Mr. Brightside - 23. Chapter 23

Mr. Brightside

Chapter 23

Refresher of Chapter 22 ending:

At the name, Shane gasped audibly, interrupting the detective, who smiled grimly, “That’s right, your friend Thomas’s daddy. Among the associates they’ve been looking at is a certain Judge Caldwell. They’ve been going over his dealing with a fine tooth comb. That’s why this,” Venturi held up a photocopy, “caught their attention. It’s an order for protective custody, that’s basically involuntary commitment, for a Jason Reid. It was filed two days ago..”

“Involuntary commitment? What the….” Paul said.

“According to this,” Venturi said, “Mrs. Barbara Reid, the subject’s mother, and Ms. Denise Johnson, his fiancee, are afraid Jason is delusional and a threat to himself. They requested an evaluation by the LaSeur Parish coroner, another McAlpin crony to determine whether or not involuntary commitment in “a private, fully licensed clinic chosen by Mrs. Reid” was necessary. The coroner’s report stating Jason was, indeed a danger, was filed last night.”

Shane said. “That’s impossible. And a coroner? What does any of this have do with a coroner?”

“In this state, it’s the coroner’s office that you go through. This asshole’s not even a licensed physician! He’s a former pastor.”

“But...he’s over 21 and not married to Denise---how can they do this?” Paul asked.

“In this state, you don’t have to be a spouse or even a relative. Any legal adult citizen of the state can request an order…..having it carried out it is different, but it can be requested.”

“Does it say what clinic? Where? He could be anywhere?” Shane began tearing up before he could finish his last sentence. “How can this happen?”

“It was odd enough to catch my friend’s eye, but shit like this does happen more often than it should. Now, there’s nothing really I can do officially; in fact, the powers that be found out I was sniffing around the general area of Senator McAlpin, and I have been placed on leave, but if y’all were to pay Ms. Johnson a visit and ask her what the hell is going on, there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”

Venturi reached into his pocket, and pulled out a slip of paper. “By an amazing coincidence I happen to have her address. On the bottom of the phone number is my FBI friend’s number. Call him directly if you find out something. If he could link McAlpin and his friends to a kidnapping….it could be a game changer for the investigation.”

“Thank you, detective,” Shane said, wiping his eyes..

The detective's features softened. “Good luck finding the kid.”

“Well,” Paul said as the door closed behind Venturi. “Looks like our plans have changed. Baton Rouge, here we come!”

Chapter 23:

Right on the heels of Venturi's departure, Viktor and Ramon arrived. Last night, Paul had let Viktor know of his plans to travel to Springhill to confront Jason, and Viktor hadn’t wanted to leave Shane alone. Quickly, the group informed Viktor of the detective's bombshell.

“Hmmm….” Pamchenko said. “I’ve had my concerns about young McAlpin since he turned up out of the blue. I’m certain he’s behind whatever this is. I’ll call my lawyers and see what legal recourse we have. Ramon….why don’t you accompany Paul and Ms. Nix to see this fiancee?” Pamchenko’s eyes roamed up and down his large, muscular body guard whose stern, chiseled features were set in their usual scowl and then at Laurie and Paul. “I think you might be a little more intimidating as an interrogator.”

“Really? I can be pretty intimidating myself,” Laurie said tossing her strawberry blonde curls. “But the more the merrier, I guess. Let’s go.”

Ramon drove, and the crew reached Denise’s apartments near the LSU campus in record time. In fact, Laurie and Paul were slightly green faced as they climbed out of the vehicle.

“Look, guys,” Laurie said. “I don’t really think it’s the best idea for the three of us to go barging in and demanding answers. Let me try first, alone, woman to woman. I’ve dealt with a lot of patients and their families over the years. I’ve had to deliver lots of bad news and ask lots of invasive questions. I have an excellent bedside manner and know how to deal with people.”

Ramon frowned. “Viktor…” he began before Laurie cut him off.

“Look I know Viktor thinks the sight of you will have Denise shaking in her pants, ready to spill her guts, but it’s more likely to have her calling 911 at the first sign of a grunt from you, and that’s if she’s dumb enough to let two strange men in her house. Besides….what are you going to do if she won’t talk? Rough her up?”

Ramon looked uncomfortable. “No...of course not. I….” he trailed off as he considered what he would do.

“Exactly.”

“I don’t know,” Paul interjected. “I don’t like the thought of you going in alone. We still don’t know what’s happening with all of this.”

“Don’t worry,” Laurie said with a laugh. “I was an E.R. nurse for years, plus I grew up with 4 brothers. There’s nothing in there I can’t handle. Besides,” she said, pulling out her phone, “If something looks weird, I’ll have you ready to call.”

After a bit more protest, the two men reluctantly agreed to let Laurie approach Denise alone, but sat poised for action in the car, watching closely as the redhead rang Denise’s bell.

The blonde appeared at the door, and Laurie immediately recognized her from one of Jason’s photos.

“Denise,” she said. “I’m Laurie Nix. I’m a friend of Jason’s.”

Denise’s eyes narrowed. “He’s never mentioned you.”

“I haven’t known him long, just since he moved to New Orleans.”

Denise continued to stare silently. Laurie broke the silence. “Please can we go inside and talk for a moment.”

Denise considered a moment longer, and then stepped inside, allowing Laurie to enter. The two watching men tensed as the door closed behind the women.

“What’s this about?” Denise said, stopping in the tiny living room and turning to face Laurie with her arms crossed. “What else has Jason been doing in that city of sin? Has been seeing you?”

Laurie was startled, not expecting that. The shock showed on her face. “No...nothing like that. I’m just a friend of his, and I’m worried about him. No one’s heard from him since yesterday morning.”

A wary look fell on Denise’s face. “There’s no need to worry about him. He’s...he’s...taking some time to work through some…..problems. But he’s in a safe place..”

“A safe place?” Laurie said. “Where exactly is this safe place?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“What if I make it my business,” Laurie said, stepping into the other woman’s personal space as she drew herself up to her full height of 5’10”, a full six inches more than the other woman.

Denise stepped backwards, only stopping when the back of her legs hit the sofa. “He’s….he’s….he’s at his parents. You can call his mother; she’ll tell you.”

Laurie’s eyes narrowed. “I think you’re lying, but I do think you know where he is.”

Denise flushed, and she raised her chin defiantly. “How dare you. You force yourself into my apartment and call me a liar. Who are you, anyway? You need to leave or I’m calling the police.”

Laurie calmly reached into her purse and pulled out the copy of the commitment paperwork. “I know this is a lie. Jason is neither suicidal or delusional. And I know the FBI doesn’t think so either.”

Denise stared at the paper, her mouth agape. “FBI? What are you talking about, FBI? This is some sort of trick.”

“I assure it’s not. I don’t know what Thomas McAlpin told you, or what you think you’re doing, but his father and the people who signed this are under investigation by the FBI. And now you’re in the middle of the mess, too. Now for your own good, are you going to tell me what you did and where Jason is?”

Suddenly, a knowing look fell on Denise’s face. “This is some sort of trick. You’re friends of that queer whore who corrupted Jason. Well, I’m not going to tell you anything. I have done nothing wrong; all I’ve done is help save Jason from that faggot’s…”

A sudden sharp vicious sound filled the room as Laurie’s hand struck Denise’s cheek in a stinging backhand, the movement as quick and brutal as a snake strike. The blond fell back onto the sofa, her hand clutched to her cheek, her eyes wide in fear and wonder.

“I can’t believe you hit me. Nobody’s ever hit me before,” she whispered, crawling backward into the corner of the sofa as Laurie stepped closer.

“Really? I find that hard to believe,” Laurie said. “But I guarantee you that if you call Shane a faggot one more time, I’ll hit you again. Harder. Now,” Laurie continued, “I’m going to ask you questions, and you will tell me the answers.”

“NO,” Denise cried as she suddenly rolled off the sofa and tried to dart around the other women. But Laurie was too fast, and managed to grab a handful of Denise’s hair and pull it hard. The blonde shrieked as her head snapped back and she bell back onto the sofa.

“Stop yelling, or I’ll rip your hair out by its dyed roots,” Laurie said, her visage twisted into a truly frightening mask of rage held just inches from the terrified blonde’s own face. “You’re really starting to make me angry. Now, tell me where Jason is right this minute, because you’re not going to like what happens if you make me angry. Understand?”

For the two men in the car, the wait, though it only took 20 minutes or so, seemed endless. Pumping with adrenaline, they were out of the car and nearly to Denise’s door the moment they saw it open.

Laurie stepped outside, looking grim. “I need to call Agent Fielding. I know where Jason is.”

Ramon stepped closer to Laurie, his eyes sharp. “Is that blood on your shirt?”

She looked down. “Damn it. I liked this shirt. But to answer your question, yes it’s blood. But no worries; it’s not mine.” All of a sudden a thought struck her, and she said. “Ramon, while I talk to the FBI, call Viktor for me. Something tells me I need the name of a good lawyer.”

******************************************************************

Jason’s head swam with fog. Scenes kept coming into focus, only to swirl away into nothingness. He remembered showering, shaving, dressing with care, putting on one of his new work outfits. He tried to concentrate, tried to remember why he appearance had been so important. Why he needed to look what his mom called “spiffy.”

His mom. That was it. Something about his mom. An image of her in a strange room popped into his mind. He focused on it, on her. As he zoomed in on her, some of the haze cleared. He had been dressing up to go see his mom...maybe take her to lunch it was so hard to concentrated. He felt like he was drugged or something….

Somehow that thought broke through even more of the cloudiness like sunshine piercing a gray day. He was drugged. He was in ….he couldn’t quite catch it...it was on the edge of his mind, just out of reach. He was in a clinic...some sort of private mental clinic ...a pray the gay away place…...like Thomas had gone to. Slowly, his mind became more coherent and he remembered what had happened.

He had shaved carefully and dressed nicely before heading to see his mother. Jason had been cheerful on the drive to the quarter, convinced this visit was the beginning of a reconciliation. Maybe he could convince her to come over for dinner before she left, depending on how long she was staying in New Orleans. Surely if she saw Shane again, saw how happy they were together, any lingering issues over his sexuality would be erased.

That cheerful optimism vanished the instant she opened the door and he saw her face. He knew that face, that pinched look. This was the expression that Barbara Reid wore when disappointed with you. When your performance, appearance, manners, etc. had not met with her approval, and she would be forced with the unpleasant duty of telling you what should have done and how you should have acted, and why, really, you should have known how to do those things without her having to tell you.

The realization he had made a mistake in coming was only made complete when, after a perfunctory greeting, the door opened fully and he saw that Denise was sitting in the elegantly furnished, but small parlor.

Astonished, he turned to his mother, “What is she doing here?”

“We’re both here for the same purpose. To help you see reason. To keep you from mistaking a foolish mistake and throwing your life away.”

“I’m not throwing my life away,” he said, his voice dangerously close to yelling. “I’m doing the opposite. I’m trying to live how I want.”

“Really? This is how you want to live? In this godforsaken city, doing God knows what? If you were younger, going through this phase would be bad enough, but now? Luckily nobody that matters knows what happens. So this can all be fixed.”

Denise rose and walked to them. “Jason,” she said. “I know this isn’t you. I know that you’re a good man, and the love we have is real. This is just something Satan has sent to test you; to test us, but there is help.”

Jason just stood there silently, shocked, unable to believe this was happening.

“Exactly,” his mother said. “We’ve found a place that can cure you of this…” she made a dismissive gesture with her hand, “....delusion. That can put you back on the right path.. It’s a clinic outside of Monroe that combines psychiatric and medical practices with biblical principles. They have a 6 month inpatient program that is guaranteed to cure you.”

Jason finally spoke. “Cure me? I don’t need to be cured. There’s nothing wrong with me. And how the hell do you expect me to do an 6 month program when I’m starting my job in two weeks?”

“Don’t speak me like that, young man,” his mother snapped. “And there are other jobs in decent cities.:

“Jason,” Denise, “Don’t you understand? Fixing this so you can go back to the person you were is so much more important than a job. Don’t you want us to live that life we talked about, dreamed about? And your soul, Jason. If you aren’t willing to do it for me, do it to safe yourself from eternal damnation.”

For the millionth time, Jason cursed himself for his years of lying, for his self delusion, for dragging another person into the fictional version of himself he had created. But he needed to make them understand.

“Look, I’m sorry Denise, that I couldn’t love you the way you deserve, and I’m sorry I hurt you, but….this…” he gestured to himself, “...this IS the real me...the way I’ve always been….before, I was just lying ….to you and to myself. But y’all have to believe me, I am happy now. Happier than I’ve ever been. I’m gay and I love Shane and this is not going to change.”

Denise turned away and began crying, her hand in her face. Barbara Reid remained silent, her face grim.

“I’ve tried to talk to you, to get you to see reason,” she said. “But you always were just as stubborn as your father. This is for your own good.”

“What’s for my own good?” Jason asked as she walked over to a nearby door. She opened it to reveal an older man in a gray suit and two stocky guys wearing scrubs.

“Dr. Webber, Denise and I weren’t able to get Jason to listen to reason. His delusion is too strong.”

The man in the suit smiled at her in a grandfatherly gesture. “Don’t worry, we’ll help him like we’ve helped so many other lost souls. ” He motioned to the two muscular orderlies. “I think we’re going to need to sedate Mr. Reid.”

And they had. Jason had struggled, but was quickly overpowered by the two men. He remembered a sharp prick in his neck and descending into a haze. There were vague memories of the ride to the clinic, the processing, his being stripped of his pressed shirt and khakis and being dressed in a hospital gown and put into a bed.

As his mental fog continued to clear, Jason’s mind was filled with only one thought, one goal to get out of this bed, to find a way back to Shane and their life together. Gathering his will, he attempted to rise; to his horror, he realized that he was bound to the bed by wrist restraints. He fought against them, ignoring, in his altered state, the pain as they rubbed his wrists raw. Increasingly agitated, he began screaming as he writhed helplessly, the cries filling his room and echoing down the hall.

*******************************************************************

Viktor disconnected his cell, and turned to Shane. “They’ve located Jason. He’s in a private clinic near Monroe. Denise spilled her guts to the FBI...they’re treating it as a kidnapping. Thomas McAlpin apparently set it all up and convinced Mrs. Reid and Denise that it was to help Jason out.”

“Oh my, God,” Shane said, his pale face turning even whiter. “How is Jason? Is he alright?”

“They haven’t actually spoken to him yet. It’s going to take some time to go through the necessary channels to get him released. They want to make sure they have an airtight case against Thomas before proceeding…they don’t want to act hastily and tip him off.”

“So Jason just rots while they set up their case? That’s monstrous.”

“Shane,” Viktor said soothingly, “calm down. He’ll be okay. It won’t take long to get it sorted out; but it won’t help anyone if you lose control.”

“I want to go to Monroe,” Shane said. “I want to be there when he gets out of that place.”

“Okay. As soon as we hear back from Agent Fielding, we’ll..”

“No,” Shane said with determination. “Now. We’re going now. I want to be as close as possible.”

“Fine,” said Viktor, sighing. “I’ll call Ramon and tell him to head back immediately.”

“I’m not waiting for Ramon to get back here. I want to go now.”

“Okay,” Viktor said, recognizing that Shane was on the verge of a break down. “I’ll call one of my other men to drive us. Go get ready.”

With a slight smile on his strained face, Shane whispered, “Thank you,” and kissed Viktor on the cheek before turning to head to his room to get dressed for the journey.

Ramon’s replacement driver arrived within minutes, and the pearl grey town car was soon gliding smoothly down I-55 on the way to Monroe. Viktor had hoped that Shane, knowing Jason was in no immediate danger, would relax enough to nap, but it hadn’t happened. Instead, Shane had spent the entire time fidgeting, frustrated with the lack of information from Ramon, Paul, and Laurie who were being held for questioning by federal agents. Agent Fielding, who was in charge of the investigation, had arranged for field agents to meet Shane and Viktor once they arrived in Monroe and keep them abreast of Jason’s situation.

The driver was making excellent time, taking a shortcut to bypass Jackson. The car exited the interstate to transfer to a two lane road that snaked through the Mississippi countryside of rolling hills and deep woods. Suddenly, the Lincoln was slammed into by a black SUV speeding from a dirt lane that bisected the main road. The air was filled with the sound of glass shattering and metal screeching as the town car was pushed off the road.

After what seemed like an eternity, the cars came to a stop. Shane and Viktor had been shaken and rattled by the impact, but both had been wearing their seat belts and the air bags had deployed. Before they had time to register what had happened, the driver’s door was wrenched open, and a gun’s blast sounded. Blood splattered the car’s interior as the driver head exploded. Stunned, and reeling with the horror of the past moments, Shane was immovable. He barely noticed as the passenger door nearest him was opened from the outside. Suddenly, he felt a prick on his chest….then electricity shot through him. Blackness overcame him.

*********************************************************************************

After his last round of questions, Ramon headed outside of the Baton Rouge FBI field office to call Mr. Pamchenko. When his call went to straight to voicemail, as did Shane’s phone, he frowned. His next call was to Viktor’s house. After learning that Viktor and Shane had embarked on a trip to Monroe hours earlier, but hadn’t been heard from since, the frown deepened.

Ramon quickly pulled up an app that showed the images from the town car’s dashboard camera; an error message told him that the camera was no longer connected. The GPS on Viktor’s phone was also non functioning. He went back inside the office.

The agent who had released him frowned. “We’re done with questions for now. You’re free to leave.”

“I don’t think so. I think we have another problem.”

“What problem?” the agent asked.

“My boss seems to have gone AWOL.”

*********************************************************************************

“Well,” a deep voice said as Shane’s eyelids fluttered. “Sleeping beauty awakes.” The voice was familiar, but it couldn’t be….how? Shane struggled to focus and fully open his eyes. He gasped as he saw the face hovering before him.

“Nikolai?” he gasped. “But….but I thought you were dead?”

“That’s what you and everyone else was supposed to think. Sorry to disappoint you.” Nikolai smiled, a nasty gesture on his handsome face.

Shane instinctively tried to sit up and move back from the other man; that’s when he realized he was tied to a flat surface. His battered leg and previously injured arm ached, but didn’t seem to be further compromised. That was cold comfort, though, as he remembered the accident, the driver’s death, and realized he and Viktor were at Nikolai’s mercy. Viktor. Where was the other man? Was he still alive?

“Viktor,” Shane said. “Viktor,” he repeated, more loudly. A groan, seeming to come from across the room answered him.

“Don’t fret,” Nikolai’s smooth voice said. “Daddy dearest is still alive...at least for now. It’s just taking him a bit longer to recover from being tased. I guess he’s getting old.”

Turning his head, Shane saw Viktor. He was bound to a chair, ropes wrapping around his body. His head slump forward, blood trickling from a wound on his forehead. His head slumped forward, but even as Shane watched, it slowly rose. His gaze was unclear as he looked around, but it sharpened as it made out Shane. The icy eyes locked on Shane’s.

“Are you alright, Shane?” the voice was gruff.

“How touching. How wonderfully paternal. Too bad you never treated your own son that well.”

“Nikolai. Of course it was you. Always the coward’s way.”

Nikolai stepped over to Viktor. His hand shot out, backhanding Viktor smartly across the face. Viktor’s head snapped to the side, and blood began flowing from his busted lip.

“This is the last time you disrespect me,” Nikolai snarled. “This is your last day on earth.”

“Nikolai,” Shane pleaded. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, but I do. After all, he betrayed me. He knew about Pirelli’s hit, but didn’t warn me. :luckily I had friends who were loyal who did. And you,” the voice grew even colder, “my loving fiance. Didn’t take you long to go back to your whoring ways...and now, you’ve already found another man to pay your bills. You both deserve what you’re going to get.”

“Nikolai,” Viktor said. “Stop this now, you’ll never get away with it.”

“Oh, but I will. I have allies, father. You see, I know what you’ve been up to. I just had to prove it.”

“What is he talking about?” Shane asked.

Nikolai turned to him. “It’s not just me, that Father has betrayed. He’s betrayed his friends as well. He’s been working for the Feds for years as an informant. I’ve spent the last six months gathering evidence. Once I had enough, I managed to get a meeting with the head of the Pirelli family. In gratitude, he not only agreed to forgive my debt, he agreed to help me make father’s death look like a mob execution. And in a few weeks, I’ll make my reappearance and claim my estate. I’ll have to transfer a percentage to him, but there will be plenty left.”

Nikolai turned backed to Viktor. “You really should have rewritten your will, you know.”

“It’s not going to work, “ Viktor said.

“I have to disagree. No one knows where you are. I’m just upset it wasn’t Ramon driving you. I would have loved to have killed him myself. I will just have focus on the satisfaction of watching the two of you die. Shane, you’re first. It’s a pity the people I hired to dispose of you didn’t do it properly, but maybe it’s better this way. This way I get to watch Viktor as his precious protege;s life leaks out of him while he can’t do a thing to stop me.”

Suddenly, loud noises broke through the silence of the small room. There was the sound of gunshots and running feet. The door shook as if some large object was battering it. It flew open, the frame splintering. Ramon stood there, his jacket ripped, his face bloody.

“How the hell….” Nikolai sputtered, staring at the other man.

“Hi, Nikolai,” Ramon said. “Long time, no see.” And then he raised the gun in his hand, and fired a round of bullets into the other man.

*************************************************************

A few days later, Shane sat beside Jason in a hospital bed. Jason’s release from the clinic had been much less dramatic than Shane’s rescue. Instead of a SWAT team and an enraged body guard, it had involved lawyers and paperwork, but he had finally been released. Still, after several days of being pumped full of drugs, it had been decided that he should spend a few days under observation in the hospital.

By then, Shane had recovered from his latest ordeal and was there when Jason had awakened. Now, he was helping Jason catch up on events.

“So how did Ramon find you?” Jason asked, his arm holding his boyfriend tightly to him.

“Viktor had arranged for a tracking device in my cast.”

“Jesus,” Jason said, shaking his head. “He’s too much.”

“Maybe, but it saved our lives.”

“I hate to admit, it, but I’m going to miss him,” Jason said. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

“I know. At least, I had a chance to say goodbye before he went into federal protection.” Shane’s eyes filled with tears.

A knock sounded on the door. “Come in,” Jason said. Theodore Reid entered the room.

Shane moved to pull away, but Jason’s grip around his shoulders tightened. An awkward silence filled the room.

“Hi, Shane,” Mr. Reid said, breaking the silence. “Jason.”

“Maybe I should go,” Shane said. “So you can talk in private.”

“No,” Jason said, “I want you here. From now on, we’re in this together, a package deal. Dad, anything you have to say to me, you can say to Shane.”

“I just wanted to say how sorry I am,” the man said in an uneven voice. “I had no idea what Barbara was up to….I just wanted you know that from now on, I have your back. Both of you.”

“Thank you, Dad,” Jason said. “ That means a lot.” Tears rolled down his face. Ted Reid rushed over to the bed, spreading his arms to embrace Jason and Shane.

6 months later

Amazing smells filled Jason and Shane’s apartment. They were having a small party that night to celebrate their recent engagement. It was going to be to their close friends and family asguests.

Paul and Laurie, who had started dating were coming, as was Detective Venturelli and his boyfriend (that had been a surprise for Shane and Jason). Ted was making the drive in from Springhill. He and Barbara had divorced after she refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing in Jason’s being committed, remaining steadfast that she was only trying to help her son.

Barbara and Denise had managed to avoid being charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping in exchange for testifying against Thomas McAlpin who had in turn made a deal to disclose his knowledge about his father’s illegal activities. He, too, had entered the witness protection program.

Even with the loss of Viktor and Ramon, who had disappeared with his boss, as well as Barbara Reid’s refusal to see her son as long as he refused to renounce his lifestyle, Jason and Shane had found peace and happiness with each other. And were looking forward to making their union official.

They were cleaning the living room, when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Jason said. It only took a moment for him to reach it, but by the time he opened it, a figure dressed in a brown UPS outfit was already hurrying down the path, away from the apartment.

“What is it?” Shane asked, coming up behind Jason, who stood there with the door open, staring at the retreating man.

“Nothing….it’s just…..I swear that UPS driver looked like Ramon.”

He bent down to pick up the envelope that had been left by the door. “What did you order?” he asked, turning to hand it to Shane.

“Nothing,” Shane said, studying the envelope. “That’s weird. There’s no shipping label or anything.” He opened it. It contained a small box. Inside the box was a single sheet of paper. It had been folded, and a business card had been placed inside.

Shane opened the letter.

“Dear Shane and Jason,

I have heard that congratulations are in order. I have no doubt that much happiness is in store for the two of you, and I wish you the best. Here’s a little something to help you start your lives together.

V”

Speechless, Shane handed the letter to Jason. They then looked at the card. Printed on the front was the name, Jonathon St.John-Smythe, Vice President, Bank of the Caymans with a phone number. Hand written on the back was a string of numbers. Below it was a grouping of numbers and letters.

“What do you think this means,” Jason said staring at the card.

“I think we should probably call and find out.”

With trembling fingers, Jason fetched his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number, putting the phone on speaker mode.

“Hello,” a smooth, female voice answered. “This is the office of Mr. St.John-Smythe. May I help you?”

“Ummmm...This is Jason Reid. Can I speak to Mr. St. John-Smythe?” He stumbled over the name.

“Mr. Jason Reid?” she repeated, sounding as if she recognized the name. “Just one moment.” The line when blank for a moment, then clicked back to life.

“Ah, Mr. Reid,” a man’s voice with a hint of a British accent spoke. “I was told to expect a call. Can you give me your account number? It’s a 16 digit code.”

“I think so,” Jason said, reciting the string of numbers.

“Excellent, excellent. Now the password?”

Jason recited the mix of numbers and letters.

“Okay, now that I’ve verified your identification, how can I help you?”

“I guess…..can you tell me the balance in the account?”

“Of course. As of this morning, it’s $10,005,397 in U.S. dollars.”

Jason swallowed. “How much?”

St.John-Smythe repeated the balance. “Is there anything else you need, right now, Mr. Reid?:

“No,” Jason managed to croak out. “No. I think I’m good for now.”

“Excellent. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Good day.”

Jason hit the end button and looked at Shane who was staring at him mouth agape. “I guess we can afford to get married in Hawaii after all.”