Red Tape (10 page)

I handed him a check to cover the retainer fee. He said he would let me know when he used up the retainer and that he would bill me an hourly rate. He offered to let me pay over a period of time.

I left his office not feeling any less apprehensive. My dad was wrong. I didn’t feel better after talking to the attorney. I decided to take the back roads home. I drove from Hamilton Township, making my way through Robbinsville, and hopped onto Route 539 in Allentown Borough. I found myself subconsciously driving to Laurita Winery in New Egypt.

Laurita Winery was a place I had been before. It was nestled back in the woods behind rolling hills of vines. From the moment you turned into their driveway, you got a special feeling—like you stepped out of New Jersey and into California Wine Country. The tasting room was part of a huge building that had a deli area, store, banquet area, and a loft which overlooked the entire place. A large, double-sided fireplace divided the banquet room from the tasting room.

I paid the seven dollars for a tasting of six of their wines, then decided on a bottle of
Relaxing Red
and a bottle of
Chocolate Therapy
to take home with me. Since the talk with the attorney hadn’t eased my stress as I had hoped, I knew the wine would. At least temporarily anyway.

I called my parents from my cell phone on my way back home and filled them in on what happened at the attorney’s office. I told them I would swing by and pick up Mandy when I got back and head home. They offered to give me the night off instead. I called Bonnie and asked her if she wanted to come over for a drink.

A half hour later, I met Bonnie at my place. We opened up the
Relaxing Red
and had a seat on the couch.

“How did it go with the attorney?” Bonnie asked.

“Not as well as I would have liked.”

“Why? What did he say?”

“That I could go to jail.”

“Really? That’s ridiculous. The money was accounted for.”

“He said he’ll know more once he gets the police report and he talks to my witnesses. I gave him your name; I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all!”

“I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared. Just take this time to spend with your daughter and don’t worry about anything else.”

“I don’t know if I can pay my bills being out on leave this way and having to pay an attorney. I spent my savings when I was out on maternity leave to pay for baby items and bills.”

“I have money; how much do you need?”

“Bonnie, I am
not
taking your money!”

“And why the hell not?”

“Look, I really appreciate the offer. It was so incredibly generous of you. I can borrow some from my parents if I really get in a bind.”

“The offer still stands if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, Bonnie.”

We opened the second bottle of wine. I was already tipsy. The
Chocolate Therapy
was like drinking a dessert. My problems seemed to disappear as the wine disappeared. I was two sheets to the wind when we finished the bottle. Bonnie called Jayce for a ride home. I went to bed and passed out.

Chapter
12

A couple of days later, a knock at the door roused me from my sleep. Mandy was down for her nap and I used that time to get some much-needed shuteye. I was still reeling from my arrest and I was none too pleased when I looked through the peephole and saw two men flashing badges. I thought about not answering, until I heard one of them say, “Chelsey, it’s the FBI.”

I suddenly remembered that they had wanted to talk to me about the safety paper. They never called me back to set up a meeting time, so I was surprised by their visit. I threw on a robe and opened the door. I was a mess. My hair was like a bird’s nest and I was in my sweats. I let them in and asked them to be quiet since the baby was asleep. I told them to have a seat and that I’d be back in a jiffy. I brushed my hair back into a ponytail, brushed my teeth, and quickly slapped on some makeup. I threw on a clean pair of jeans and shirt, then met them in the living room.

They introduced themselves as Special Agent Romeo and Special Agent Lincoln. Romeo was middle-aged, tall, and thin. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He was clearly Italian, and had a stereotypical Italian schnoz. Lincoln was thirty-something, African-American, tall, and handsome with a nice body. I suspected women fell all over him. They were both dressed in black suits with black ties.

I shook Lincoln’s hand first and said, “Are you related to Abraham?” The man didn’t crack a smile.
Not in a
joking mood,
I thought. I didn’t bother to ask his first name. I turned toward Romeo and shook his hand saying, “It’s nice to put a face with the name.”

“We’d like you to come with us for some questioning,” Romeo said.

I could feel my shoulders tense up and my nerves starting to rattle. “I’d love to, except I have a sleeping baby in the other room, so unless you can give me some notice to find a babysitter, then you’ll have to talk to me here.” I was terrified they were going to take me away and stick me in another jail cell.

They looked at each other like they were not expecting my snippy response. I guessed they didn’t do a thorough investigation of me, because if they had, they would have known I was a single mom.

“That’s fine,” Romeo said. “We can interview you here. We will be recording this interview.”

“For quality control assurance?” I asked. I received in return a deadpan stare. Okay, clearly
not
the joking types.

“I want to be clear about one thing,” I said. “I wish to know if I am I under arrest again. If so, I want my attorney here and I’m not saying another word until I have him here.”

“Again?” Romeo asked.

“Boy, you Feds don’t do your research, do you? This wouldn’t be the first time this week that a handsome man arrested me. I was arrested on Monday, accused of taking money which I did not take. So, I’m not in the mood for any games or accusations. I just want my attorney,” I said defensively.

They looked at each other again.

“What is that secret look for?” I demanded.

“Chelsey, we are not here because you are under arrest. You are not being investigated. This interview is voluntary at this time. If we need you formally at a later date, you would be subpoenaed as a witness for court,” Lincoln said.

“We can certainly schedule a time to speak with you with your attorney present if that makes you more comfortable,” Romeo said.

“If you didn’t know I was arrested and told not to come back to work, how did you know you’d find me at home?”

“We didn’t know you’d be at home. We drove by and saw a car in the driveway, so we knocked. We were going to try your work next if you were not here. We drove from Trenton and this was the first stop on the way,” Lincoln explained.

I relaxed a little. They wanted me as a witness and not as a conspirator for a crime that I didn’t commit. I could deal with that. They started to ask me about the safety paper. When did I notice it was missing? How many pages were gone? Did I suspect anyone? They asked me a lot of questions about Mayor O’Donnell too. I tried not to sound like a disgruntled employee with a vendetta, but I doubted I was successful.

I got the feeling they already knew the answers to the questions they were asking. It felt like a test to see if I would tell the truth. I wondered why they didn’t strap me to a lie-detector machine. The interrogation was stressful. I felt like I was on trial. I told them everything I knew, including that the local police were investigating various crimes that might or might not be connected to the missing paper.

Within an hour, Mandy woke up and started crying. I excused myself to tend to her. When I returned, the agents said they had enough information and would contact me if they needed more.

I asked them, “What does the mayor have to do with all this? Does she have something to do with the missing safety paper?”

They gave each other
that
look again. “We are not at liberty to discuss the details of this investigation with you,” Romeo said.

I secretly wondered if I was on to something. Was that the reason I got fired? I showed Romeo and Lincoln out of the front door, then called my attorney to tell him about the interview and my suspicions.

As soon as I hung up with Mr. Schubert, I noticed I had a missed call from Bonnie. I quickly dialed her back.

“Hey, Bonnie, it’s Chelsey,” I said.

“Well, first it’s you, then it’s me,” Bonnie said.

“What?”

“The mayor made a move to abolish my position. I was laid off today.”

I was shocked. “What the hell? Who is running the office?”

“A woman by the name of Lorraine Paso, a friend of the mayor’s. She doesn’t know her rear end from a hole in the ground. Ugly bitch too, I might add. If I had to take a guess, my guess would be that she used to be a man. A man who had his male appendage circumcised all the way up to his behind. She has a voice deeper than my husband’s. Oh, wait, if she had her penis circumcised up to her backside, would her voice be high instead of low? I take it back. My guess would be that she’s a woman taking male hormones in preparation of her sex-change operation.”

She made me laugh and I needed that. I was in a state of depression, trying to figure out how I was going to pay all my bills.

“What reason did they give for laying you off?” I asked.

“They told me budget cuts, but you and I both know it’s because I said I was going to be a witness at your trial, in your defense. I have a feeling there is much more to it than that, though. These politicians have a way of double-talking and blaming everything on the budget when there
is actually an underlying agenda. I may not know what their agenda is at the moment, but you bet your bottom I’ll find out what it is, then I’ll sue them for wrongful termination for every dime I can get.”

I suspected something more was going on also, but I had no way to confirm my hunch. “Do you really think it’s because you are going to stand up for me in court?”

“I think that’s part of it, although, I can’t prove anything just yet. Let’s go to lunch. I need a drink. Can your parents watch Mandy for you?”

I left Mandy at my parents’ house and headed over to Bonnie’s place. I made sure my seatbelt was on, and that I drove the exact speed limit. I didn’t want to get pulled over by any of Sunshine’s men in blue. They’d probably arrest me again.

We chose Woody’s Ocean Grill in Sea Bright for lunch. It was close enough to be a convenient drive, but far enough away where we weren’t at risk of running into anyone associated with Sunshine. Woody’s had great food and I was dying for their signature drink, an Orange Crush.

A lot of the travelers had left yesterday. Surprisingly, traffic wasn’t terrible like it normally was on a Friday during the summer. The weather was perfect out—warm and not too humid. There was one parking space left in Woody’s small lot.

We were seated at a booth across from the bar. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup and fish tacos. Bonnie chose the mahi-mahi.

“First things first,” I said. “I want to know if you heard about Mr. Triggers and his picket signs.”

“I did hear that!” Bonnie said, laughing. “He was arrested for disturbing the peace and obstructing the movement and flow of traffic.”

“I hadn’t heard he was arrested. That’s funny. Does he really think that picketing would help his court case?”

“When is
your
court date?” Bonnie asked.

“September 25
th
.”

“Good, now that I’m as free as a bird, I won’t have to take the day off from work that day. I’ll pick you up and drive you there if you’d like.”

“That would be good. I’ll be too frazzled to drive that day. Plus, if they take me out in handcuffs, then at least my car won’t be stuck in the courthouse parking lot.”

“They aren’t going to arrest you. I have to believe in the justice system. You didn’t take the money. You were set up. I guess you stepped on someone’s toes along the way.”

“I’m worried.”

“What are you worried about? You didn’t steal that money. I knew I didn’t like that Officer Williams. Can’t trust a guy who looks
that
good. He’s just some rookie cop who was told to get you out of the way.”

“What do you mean, get me out of the way? Have you heard any buzz? Any idea who might have wanted me out of the way?” I asked her.

“Probably the mayor wanted to create a job for her butt-ugly friend. Won’t she be surprised when the charges get dropped and she has to give you your job back?”

“I don’t know if I want my job back. How could I face everyone there after they dragged me out of the building in handcuffs and smeared my name all over the newspapers? It’s not like anyone would respect me. How could I work for the mayor again if what you say is true—that she wanted me out of there and told them to arrest me? I am so embarrassed. I’m borrowing
money from my parents to pay the bills. I might have to sell my house. Uncle Lou would be rolling over in his grave right now if he knew I had to sell the house he entrusted to me.”