CH69

Barbara Anderson didn't eat out for lunch very often. Usually she brought in her lunch and ate at her desk. However Senator Bracken was in NY again so it was likely to be a slow day and it felt good to get out and eat something more pleasant.

Barb had just ordered when Ben sat down across from her.

"Good afternoon Ms. Anderson." Ben was being very polite. He even had a real smile on his face. Not the fake one he sometimes used.

"I don't know anything else I can tell you Mr. Matlock," annoyed that her indulgence of lunch time was being interrupted.

"Oh don't mind me. I have some new questions for you however." Pulling out a photo from the file he had with him.

"You recognize this Ms. Anderson? … You should. You see this, while not actually the one sitting on your desk, is the same machine you use to communicate with Senator Bracken in his office.

Funny thing about this machine. It is old school. Which is thoughtful of you since I'm an old school kind of guy. Or so my daughter keeps pestering me about.

But his machine here has a unique feature. It seems if you have any kind of electrical knowledge, you can open it and adjust the settings inside. So that you can listen in using the machine in Brackens office like a microphone. Well, at least until you press this button here."

"That sounds nice Mr. Matlock but since I have no knowledge of electrical, except how to get shocked. I don't see how any of this has anything to do with me." Barb manages to say.

"Well, this is a record of your school classes you took. Seems you took a semester in a Vocational Technical School. One of the classes you took was Electrical Engineering. They actually gave you hands on training on how to attach and adjust wiring. Just like the wiring in this machine here."

Ms. Anderson however remains silent.

"And this is a picture of a very special pen. Just like the one you keep on your desk. Next to this machine. Funny thing about this pen. It is state of the art. Hard to find and even harder to get. I bought this one just last week from a nice little store that specializes in these kinds of things.

Interesting that I was only the second person to ever buy one in that store. You being the only other person.

You like to know what this pen can do Ms. Anderson? It seems that the end here is a recording device. It can store about 2 hours of conversations. Then you can connect it to a computer to download what was recorded and wipe it clean to record some more.

Interesting how it was laying on your desk nice and neat next to your adjusted machine that you yourself has altered.

How many hours of Senator Brackens conversations have you recorded over the years Ms. Anderson?

And this photo here. This is a picture of a very old boat Caddy. It was quite the car when it came out. Those fins on the back were all the rage at the time.

Care to take a guess who owns this car Ms. Anderson?"

"You don't understand." Barb starts only to be interrupted.

"Oh I think I do understand. The man who owns this once lovely car is related to you. And he has lots of trouble. Always has had trouble. All his life actually. And you have been getting him out of it each and every time.

What is he into this time Ms. Anderson?"

"You don't understand. He's the only family I have left. Senator Bracken can help him."

"You mean being forced to help him. Do you really think he will help him and you? How many people has Bracken 'helped' since you've known him? How far below ground did he help them? Six feet I'm guessing."

"I can't give you all those recordings. They are all I have to get him help." Barb is about ready to cry. All her work is about to go up in flames.

"Unlike you, I have friends. Friends who know just what to do with all those recordings. I'll let you keep them if it makes you feel better. But you ARE going to give me a copy of every one of them. And when Bracken is gone, we will help your friend with the lovely car." Ben tells her with a soft voice.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"How do you know you can trust Bracken? With all you know and have heard over the years?" Ben counters. "What makes you think you will not be next on his list? And your friend? And then he goes looking for all those recordings. Or maybe he has his men convince you to hand them over."

Barb is silent for some time. Her emotions are played out all over her face. "I'll be back here for lunch in two days."

"It's alright Ms. Anderson. Once Bracken can't hurt you, we can all help your friend with his latest problem. Maybe you can finally convince him to make it his last." And Ben leaves.

He'll eat his lunch somewhere else. This place doesn't appeal to him anymore.

True enough Ms. Anderson was back there for lunch two days later. Barb had brought three disks that she had burned every conversation she had onto. Ben in turn had brought her a card with a phone number on it. The person on the other end would help her friend with his problem.

"I don't think I need to impress upon you that your friend learn to stay out of trouble."

Barb had only shaken her head. She was running out of ways to help him.

"Oh, and if your friend is interested in selling his car. Let me know. I'll give him a very good price. You don't find cars like that just anywhere anymore. A little work and she'll pure like a new born kitten."

Ben really did want that car! And he had just the guy who could do wonders with it. By the time he was done it would look like it had just come off the showroom floor.

To drive something made of steel instead of the cheap plastic they made cars out of today. Shoot, you so much as look at today's cars and parts would fall off them.

Just as Ben was leaving he bumped into a kid who quickly relieved Ben of the disks he had just gotten. Ben however just walked on. None the wiser.

Three blocks later the kid got in a mini SUV which quickly drove off and disappeared into traffic. And made countless turns to make sure they were not followed.

These two then ended up at his apartment where they listened well into the night and next day listening to every word that was on those disks. Making notes all the time to compare later.

Satisfied, they then burned certain sections from each disk onto a flash drive and then pocketed the drive. There was just one more task to complete, and then they could both get some sleep. Since the only thing keeping them awake was coffee, soda and still more sugar. Good thing they were young still.

Charlene met up with her dad at home. Dinner was quiet. Both seemed to be in deep conversation with themselves. Finished, Charlene rinsed her dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Ben could only smile. He had a really good daughter.

"I'm going to a movie with Patience. Try not to wait up." And while kissing her father on the check and patting his chest, she purposely slipped something into his top pocket.

Ben had always liked to get justice. People who did really bad things needed to be put away. But this case had him worried. The person they were looking at may make too many people look bad. And they might be more interested in their own skin or what it would mean to the political party they were both in to allow him to fall. Though some would no doubt throw him under the bus and get as far away from him as they could to save their own political future.

Still, Bracken had to go. Pulling out a cell phone, he selected one of the only two numbers listed and pressed send.

"Yes?" The unknown voice on the other end answers.

"I have something that might interest you. It is a little hot to hang onto for too long." Ben tells him. Well the voice sounded like a him anyway.

"Size?" The voice asks.

"Very small." Ben tells him.

"Have it sent FedEx overnight to the address I give you. After getting the address." The call ends.

Ben stopped at the lion called Patience in front of the Public Library and left a little something behind,wrapped in black with an address inside and then went into the library. He wasn't really interested in seeing who showed up. But he did want to find a certain book and hopefully the library would have it.

Ben actually did find just the book he was looking for. Everything you would want to know about a 1959 Cadillac 60 Special with a one year only fake air scoops on the rear quarter panel. Yea, he was really looking forward to buying that car.

Not bothering to stop at the lion on the way out to see if it was still there. It didn't really matter if it was or not. Getting home he kicked his feet up and started reading.

Hours later this is where Charlene found him when she came home. All she could do was smile. She knew her dad well enough to know he wanted that car as soon as he told her about it. No real surprise he has a book about it in his lap. Asleep.

"Come on dad. Let's get you to bed." Ben just sleep walks his way to his bedroom. All tucked in for the night and a kiss on his forehead, she heads for her room. They would talk some other day about the case. If ever. This one was not like the others. There was a lot at stake this time. A whole lot.

Herbert already had a visit the troops planned in Afghanistan. So the arrival of the information that had been sent was excellent timing.

Having finished his reading of what he was given. Herbert needed a drink. He also needed to find that cell phone. Selecting the number he wanted, and pressed send.

It took a lot of rings before someone answered. "Yes?" A female voice answered.

"I have been given from a third party something that might be just what you want." Herbert tells her.

"How do you plan on sending it?"

"I have a friend in London. I was going to courier it out to him and he would send it to you. Where would you like it sent?"

Getting what he wanted "Got it. Good luck!" and he ends the call.

Herbert made some notes to have his itinerary changed. He wanted to visit certain sections and see what if anything was going on. Because of his position he had a very large security detail with him. So he was not overly concerned about what anyone thought or what they did after he got there. And he had just the guy to take with him. A single phone call later and he was now part of his little group.