Ten Years Later
"Sir? Mr. Christian? You told me to wake you if there was any news." The maid knocked nervously on the door as a man came behind her in the hallway.
"Let me do it Gwen?"
"Of course, Mr. Talbot."
He pointed her on her way and entered the darkened room. The bed held a prone individual exposed to the light the minute the other man yanked the large curtains open. "John, there's news. You might want to get dressed before you decide to go down and greet your guests."
"What guests Henry?" John rolled over and rubbed his face with his scared hands. "I'm not expecting anyone."
"The three young interns you sent abroad to investigate buying those companies you were interested in acquiring. And the investigator you hired is here as well. She's in the library while the others are standing awkwardly around one another in the lobby."
John sighed, sitting up, "The navy suit then Henry." He stood, stretching out and making the bed.
Talbot stopped, holding the suit on its hanger. "You have a maid for that. Two, in fact. They, like everyone you hire, get generous breaks, holidays, sick leave, and anything else you can throw at them for the little work you actually let them do. But if you keep doing their job then what's the point in paying them?"
"First, I think doing some menial work occasionally tends to keep one humble, and second, they're paid to do other jobs not just this one. Making my bed won't rob them of their employment." John snapped the sheet straight across the bed, tucking it tight under the mattress. "Besides, every day you make sure I have less to do since everything is done by managers you hired to make my job easier."
"You wanted to stay out of the limelight." Talbot handed over John's shirt and trousers before going to the closet to select a matching tie. "I thought it was best we kept a number of pawns in place to protect the king."
"It means I've got nothing else to do so I've got to focus on the small things." John tucked his shirt into his trousers and buckled his belt before flipping the collar up and taking the proffered tie. "What else would you suggest for me?"
"Find a girlfriend, waste time at clubs, spend some of your ridiculously large fortune on worthless things, or cause some insanely disgusting property damage. Do something for fun or invest in dangerous stunts and idiot schemes. All of your time goes to building your investments and building an empire others now build for you. Find something you might actually enjoy to occupy your time."
"Is that what billionaires do for fun?" John stepped into the bathroom, pulling his tie tight to his neck, and combed his hair to the side with a little gel. "I don't know about you but I don't have many friends who fit that particular distinction or do those things."
"You don't have any friends sir."
"My biggest problem it would seem." John tossed his comb back onto the counter and reached out for his suit jacket. "Am I fit to enter society?"
"Better now than you were ten minutes ago, that's for sure." Talbot straightened a shoulder and opened the door for him.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes. All the information you need is on your desk for the interns and I suggest you start with them before they rip themselves apart with anxiety. Then, since the investigator's in the library, meet with her to discuss whatever business you've got that you won't tell me about." Talbot stopped at the top of the stairs, pulling John short. "Why's she here?"
"That's for me to know." John pulled his cuffs, "Thank you Henry."
"Always a pleasure sir." Talbot pointed to the interns below. "As I said, best start with them."
John descended the steps and smiled at the three interns. "Good morning. I'm John Christian and I think you've got some information for me."
Ten Years Ago
Bates sat at the bus stop, staring at the occupants of Trafalgar Square. The bus driver called out but John just waved his hand. The driver shook his head and drove off, leaving him on the bench. Bates watched across the square as a woman with golden blonde hair pushed a stroller while a little boy with dark hair chased after some birds. She called out to him, smiling as she did so, and the giggling boy ran back to her, out of breath with his excitement.
Bates stood up and walked away from the square, losing himself in the rush of the city and followed the signs back to a small flat in the basement of a slightly decrepit building. He unlocked the door and went inside, tossing the keys onto the small table.
The sparsely furnished apartment offered no welcome. The one room, with a bathroom and kitchen, offered only gray paint for the walls. John sat on the one overstuffed chair and pulled a used laptop toward him. Opening the cover his face immediately illuminated in the artificial light. He scrolled through some files and opened an email containing flight information before pulling out a pre-paid phone and dialing the number.
"This is John Bates. I'm confirming my flight for seven this evening. Yes. No, there won't be an upgrade. I'm confirming that the other seat I reserved has been filled? Perfect." He hung up, closed the laptop and laid back in the chair, closing his eyes.
His phone rang again as he dug it out of his pocket. "Hello?"
"John Bates? This is Mr. Murray. I was wondering if I could see you as soon as possible."
John leaned forward, holding the phone closer to his ear. "How did you get this number?"
"I'm a lawyer, Mr. Bates. When I need to get something that's precisely what I do. I needed your number and I found it. Now, I'm right outside your front door, if you'd be so kind as to allow me inside."
John started at the knock and hung up the phone, walking slowly to the door. He looked through the eyehole and saw a well-dressed man in a three-piece suit holding a briefcase. John grabbed the lamp from the table and held it close as he opened the door. Murray jumped, holding up his hands to protect his head.
"Explain how you found me right now and I won't cave your head in."
"Please, Mr. Bates, a little civility." Murray raised his eyebrows and pushed past John into the flat. John grabbed the back of Murray's suit and threw him against the door to close it.
When he went to grab Murray by the collar the other man brought his arms down on John's, breaking the grip and head-butted him backward. John reeled a moment and watched as Murray shook himself, smoothing his hair back down and checking his suit.
"Really? What are we, animals?"
"Criminals, actually." John pulled his sweatshirt straight. "That's what a lawyer is right? A criminal in a nicer suit than the ones people like me used to wear."
"I should hope not." Murray took the chair and left John to sit on the edge of his bed. "I represent a man who has gone to great lengths to find you and wants to speak to you immediately."
"Afraid that's not gonna happen. I'm booked on a flight out of here tonight. If your mystery man wants a meet, he'll have to speak to my assistant." John pointed to the rubbish bin before he stood. "You can show yourself out now."
"Aren't you curious who got you released from prison?" John turned around to see Murray had not moved, only interlaced his fingers as he sat back in the chair, making himself comfortable.
"The state reviewed my case and realized the error."
"Correctly put, Mr. Bates, for a press release." Murray looked up at the ceiling, "But a state would have to be put under great pressure to do that. It's embarrassing to admit that one has imprisoned another under false pretenses and no one wants that sort of publicity, do they?"
"So what? You saying the guy you work for did it?"
"That is exactly what I am saying." Murray stood, taking his briefcase in his hand. "And if you want to thank him yourself, please come with me. I assure you, you'll still make your flight to Italy."
Present Day
John dismissed the last intern and stood up from his desk. Going to his bookshelf he selected a book and stepped through the tunnel into the library. When he emerged from being an obnoxiously large painting he surprised the private investigator, a tall reed of a woman with dark hair and large eyes.
"Apologies for the scare." He said, taking a seat behind a large desk and motioning her to a seat across from him.
"Think nothing of it." She extended a file, "This is what you requested."
He flipped through it and it then looked up at her. "This is a glorified internet search. One of those interns out there could've given me this same information. Why would I pay you for something I could've done myself?"
"Because you didn't do it yourself, that's why. And my 'glorified internet search' is more than that." She took the folder back and turned to a page, "That's not information you find on the internet."
John reached for it but she held the folder a touch too far. Instead of reaching for it again like a trantruming child desiring candy, John sat back. He focused his eyes to read the page from a distance.
After a moment he spoke. "I admit, that's a bit more detailed."
"I followed him for three weeks and this is what I can tell you, in its entirety, about Alex Green."
"It's good." John sat back, interlacing his fingers. "Not just tabloid material but real research. How'd you do it?"
"I drive a very nondescript car." She handed the folder to him and John took the trouble to read the contents a bit more carefully.
"Perhaps I judged too quickly Mrs. Crawley."
"Yes, you did Mr. Christian." She crossed one leg over the other. "But you're still getting used to me... Mr. Bates."
He stopped, then smiled, "You came highly recommended and now I know why."
"My father recommended me, that's not the same thing, and it wasn't a stretch to put together."
"It is to me." John closed the file and faced her, "I was sorry to hear about your husband. Your father always spoke highly of him to me."
"No one could speak ill of Matthew." She cleared her throat, "I was curious about the information you requested on the other individual."
"Why?"
"Well," Mrs. Crawley shifted in her chair. "Because I've known Anna Green practically my entire life. In the last fifteen years or so we fell out of touch since she married that man but…"
"But?"
"What's your interest in her?"
"That's for me to know and you to investigate." John passed over an envelope. "Exactly what you requested and the same interest for you to give me the same depth of detail on Mrs. Green."
"It won't be easy." Mrs. Crawley scratched at her cheek a moment. "She doesn't really entertain anymore and they're not the party-hopping type."
"I'm sure you'll find a way to earn the money I'll pay you for the information I need." John smiled, "You're resourceful and capable Mary. I wouldn't have hired you otherwise."
"Well, I guess that's good enough for now. But not forever, Mr. Bates." Mary took the envelope off the desk, standing. "Give me three days and I'll get you a preliminary report. I don't like it, since I still consider Anna a friend, but I'll do it."
"You haven't seen her in fifteen years, how can you still call her your friend?"
"I have a number of friends I haven't seen socially in quite some time." Mary smiled, "Let me keep my secrets and I'll let you keep yours."
"Tell your father I said hello and, again, I'm sorry about Matthew."
"Thank you, Mr. Bates." She nodded and went to the door. "For your kind wishes. It means a great deal to me."
John waited for her to leave and then went back to his study with the folder. When he arrived there he saw Talbot sorting through a number of papers, handing some to John without even looking. Flicking his gaze over a few more he laid them on the desk before speaking.
"Is your mysterious investigator gone?"
"She is and she's single."
"What about it?" Talbot raised an eyebrow, putting his paper in another pile before stacking them.
"Ask her out."
"When I said girlfriend I meant for you, not me." Talbot sighed, "Get what you needed from her?"
"I did." John showed Talbot the file. "We've got work to do."