The bewildered ex-city councilman stood on his tippy toes to look over the agents through the storm door. They both flashed their credentials with shady grins on their faces. Patrick Adamson cracked the storm door so his voice could be heard.
"Is there something I can do for you?" He asked with serenity.
Carter did the talking." Yes, we're sorry for that mix up earlier. May we come in and ask you a few questions?"
Without hesitation Patrick opened the door and waved them in. When they walked inside the living room they saw large cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other against the wall with writing on them in black magic marker. The kitchen was covered in plastic and paint cans were everywhere.
"Don't mind the mess." Said Patrick clearing a seat on the sofa," We just moved in here."
"Where did you used to live?" Asked Carter.
"Bethseda Gardens in Avonsville. The government took everything from me after I went to jail. This is the nicest place I could afford."
Carter recalled the ritzy neighborhood Patrick was referring to. One of his golfing buddies lived in Bethseda Gardens. Carter immediately sat down and watched his partner unfold an old newspaper,spread it out over the sofa cushion, and then sit on it.
"Is he okay?" Asked Patrick.
It was all Carter could do to keep from bursting out with laughter. He snorted a little and then rubbed his nose to cover it up. Paul didn't seem to take notice.
"Oh, I'm okay." Said Paul pulling on his pant leg," I'm allergic to dust."
Now that actually made sense to Carter. Maybe his new partner wasn't much of a goofus after all. Patrick sat down on his la-z-boy and turned the volume down on the television. Carter glanced at the T.V and saw a golf ball soaring through the air. He waited until the golf ball landed on the green before he started his query.
"Mr. Adamson are you aware of the Tina Anderson kidnapping?"
Patrick kept his eyes glued to the television while he talked." Of course I am. It's been all over the news."
Paul clicked his pen and began writing." So you know that her father is the same judge that sentenced you?"
Patrick took his gaze off the T.V and nodded his head. “Yeah,yeah,yeah. Judge Anderson was the most cynical person I've ever met."
"What do you mean?"
"He's more like a clown running a circus. He always has to put his two cents in with his wise guy comments. Not just with me. He does that with everybody."
Carter cleared his throat." You mean comments like your behavior is the cancer that's eating away society?"
The ex-city councilman pulled his bathrobe together even tighter concealing his hairy chest and crossed his arms." I believe he did say that. How did you know he said that?" Patrick asked petrified now at this point.
"We talked to the judge. When the ransom call came in I guess the kidnapper decided to throw his two cents in as well. He said if cancer could talk he'd like to be a public speaker so he could spread cancer all across the U.S."
Patrick looked confused." So now you think I did it?"
Carter spoke quickly before Patrick even finished his sentence." We didn't say that. We were hoping you might know something. Maybe someone's been following you around that might try to set you up."
A sly grin started on Patrick's face and he looked up like he had the answer to the million dollar question." I just remembered something." He said matter-of-factly," My whole case was known publicly. As I'm sure you're already aware of. I used to be the city councilman but I got caught taking bribes from an underdeveloped construction company who really wanted to build the Penmar building. The media had a field day with my case. Everything said in the courtroom was all over national television."
Carter gently kicked away a kitten trying to nestle around his feet." Okay, that helps us out a little." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a zip-lock bag containing the business card to the hair salon and tossed it onto Patrick's lap.
" Do you recognize this?" Asked Carter.
Patrick flipped it over and looked at the writing on the back of the business card." I do except for the G-33 written on the back. I go to Cozy Ginger's Hair Salon usually twice a month as you can tell by my natty hair."
Carter tugged on his pant legs revealing his chalk stick legs and then sat up in his seat. Paul converted to short hand to keep up with writing down everything coming out of Patrick's mouth.
Carter abruptly asked," Ever notice anyone following you around?"
"As a matter of fact I did, but I thought he was with you guys. I'm still on supervised release and the guys in prison told me the government would be spying on me when I got out."
"What did you see exactly?"
"I kept noticing a guy wearing big thick sunglasses like the kind old people wear over their glasses. He was also wearing either a dark blue or black hoodie dressed just like the UNAbomber. I think he had long hair but I'm not sure. Oh, and he drove a red Jeep Wrangler."
Paul wrote down UNAbomber and circled it twice. Carter asked," What year was the Jeep and did you get the license plate?"
Patrick ran his stubbly little fingers through his wavy hair and tried to think back." I told you earlier I thought he was with you guys so why would I get his license plate? As for the year and make of the vehicle cut me a break. Nobody can tell the year make of a Jeep Wrangler because the body styles stay the same each year."
Carter looked over at Paul who just shrugged his shoulders." You're absolutely right Mr.Anderson, I apologize. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?"
The kitten jumped onto the ex-city councilman's lap and he gently stroked the kitten." I'm afraid that's all I know."
Carter grimaced getting ready to bare the bad news." So you have a cabin in the woods out in Elkton?"
Patrick stopped petting the kitten and squinted his eyes at Carter." I do, yes. I haven't visited it in years because supervised release won't allow me to go hunting so I have no use for it. Why do you ask?"
Carter stared at the floor with a sullen look on his face." Because we believe the kidnapper set a booby trap which killed my partner. The whole cabin has been blown up."
Patrick looked shocked and his adam's apple bulged as he gulped." Why am I just now hearing about this? Why wasn't it on the news?"
Carter scratched his nose and snorted." Because the FBI screwed up and we don't like screw ups on the news."
" Oh..." Said Patrick wondering who made the big screw up. Carter looked over at Paul who was tapping his wrist watch. They both stood up and Paul re-folded the newspaper he was sitting on and placed it on the arm chair. Carter walked over and shook Patrick's hand while Paul scrutinized his suit for dust.
Carter said," Thank you for your time Mr.Adamson, you were quite helpful. We're pushed for time so we have to get going. Sorry about your cabin."
Patrick stood up from the la-z-boy revealing his hairy chest and gripped Carter's hand firmly." Oh it's no big loss. That cabin was deteriorating anyways. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."
Paul's maroon wing-tipped shoes clanked as the agents walked across the veneer floor to the front door. When they boarded the Navigator Carter balled up his fist ready to give Paul a charlie horse then quickly retreated. Paul pulled out another sanitary napkin and wiped his hands then the steering wheel. The engine revved up with authority when Paul turned the ignition key. When they backed out of the driveway they both put their sunglasses on at the same time.
"So what do you make of all this?" Asked Carter. " I'd say our perp spent some time in the service. Probably a former Marine."
"What makes you think that?" Asked Carter impressed with Paul's assumption.
"I studied the photographs of the damage done at the cabin. I noticed a peculiar knot in the rope used to tie up the mannequin. That's a special knot they teach Marines. Mr.Adamson said the person following him around drove a Jeep Wrangler. Jar Heads fall in love with Jeeps and prefer to drive nothing else."
Carter watched a teenage boy pedal his bicycle on the wrong side of the road coming in his direction." You used to be in the Marines?" He asked curiosly.
Paul grimaced and veered the Navigator closer to the other side of the road so the kid on the bike had plenty of room." Of course not. Too much dust. My father was a Marine."
There was a moment of silence as Carter mulled over the thought of getting used to his new partner. The silence was broken by the sound of doo-wop music piercing the air. Carter looked at the radio but the music was not coming from the radio.
" Oh,that's my cell phone." Said Paul reaching into his vest pocket.
Doo-wop music? What kind of dork listens to Jazz? Carter crossed his arms while Paul took the call.
" Yes,yes. He's here with me. They found what? And they're sure it's him? Okay,we're on our way." Paul clicked the cell phone shut and placed it on the dashboard. Carter felt a pang of jealousy because Paul got the call and not him.
Carter asked," What was that all about?"
Paul pushed a little harder on the accelerator." That was Max. They found the corpse of Tina's boyfriend in a murky river 10 miles from the Dover races. The body had been decapitated and they can't locate the head but they ran fingerprints to verify his identity. This kidnapper is one sick puppy we're dealing with."
Carter clucked his tongue and squeezed the door handle letting out some stress." He's a sick one indeed." Said Carter. Then he remembered his dream.