Mick The Dick Ch 14

©2005 All Rights Reserved

Chapter 14

By the time we finished all of the arguing, making up, joking around, and everything else, it was going on 9 o'clock. Instead of fixing one of my fabulous gourmet breakfasts, I decided to treat Carla to breakfast at a little shop just up the street from the office.

The shop is a little "mom and pop" operation that makes their own bread, bagels, donuts, and other baked goods. On mornings, they can fix a breakfast that would make any mother proud. Eggs, a choice of bacon, sausage, or scrapple, and real, Southern style grits cooked just the way your mother did. Okay, so at least the way my mother did. But their best item is their coffee. These high priced fashionable joints can't hold a stick to this shop. As a cop, private or otherwise, I know good coffee.

We sat down in one of the booths towards the back of the shop. While looking over the menu, I couldn't help but ask, "Are we going Dutch on this?"

"Why?"

"Well, I didn't want this to go down as a date or anything."

"Pheury! Do you order your eggs different if you're going to wear them? Keep jerking on my chain and you are going to wish you did."

Carla was finally starting to lighten up a little and get back to being the old Carla.

"You know, when I asked you to go out with me tomorrow night, I was actually going to ask you to go out with me tonight, and then have to cancel because of the surveillance."

Carla gave me a little smirk. "That's okay. I was going to ask you if the only reason you asked me was because Holly stood you up."

We both were lightening up. You know? This might really be growing into something.

"By the way," Carla brought up, "what is on the agenda for today?"

"Well, until 4, nothing in particular. I told Chuck I'd pick up the limo around 5."

I finished my second cup of coffee and paid the bill as Carla finished eating. We walked to the office and began our daily ritual of reading and answering emails. I bought pizza for lunch and before you knew it, it was 4 o'clock.

I changed into my black suit and headed off to Chuck's to pick up the limo. "Damn it!" I almost forgot to call Carla to make it formal. I called the office from my cell. "Hi, Carla. It's Mick. Are you doing anything tomorrow night?" As usual, she had to be a smart ass and tell me she had a date with her boss. Well at least I kept my word and asked her out and didn't just expect it to be business.

I wanted to get to Chuck's a little early, just in case it needed anything, gas, a bath, I wanted to get there a little early. There is nothing worse than trying to blend in with the professional limo drivers and having a dirty car that makes you stand out.

"Pheury, you ol' son of a gun.", Chuck said as he walked towards the door to meet me.

"Chuck, 'ol buddy, how the hell are you?"

" I'm doing good. Ready for a little work?"

"Oh, yeah! Always ready. I really appreciate this Chuck. I really do."

"Don't mention it. I'm just glad to help out. Even though Louie is a little upset at me."

"Louie? How come?"

"Freddie Castillo is a good tipper."

"I thought you didn't have anybody assigned to it when I asked."

"I didn't. He saw it up on the board later in the week. Don't worry about it. I gave him a bachelorette party instead. He'll have more fun."

"A bachelorette party? Hey, do you think Louie could take care of Freddie Castillo instead?"

"Not a chance."

"I didn't think so."

"Besides, Carla would probably kill me if I did that."

"Carla?"

"Sure. The word is out buddy boy."

"What word?"

"About you and your secretary."

"Where'd you hear about that?"

"Oh, I just happened to stop in Murphy's for a bite to eat and…"

"Sylvia?"

"Sylvia, Murph, the word is out."

"Oh well, so much for privacy."

"No, don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"There isn't any secret!"

"Whatever you say, Pheury. Anyway, here's the keys. I gave you the new Lincoln, if that's okay."

"Sure. That'll be fine. As long as Freddie Castillo likes it."

"I think he'll like it fine."

I took the keys from Chuck and went outside to see the new limo. It was a stretch, but not one of these wild "super stretch" things. This is more like you'd see a politician in, not a movie star. All black, very Chic, and clean.

I checked it over, inside and out. Not that Chuck would try to pull anything, but I would feel guilty if there was a mark on it after I finished with it. And Chuck even made sure the tank was full.

I started the Lincoln and listened to the noises, or lack there of. I let it idle a few minutes. "Chuck, I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will, Mick. That's all I ask."

"By the way, are any of your other drivers being used tonight?"

Chuck thought for a minute, "Yeah. Don is picking up Mr. and Mrs. Whitman around 5 and taking them up to Armacosts. Don knows what's going on. He's cool about it."

"Okay, good."

I drove the shiny new limo around a while, learning it. One thing I have found, you can take two identical cars and they still have their own little quirks. Besides, it had been a while since I drove a stretch.

Around 7:00, I went to the Armacost Building and pulled up outside. Around 7:20 I saw an older gentleman standing inside. I thought it was Freddie Castillo. It was. I walked around to the passenger side and opened the back door. I nodded my head at Mr. Castillo. He came to the door. And walked towards me.

"Son, I hope you don't mind. I'm waiting for someone. You don't mind if someone rides along with us, do you?"

"Not at all, Mr. Castillo. I'm all yours for the evening."

"It's Freddie, please."

"Okay, Freddie. I'll be waiting right here, whenever your ready."

"And what's your name? Or do you like Son?"

"Mick."

"Okay, Mick. It should only be a few minutes."

Just about ten minutes later this gorgeous, but a little over made-up blonde walked in the Armacost lobby. She kissed Freddie, they gave each other a hug, and then headed for the door. I took my cue and walked around to the passenger side again and opened the rear door.

"Mick, this is Shirley. Shirley, this is Mick, our chariot driver for the evening."

"Good evening.", I said to her.

"Hiya doll.", Shirley said back.

Freddie smiled and winked at me as Shirley slid into the back seat of the limo. "She's my ah… ah…"

"Niece?", I suggested.

"Yeah, niece. That's it."

"Lovely niece Mr. Cas… I mean Freddie."

Freddie just smiled as he crawled in next to her. Shirley was a high dollar girl. You can always tell by their voice and the use of proper English. I closed the door and walked around to the drivers door and got in.

"Any particular way you want to take Freddie?"

"Nope, just take us for a nice quiet ride to Benjamin's place. We have time, so take it easy. I don't like being the first one there."

"You got it."

I took my time through the city. I didn't jump on the freeway at the normal place. I drove all the way through downtown before jumping on. Freddie and Shirley, if that really was her name, started with some small talk. Up the road a bit I glanced back in the mirror and saw her head bobbing up and down on Freddie's lap. Freddie had his head back. When I entered the freeway, traffic was still heavy enough that I had to concentrate on my driving and not watch Freddie getting a blow job in the back seat.

It was almost 8:30 by the time I pulled up in Armacost's driveway. I pulled up to the front door and got out. I walked around to the passenger side and opened the back door. Shirley was just finishing reapplying her lipstick after wearing it off on Freddie's dipstick. Freddie got out with a smile.

"You can just back the limo around in front of the garage doors if you'd like." I recognized the voice. It was Armacost. "Then you can use the back door and grab a bite to eat in the kitchen."

"Yes sir. Thank you sir.", I said trying not to give myself away. Luckily, Armacost didn't look at me while he was telling me where to park.

I backed the limo around the corner and pulled up alongside another stretch. "The driver must be inside.", I thought to myself. I turned off the engine and sat there for a minute looking at the cars. Beemers, Benzes, a couple Lexuses, a Porsche, two Vipers, and two Corvettes. Two other Corvettes, Holly's was in the garage, I'm sure.

I walked around to the back door of the house. I was amazed at the back yard. A swimming pool, tennis court, and a putting green. It must be nice, huh? There was a guy carving the pit beef on the patio.

As I walked into the kitchen, Holly was getting something out of the refrigerator. I just stood by the door hoping she'd remember not to let on she knew me. The other driver was standing at the counter eating a sandwich. He turned towards me and motioned that he had his mouth full.

"Um! Gulp Hi, I'm Don. You must be Mick."

Holly spun around and looked right at me. "That's right, Chuck said you'd be bringing the Whitmans up."

"Yes. Nice people."

Holly went back to getting whatever she was digging for. Then she turned back around to me. It was a bottle of beer. Some fancy import. No wonder she had to dig for it, her father must have buried it in the back. She checked to make sure nobody could see her and blew me a kiss and gave me a big smile. I smiled back. Don noticed my smile and turned around to see who I was smiling at.

"That's Mr. Armacost's daughter. Cute girl, but what a snob.", Don said.

"Snob? Why do you say that?"

"I tried to talk to her earlier. I must not be good enough for her."

"I didn't have a problem getting her to smile at me."

"I bet that's as far as you get with her too."

Oh, how I wanted to make a bet with him. Like his tips for the evening. But I didn't want to blow the surveillance just for that. "Yeah, you're probably right. I hate rich bitches anyway."

I fixed myself a beef sandwich and stood next to Don for a while. You know, I've driven for some real winners over the years. Some were genuine, others were full of bullshit. But having to put up with it was all part of the role I had to play. The guys, like Don, that make a living out of having to put up with it deserve a lot of credit.

"I'll be out in the car for a while.", Don said, "If they get ready to leave, would you come out and give me a heads up. I've been up since five this morning."

"Yeah, sure. Go right ahead. I'll let you know."

I finished grabbing some food. It was all pretty good. Some shrimp, potato salad, some kind of pasta conglomeration, and a cola. I was preparing for a long night. This looked like one of those all night shindigs the rich and famous throw.

I tried my best to stay out of sight. It was rather pleasant outside so I spent most of my time out by the patio. I talked to the cook a little, just to blend in. That put me in a good spot for watching the back door, garage, the limo, and of course, Schmidt's.

I was standing by the steps that lead down to the pool when I felt the presence of someone walking up behind me. "Would you like to go for a dip, mister?"

I had a feeling it would be her. "I'd love to, but I do so hate skinny dipping alone."

"You wouldn't have to do it alone, but I have a feeling some of daddy's friends would let him know there were a couple of people naked in his pool."

"From the looks of this crowd, they'd probably join us."

"Yucky!" There she goes with that technical jargon. "Knowing some of these folks, that could be gross."

I chuckled just thinking about it. "Yeah! I think you're right."

"Who'd you bring up?"

"Freddie Castillo and his… uh… niece."

"Mick, that's not his niece."

"Tell me something I don't already know."

"You know, he's usually the last one to leave, we could sneak up to my room and…"

"Holly!" Teresa Armacost yelled from the kitchen door.

Holly turned towards the door, "Oops! We better continue this later." Holly walked quickly back across the patio and disappeared through the door. I just hung around the patio for a while. Anybody around would barely pay any attention.

Around nine-ish, I noticed the garage door at the Schmidt house open. I could tell David was getting in the drivers side as the door opened. As the Rover backed out, I could see that he was alone. I watched as the garage door closed. But then something unusual happened, a light over a door next to the big garage door came on. "That's funny," I thought to myself. "if it had a motion sensor, it would have gone off when the car backed out of the garage. If it was tied into the automatic opener, it would have gone off when the door opened." There was already a spot light on that lit up the driveway and entrance to the garage. So, maybe that is the signal I knew existed. "Oh, Benny! It's safe to come over and play."