Wings of Deception (2 page)

Is he sweating
, Jacks wondered as he watched him wipe his neck with a handkerchief and reluctantly r
i
se from his seat.

“Maybe
,
Garrett, but it will be my mistake. I already thought about it while you were giving me your pitch and it is not something I am interested in…at all. Sorry.”

After walking him to the door, he closed it behind him and went back to his desk, waiting long enough to be certain he was out of the office before buzzing his secretary. 
“Sheila?”

“Yes sir.”

“Look up anything you can find on Cannon and Belk and bring it to me.”

“Yes sir.”

    It was late but Jacks had no family, so there was never any hurry for him to leave the office. When Sheila brought
in
a stack of papers she had printed out and placed them before him
,
he laughed.

“Looks like I
am going to
be
here
a while.”

The secretary was young, coming to him just out of college. He needed a legal secretary and she was the first one to apply. No experience, but she looked and acted like a bright kid
,
so he made a deal with her. Six months trial and
then
if either was not happy
,
they would give notice. That had been four years ago and so far they got along well. She loved the work almost as much as he did. Though the pay was not that great, the good feeling that came from helping children pro bono made up for it. Every so often
,
he actually got an exceptional client that paid well and in that instance
,
he was very generous with her, making up for the lean times.

“Anything I can stay and help you with?”

“Nye…
.
go on, get out of here and do whatever it is that young people do these days!”

She sighed deeply, “Okay. But, I did offer.”

“So you did.”

He could not help but smile as she said good night and left him. He knew nothing much about her personal life, except that she was a Christian, her only flaw that he could see. It was funny considering she knew just about all of his personal business. She made dates for him and broke just as many, which could account for the ex in his last relationship. She bought any gifts he needed
,
for any occasion as he hated shopping and she loved it. She was also a very pretty girl. “Okay Jacks, get busy and see just how rotten these people are
,
so you won’t feel bad giving up a senate seat.”

He spent the next hour looking over all the reasons he should get as far away from the clutches of the men he possibly could. They had been into everything imaginable but always managed to stay in good standing with the law. Old money and power beyond comprehension wore two names, Cannon and Belk. To be under obligation to these people would cost dearly but he also knew to stay out of obligation to them could cost him his life, if he was not very careful. He felt the danger
,
as well he should, for the last thing he wanted was to end up floating face down in the Hudson River.
Damn it to hell anyway
, he thought as he stood up and stretched.

He added a few more choice words as he locked the office up and headed to a nearby diner to eat.

His last relationship
had
ended only a few weeks
before
and he still had no idea why. Coming home one night he found her and her things gone. There was no real explanation. Nothing but a note saying it was over between them and she did not want him to try and contact her. Two years invested and it was just,
over.
He thought they got along well and could not understand why she did not just say something if she was unhappy in the relationship. But, respecting her wishes, he did not try to contact her. It just bugged him
,
as it was the longest running relationship he ever had with one woman.

He ordered food and ate automatically, not enjoying it but merely giving his body fuel he knew it needed. When he was done, he crossed the street, bought a pint of whisky, and went home. A rare thing for he was not a
heavy
drinker. He just felt like obliterating everything and everyone from his mind.

Getting to his apartment he let himself in and never turning on a light
,
found his way to his bed by the light of the moon shining in the windows. Undressing to his boxers, he lay on top of the covers feeling the heat of the night. Propped up on pillows he poured the burning liquid down his throat until numbness started
creeping through his body. He knew his life was about to change, one way or the other. He admitted that he did need
a
change and had for a while but he would be dammed if it was going to go in the direction someone else demanded. He would choose for himself.

He tried to remember the job offer from Mississippi, but could not.
Oh well
, he drunkenly thought,
I will think about it tomorrow.
Sliding into a disturbing sleep he dreamed he was in a strange movie resembling
Godfather
, and the faces of Abraham Cannon and Morgan Belk wove in and out with gunshots ringing in his ears.

Morning brought repentance for his actions
,
when he woke up with a splitting headache and a phone ringing off the hook.

“Hell, what do you want already?”
h
e yelled after he finally got it to his ear. He had fumbled it and dropped it, having to get on the floor to retrieve it from under the bed.

“Jacks, are you alright?”

It was a concerned Sheila on the other end.

“Yeah, what is it Sheila? I know we do not have any appointments this morning. Come on give me a break, I killed a pint last night and now my head is killing me, let me sleep.”

“I can’t do that
sir
; you have two important looking men waiting for you in your office. They insist on seeing you.”

  “Aw, for the love of….”

“Jacks, don’t you dare swear, if you do I
’ll
quit!”

“Okay
!
D
id they give you a name by any chance?”

“Yes sir, the same ones you were asking about last night. Is that why you got drunk? What do they want? I knew I should have stayed!” Her voice was barely more than a whisper and he was instantly alert.

“Sheila, tell them I’ll be a while. I have to shower, I stink like whisky. If they want to wait, fine. Give them some coffee or something, won’t you? See you in a few.”

 
He was muttering to himself as he headed for the shower.
“
Aw man, there has to be a hundred guys they could go after. Just because I go around the law sometimes to help some poor kid
,
does not mean I am like them. I am not like them and I will not ever be like them…
”
He said trying to convince himself.

  Within thirty minutes
,
not in the best of moods, Jacks entered his office where two impeccably dressed and most influential men in New York sat waiting patiently for him or,
maybe not so patiently
he was thinking
,
as they stood when he entered the room.

Though
never formally introduced he knew the faces
of both men
. He walked across the room saying politely, “Gentlemen.”

He shook the older man’s hand first. If he were to make a guess
at his age
, he
would guess
sixty-five or maybe more.

Abe Cannon was a
man
he had
seen at many public affairs
.
Jacks had on occasion been at the same functions with him
,
though they traveled in completely different circles and had never
even
spoken.

“Mr. Cannon.” He
said shaking his hand
before turning to the younger man.

“And you must be the Morgan Belk of Belk’s International, a pleasure to meet you too.”

“Same here, Mr. Jacks…”

“It’s just Jacks please, sit back down, and tell me, what I
can
do for you guys?” He laughed uneasily as he went around and sat behind his desk, “Aside from climbing the political ladder, that is.”

“Jacks it is then and I am just Abe.” The older man chuckled. They did not sit. Abe Cannon had bushy white eyebrows and Jacks focused on them to keep from showing his nerves.

“Garrett tells us that you have refused our offer to put you in the state senate this coming up election next year. We are here hoping to change your mind. You see Jacks, we did do our research and we think you
are what this state needs representing us at the capital. That is it, we are just looking for fair representation and you are the perfect choice. We are sick of these religious fanatics shoving their idea of what is proper down our throats.”

His talk was smooth and practiced and Jacks was sure there was plenty of experience behind it. However, before he could reply, Morgan Belk
looked at his watch and
added,
“
Unfortunately we have another pressing appointment
Jacks,
and
I’m sure you have
some
important things on your agenda today. Why not talk about this tonight? I am having several people over for dinner that you may enjoy meeting.
Come to dinner
at seven
, and if we cannot convince you to change your mind there is no harm done, right?
”

Jacks had no idea what possessed him to say yes to the dinner
,
other than the fact he was in no condition to hold a decent conversation at the time. The two men left without having sat back down. Relieved would be the correct word for how Jacks felt when his door closed behind them.

He brought Sheila in and had her see if they could reschedule his afternoon appointments. It was easy since there was only one. That done
,
he took the aspirin handed him, gratefully. The confident look he portrayed to the men who had just left him turned to one of worry.

“Sheila, I swear, how the...”

“Jacks!”

“I was just going to say, how the heck did I manage to get myself in the spotlight of the
se people
? For real Sheila, I seriously have to sleep this headache off just so I can think. Hold my calls and I will just crash right here on the sofa.”

“So no
calls mean
no
calls?”

Sometimes Jacks would say no calls, except…

“No calls, Sheila. Please, until I say so. And, you may be interested to know I have agreed to go to a dinner party tonight at the Belk mansion. This is one date I wish you could cancel for me.”

“Would you like for me to?”

He just looked at her as she made a face and left. Jack’s attitude bothered her. She had never seen him this
anxious
in the whole of the four years she had known him and she had seen him plenty upset over some of the cases he handled.

The sofa he was talking about was more for looks than comfort and after twisting and turning for an hour
he
got up, washed his face and combed his hair in his private bath. Opening a closet he
replaced his wrinkled shirt
with a
fresh
one.
He opened the door to where Sheila sat at her desk reading a book.

“Any calls?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, look and see if you can find the number for that operation down south that wanted me as head of the legal team there last week. You remember the one I said to throw away? When you find it bring it in with some coffee
,
please.”

She was puzzled by his request, but then there had been stranger ones.

H
e knew she never threw anything away. She had saved his behind
many
times because of her nature of keeping every little thing that came through the office. Shaking her head, she wondered what was really going on. Whatever it was, it had something to do with those men.
Jacks was
the most fearless man she knew but he acted as if he w
ere
afraid of them. She found the letter which had the information he wanted. Taking it in, she gave him the opportunity to share the problem with her. When he did not, she boldly asked,

“What is it
,
Jacks? I have not seen you this agitated since the Morrison case.”

Jacks held the piece of paper in his hand.