The Devlin Deception: Book One of The Devlin Quatrology (29 page)

“I d-d-did, I d-d-did.”

“And did he give it back?”

“N-N-No, h-h-he d-d-did n-n-not. It's r-r-right th-th-there,
in h-h-his h-h-hand. B-B-Bad m-m-man .”

“And did any of the other three attempt to give the phone
back?”

“N-N-No.”

“So we have conspiracy, as well.”

The three male attorneys and their clients all began talking at the
same time.

“All right, all right. I'll let the boss sort it out. But now
give me the phone.”

Richard looked at Ms. Skinner, who nodded, and he handed it out
through the bars.

“You can continue your consultation. I'll have someone check
back in another hour.”

Mr. Creek spoke up. “We don't have any reception in here.”

“That's correct; you don't.”

The guard and Jimmy left, the heavy door slamming behind them.

-52-

Four Months Earlier

Saturday, August 13, 2011

12:35 p.m.

Bonita Beach, Florida

As they settled in on their noodles, Pam purred, “Ahhh,
glorious.”

“Bitte,” Jake said. Pam chuckled.

After floating a while, Jake cleared his throat and said, “Pam?”

Pam opened her eyes and said, “Yeah?”

“I've been thinking, and I wonder … wonder ...”

“Yeah, Jake?”

“Who … ba-dum-dum-who … who wrote the book of
love? Oh, geez, sorry; couldn't resist.”

Pam chuckled. “Well, that was about three and a half minutes.”

“Maybe a bit longer, a new record. Sorry, really.”

“So what were you wondering, Jake?”

“Okay; serious. I don't know if you've guessed, but you're not
only the first person I've had a serious, intelligent conversation
with about my little book, but you're the only one.”

“The only one? What about the other people who suggested stuff
in emails or here on the beach, the ones you interviewed?”

“That's different; I mean about the book itself, not just ideas
from people's experience to go into it.”

“Oh.”

“And d'you know anything about neurolinguistic programming?”

“NLP? Yeah. We had to learn about that in the Service and …
and before.”

“So you know how to spot a lie … and a liar, from
nonverbals and micro-gestures and micro-facial expressions.”

“Some of … well, most of the time, I guess.”

“So does Donne. Me, too. And I've NLP'd you and I think I can
trust you not to steal my work.”

“You're right, Jake. Furthest thing from my mind. Cross my
heart.”

“I believe you, and I believed you earlier. So if you want …
and only if you want … I'd like to let you read what I've
written so far and maybe give me some feedback.”

“I'd love to do that, Jake.”

Jake looked closely at Pam as she said that, and then he said, “Maybe
even collaborate. I like the ideas you've given me so far.”

“What ideas?”

“Well, the new title, for one; I love that. And your idea that
he needs a love life; the more I think about that, the more I think
you may be right. And the more sure I am that I can't write it. So
I think we can do something together on it. But only if you want
to.”

“Jake, I could kiss you right now; I'd love to.”

“Well, that kissing part is nice, but let's hold off on that
for now. I can give you my third backup CD, let you read it all and
see what you think. But you have to promise not to let it get out to
anybody else, for sure.”

“Oh, I promise, Jake.”

Jake looked closely at her as she said that and then said, “Okay.
It's in my bag. We'll get it when we get out.”

“Oh, I can hardly wait.”

“Well, let's start with something now, okay?”

“Okay. What?”

“Just a word thing. I've got an Elvis impersonator singing
off-key, and I want an adverb to go before 'off-key' in this phrase:
'belting out a … blank … off-key rendition of,' and all
I've got in there now is 'significantly,' but I want some word that
relates to how it impacts the ears of the listeners, and I've been
stuck on that since last night, trying to fill that blank.”

“Hmm. How about – no, that won't work. Wait a minute.
You've got an Elvis impersonator in there?”

“Yeah. Maybe that'll make more sense after you've read it in
context; it's just a bit of lightness in Donne's boring tax speech.”

“Oh. Okay; it does make sense to wait. But I'll keep thinking
about that till then, maybe something'll pop up.”

“As the sea breeze is starting to. Good. That'll cool the air
down and warm the water up a little bit.”

“It doesn't actually cool the air down; it just feels cooler.”

“True; okay. But the water actually warms up, because it blows
the warmer surface water in. It can warm up maybe four degrees in an
hour with a stiff blow.”

“I guess a stiff blow could warm anything up.”

Jake's eyes went wide and he reached out with one hand, grabbed Pam's
wrist and pulled her sharply in toward him. With his other hand, he
stopped a paddleboard that was heading toward where Pam's head had
just been. The teen who'd been on it a moment before was flailing
about in the water, the paddle still in his hand.

“You okay, Pam?”

“Yeah, fine. I didn't see that coming.”

“Kid, you okay?”

The teen coughed up some water, but nodded.

“Your first day on the board?”

The boy nodded again, still coughing.

“Sorry,” he spluttered.

“Until you get the hang of it, might be a good idea to stay
further away from where folks are swimming, like way down that way.”

“Toward the observatory house?”

“Maybe even past it, at least for the time being. And if I'm
not being too intrusive, you'll balance better if you bend your knees
a little more.”

“Really? Thanks. I'll try that.”

“Hope it helps. Meantime, why don't you just walk the board
south a good ways and then try again?”

“Okay. Thanks.” He grabbed the board and began
carefully pushing it south through the crowds in the water.

“That was tactful, Jake. You didn't give him the ultimatum you
gave that kid with the football in June.”

“This kid was insecure; that one was an arrogant punk.”

“He was, wasn't he?”

Jake just nodded. Pam leaned back on her noodle, closed her eyes and
breathed deeply, again letting her feet float up.

“The water even smells delicious,” she said.

“I think that's your perfume.”

“I'm not wearing any.”

“Ah, then it's you.”

After a moment, Pam said, “Jake?”

“Pam?”

“Can you tell me about that gesture with Laurie? Is now a good
time?”

“Good as any, I guess.”

“Okay; I'm all ears.”

“Not lying in the water that way, you're not.”

Pam chuckled. “So tell me anyhow.”

“Well, let's see. You know how there's a sort of ritualized
habit in greetings? Like, 'G'morning. How are you?' or 'How ya
doing?' and the ritual response is 'Fine'?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, sometimes I like to shake things up, make people look at
things maybe a little differently, maybe even … and I know
this is usually a long shot … start thinking outside the
ball.”

“Don't you mean outside the box?”

“Ah, that's the conventional idiom, and that's still inside the
box.”

Pam raised an index finger and said, “Ah-ha. Got it. Good
one,” and smiled. She slid her finger down a bit and said,
“One for Jake.”

“Anyhow … and this is a little awkward ... a couple
times, but only with people I knew fairly well, when they asked 'How
ya doing?' I'd answer with 'Mostly laid-back, mellow and …
hmm, maybe a little horny,' and I'd make that gesture with the thumb
and index finger.”

“You didn't! Really?”

“Yup, but only with totally safe people, like 75-year-old
couples that I knew had at least a decent sense of humor and
perspective. And they usually chuckled or laughed out loud …
maybe just nervously, but they laughed.”

“And you did that with Laurie?”

“No, of course not; with Laurie AND Jeff. And they got a BIG
laugh out of it.”

“And then she picked up the gesture?”

“Right, and sometimes greets me with that when she gets to the
beach and is too far away to say hi. It's just light, not
suggestive.”

“And your response is three times as horny?”

“Just a joke, light.”

“She is a cutie. You were never tempted?” Pam said, a
slight edge in her voice.

“Thought and action are two separate things. Remember that
movie, the one you copied at the Seafood Shack?”

“Yeah.”

“Remember the line in there about every man wanting to nail
every woman?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that's a built-in response, deep in our reptilian brain,
but it's how we deal with that instinct that makes the difference,
but only if we can recognize it for what it is before it overwhelms
our judgment.”

“Hmm” was all Pam could muster in response. Then “Okay.”

“And a lot of males just can't or won't recognize it for what
it is and deal with it directly. Which also makes for a lot of great
jokes.”

“So you haven't been tempted with Laurie?”

“Not that way. I respect her, and Jeff, too much. It's just
light.”

Pam looked at Jake closely as he said that.

“You're NLPing me, aren't you, Pam?”

“Yup. And I think you're telling the truth.”

“Now, with the twins up there by the boardwalk ...”

“Oh, Jake.”

“Gotcha. But only if I were thirty or thirty-five years
younger.”

Pam chuckled. “Okay; I get it, I get it. Okay.”

“So we're cool?”

“Yup, Jake, we are.” She held out her hand to Jake and
he took it in his.

“Deal,” he said.

“Done,” she replied and smiled, as did Jake.

After a moment, Pam sighed, removed her hand from Jake's and said, “I
think I'm ready to head home – if you're still okay with me
reading your stuff. Yes?”

“Absolutely. Let's get you that CD.”

“Thank you.”

“But before we do, I wonder if you'd like to join me here in
the morning to watch the sunrise … since you're waking up
early anyhow. It's a really nice time to be on the beach, but I
don't often take the time to get here that early.”

Pam looked closely at Jake, then said, “I think I'd like that.
What time?”

“Maybe quarter to seven? Okay with you?”

“Perfect; I'll be here.”

“Me, too.”

They got out of the water, Jake dried his hands, got the CD from his
bag, put it in a plastic supermarket bag and gave it to Pam. She put
it in hers, wrapped a bright red, opaque sarong around her waist,
picked up her stuff, gave Jake a peck on the cheek and headed out.

Jake lit a cigarette, took his noodles and went back in the water.

The Mimosa twins switched off their equipment and lay back on their
towels, giggling a bit more than usual.

-53-

Thursday, December 29, 2011

8:30 a.m.

The White House

Washington, DC

Emily and four guards escorted seven slightly bedraggled men and one
pristine woman into the Oval Office, where Donne, dressed as usual in
his casual clothing, remained seated behind his desk.

“Lady, gentlemen, I've brought you up here this morning to find
out if you've come to any conclusions during your stay with us.”

“Our stay with you? You kept us locked up in there over the
holidays, completely incommunicado with the outside. That is totally
unacceptable,” snapped the woman, glaring at Donne.

“Now, now, Ms. Skinner, you should know by now exactly why that
occurred.”

“Over a friggin' cell phone?”

“Theft, deception, exploiting the handicapped, lying to a
federal officer in the course of his official duties, conspiracy. On
those charges alone, I could keep you in a federal prison for several
years. You've gotten off lightly.”

“But you've also confiscated union funds and most of our
personal assets.”

“Absolutely, and deservedly so. You should never have tried to
hide those funds so clumsily. There's another batch of conspiracy
charges over those actions, as well, which we haven't even begun to
address.”

“You have no right to --”

“Lady, I have every right. I bought the country; I own it. I
make the laws, I enforce the laws and I determine whether the laws
are legitimate. If I wanted to be capricious, I have every right to
be. If I wanted to ban purple houses, I could do that. If I wanted
to lease the Capitol to an amusement park company and let them make
it a tourist trap, I cou- – oh, Emily, could you take a note?
'Bungee jumping, Washington Monument.' Thanks.

“So you, madam, are in no position to tell me what rights I
have or don't have.

“Now, I will ask you this again. Have you come to any serious
conclusions during your time downstairs?”

Silence, eyes shifting and making occasional contact between and
among the eight detainees, Donne quietly glancing from one to the
next, occasionally to Emily and each of the four guards in the room,
a very slight smile creeping to his mouth.

“Well?” He said after a long moment.

More silence.

“Okay. I understand. Let me give you a hint before you go
back down there for another week or two – oh, by the way, you
are each being billed a hundred dollars and twelve cents a day for
room and board.

“Here's the hint. How have each of you managed to rip off your
membership and the American taxpayers and consumers for your own
personal gain? That's what you need to be thinking about and
discussing as you spend your time down there.

“And, Ms. Skinner, I know you appreciate the fact that you have
a separate but equal cell. No, don't say anything. I know.

“Emily, please escort these folks back down to the basement.”

Emily and the four guards herded the eight out. As they were nearing
the door, Donne said, “Too bad I can't wish y'all a Happy New
Year.”