Double Doublecross (16 page)

She followed them. Reaching the parking lot, she watched where Carl parked his car and parked two aisles over from him, keeping him in sight. The other two cars did not park close to him. As far as Sara could determine from her vantage point, the two occupants in the cars were both women.

Carl got out of the car and moved casually towards the supermarket's door. Sara waited a few seconds and followed him through the automatic doors, picking up a small basket as she entered. The two women who had entered ahead of her each grabbed a cart. One of them had a small child, who she lifted into the seat at the front of her shopping cart.

For five minutes Sara followed Carl around the store, keeping an eye open for anyone who seemed interested in his movements. She moved closer to Carl near the dairy product counter. As he was about to select some cheese, Sara reached over in front of him.

“Nobody obvious at the moment,” she whispered.

She moved on to the next set of products. Carl moved on round the store feeling pleased. Sara, following at a distance, noticed the woman with the child was moving quite swiftly in the same direction.

Carl stopped, picked up some tomatoes, looked around and selected a few apples then stood still for a few seconds. Sara noticed the woman with the child was halted a few feet from Carl but was not selecting anything. In fact, she noticed the woman had fewer than ten items in her cart.

Pulling in behind Carl at the checkout, Sara inched forward and seemed to accidentally bump Carl's cart.

“Woman with baby in cart at fast checkout looks suspicious,” she whispered.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” she said to Carl. “Clumsy of me.”

Carl watched the woman walk out ahead of him to her car.
By the time he reached his car, she was strapping the child in its car seat and easing herself to a position behind the steering wheel. Sara followed Carl out and headed for her car watching the woman and Carl at the same time. Getting into her car she waited for Carl to get settled and then dialed his cell phone number making sure the woman was in her line of sight.

The phone rang and Carl bent over to the glove compartment before answering.

“Is that you?” he said without saying a name.

“Yes. You're being followed by the woman with the kid. Pull out slowly, make a left, then a right into the first fast food place across the road on the right. It's a burger place. I'll follow at a safe distance and watch her. If she follows you, I'll ring twice and then ring off. No need to pick up the phone.”

“Okay! Okay!” Carl shouted nervously.

Slowly, Carl Regis pulled out of the parking lot, turned left, and drove to the fast food place. He moved slowly out of his car and walked toward the burger stand. The woman pulled into the parking lot, but did not get out of her car. Sara watched the woman who made no effort to move.

Carl ordered a chicken sandwich, fries and a small coffee to go. Picking up his food, he went to his car, got in and had a sip of the coffee in a nonchalant manner so as not to arouse suspicion. He glanced across to where Sara was parked and then drove out slowly to the street.

Looking in his rearview mirror, he could see the woman move out after him, followed by Sara at a hundred yards behind them both. His phone rang twice, but he already knew he had a new tail.

“Christ!” he said to himself. “They're using women and
kids for their dirty work. I wonder how much she's getting paid for this.”

Carl drove through the security gate of his apartment block without looking back at his follower or Sara. He stopped and waited a minute or two, then dialed the code for Sara who had trailed the woman into the strip mall parking lot and parked eight spaces to her left.

“You're right. She's a tail,” he said angrily as Sara switched on the phone.

“That's right, Carl. Clever, really. You've got to give it to them. Very unobtrusive idea.… Just a minute, she's getting out of the car. Now she's walking over to another car and leaning into the window. Carl, I think she's handing over to another woman. Yes, I can see her now. No kid in the car. Black Mustang with a red stripe. Looks good.”

“Quit the gabbing. Are you sure it's a handover?” he retorted.

“Yes, I'm quite sure. The woman with the kid just drove off. The other one just got out of the car and lit a cigarette. She looks a lot tougher than the other one. Why don't you pull out and go around the block back to the burger stand for ketchup or something—just to make sure?”

“Good idea.”

Pulling out of the apartment block, he turned toward the direction of the fast food stand. Sure enough, he saw the Mustang tailing him. Now he had a real problem to sort out. Sooner or later he would have to find a way of losing the tail in order to take possession of the money.

“She's still with me,” said Carl into the phone to Sara.

“Looks like it. You're going to have to find a way around this if you want to pick up the money.”

“Yeah, I know. You don't have to tell me. Let's break off
now and I'll give it some thought.”

“Okay, Carl. Talk to you later.”

Driving back to the house, Sara wondered how Rick had made out with Janet and Tom Hughes. In a way she hoped he'd sold it, but on the other hand, she felt at home there now.

Rick was feeling pleased with himself. He had presented the house to the Hughes's, and Janet Hughes was very positive that this was the house she wanted.

“Do you really want to sell it?” she said with hope in her voice.

“Well, as I said before, I'm a single guy with a big house and no time to enjoy it.”

“How much are you asking for it?” Tom Hughes asked.

“Somewhere in the area of six hundred thousand. I'm sure we can come to an agreement. Let me give it some thought.”

“Fine,” said Tom Hughes. “I'll wait for your call. Let's say in a day or so. Is that alright with you?”

“I'll give you a call tomorrow. Now, let me drive you back to your car and I can sit down and work out the figures.”

Back at the office Rick felt a sigh of relief but with mixed feelings. He liked his house and the manicured garden that Louis had spent so many hours cultivating, planting and pruning. But selling the house would solve a big problem for him. Now if he could only sell the apartments, he could start again from square one. All he had to do was hang on and find the cash he needed for the next two months, depending on the closing period of the house sale.

Heading home he decided to tell Sara he was positive he had sold the place, and they would both have to find a place to live in the not too distant future. Opening the front door,
he ran into Sara in the hallway.

“Well, I think I've sold it,” he said tentatively. “They both liked it and all I have to do is agree on a price with them and a closing date. So that's that.”

“I don't know whether to congratulate you or not. You like this house and so do I. Is there nothing you can do?”

“I don't think so. This house is too big for one person anyway. I'll find a place somewhere. The question is—what about you? Where will you go? We've got a couple of months at the most.”

“Oh, something will turn up,” she said thinking of Carl and the money.

What about Phil Speed? It was Carl with the money or Phil without the money. The decision was hers. She liked the idea of having wealth but not with Carl. He was rough, uncouth and at times, treated her like dirt, but he had never hit her. Phil, on the other hand, was handsome, smooth, always well dressed, but she knew he had a mean streak in him. Once or twice he had slapped her for practically no reason at all.

She thought about Rick. He was gentle, kind and caring but obviously had no financial sense. She hadn't given him much thought until the skiing weekend, when she became aware of a more comfortable way of living.

She turned to Rick.

“When can we go skiing again? That was a real thrill for me. Could we go this weekend?”

“Why not?” he said without thinking. “Let me get this deal on the way. With a bit of luck and a following wind, we'll make it. Now, let me get on with this sale and I'll see what I can do about getting the time off,” he said, knowing full well that by hook or by crook he'd make it.

“Can we go to the same place near Squaw Valley? It's so
pretty there.”

“I'll reserve the rooms as soon as I know my schedule,” he said.

Rick spent most of the evening working out a fair price, including a reduced real estate fee which he would give to the office. Finally he had worked out a deal he hoped the Hughes's would consider fair. He was ready to give Tom Hughes a call in the morning.

R
ick Jacobs was up early the next morning. Sitting down at the breakfast table with some toast and coffee, he went over the figures he was going to present to Tom Hughes. Completing his final review, he stuffed the papers into his briefcase and decided to get to the office early for once.

“Feeling alright?” asked Pat James with a smile when he walked in the door. “Want some coffee, donuts or aspirin?”

“All three—and don't be so facetious,” he said with a grin. “Have we won the lottery? Maybe robbed a bank. What makes you so cheerful this miserable, foggy, damp morning?”

“None of the above. I think I've found just the place for the Hughes's.”

“Great news, Rick! Where is it?”

“It's my place,” he said sheepishly.

“What!!” exclaimed Pat. “You've got to be
joking
. You love that place, Rick. Why sell it now?”

“I need the money. It's too big for me anyhow.”

“Are you broke?” she said seriously.

“Not quite, but it's getting close. I can always stay in one
of my apartments for a while. That is, if I can keep those mortgage payments coming.”

“Oh, hell! Rick, if you need help why didn't you let us know?”

“Because it's not your problem, that's why. Now don't worry about me. I was in the Marines you know.”

“I know, you and Stan have told me the stories many times over. Seriously, if I can help, just give me a yell.”

“Thanks Pat, but I'll be okay.”

“Have you told Stan yet?”

“No, not yet. I'll catch him later. I've got to give Tom Hughes a call,” he said opening his office door taking a cup of coffee with him.

Rick glanced at his watch, it was nine thirty. Tom Hughes should be up by now. He dialed his number.

“Tom Hughes here,” a voice said.

“This is Rick Jacobs and I've got a proposal I'd like to go over with you and your wife. When would it be convenient to get together?”

“Good. I'm in a Oakland hotel. Ten-thirty okay?”

“That's fine with me. I'll see you here in my office in one hour.”

Stan Turner came into the office and saw Rick at his desk.

“Early this morning, Rick. Can't sleep?” he laughed.

“Had a good sleep, thanks, Stan. By the way, I found the Hughes's a great house.”

“Wonderful, there's not much out there in your neck of the woods. Where exactly is it?”

“It's my house, Stan. I‘ve decided to sell it and move into an apartment or a condo.”

“My God, you're joking of course!”

“No, I'm deadly serious. I don't need a house that size.
I'm a bachelor—what do I need a house like that for? I'm finished chasing the bimbos, as you call them. From now on, I'm going to be more frugal.”

“Am I hearing right? You're going to slow down at last?”

“Yes.”

“Anything to do with Sara?”

“No, not at all. I know it's hard to believe, but we're just good friends. There's nothing between us.”

“I know it's none of my business, Rick, so shut me up if I say too much. I think that girl's changed over the last few weeks. She seems sweeter.”

“Maybe you're right, but there's
still
nothing between us.”

“Okay, Rick. Have it your way. Now, do you need any help with the paperwork?”

“No thanks, everything is under control. I'm giving him a reduction in fees and the rest goes to the office.”

“I'll leave you to it then. See you later.”

“Okay, Stan. They'll be coming here in about thirty minutes so I won't be available for anything.”

With that he closed the door and went over the proposal once more before they arrived.

Rick sat at his desk opposite Tom Hughes and opened his folder containing the proposal.

“I decided last night I really wanted to sell. The decision was easy to make as I previously explained to you. I don't need a house this large.”

He continued giving the price and the usual extras associated with the buying and selling of property.

“As far as I'm concerned it's a done deal, Mr. Jacobs,” said Tom Hughes. “We both like the area and the house. There's just one little snag. My buyer now says he won't be able to
close the deal on my house for another two months. It could be sooner but he has some complications that I won't go into. Is that alright with you?”

Rick felt a pang of disappointment but kept his cool. He really needed a buyer, and they were hard to come by at this time of year.

“Sure, no problem. I'll just wait for your call and we'll proceed with the paperwork.”

He exchanged pleasantries with Tom Hughes. Before Tom left, he expressed how grateful he was to Rick for holding the house for him and he said that they would be in touch.

Rick turned to Stan, who stood outside his door. He smiled and said, “Well, I've sold it. Now I have to wait for his buyer to complete his side of the deal. Same old, same old. Always a hitch somewhere.”

“At least you've sold it. Look on the positive side,” said Stan.

“Oh, just one other thing, Stan. Sara wants to go skiing again this weekend. Okay if I leave early on Saturday?”