Assassin by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Rip off contractor

I have a very good neighborhood. All are very nice people. Like any neighborhood, there are the squabbles but they never degenerate to the level of hostility. They all know of my public skill. They all know that I will listen and make a fair decision but they also know that I will explain why.

Usually my explanations are purposely long because the ones that they should settle themselves, will be because of the need to have to listen to exactly why they should have settled it themselves.

Again, when I come back from an assignment, I always throw a street party for them to show my gratitude for them just being my friends.

It was at that party that an elderly couple are looking sad. I ask them what is wrong.

“We have to move. We don’t want to but we can no longer afford to stay in our home.” They seem reluctant to explain but I feel that I know why. It is their house. I could tell that they needed to fix it but did not have the funds to do the repairs.

“Listen, I have a very good friend that is a carpenter. It money is the problem, I know he will give you a very reasonable quote and will let you pay over a long period of time. I’ll call him.”

The husband tells me that it is the problem but it is not. “We had a man stop and ask us if he could look around and give them a very nice offer to fix our home problems. He gave us a price and it was good but more than we could afford. He had recommended that we contact our bank and arrange a loan. He sounded really nice when he said that it would be for the materials. He would let us make payments on the labor. The material cost was fifteen thousand and labor the same. He wanted the material cost up front. We did and we have not seen him since. Now we cannot afford to live here and need to sell to pay the material loan off. We can’t afford to live.”

His wife is crying. The neighbors tell me that the couple were happy and told them that they were relieved to have the house fixed for such a good price.

I’ve heard enough. I take out my phone and call my friend.

“Rod, I have a favor to ask.” I explain the situation. He really is pissed. That contractor is prowling the surrounding communities and pulling the same scam. Quote, get the materials money and leaves. He tells me that he will be right over.

Within an hour, he is here and I show him the house. Then comes to us and tells the old couple that he will fix their house for the good of the true contractors reputation. They are besides themselves as he explained that throughout this area the contractors are looking for him. He is destroying their good names by this scam. “We all have agreed to foot the bill for those who have been ripped off. My people will be here tomorrow to put your house in order. That includes all things inside and outside. The only thing will be that we may need to gut the whole place. You would need to have a place to live for that time.”

This is where I can help. “Rod, how long do you think it would take if it is a total gut job?”

He tells me that they would be able to do it in two months. “I am asking you to do just that. Bring it up to new,” What they knew is that I own the house next door. I use it for guests.

Looking at the couple, “I own this house. You can move in today. No rent. I will have someone here tomorrow to pack up your home carefully and store it until the house is finished. Also no cost.”

I look at the husband “You will want to be here to supervise and your wife will need to be here to pick out colors. Now I also need to talk with your bank. That will be tomorrow. I know some very good people that will also want to capture that man. They have funds and only will require you to testify at the inquiry when they catch him.”

They do not know what is happening but all the neighbors are telling them that they want to help them also. Soon they need to sit down and try to take this all in. All they can do is thank everyone through their tears.

Tapping Rod on the shoulder and motioning for him to follow me. We go inside my home. He is the only one, not even his wife knows, who knows what my true profession really is.

“Tell me everything you know about this one. I will take this one on as a personal job. Those people are near and dear to me. It makes me mad that he is preying on the poor and elderly.”

“First things first, sit down and think of that cliff. Don’t jump off it yourself. Stay mad but don’t let anger creep in.” He tells me. “Don’t make me air walk you. You are my first and best friend. You right wrongs and I was going to come to you for a favor. We contractors hate what he is doing just as much as you do. Other people in those neighborhoods tell us that they would rather do it themselves than hire us crooked contractors. That is why we have a pool that we all contribute to so we can rebuild our reputation.”

I thank him for pulling me back. He fills me in and gives me a good description of his van. They figure that he should be in a certain area based on his pattern. Rod sees my look. He knows.

“Don’t worry, these neighbors and I will do them right.” He says and leaves

I contact my people. The woman sanctions the job. I have a new assignment. This time it is personal.

Using my warehouse resources, it doesn’t take long for me to find that van. satellites are wonderful, I even was able to get a lock on his face. With a program, I get a positive identification. I watch as he drives that van into a warehouse, comes out and drives to where he lives.

Over the next few days, I can see how he works and now see where he should be next week. Time to move.

I go to that area and find a vacant house for sale. It is in need of a lot of repairs. With the sold sign on the for sale sign. I start to remove the plywood from the door. I start some visual outside repairs but make signs that I am not that good at it.

After a few days, he shows up.

“Friend, I see that you have taken on a big project. Need some help?”

He goes into his spiel. I listen then tell him, “How about we do this. Actions speak louder than words. Tomorrow morning come here. I have some copper pipes that need to be replaced in the kitchen. I’ll pay you to show me your work. Let me see how you do with roughing in the hot and cold.”

I show him the pipes from the basement are capped off above the kitchen floor. Next to them are all the pipes and valves.

“The water is shut off. Do the rough in capped off. I was going to do that tomorrow anyways. I’ll pay you five hundred if I decide not to use you but I’ll sign a contract for the entire job at your terms. Heck I’ll even bring coffee and breakfast sandwiches.”

He knows that the five hundred is good money for the quick task but the whole renovations, he could make enough on this one job to get out of this area, go to another region far from this one and scam a whole new bunch.

We both walk outside and he tells me that he will be here around nine a m. I hold out my hand and we shake while I say, loud enough for others to hear. “Good, I’ll see you in the morning and you can get started.”

The people have been watching me do work. Being curious and seeing that I am fixing up a derelict building that will boost their property values, sit on their porches. I see them smile and wave.

He drives off, so I walk over to them and explain the deal.

“I have hired him to do some plumbing to see his work. I may or may not hire him to do all the work but I’ve given him enough work that he should be here most of the day. There are places I must be tomorrow once I get him started but I will be back later in the day to see how he is coming.”

I lock up and drive away. I go to my ware house and get all the clothes to duplicate what he was wearing. I listen to his voice that I recorded without him knowing. I have the picture of his face and I am good at makeup.

It took me only a few hours to make rudimentary facial features that, at a distance would pass for him.

Behind the house is woods. There is a small gap in the fence that needs to be repaired. Tomorrow is all set.

The next morning I am there. I parked my car on the street so the dumpster could be dropped off. It was here early so I had already done some stripping inside. I made it a show to be dragging the debris out on a rolled up tarp.

He shows up as I am dragging a load into the open back of the container. I tell him outside that I would be back later to check up on him. “The coffee box is inside and I bought quite a few sandwiches. I don’t know what you like so I bought a variety.”

I leave and then drop off my car at my warehouse and ride my e-bike back to the house. I had left the clothes and the other things in an upstairs closet behind some more debris.

Going through a small path through the woods, I creep up to the house. The neighbors were not out yet. I look through the window. It was just as I planned. He is lying on the floor. I go in and feel for a pulse. He is dead. Next to him is the half eaten sandwich.

I use a quick acting tasteless poison on all the meals and the coffee. He ingested enough to not have any indication that he was dead. I rolled up his body in a tarp then banged around some things, swore in his voice like he was totally disgusted at having to demonstrate his skills.

I get on the disguise as I am doing those things. When I am done with all the makeup, I throw apiece of the old pipe through one of the front windows and stomp out the front door yelling “That house needs to be demolished. He cannot pay me enough.”

I slam the van door, back out and drive off. All under the eyes of the people on the porch. I take the time, the van is now in the warehouse, to do a rough sanding then spray it black.

Now afternoon, I drive back. “Why is that window broken?!” I yell. The neighbor told me of the scene and that the man drove off.”

Now acting like I calmed down. “It’s better that I found out now rather than in the middle of the job. I go inside and then come out. “He did a shit job as far as he went.” I tell the neighbor.

I do some more demolition, more tarps and the dumpster was full. Quite conveniently, the company came and brought me an new one as they took the full one. I was told by them, in the front yard, that most of what I had was going to be used as fuel for their power plant.

The neighbor says that, if they need a dumpster, they would use them because they just don’t take it to a landfill.

That company is a real company but, that incinerator is used for special loads. Even the coffee and meals were completely consumed in that incinerator.

I do like working on that house. I just cannot do it all the time. After all there are other tasks I need to see to. An adjudicator is a much needed skill.

Back home, Rod and his crew tore that house down to its skeleton and built it back up in record time. Their neighbors were there to help, if only to keep the work site clean of the trip hazard scraps. Swept up the inside constantly but not getting in the way. It was a beehive of activity.

Painted and looking new as it is. All their furniture is back in the propre places. Rod handed the keys to the old couple. With tears, they both hugged not only Rod’s crew but all the neighbors.

I live on a good street.

A month after they moved in, the old man knocked on my door. We sat at my table and he handed me an envelope. He asked me to open it and read the letter. There was a letter and a bank check.

The letter said that he was sorry for stealing their money. He had come to a point in life where he realized that he was doing wrong. He was truly sorry for what he had done. He said that he was leaving this country, going to one of the third world countries and helping the poor.

The check was for the entire amount he got from them.

The old man was in a quandary. “I have received debt forgiveness, I received a new house, donations have made us more than whole. This check really is not mine.” He looks at me and I realize the extent of his troubled mind.

“Adjudicator, what is the right thing to do?”

Now I need to get official. “Since you have asked me, as an adjudicator, to make a ruling, here is my judgement. The house and those donations were made out of the kindness of people’s hearts. Your neighbors love you both. Those were gifts from the heart. This check is recompense from a guilty person. You suffered heart ache and grief over a loss. I’m sure that this man, if brought before me, knew that he would have been required to pay you back three times as much. The check is yours.”

I drop the formal me and just tell him to do what his heart tells him to do. I already knew where that letter and check originated from. I later found out that he gave half to Rod to put into the fund for those who get ripped off. A quarter was given to other charities. The remainder was used to supplement their limited income.

That old couple got more back than they ever had. They got love from everyone on the street.