Kill The President's Women (Joe The Magic Man Series Book 2) (38 page)

“Fareed wouldn’t cheat on his wife.” Idir argued back but the doubt had already lodged itself in his mind “His friend just told me to tell him to keep the noise down because of the people in the shop below.”

“I can’t remember what shop he told me the apartment was above?”
Abel said gingerly, hoping for an address.

“He didn’t tell me, he just gave me the package and told me to tell Fareed to make sure he keeps the noise down and leave the place tidy.”

“I suppose I could go back to his friend and ask him where Fareed is staying?”

Idir shook his head and spoke out in a mumble, saying “No, no” over and over. None of the passers-by paid him any attention. Quietly, to himself, Idir added, “I don’t know him; I just went to the café to pick up the keys.”

“That’s right I went to that café, what’s it called…?”

“The Casbah Coffee House,” Idir said, thinking he was replying himself and sticking up for Azim. “The keys were in the open envelope and I’m not going back there to check up on him.”

Idir, without any pressure, was reliving that moment in inconsistent flashes and Abel was only getting bits and pieces that didn’t make much sense to him. Idir was annoyed with himself for thinking bad things about Azim. Abel felt his distress and figured he had gotten enough for the moment. He would get back to Idir’s mind when he fell asleep and get more out of him under hypnosis.

Abel jumped back into Alice’s mind as she was walking towards the elevator of her hotel.

“You’re back in your hotel already.”

“Yes Joe, as you can see. Now, how did it go?” Alice asked, impatiently.

“I think we might have a lead for Burrows to work on. Fareed Azim has borrowed an apartment above a shop.”

Alice had just walked in the elevator and was about to push the button for her floor, when her hand froze in shock and excitement. “What, what?”

Abel told Alice how he had done it and everything he had found out off Idir. He told her all they had to do now was to come up with a plan to explain how they found out that information and hope Campbell and Burrows would believe it.

Joe came up with a plan, a plan which Alice didn’t particularly like but she couldn’t think of a better one so they went ahead with it, expecting Agent Burrows to pull it to shreds.

Agent Burrows was at HQ taking phone calls from the agents on the road who were reporting back in to her, when her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She looked at Alice’s name and decided to take it in one of the side offices.

“Hi Alice, I’m sorry but I still don’t know if we need you and Joe yet, there’s been no new development. We’re…”

“Forget that,” Alice interrupted her, “are you sitting down?”

“No… and we’re very busy here.”

“Then get your pen and pad out and sit down.” Alice tried to sound panicky; it was part of the plan they came up with.

“Alice, are you alright? You sound shaken up.”

Alice had her fingers crossed. She hoped Burrows would believe her shit story. “You’re not going to like this, but Joe has gone and worked some of his magic in that mosque you were talking about where Fareed Azim worships.”

Burrows wasn’t sure she heard right. “He’s what?”

“You’re not going to believe this, because I can’t either.” Alice gave a little sob.

“What is it Alice? You’re freaking me out. You don’t even sound like yourself.” Burrows was worried because Alice’s voice sounded croaky, as if she had been crying.

“I’m okay, it’s just… Joe has somehow put me in a trance, so he could get a message to you and it’s upset me a bit.”

“You’re still not making much sense. I thought you said Joe’s up here in Washington. He’s put you in a trance too?”

“Let me try and explain it the best I can.” Alice was trying her best to sound scared and pretend to not know what had just happened to her. “One minute I was watching TV wide awake, and the next minute I woke up in the bedroom lying on the bed. Joe had put me to sleep so he could contact me in my dreams.”

A cold shiver went through Burrows. “Jesus Christ Alice, are you alright? No wonder you sound scared. And how…?” Burrows stopped, unsure if she really wanted to know how.

“I’m alright now, but I have this blank space in my head. But Joe had told me when I was under his spell not to be scared, that he just wanted me to phone you straight away with the news.”

It was only just starting to sink in what Alice was trying to say. “Are you telling me that Joe has penetrated the mosque and found something out?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. He knew he shouldn’t have, that the FBI would give him…”

Burrows only half-understood what had happened and couldn’t wait for the explanation, so she cut Alice off from her ramblings to hear the information. “How did he do it, and what did he find out?”

“Okay,” Alice said in her shaky voice, “it’s best if you let me say it without asking questions until I’ve finished.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Well Joe wanted to find out if anyone knew where Fareed Azim was hiding and he knew none of them in the mosque would tell the police. So he pretended to bump into one of the Muslim brothers and got into his head. The first three whose minds he jumped into didn’t know a thing, but the fourth, a man called Idir, was shifty. Joe knew he was hiding something.”

“Idir is Azim’s errand boy,” Burrows said, shocked and excited at the possibility. She remembered she had promised not to interrupt and added, “Sorry, carry on.”

“Joe was able to find out that Fareed Azim has borrowed an empty apartment for a week.” Alice knew Burrows was dying to ask where but she kept quiet so Alice kept up the act of being scared. “Idir doesn’t know the address, but it’s above a shop that is open.”

“Hang on Alice, I’ve got to tell this to the boss.”

Alice could hear Burrows yelling, “Sir, sir” and she guessed she was trying to get Frank Brubaker’s attention. Alice heard an excited Burrows relate the story she heard from her. Then Burrows came back on the phone.

“Great work Alice, we’re going to get people looking at all empty apartments above the shops in Washington.”

“Something else you might want to get them to take a look at is the Casbah Coffee House. That’s where Azim sent Idir to pick up the keys from his friend so this friend must be the owner of that apartment, and would know exactly where Fareed Azim is.”

“Fucking hell, Alice! Have you got any more gems?”

“No, just that. I’ve got to lay down and try to get over the shock of being hypnotized. I need to get my head around what just happened and then perhaps I can explain it better.”

“Okay, Alice. Please, stay safe. And stay in touch.”

Alice heard the phone go dead and she
sighed deeply. It had worked! She had expected Burrows to ask loads of questions, find holes in their story, and then get mad at her for trying to deceive her. Apparently, the need for good news trumped everything else.

Abel had stayed in Alice’s mind and had listened to the whole conversation. He guessed the FBI was ready to work on the information more than ask how it had come by. For now, at least.

Burrows called Alice back soon after, and told her as nicely as possible, that Joe shouldn’t have gone up to the mosque without permission because it could have blown their work. But, in the end, they were pleased with what Joe had found out, and asked Alice to say a big thank you to Joe.

Alice asked Burrows if they wanted Joe to vis
it Idir tonight to see if he could find out any more. “Yes,” Burrows replied, “every little detail helps.”

Abel got into Idir’s dreams that night and found that there wasn’t much more than he already knew. After double-checking to make sure, he smiled to himself for it meant he now had plenty of time to go visit his dream girl, Jean.

*

Now that Jean had finished reading the book about King Henry VIII, Abel knew he should be taking Jean on another adventure, but he decided to drag it out one night longer, especially since it was obvious that Jean didn’t want to say good bye to the handsome Captain Morgan.

After tasting more than one middle-aged man and the youthful Captain Morgan, Joe realized Jean still wanted one more “older” man: Evan Evans and it was up to him to make it happen.

Jean lay on the deck of the ship, her head was spinning violently and through her squinted eyes, she could see men looking down on her and hear Steve-e-Joe’s voice calling her as if from some far distance.

“Jean, are you okay? Speak to me.” Steve-e-Joe was tapping her face.

One of the ship’s crew said, “Leave her sleep it off lad, and I’ll clean her up later.”

“My wife is not drunk,” Steve-e-Joe replied indignantly.

Jean’s head was beginning to clear, and she heard the strong voice of Sergeant Jones. “Get out of my way, let me through,” he said. He gently raised Jean’s head off the deck and made her sit up. “What happened?” Sergeant Jones asked.

“She fainted and nearly fell off the gantry,” Steve-e-Joe replied, and with the help of the sergeant, got Jean on her feet.

“What you lot gawking at?” Sergeant Jones snapped at the men.

The ship’s captain stepped forward. He said, “You can’t blame my men for gawking. When that young man carried his wife on board and she dropped on down by there, her skirt went right up and we all saw what he had for supper on his wedding night.”

Jean heard the whole crew roar in vulgar laughter. “I’m afraid of the water so I guess I fainted.” Jean tried to ignore the smutty remarks and explain, but it made the crew laugh louder.

“Okay you lot, get back to work!” the captain of the ship bellowed, “You all seen what you can’t have, now get back to work and get that cargo off. First mate, you go find the rest of the crew and sober them up; we sail on the morning tide.” The captain turned back to Sergeant Jones and the archers and yelled gruffly at them, “You men would do well to get below and get out of our way.” He looked at Jean and spoke in a softer tone. “Down below deck is no place for a young lass like you, you know? The hull is swarming with rats, lass. We’ve got rats down there as big as bloody cats.”

Jean had a sudden fear of rats. “Oh, I can’t go down there. Steve-e-Joe, please tell him I can’t.”

Steve-e-Joe opened his mouth to protest but the captain went on. “This is my ship and I say who sleeps where. Her Ladyship and her maid have claimed one cabin.” He paused as he knew her ladyship could hear him. “And rightly so. Her ladyship being a cousin to our King, it is only fitting.” He smiled at Jean. “And the only other cabin is mine, so if you want to sleep above deck away from the rats, you’re welcome to share my cabin.” His smile grew bigger and then he added. “You and your husband are English so you shouldn’t be mixing with the likes of the Welsh, but there’s only room for you, lass.”

“She’ll sleep with her husband,” Captain Morgan said authoritatively, “under the protection of my men.”

“Then so be it; bloody Welshmen on my ship!” He pointed to the hatch. “Take your men below and the young lass if she wants to, but stay out of my crew’s way.” He turned and bellowed to one of his crew. “Ruddock, take them below and sort out their sleeping quarters.”

Captain Morgan and the Welshmen followed Ruddock below and Jean, in the company of Steve-e-Joe, followed the Welshmen. It was dark down there and it wasn’t quite night time yet. She hung on to Steve-e-Joe’s arm for the only light down there was from the lantern that Ruddock carried in front of him, casting strange shadows.

“There you are folks,” Ruddock said as they arrived at the rear of the ship. “You take stern and the rest of us crew will be in the mid-ship. There’s only one shit bucket between you so try not to let it get too full; we don’t want you tipping it over accidentally now, do we?
I
’ll leave this lantern here above the bucket. If I was you lot, I’d do my business in the bucket before nightfall and empty it overboard, there’ll be less to carry in the morning and it won’t smell so bad down here tonight.”

“Why can’t we go have a piss over the side of the ship?” William Williams asked.

“Why? I’ll tell you why, because the captain doesn’t like people wandering the decks, day or night, that’s why.”

Captain Morgan claimed a spot in the corner with just enough room for Steve-e-Joe, Jean and Sergeant Jones beside him. The slop bucket was down from them and the lantern hanging just above it was shedding very little light on their corner.

Jean was wondering if Captain Morgan intended to make love to her with his men and the ship’s crew so close by. She was pleased with the way he had arranged the sleeping, with her having to sleep in between him and her husband. Knowing the captain, the arrangement might not just be for protection but for something else.

“Okay boys, listen up.” Sergeant Jones tried to stand up but he was too tall for the tiny space; he was half-stooped over in the low height. “You heard what he said about the bucket, so let’s have a piss before we turn in; anyone wanting a shit can go last.” He turned to Steve-e-Joe. “We’ll start with the youngest to empty the bucket, and that’s you, boyo.”

Steve-e-Joe nodded. A few men grumbled and went to use the bucket.

Jean whispered to Captain Morgan, “I can’t pee with all these men watching me.”

“Shall I ask them to close their eyes while you have a pee?” He smiled at her. “Worry not; I’ll fetch the lantern up here so it’ll be darker for you.”

Jean was suddenly burst
ing to go as she watched the men go one after the other. The captain took her hand and led her to the bucket. He took the lantern and walked back to hang it on a beam at the foot of their beds. It was a lot darker by the bucket now so Jean lifted her skirt and had a pee. She didn’t know if it was just her but their side of the ship went a little quiet, almost as if the men were listening to hear her pee.

When she was done, she started to make her way back, and the captain passed her with a smile as he took the lantern back to hang above the bucket.

“Oh, listening to that sound just now reminded me of my daughter,” one of the archers said in a surprisingly happy tone.