Blood Appeal: Vigilante--A Species of Common Law by Lyle O'Connor

Author:Lyle O'Connor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Publication Consultants

Chapter 11

“I am part of the power which forever wills evil and forever works good.”

—Mikhail Bulgakov

In the darkness of the room, it caught my eye. I’d awakened before dawn to the reddish hue of the alarm clock’s neon display. Barely five in the morning sounded like a good time to start my morning routine, but an unexpected issue arose. I’d fallen asleep during the evening while Anna continued to work on the files well into the night. Had Anna not fallen asleep next to me, I would have started my routine early. I could have aroused her if I desired, but instead I chose to relax in this appealing setting she’d placed me.

At eight o’clock we officially started our morning together with a cup of extra strong Java. Nurse Anna looked out for my best interests and stuck a yogurt in my face. “Eat.” Her tone was commanding. I found Anna provocative and alluring with her assertiveness and power. I mused on the many attributes of her desirability.

“What’s on the agenda?” Anna asked.

Finally, I thought, my cohorts have asked me to step in and provide the needed leadership. “Let’s pool our Intel, evaluate the data, and execute a strategy. Let’s table-top the Intel. Sweetie, this is your forte. You analyze and process quicker than anyone I know.”

Anna smiled. I wasn’t putting anything on her she didn’t already want to do and was knee deep in as well. For my ego’s sake, she let me sound bossy as if I were in charge—I appreciated the gesture. Unlike my façade as a reporter, Anna had an active career in journalism. She’d developed over the years in the writing business many friends and professional resources. Anna placed a call to a friend she referred to only as Marla, who operated an investigative database service in Portland, Oregon. Many times in the past, Anna had utilized Marla for background facts with her human interest articles. Her request would not be unusual or a reason for concern. The service wasn’t free, but it was discreet. Anna gave Marla the information garnered from the pre-registration forms of the men in question and waited for a callback.

Two hours later, Marla was back on the phone with Anna. I moved close to where Anna sat scribbling notes on the yellow legal pad she kept close by. Waiting to be briefed on the call was one option, but so was eavesdropping on the conversation. I looked over Anna’s shoulder as she jotted notes. One note read, “All three check out.” Under that Anna had written, “Names legit. Alaska residents.” From there, the notes became indiscernible. Later, Anna translated her chicken scratch into the parameters of the search.

“Depending on who the person is, the database records show everything from professional licenses to criminal records.”

“The gamut.”

“We have some good hits in property records, addresses, and assets that will be particularly useful.”

Anna arranged four folders on the table, one for each of our project targets. No names or labels distinguished one from the other.

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