The Handyman Six Pack: The Full Series by Jon Messmann

Author:Jon Messmann [Messmann, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: spy, action, adventure, mystery, crime, espionage, hard-boiled
Publisher: Brash Books
Published: 2022-03-23T11:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

It was morning now, and Cassie still slept in the bedroom of Jeff’s apartment. The return had been smooth and Cassie had seemed relieved to be back in home territory. That night she had made love to him wildly, fusing all the hurt and fear and anger into the catalyst of sex. He closed the bedroom door now and let her sleep. He would take the moment to call Malvina, Cassie’s hurt resentment at Roger’s last words still in his mind. He dialed and waited as the phone rang, the task not one he wanted and not one he could delegate.

Malvina answered the phone herself, finally, excitement in her voice when she heard him. He took a deep breath.

“There’s no easy way to say this, Malvina,” he began. “I was too late. They got to Roger first.”

“Oh, my,” he heard the woman say, her voice falling, dismay turning to shock in split seconds. The silence seemed longer than it was. “Is he dead?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Malvina,” Jeff answered. “Something went wrong at the last minute.”

“Where did it happen?” the woman asked.

“In Portugal. He was hiding out in a small, broken-down house near the shore, up from Ilhavo. It was a good place to hide, away from everything, all by itself. They tried a few days before and missed him. This time they didn’t miss.”

“Then they got whatever it was he had, what they were after?”

“No. I got what he had with him. But that’s only a small part of what they want. There’s more someplace. Roger had the whole thing spelled out. Thermal energy, Malvina, a piece of tomorrow, that’s what it’s all about.”

He heard the woman’s deep breath. “You’re going to try to find the rest, the missing part, aren’t you, Jefferson?” She made the question a demand.

“I’ll find it,” Jeff said, a hardness changing his voice instantly.

“If you do, please let me know at once. I didn’t mention it before, but when Roger was here, over a year ago, he took some important family deeds and papers, goodness knows why, maybe he was going to try to raise money with them or something. If you find the rest of his papers those things will be mixed in someplace. I must have them back.”

“You’ll be the first to know when I find the rest of Roger’s things,” Jeff said. “His last words were for you, your name, Malvina.”

“How comforting to know that,” the woman said softly.

“He didn’t wait for me. He’d have been alive if he had,” Jeff said. “He panicked and called somebody.”

“He was always too impatient,” Malvina said. “Thank you for everything, Jefferson.”

The line clicked off. He put down the receiver, and turned to see Cassie wearing pajama tops only, her face set, blonde hair tousled.

“That was her, wasn’t it?” she said. He nodded.

“It’s not just my trying to remember, is it? They’re still looking, too. When do they stop? Or don’t they ever?”

“It’s murder today, money tomorrow. They stop when they have it all or we have it all.

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