Chap 12
Thnx to Fluffykitty12 for helping with the radio slogans. Joe and I enjoyed them.
Sorry chapters take so long. I am a perfectionist procrastinator. Like Frank I've got learn God works it out.
Pov Frank
I watch in horror as Joe and the motorcycle end up in the ditch.
Greene beats me out of the car. He jumps on Joe and punches him.
I run to Greene, grab him by the back of his shirt and pull him off Joe. My right hand is pulled back for a hard punch.
"Hey, not a good idea to punch your HOA President," Joe mumbles.
"Touch my brother again and I'll kill you," I mutter before dropping Greene to the ground.
"Verbal threats are ok, just nothing in writing," Joe mumbles.
"You ok?" I ask.
Joe is a mess of blood, dirt and bruises.
"Bernice's heart meds," Joe says and pushes a pill bottle into my hand.
The police sirens get louder.
A black and white police car skids to a stop. "What's going on?" Con shouts out the driver's window.
I toss him the bottle of heart pills. "Mrs. Winthrop needs her heart medicine. She's at the condos."
"I radioed for backup," Con shouts before he speeds away.
"Joe, don't move," I say and cover him with my jacket. "I want a medic to check you out."
"How about checking out the guy in the upside down Mercedes?" Joe says.
Can't believe I forgot to secure the crime scene. If Dad hears about this I'm dead.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Dad. You can buy my silence," Joe says.
"We'll make it an even trade. I won't tell Dad about the one wheel wheelie," I say.
"No choice, he was gonna take out the guard booth with the car. I had to distract him," Joe says.
While Joe talks I pull out my gun and cautiously walk to the car. I kneel down and put my hand on the guy's neck. "He's alive. Looks like a broken leg and possible concussion."
A second police cruiser pulls up. "Can you radio for two ambulances?" I shout.
"One ambulance!" Joe shouts.
"You are getting checked out by a doctor," I say.
I shoot him my death glare, but Joe's eyes are closed. He is shivering in the cold ditch water.
"Afraid to move the other guy until the medics get here, the second police officer says. "But I got my rescue blanket to keep this guy warm."
"Thanks," I say and grab the reflective blanket. I tuck it around Joe.
An ambulance pulls up with its lights flashing.
"Examine the guy in the car first," I say.
"Hey! What about me!" Mr. Greene shouts. "My arm is cut!"
I look at Greene. I squint and see a faint scratch on his lower arm.
The medics shake their heads in disgust and walk to the car.
I rest my hand on Joe's shoulder.
Another police vehicle arrives to take photos of the crime scene.
"Can you look at something?" Con asks.
"Sure," I say.
"We found a bunch of stuff in the backseat," Con says as we walk to the upside down Mercedes.
"Valuables?"
"Maybe before the crash," Con says.
A golf cart skids to a stop. A thin older man in a black suit and tie gets out.
"I've been robbed!" the man shouts.
"Any of this look familiar?" Con asks and motions to the back seat of the upside down car.
"Yes! Those are my vintage cameras and medical instruments!"
"Medical instruments?" Con asks.
"Yes, I'm Doctor Charles Tager."
POV Joe
My ears perk up when he says 'Doctor.'
"Hey, Doc? Can you look at me quick so I can go home?" I ask.
Can't believe I'm asking a doctor to examine me.
God, please don't make me go back to the hospital. I lost my house and special spot with Iola. Please don't trap me in a hospital room. I just want to go home…and I don't even have one.
"He's the one who recovered your property," Con says.
"Actually Frank did the recovering, I just kept the bad guy in sight," I say.
Doc Winston walks over.
He puts his thin hand on my wrist and takes my pulse.
"Good, strong pulse," he says.
"I have one question," Doc says.
"You want to know if he's dizzy, nauseous or seeing double?" Frank asks.
"No, I want to know why I became a physician. My brother was an accountant for forty years. Nobody bothers him in retirement."
"We're going to the hospital," Frank says.
Doc runs his hands lightly over my arms, legs and ribs.
"No need. He's just bruised and sore," Doc says.
"But you want him to get checked out at the hospital,right?"Frank says.
"No, I am playing poker at the clubhouse in twenty minutes," Doc said.
"So I don't have to go the hospital?" I ask.
"I'm not," Doc says. He gets back in his golf cart.
"What if he gets a headache or double vision?" Frank asks.
"Give him an aspirin. I'll check on him after my poker game," Doc says.
"When will that be?" Frank asks.
"Depends on who is playing," Doc says.
"You're being kind of casual about my brother's health," Frank says.
Doc gets out of his golf cart and walks over to Frank.
"When I examined your brother I noticed a lot of scars. And he's recovering from a gun shot in his right leg. He's also about 15 pounds underweight. I think he'd rest and eat better at home. My patients always do."
"I know you think I'm old codger who doesn't know his ear from his elbow. The truth is your brother looks worn out. I'd rather not expose him to all the germs at the hospital. I also don't want him getting more X-rays because his scars tell me he's already had a lot. I don't like my patients getting unnecessary x rays. If you're willing to gamble with his health, you load him in the ambulance. If not, I'll be over in one hour. By the way, I'm not worried about a concussion because he's cognizant, his pupils aren't dilated and he was wearing a helmet."
"Do you know where I live?" Frank asks.
"Condo four. You drive a black Lexus, but you go through cars like Elmer goes through chips when he tries to bluff. Doesn't know his nose twitches when he lies."
Doc walks back to his golf cart and gets in.
"We'll see you in an hour," I shout.
Doc drives away.
"I don't like this," Frank grumbles.
"Hey, you said a doctor had to look me over," I say and get to my feet.
"Using medical techniques from the 1800s," Frank growls.
I walk to my Mustang, climb in the passenger seat and shut the door.
"If anything is seriously wrong with you, Dad will kill me," Frank says.
"Relax Frank. Dad doesn't want me getting so many x rays I glow in the dark. Won't be able to do night stakeouts then."
A beige sedan is parked outside Frank's condo. I've never been so happy to see Leo, our insurance guy. Maybe he'll make Frank forget this hospital nonsense.
"Frank? Is this a bad time?" Leo asks.
He's Leo to me, but Frank always calls him Leonard.
He's a meek guy, ten years older than Frank.
"Yes," Frank growls.
"No," I say as Frank helps me to the condo's front door.
Pov Frank
"Can you hold this?" I ask and push Joe so he slumps against Leonard, our insurance agent.
I unlock my door, grab Joe and haul him inside.
"So Leo, what's going on with our insurance?" Joe asks.
I will kill him. He wants Leonard here as a safety buffer.
Leo is covered in blood and dirt where Joe leaned against him.
"Frank, I brought the check to replace your car," Leonard says and pulls out an envelope.
"Wow, Frank's car just got totaled yesterday," Joe says.
"Yesterday? This is for the car you totaled two months ago," Leonard says.
"Dude, you're a car behind," Joe says.
"You wrecked another car?"Leonard asks. He stumbles to a chair, loosens his necktie, and sits down.
"Maybe if you bought black Lexus cars in bulk you could save money,"Joe says.
I shoot Joe a death glare. He ignores me.
"Maybe you want to find a different insurance company?" Leonard asks hopefully.
I understand. Joe or I file an insurance claim every other week.
"Never!" Joe says. "So you got a bit behind at work, it happens to everybody."
"Don't you need to go upstairs and rest?" I ask Joe pointedly.
"Nah. I'm feeling better."
"You're bleeding on my couch," I say through grit teeth.
"Lenny, Frank's couch is insured, right?" Joe asks.
"Could I have a glass if water?" Leonard asks.
He does look pale.
While I'm in the kitchen, I hear Joe talking.
"I think you and your brother have more insurance claims than we can process," Leonard says.
"No way. I love your radio ad slogans," Joe says.
"Here's your water," I say. "Do you feel we're not a good fit for your company?"
"Well…maybe a larger firm could process your claims faster," Leonard says.
"Car been jacked? We got your back," Joe says.
"I thought of that slogan," Leonard says and smiles.
"If you want us to find another insurance company…." I trail off.
"Slip and fall? You know who to call," Joe says.
"That one's mine too," Leonard says and smiles.
"Joe, we're trying to conduct some business," I say.
"Massive flood? Call your bud," Joe says.
" I came up with that one five minutes before we recorded it at the studio," Leonard says.
"Did you get hurt? Just call Bert," Joe says.
"Thought up that one too," Leonard says. "Bert's my older brother."
"Why don't you handle my claims and let Bert handle Frank's?" Joe asks. "Tell him we requested it."
Leonard looks hopeful. Which is an expression I've never seen on him.
"Roof fall in? Don't feel grim?" Joe says. "That's my favorite."
"Thanks. I thought of it in the shower," Leonard says and smiles.
I've known him five years and never seen him smile. How does Joe manage to charm everybody? Why is connecting with people so easy for Joe and hard for me?
Jealousy takes over.
"Speaking of roofs falling in, did Joe mention he needs to file a claim on his house?" I ask.
Joe goes quiet. The light in his eyes goes out. Just like after Iola died. I hate myself.
"Your house is gone?" Leonard asks.
"I forgot," Joe says in a small voice.
I am the worst brother ever.
"The whole house?" Leonard asks.
"We were ambushed by two hit men with machine guns," I say.
"You were right," Joe says. "We are too much work. I'm not filing a claim on the house. And I'll find another insurance agent."
"Frank! Joe! Are you ok?" Dad shouts as he walks in without knocking.
"Yeah, we're good," Joe says. "I'm gonna get cleaned up."
He goes upstairs. I notice he's still avoiding Dad.
"Well, my insurance business is done," Leonard says. "I'll be on my way."
"Hold it, aren't you Joe's insurance agent?" Dad asks.
"I was, but he fired me."
"Well have a seat, I'm rehiring you," Dad says. "What about the claim on Joe's house?"
"He decided not to file one," Leonard says.
"Leonard, we both know Joe is hurt and not thinking clearly," Dad says. "Now let's take a drive out to hisj house. You need to move things along so we can get Joe back in there ASAP."
"Frank, Con wants you to stop by the police station," Sam says. "He says the hit men's story doesn't make sense. I'll keep an eye on Joe."
Twenty minutes later I join Con in an interrogation room.
"Frank, I can't figure it out. Both these guys claim they fired kill shots that hit you and Joe," Con says.
I can only think of one explanation. And there's no way I am sharing it with Con.
The verse in Joe's Bible flashes through my mind, "you are a shield around me."*
"Maybe they had taken drugs?" I ask.
"No, they tested negative," Con says.
I knew that. They weren't shooting or behaving erratically. They were cold, calculating killers. Joe and I should both be dead.
I try to rub the sleep from my eyes. Nothing makes sense.
"They seem rational…even passed their lie detector tests," Con says. "These are professional hit men who make at least a million per job. To be honest, they are out of our league. The FBI is picking them up in an hour."
"I want to talk to them," I say as I force myself to swallow more police coffee.
"They should be here any minute," Con says. "So were you wearing bulletproof vests?"
"No Con, we should be dead."
The door opens. A large man in an orange jumpsuit is led inside. He wears handcuffs.
"Who hired you?" Con asks.
"If I told you I'd be dead in an hour," the hit man says.
"Where's your brother? I wanted to see both of you."
"Not happening," I say.
Before I can react the hit man wraps his cuffed hands around Con's throat. He throws Con against a wall and stuns him.
I attack him, but am thrown into a wall. My breath is knocked out of me. I watch him place the chair under the doorknob so no one can enter.
"Now I finish my job," he says and wraps the chain of his handcuffs around my neck. Spots dance in front of my eyes.
"I'll catch your brother later," he says.
Psalm 3:3