Author's Note: Sorry for the long absence…did a little traveling over the holidays and then couldn't decide where to go with this chapter. I did have some inspiration for a few chapters down the road…can't wait to write them…please review!!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I just borrow once in a while!!
Chapter 5: Stake-Out
Saturday morning found Lindsay in her car across the street from the address she had gotten from Information the night before. She wrapped her hands around her lukewarm cup of coffee. The slightest whisper of guilt raced through her mind, but she silenced it immediately. This was the job, and she had to do what it took to get the job done.
She focused instead on the building she was casing. She had done some research on it the night before and discovered that apartments in this building went for several million dollars apiece. I wonder how Danny's parents went from a small house in Staten Island to this, she thought.
Just then, a dark Cadillac Escalade pulled up in front of the building. The doorman opened the rear passenger door and a tall, grey-haired, powerfully built man got out. As the doorman closed the door, Danny Messer himself came around the corner of the building. The older man caught sight of him and smiled. He and Danny embraced warmly, then the man took Danny's face in his hands and kissed both his cheeks. Lindsay's eyes brightened. This was Danny's father.
The two men chatted under the building's canopy for a moment. Anthony Messer pointed toward the front door. Danny made a "wait a second" motion with his hand. Anthony nodded and walked inside.
Ten bucks says he's going to have a cigarette before he goes inside to say hello to his mother, Lindsay thought. I wonder if she knows he smokes.
She smirked as Danny pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. After he lit up, he also pulled out his cell phone. Lindsay jumped as her cell phone rang. "Oh, brother," she said out loud. "This is a little ridiculous."
"Hello?"
"Montana, glad you're up. I just wanted to see if you were feeling any better this morning."
Lindsay watched him out her car window as she spoke. "I'm fine, Danny. Thanks again for the drink."
"You're welcome. How about doing it again tonight?"
"Tonight? I thought you were spending the weekend with your parents."
Danny glanced toward the top floors of the building, then out at the street. Lindsay ducked down in her car.
"My father has some business to deal with tonight, and I want to be out of here before it gets going."
Hmmm…..Lindsay did some quick thinking. She wanted to get some surveillance photos of Papa Messer's business associates. She could wait until they showed up, snap some photos, then meet Danny somewhere and try to get more information out of him.
"Well, if you're sure your mother won't miss you too much…"
Across the street, Danny broke into a grin.
"…..I'd love to. Where can I meet you?"
A couple of hours later, another dark-colored SUV pulled up to the apartment building. Two men wearing suits and sunglasses emerged. Anthony Messer came out the front door of the complex and held a lengthy conversation with them at the corner of the street.
I thought Danny wanted to be out of here by the time his father's business associates got here, Lindsay thought as she held up her camera and snapped a few shots of the men. I guess he didn't quite make it. At least daddy has the sense to conduct his business without implicating his son.
No sooner did this thought cross her mind than Danny exited the apartment building. He raised a hand in his father's direction and stepped to the curb to hail a cab. Anthony gestured for Danny to join him at the corner. Danny shook his head and pointed to his watch.
"Yeah, Dad, don't make him late for his date," Lindsay said softly. She hefted her camera in her hands and continued to watch from her vantage point in her car across the street.
Anthony Messer walked toward his son and took his arm, pulling him toward the small group of men of the corner. Danny reluctantly walked slowly toward the group. He refused the offer of a cigarette and did not shake hands with the men. After a brief exchange, Danny hailed his cab and left.
Lindsay put her camera down and started her car. She felt a little frustrated that she had not been able to catch Danny on film with Anthony Messer's associates, but realized with a sigh that it was quite unlikely that Danny himself was involved in anything illegal. From all appearances, Danny seemed to be trying hard to keep his distance from his father's business dealings. Lindsay also knew that Danny had the opportunity to join the Tanglewood Boys in his younger days, but had chosen not to. As she waited for a break in the traffic, Lindsay mulled over the cases she had worked on with Danny. He certainly displayed a remarkable amount of passion for catching the bad guy.
No, Lindsay thought. It would be waste of time to try to implicate Danny. Better to focus on his father and those "business associates." She felt sure that she had gotten some clear pictures of them, which she would run through the database tomorrow. Lindsay put her car in gear and pulled away from the curb. Danny could prove himself useful in other ways.