With Cruel Intent (54 page)

Blanche responded, a smile on her face.

“How are you girl? I’ve missed

our chats the past few days, what’s been

takin’ up yer time?” Beverly asked, having

no idea what Blanche had been through the

past few days.

“Oh heavens Bev, it’s going to

take more than a phone call to bring you

up to speed on all the excitement in my

life, I don’t have a lot of time to talk right

now but let’s get together. I’ve got a ton of

stuff to tell you. Oh yeah, and aren’t you

supposed to be finding me a place to

live?”

“Yes, I’m working on it dear.

Good time to buy but everything for sale is

up by the base; don’t think I want to sell

you one of those, at least not right now.

When can we get together? There’s a new

chick flick at the cinema, why don’t we hit

that this week.”

Blanche thought for a moment,

she’d not been to the movie in months.

“That sounds awesome! I’m working

tomorrow and Thursday night, but what’s

your Friday look like? Girls night out, I’m

pumped!”

“I think I can make that work. I’ve

got a little something going on between

now and then, hope it keeps me tied up,

turned inside out and panting for more, if

you know what I mean. By Friday I should

be able to disclose all the naughty details,

can’t wait to see you. Oh, and I’ll see if I

can find you a place to live in the mean

time.”

“You are horrible Bev Davis. Talk

to you later,” Blanche said, her spirits

lifted by the older woman’s enthusiasm.

As Blanche hung up at the library,

Felix was picking up again from the B&B.

A woman answered, “Lowndes County

Land and Title, can I help you, this is

Marge.”

“Good afternoon Marge, how’s

your day going? My name is Felix Unger

and I’m looking for some information

about a piece of property that is for sale

south of the base. Whom would I speak to

about past titles and current information

on the land?” he asked, continuing to play

the role.

“I see Mr. Unger, we have a

number of people that could help you with

that, may I transfer you?”

“Now hold on there a minute

Marge, I don’t want just anybody. This is

a multi-million dollar deal so I need

somebody with experience. We’d be

happy to pay a consultation fee for any

help, above and beyond, what your office

generally provides, if you know what I

mean.”

“Yes, I think I do, you’ll need to

speak with our director then, Mr. Savard.”

“He’s the man?”

“Yes, he is,” Marge confirmed.

“Well then, get the man on the

phone for me, will you Marge? Thanks for

your help.”

“You’re welcome. I’m putting you

through to his office now.”

Felix waited patiently for the little

weasel to pick up. “Director Savard.”

“I’ll bet he loves hearing himself

say that all day,” Felix thought. “Is this the

world famous Iggy Savard, virgin slayer

and man among men?”

“Is this some kind of joke, who is

this?” the director asked.

“Who the hell do you think it is

Iggy?” Felix said, kicked back on his bed

using his cell phone.

“Felix, why are you calling me?

Did you read the latest message I posted?”

“Yeah, I read it. I’ll follow

through like we talked about, but I got to

thinking, I may need an alibi if this goes

sideways on us and I’ve decided that

should be you.”

“Why me? Can’t be me! What are

you talking about? We don’t know each

other, remember?”

“I remember, but I’ve been

thinking, maybe Jeremy’s more concerned

about his own butt and not so much ours,

so I thought up a solution that helps both of

us. You ready to hear it?” Felix’s criminal

mind was working in overdrive.

“Okay, let‘s hear it but make it

quick, I’m at work.”

“I know! Why do you think I called

your main line? Met Marge, she seems

like a lovely woman, introduced myself

and told her I was Felix Unger. Love

doing that, mom and dad never would

have appreciated the fun I’d have with my

name over the years.”

“Did I just hear you correctly? Did

you say you told her who you were? Are

you friggin’ nuts?” The director was

starting to wig out.

“Yea, she knows I’m interested in

learning more about the land that Bev is

flogging and I wanted to talk with

somebody there that knows it all. That’s

how I ended up with you. You’ve really

got ‘em fooled over there, Iggy.”

“So what’s this grand scheme?”

“On Thursday night when our guys

at work, you know at Bev’s, you’re going

to be my alibi and I’m yours. Have your

secretary put in your planner that you have

a meeting with Felix Unger, representing

Jenson Development, to discuss the land

we’re looking at. Between now and then

you get together some information about

the land, and do whatever it is you do

when you’re doing a consultation. We say

we met out at the property, looked things

over about six and then grabbed a bucket

of chicken and ate it at your place. Of

course you’ll do all that on your own, but I

was with you the whole time. Got it? Most

likely we aren't even going to need it but

we need our stories to be straight. Any

questions?” the mobster asked.

Ignatius could have spent the next

ten minutes shooting holes in Felix’s

brainchild but opted to just agree and be

done with it. “Whatever. I think I got it,

like you said, I don’t think we’re gonna

need it. You contacted our thief yet? Tell

him I’ll be putting the stuff in his box

Wednesday night once all the neighbors

are asleep.”

“Okay Iggy, now go and give

Marge the appointment and don’t forget

what we’ve said. Hell, who knows,

maybe I’ll even drop by and introduce

myself to you in the next day or two.”

“Oh, Jeremy’s not going to like

that.”

“Oh, Jeremy’s not going to find

out, is he?” he said in a very threatening

tone. “Just do what you’re told Iggy,”

concluding

his

message

without

a

goodbye.

While

the

two

conspirators

discussed how they might save themselves

if their plans crumbled into chaos, a very

sad and lonely Seymour Wood sat in a

holding cell of the Valdosta Police station.

He had been fingerprinted, photographed

and dumped in a cell by himself, charges

were pending and a date was being

scheduled for his arraignment before the

judge. They had not allowed him contact

with anyone but had offered to make

arrangements for his attorney, which he

declined, knowing that he didn’t need one.

Innocent men don’t need attorneys.

“How can this be happening? Who

would have wanted to frame me? I don’t

have anything! I don’t know anything!

What’s the point? I just don’t get it,” he

ran it over and over again through his

mind.

He noted the cute deputy still

hanging around the police station and he

wondered what she was waiting for. She

walked by close enough that she could

hear him if he spoke loudly.

“Hey, Deputy Guest, please can I

ask you something.”

She hesitantly walked to the cell

enclosure and asked him what he wanted.

“What’s going on, why won’t

anybody talk to me? They haven’t even let

me call anybody.”

“Can’t say much. The gun we

found in your locker, technically in your

possession, is having some tests run on it.

Checking it for ballistics and serial

number confirmation. That’s about all I

can tell you but I’ll make sure you get your

call, be right back.”

“Hold on a second, why are they

running all the tests on the gun?”

“Seymour, don’t you get it? The

gun you had is possibly the one taken by

The Stalker last week, and the black dude

shot at The Dixie Diner, was shot with a

.38. We’re looking at charging you with a

whole list of crimes if the information on

the gun comes back as we think it will.”

“But deputy, I didn’t have anything

to do with all that stuff! I’m just a student,

you’ve got to believe me!” he pleaded

with the young woman.

Again her intuition told her he was

telling the truth but the facts were staring

her in the face, even if she didn’t want to

believe them. “I’ll get you that phone

Seymour.”

A few minutes later she returned

with a land line and a long cord plugged

in across the room. He tried desperately to

remember her phone number but could not.

The library, he’d call the library, surely

she would be the one to pick up. The

phone rang a couple of times before a

voice answered.

“Valdosta Public Library, Jared

speaking, how can I help you?”

“Crap, Jared, what are you doing

answering the phone?” a demoralized

Seymour said.

“Well, howdy doody to you too,

who is this?” the teenager asked.

“It’s Seymour; I have to talk to

Blanche, right away!” an unmistakable

degree of urgency in his voice.

“Well, hold your horses, I’ll get

her.”

Five minutes later her sweet voice

filled his earpiece. “Seymour, I was

hoping I’d hear from you today. I’ve done

nothing but think about our date the other

night. I have a story to tell.....”

“Blanche, Blanche, listen to me!

I’m sorry I cut you off but I’m in trouble

and I need your help!”

“What do you mean you’re in

trouble? What’s going on? Where are

you?” she heard the pitch in her voice

rising.

“I’ve been arrested. I’m at the

police station and I didn’t know who else

to call. This is going to kill my mom and I

wanted somebody to break it to her gently,

could you do that for me?”

“But why have they arrested you?

What have you done?”

“I haven’t done anything, that’s the

crazy thing about it. Somebody planted a

gun in my locker and they think that I’m

The Stalker and shot that black guy on

Saturday night,” he said, between sobs.

“They think you shot Jasper?” the

words of the police officer with the

meager mustache jumped through her

mind.

“Who? Who’s Jasper? Blanche,

you’re not making any sense. They think I

shot that black guy that was involved in

the drug shooting on Saturday.”

“I know. That was Jasper. I was

there! That was my friend that I told you

about; he was the one that was shot.

Seymour, please tell me you really don’t

know anything about this and you didn’t

have anything to do with shooting Jasper!

It would just break my heart if you were

involved somehow.”

“Blanche, of course I’m not

involved! I would never do anything to

hurt you. Somebody is setting me up and I

don’t know why. Please believe me! I

need someone to trust me. I need your

help. I don’t know who else I can phone,

you and my mom are the only people I can

trust.”

“Seymour, I do believe you. What

do you want me to do?”

* * *

The cell phone rang a dozen times;

he looked at it in the palm of his hand,

knowing who was at the other end. He

was so ready to be done with Felix, and

whoever, but he also knew he would not

see his money if he didn’t do the one last

‘outing’ they required of him.

“Yeah,” he said, a lack of

excitement in his voice.

“Lester, you ready to conclude our

business arrangement?” Felix asked.

“Absolutely, I’m ready to move on

to bigger and better things,” he said,

thinking of Blanche.

“Your info packet will be there

Thursday morning when you get up, just as

before. This one has to be specific, on