alias, but they haven't been used since."
"Let me know if there's any activity on them. No matter how insignificant. And run a check on those aliases." Shaffer ordered.
"Already did, and the only thing I turned up was an apartment in Brussels. Seems it's paid up through 2004 and hasn't been occupied in more than 3 years."
"Have someone keep an eye on it in case he turns up there." Shaffer said as he stood to go. He tossed an envelope on the table. "Can you get me Claudia Jardine's performance schedule?" he asked.
"I'll have it to you in the morning." The man answered as he thumbed through the bills in the envelope. Shaffer never scrimped and he was more than happy to accommodate him.
Back in Seacouver Claudia lay in Richie's arms, staring across the bedroom at the single candle as it flickered. "I'm supposed to be in Boston on the 3rd, and only have two days before I open in New York City for a week long engagement." She said as he stroked her arm and shoulder. "And then I'll be in Europe for the next two months."
He pulled her closer as she sifted her fingers through the soft hair that covered his chest. Ritchie didn't say anything for a long time as he thought about her leaving for so long. They'd become really comfortable in the house together and he hated to see it end. With Joe gone, Richie had to stay in Seacouver just in case Methos came back on his own. One of them needed to be here to let him know Beth was in trouble.
Amanda and Duncan would be going to Paris the next day unless Joe found Methos before then, in which case they would probably wait until he could accompany them. Once Methos was found, he hoped they would let him be a part of the real search for his friend. The sitting and waiting was wearing on him.
"What if ." Richie began. "I try to catch up with you when I can?"
"I wish you could just go with me." She replied, looking up into his face. "But I know you have to stay here . and if you didn't you would want to look for Beth."
"It's tearing me up not knowing where she and the baby are." Richie admitted. "I feel like I should be doing something."
"Yeah . me too." Claudia replied. "And poor Adam, thinking she left him for that jerk Garrett. It must have crushed him."
"It sounds like it did." Richie let out a long breath and moved to sit up on the side of the bed. "I hope if Joe finds him, that he can make him listen. When Adam gets something in his mind, he's hard to convince."
"He'll listen to Joe." Claudia said, moving to put her arms around him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. "The love he has for Beth is stronger than even his own bull headed anger. He'll listen . you'll see."
Richie hoped she was right, and he hoped Adam hadn't wrecked any chance he and Beth would have for happiness once this was over.
Rick Shaffer listened intently as the private investigator he hired told him everything he could about Duncan MacLeod and the people closest to him.
From the information the man had gathered, each of the people who had accompanied MacLeod to Ridgetop were close to him and seemed more like his family than mere friends.
"Joe Dawson" the man turned a page of his notebook. "MacLeod's been coming into his place for years. He also has a club in Paris, not far from the barge we know MacLeod uses as his home. According to several police reports, the two have been in some tight spots. And then there are the stories neighbors and frequenters to the clubs told my people. Strange stories. They are both very protective of one another. Dawson has a daughter, but they aren't particularly close." He handed a folder to Shaffer. "It's all in here."
Shaffer nodded for him to continue.
"His girlfriend Amanda has an interesting hobby. She's a jewel thief, and I don't mean petty crimes." The man laughed. "She's living with MacLeod now, but takes regular trips out of the country to feed her habit. Couldn't find any family."
Shaffer wasn't surprised by this of course. Immortals rarely did.
"Richie Ryan . He's got a rap sheet from juvi a mile long. MacLeod bailed him out after the kid tried to rip of his antique store, and the two have been almost inseparable, especially since the murder of MacLeod's previous girlfriend and business partner. He's like the guy's kid brother or something. He lives near the dojo MacLeod runs, and teaches some classes there. Really into martial arts . and fencing if you can believe that." The investigator smirked.
Again, Shaffer didn't seem surprised.
"And then there's Claudia Jardine, concert pianist and diva wanna be." The man scoffed. "Seems she's brilliant, but doesn't have many friends outside of MacLeod's circle. A little on the difficult to please side. The people who've worked with her don't particularly like her . but she draws the audience so they overlook most of it."
"And what is her connection to MacLeod?" Shaffer asked.
"He placed her with her adoptive family when she was a small child, paid for her education, lined up the best instructors, arranged auditions with premier music schools, and since her career took off he's a regular at almost all of her openings. Seems he will travel any distance to support her." The man told him. "Her adoptive family doesn't really seem to be in the picture any more."
Shaffer smiled. "So he's been like a father to her?"
"That's exactly how I'd say it. She's like his daughter." The man continued. "And right now, she's living in Seacouver in that house you said belonged to your friend. Ryan lives there too, and from what I've seen, the two are an item. A real case of opposite attraction."
Shaffer thought silently about what he'd just learned before asking one final question. "And Adam Pierson, did you find anything on him?"
"Not much." The man replied. "Seems he is also a regular at Dawson's, both here and in Paris. Regulars say Pierson keeps to himself and disappears for months and even years at a time, but Dawson doesn't seem to mind and the two are close. And when I say disappear, I mean disappear as in without a trace. I've run all kinds of checks to find him, even scanned the files on that computer you had us swipe from the house. Found one or two credit card numbers embedded in the browser's memory that I think might be his . using an alias, but they haven't been used since."
"Let me know if there's any activity on them. No matter how insignificant. And run a check on those aliases." Shaffer ordered.
"Already did, and the only thing I turned up was an apartment in Brussels. Seems it's paid up through 2004 and hasn't been occupied in more than 3 years."
"Have someone keep an eye on it in case he turns up there." Shaffer said as he stood to go. He tossed an envelope on the table. "Can you get me Claudia Jardine's performance schedule?" he asked.
"I'll have it to you in the morning." The man answered as he thumbed through the bills in the envelope. Shaffer never scrimped and he was more than happy to accommodate him.
Back in Seacouver Claudia lay in Richie's arms, staring across the bedroom at the single candle as it flickered. "I'm supposed to be in Boston on the 3rd, and only have two days before I open in New York City for a week long engagement." She said as he stroked her arm and shoulder. "And then I'll be in Europe for the next two months."
He pulled her closer as she sifted her fingers through the soft hair that covered his chest. Ritchie didn't say anything for a long time as he thought about her leaving for so long. They'd become really comfortable in the house together and he hated to see it end. With Joe gone, Richie had to stay in Seacouver just in case Methos came back on his own. One of them needed to be here to let him know Beth was in trouble.
Amanda and Duncan would be going to Paris the next day unless Joe found Methos before then, in which case they would probably wait until he could accompany them. Once Methos was found, he hoped they would let him be a part of the real search for his friend. The sitting and waiting was wearing on him.
"What if ." Richie began. "I try to catch up with you when I can?"
"I wish you could just go with me." She replied, looking up into his face. "But I know you have to stay here . and if you didn't you would want to look for Beth."
"It's tearing me up not knowing where she and the baby are." Richie admitted. "I feel like I should be doing something."
"Yeah . me too." Claudia replied. "And poor Adam, thinking she left him for that jerk Garrett. It must have crushed him."
"It sounds like it did." Richie let out a long breath and moved to sit up on the side of the bed. "I hope if Joe finds him, that he can make him listen. When Adam gets something in his mind, he's hard to convince."
"He'll listen to Joe." Claudia said, moving to put her arms around him from behind and resting her chin on his shoulder. "The love he has for Beth is stronger than even his own bull headed anger. He'll listen . you'll see."
Richie hoped she was right, and he hoped Adam hadn't wrecked any chance he and Beth would have for happiness once this was over.