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"Huh?"
"Try to stay with me here. This is a little too important for you to be day dreaming."
"I’m sorry, Wanda, I was just thinking, that’s all."
"You were just telling me that you went to your office to meet Monika and Jett. And — "
Sunday, July 12, 8:19 AM
The next morning I arrived at my office to find Monika waiting for me. She had followed Chilly, and I not only wanted, but needed to hear her report. On the way home the night before and on the way there that morning, I gave some serious thought to this thing I was developing for Mrs. Childers and my promise to leave other men’s women alone. No one really understood, and I never tried to explain it to anyone, except Monika. She understood. Over the years that promise has kept me from becoming seriously involved with many women. Seems like the women I take an interest in are all married, living with a man, got a man back home or whatever.
When I arrived at the office, Monika was there waiting.
"It’s about time you dragged your ass in here," Monika said.
"Report."
"Yes, Sir." Monika smiled and rolled her eyes. "I followed Chilly and wifey to Aureole, a restaurant on East 61 street. They met a man and a woman, both of Hispanic decent. The male was approximately five feet ten inches tall, dressed in a two-piece dark blue suit, light blue shirt, and enough jewelry to make you notice. The female, approximately five six, red dress, fuck me pumps. I got video and still pictures, they should be ready soon."
"Video?"
"Yes video. Jett gave me these photosensitive sunglasses with a micro-miniature camera. The images are recorded using a standard video recorder, or it can be fed into a video transmitter in a remote location."
"Have to start callin’ that boy Q."
"You keep givin’ him money, Mr. Bond, he keeps buying new shit. Anyway, I was able to drop a bug on the back of Chilly’s chair. There’s the transcript."
"Anything we want?"
"Maybe. Page five. I circled it."
"Hispanic male: I took care of mine, Chilly. What about yours? Chilly: Not yet, should be another day, maybe two. But I don’t see a problem here."
"It’s pretty thin, right?" Monika asked.
"You’re right. He may be talking about Jake, maybe not. There’s just not enough here."
"The rest of the conversation was just small talk."
"Okay. You stay on Chilly. See where that leads us. Anything on those files? You find out what that formula is for?"
"Nothing yet. I should hear back from my guy sometime today I hope."
"Let me know as soon as you hear from him."
"What about you? What did you do?"
"Talked to the sister, Chésará. Other than trying to flirt, I didn’t get anything we didn’t already know. You heard from Jett?"
"Said he’d be here early. He should be here soon."
Almost on cue, Jett came through the door.
"Morning, people."
"Report."