Without a price
Chapter 12
"So how do you know the governor again? I mean through your job it is kind of necessary but there are so many people in it. Why only pick you for this private meeting?" Lucky asked Emily as he stood in front of the governor's office, which was big and luxurious. It was making him feel like he shouldn't be here, which was the truth. It wasn't his meeting after all- the governor had no idea he was coming with Emily.
"Do you remember that soldier I was romantically interested in a few months ago?" Emily in return asked, turning her head to look at him.
It took a second for him to place the conversation. "Yeah, the one that went to the Middle East and never returned." Lucky answered but failed to see the connection until he glanced back at the office building. "He was the governor's son?" Lucky was so shocked at this realization that he glanced at Emily from the corner of his eye as a sly smile slid itself onto Emily's face.
"Hey, he was attractive, was studying to be an army medic, and had an interest in all kinds of weapons." As Emily justified her interest, Lucky just shook his head and wondered about the type of guys Emily was into. She has always been into the more dangerous and aggressive types but this was a whole new level for her.
Letting this go, they walked to the door and knocked. When they reached the door they were asked if they had weapons and their reason for their presence. Emily explained the situation while Lucky gave up his gun to the security guards. Then they were showed into the hall to wait for the governor to receive them. He was currently seeing another appointment.
Checking his watch, Lucky saw that they were only ten minutes early. It was much later than Lucky expected to be though. While they waited Lucky told Emily about the letter Nikolas sent to Lulu.
"At least Nikolas cares enough to check up on his sister," Emily pointed out to him.
"Yeah, I know but it just seems kind of impersonal and so unlike Nikolas, you know?" Lucky looked back at her as he asked this.
"I agree but you can't really expect him to be like he was when we were in high school. Friendships change as the individuals themselves change and if it doesn't evolve to fit those needs it dies." Emily responded, referencing the theory of friendships.
"True, but this fast? I mean seriously, one day he was friendly and the next he was gone with barely a letter to show in the meantime." Lucky disagreed somewhat, continuing. "Something must have happened."
"Like what?" Emily replied, considering what he said. Of course, she figured out that too but she was not going to push the issue. Obviously it wasn't important enough to tell them about it. Sure she was curious but she made it a habit to let things come out in time.
"That's the problem: I don't have a clue," Lucky admitted as Governor Massey1 came through the hall, shaking hands with the man he was previously meeting with. As the man left, the governor concentrated on the two of them. He smiled fondly at Emily and shook hands with her and then turned to Lucky.
Emily quickly intercepted the responsibility of introductions. "Governor Massey, this is my friend Lucky Spencer. He is one of the police officers that are looking into Officer Murphy's murder. He hoped you may be of some help."
Smiling broadly as he heard this, they both shook hands, the governor saying "I don't know how much I'll be able to help but I'll certainly tell you what I know if it means that David's killer will be caught."
Used to this response, Lucky reassured the Governor that anything would help as they followed him into the hall and his office. He offered them two seats at the other end of his desk and they sat.
"Tell me, how is the murder case proceeding?" Governor Massey asked vividly interested.
Lucky wished he had better news for the Governor but… "It is presently at a stand still unfortunately. Previously we were going off the assumption that our murderer was a repeat police officer killer but once the evidence was looked at in a broader view, it was found that that was the wrong approach." Lucky explained the situation, feeling regret as the Governor's hopeful face fell.
"So what is the approach now?" The governor questioned him although Lucky was going to go on and explain that as well before the governor intercepted his own question.
"Our current theory is that the previous approach was directly ordered by someone inside." Lucky answered dutifully.
"An inside job?" The governor echoed in shock, unsure it just wasn't his ears playing tricks on him.
"Yes, the whole murder was perfectly planned. Our killer knew exactly what he was doing and how to cover it up so they didn't get caught. Also, there were very specific details that were missing from the case. For example, I and the police force did not have a clue that you and David Murphy were friends until Emily mentioned it to me this morning." Lucky went on, giving plenty of evidence to back up his claim.
"I was curious as to why no one interviewed me. Now, it seems, I have the answer." The Governor must have been pondering that since the beginning of the investigation. "Any suspects yet?"
"No, this was a recent discovery. Emily thinks that Officer Murphy knew or saw something that someone wants to stay hidden. I agree with that too." Lucky explained, continuing. "But no one can say what it is yet. Which is why I need to talk to all of the people close to him and because Emily already had an appointment, you became the first of them." He did not need to say that last part but he wanted to excuse his presence nonetheless.
"Hmm…what could be bad enough that someone would kill him over?" The governor said, more to himself than Emily and Lucky. At the end, the governor shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't think of anything that would push anyone to those extremes."
"With all respect Governor, anything can potentially push someone to those limits. Is there anything happening in your life that could be the reason?" Lucky asked, pointing out his lack of reason.
"I am having some personal issues I admit but unless I have your full disclosure, I cannot tell you it. The media would gladly exploit it in order to make me look incompetent, as well as my political rivals." The Governor was not one to lie but also had his career to consider. Politics was messy, as all of them knew.
"Chances are that it is not the issue governor so it won't need to be beyond our information. However, if this killer is exploiting it as much you don't think it need be, it might be very important in catching the murderer. In that case, it will come out." Lucky hated to cause scandal for the governor, but he had a job to do.
It took a second for the governor to consider the pros and cons, one Lucky gladly gave. This was something to consider: was it worth risking his reputation? The governor decided it was so he came right out with it considering his good friend's name. "My wife is having an affair but I cannot approach her about it until I have some evidence."
"You don't know who it is?" Lucky asked a sense of reluctance of having to bring it up himself. After Elizabeth….well he wasn't about to trust women romantically yet due to the scar.
"I have some criteria that they must fit but no." The governor glanced over at Emily; Lucky noted which made him think they knew something he didn't. He saw Emily shrug and the governor's pondering which raised his curiosity level. "I put Emily to the task of finding him earlier this week."
Lucky glanced at her and Emily again just shrugged. With the difficult times she has been having perhaps she traded assignments in order to get more time to handle that and work on it when she couldn't pursue the unidentified lover. He looked at her and the governor again. "So that was what the meeting was about." He said, connecting the dots easily.
"That was the main purpose of this appointment yes." The Governor nodded. "I wanted an update on what she found, if anything."
The attention of course, went to Emily with this. "Yesterday your wife definitely called this unnamed man on a pay phone." Emily had heard the hints easily-his wife was smart enough not to use a traceable phone but not in using secret code so their relationship was a given. "Whoever this man is, he was busy until tonight so they made plans to go to dinner tonight."
"Hmm…staying the night to care for her sick mother," The governor muttered quietly. Apparently the wife tried the nurse the sick excuse. "Did they say where?"
"No, she said that she would look into it and make reservations and then get back to him. I thought I would just tail her car tonight and have a bite to eat while they met and consider their behavior." Emily said her plan pretty logical.
"Nothing else?" The governor asked and Emily shook her head. "Well, I suppose it is more than I had before. You can only expect so much in a few weekdays."
Lucky sensed the Governor's disappointment as if it was also his, as it had once been. The governor quickly excused himself and told Emily to keep tracking his wife, showing them out with the same, but forced, expression and welcome behavior. Quite the convincing actor, Lucky admitted as they left the office building.
Checking his watch, he saw that the meeting was longer than he thought. It was just about the time he usually headed for lunch. "Well, that was informational." He commented.
"At your position yes, only makes mine more difficult." Emily responded, it almost being a complaint. "Although for some reason its making me think about Nikolas."
"He can't be the guy Em. He's in Greece." Lucky replied, then stopped blank when he realized they weren't talking about the same thing anymore. "Wait, you don't think…"
"All I'm saying is that the last time all four of us got together those two was acting a little strangely." Emily defended herself.
"It fits Elizabeth's pattern alright. Dump him once, try other familiar guys and then return when all goes wrong with other familiar guy." Lucky agreed cynically. "On second thought, I just might call my brother up tonight while you are working. Elizabeth deserves to know that there is no longer a marriage to come back to."
It also explained why Elizabeth left him without divorce papers and why Nikolas left and was not talking to him. She knew that Nikolas was only a temporary fling and thought he would stupid enough to take her back when that time was done. She had that wrong. He actually learned from his mistakes and she was a big one at that.
1 Governor Massey is meant to be a fictional character which I place a disclaimer on so if there was or is a Governor Massey, know I do not mean them.