Author Topic: AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING (Read 385 times)

22639 · « **on:** September 30, 2011, 08:45:55 am »

***Seacouver, Washington***

Craig is sitting at his desk in his office at the Bower Agency going over a couple of files.

David knocks at Craig's door before opening it.

[David] Sorry, Craig, hope I'm not interrupting you.

Craig looks up and closes the file folder he has had open.

[Craig] Not at all. Come on in and have a seat. Want some coffee?

Craig asks gesturing to the coffee maker on the credenza.

[David] Yeah.

[Craig] Help yourself.

David enters, get some coffee and sits at a chair near Craig's desk.

Craig says with a smile. He picks up his own coffee cup and takes a sip of it's contents.

[Craig] You get your office set up to your liking?

Craig asks leaning back in his chair.

David shrugs, sipping his coffee.

[David] It's ok, after that long at the force I'm not that picky anymore.

[Craig] If you need anything....art work for your walls...plants....whatever...just tell Linda. She's a master scrounger.

Craig says with a chuckle.

David smirks.

[David] She already offered, but thanks.

Craig swivels his chair so that he is facing the table behind him. He picks up a small stack of file folders and turns back to face David. He holds the files out across the desk for David.

[Craig] These are a few of the larger businesses that I would like to see us land the security contract with.

Craig explains.

[Craig] I just haven't been able to give them the time needed to land the accounts.

Craig takes a sip of his coffee.

David gets one file opened and starts reading it. He nods as he listens.

[Craig] You'll find that Seacouver has quite a few high end art galleries and antique shops. Miost of them are in the Heights. But none of them have any security service to speak of so they are open game.

Craig says as he slowly rocks his chair back and forth.

[Craig] We also are the home to three very prestigious museums. And at the moment they are relying strictly on private security guards I know we can talk them into upgrading to an electronic system.

[David] Didn't have time to know the city very well yet, looks small enough after New york though...

Craig chuckles.

[Craig] Yeah. Any city looks small after New York.

David grins.

[David] Yeah, I guess so.

Craig lets David have a few minutes to review the files he handed him and he picks up the remote control for the big screen TV mounted on the wall across from his desk. He presses a button and the TV comes to life.

David keeps reading, he's used to work in noisy environments by now.

Craig only halfway listens to the female news reporter on the TV as he watches David review the files.

David frowns as he reads one.

[David] You have an Opera here? Never imagined...

Craig smiles and nods.

[Craig] They're world renown, too. Been compared to the New York Met.

Craig says and takes a sip of his coffee.

[Craig] You into opera?

[David] Not really. But it sounds impressing enough.

David chuckles before he takes another sip at his coffee.

"I am standing at one end of the Peper Tunnel which is owned by Southern Pacific Railroad and is their main entrance and exit to Seacouver," the reporter on the TV is saying. "An hour ago a grizzly discovery was made inside this tunnel when Railroad inspectors found the body of a man laying across the tracks....decapitated. The body has been identified as Daniel Crane a professor and the head of the university music department." Craig stops rocking and stares at the TV....shock written all over his face. He grabs the remote and turns up the volume. "I was able to interview Deputy Sheriff John Temple a little while ago and here's what he had to say.....," the pictures switches to a video taken earlier. "Decapitation was not the only injury sustained by Professor Crane," the deputy says. "Although it was the decapitation that killed Professor crane we found evidence that prior to his decapitation he had undergone some sort of torture. The coroner said there's signs that someone had used a long, narrow sharp object to puncture both of the Professor's eardrums and had not just broken all of his finger and hand bones....but shattered them. What has us puzzled is that these injuries seemed to be at least 24 hours old." The video ends and the camera is once again trained on the woman reporter.

[Craig] Good God!

David frowns at Craig.

[David] You knew this guy?

Craig whispers and stares transfixed on the TV. "Deputy Temple told me that they have no clues as to who Professor Crane's assailant is but he assured me that they will not rest un til they have captured whoever it is. I tried to contact Professor Crane's wife but she wasn't available just yet. This is Randy McFarland reporting from Pepper Tunnel. Back to you in the studio."

[Craig] Huh?

Craig says absentmindedly in response to David's question.

[David] What's up? Did you know this guy?

Craig looks at David and nods.

[Craig] Yeah. We were poker buddies. I am friends with he and his wife.

Craig says still sounding stunned.

David is still frowning thinking about the news.

[David] We got a lot of headless bodies at New York too, never found out who did it...

Craig reaches for the phone and dials a number.

[Craig] Yes....is Lisa there? Tell her it's Craig Bower.

Craig waits for a few minutes.

[Craig] Lisa. I just heard. Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?

Craig listens and his brow furrows.

[Craig] My God. When did this happen?

Craig listens.

[Craig] Then....this morning....ther guy came back?

Craig asks clearly confused.

[Craig] Oh....Lisa.....are you sure? I mean....come on. I can't see Daniel doing that.

Craig shakes his head slowly as he listens. He closes his eyes and bows his head.

[Craig] My God, Lisa. I am so very sorry. If there's anything you need....anything at all.....

Craig nods and gently replaces the telephone receiver on its cradle. He looks up at the TV without seeing it. Slowly his facial expression turns to one of deep rage.

[Craig] The son of a **** did it again.

Craig growls softly.

[David] Again? You know who did it?

David asks him surprised.

Craig silently opens the bottom drawer of his desk and removes a thick file folder. He tosses it across his desk to David.

David stares at him for a while, studying him before he picks up the folder and opens it. What he gleans from his quick review of the file is that Ashton Lawrence hires himself out to clients who want to exact revenge against someone. His form of revenge is to study his intended victim to learn what it is in their life that they love and then to mutilate them in a way that will prevent them from enjoying that love. To date he had amputated the feet of a dancer, gouged the eyes out and amputated the hands of an artist, amputated the hands of a renowned cardiac surgeon, cut off the nose of a beautiful model and removed the tongue of a popular motivational speaker. He never killed his victims but they all had eventually committed suicide...not wanting to or unable to face life without being able to do what it was they loved doing. The man was a complete sick-o.

[Craig] He didn't decapitate Daniel....but he did worse.

Craig says almost hissing the words.

[Craig] His name is Ashton Lawrence. I've been chasing him for over two years now. From one side of the country to the other and back again. Always just a step beghind him.

Craig gets up and walks over to the window. He stands with his hands shoved in his pockets and stares out at the city below,.

[David] Ever considered telling that to the police?

David couldn't hold his question any longer.

[Craig] In that file you'll find several police reports. But they were of no use. He's too smart fior the average cop. And besides....they are always overloaded with cases....it's just another one to them.

Craig says without looking away from the window.

[Craig] And even if they could catch him.....they wouldn't be able to stop him. That will be my job.

Craig says in a soft and even voice.

[David] And just how are you planning to stop him... kill him just like that? You can't be serious...

Craig turns away from the window and...as if not hearing David's remark...grabs his jacket off of the back of his chair.

[Craig] Come on.

Craig says simply and heads for the door of his office.

David looks up at him surprised, but does as he's told, he's the boss after all.

[Craig] I'll be out of the office the rest of the day, Linda.

Craig announces to his secretary as he rushes past the receptionist desk. He heads for the doors of the suite of offices that is the Bower Agency and exits.

[David] So where are we going?

David asks as he follows Craig.

[Craig] I want to take a look at the site myself.

[David] The police would have marked it as a crime scene, I doubt they'll let us near.

Craig passes up the elevator and heads for the stairs.

[Craig] You have some sort of aversion to challenging situations, David?

Craig asks over his shoulder.

[David] Hey, I did got those guys that framed me, didn't I? Wouldn't you call that a challenging situation?

Craig doesn't respond as he descends the stairs two at a time to the parking garage level below the office building. He heads for his SUV, deactivates the alarm and unlocks the doors when he is a few feet from it. He turns and tosses the keys to David and says emphatically, "you're driving." Then he gets into the passenger seat and closes the door.

David smiles as he catches the car keys.

[David] You're the boss.

David gets into the driver's seat and starts the car.

[David] Where to? Pepper Tunnel?

[Craig] Take a left out of the garage and head for the south east part of town.

Craig instructs. He rests his elbow on the window sill of the passenger door and absentmindedly rubs his chin as he stares out the passenger window in deep thought.

[David] Ok boss.

David smirks and drives off.

To be continued

Author Topic: AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING (Read 385 times)

22639

AN ENDING AND A BEGINNING