The Improbable Read online

“All I want for you is to be happy, baby.” Daddy leaned over and kissed my forehead.

  Little did he know, my happiness had taken off long ago.

  10. Mr. Brandy

  July 1950

  The host’s voice streamed through the radio on my desk in the office. I had tuned in so I could stay awake but shut it off, not wanting to hear about anything they were talking about. I was trying to concentrate but it was difficult to do so with the gabbing of the radio and the unbearable heat in the station due to the broken ceiling fans. I had set a fan on my desk, opened the window, and unbuttoned my shirt a bit and nothing seemed to cool me down!

  I set down the files I had been going through and started on the photographs my father had set on my desk in the morning. Sighing from exhaustion, I opened the first few folders. The photos were about a year old; they displayed victims who’d been shot right in the head as well as the bodies of those who had died from overdose with their eyes closed. I pulled the more recent photos of the bodies that had been discovered and laid them next to the older ones. I was trying to understand why the older ones had been shot in the head while the recent victims had been shot in the throat. I was also trying to figure out why the older bodies had died with closed eyes and the newer ones died with seemingly scared, open eyes.

  Clayton broke my focus when he knocked at the open door and strolled in. “How you enjoyin’ this lil’ taste of southern heat, boy?”

  I shrugged. “Feels like hell.”

  He set down a mug full of ice water. “Only way to beat it.” He said when I looked up at him.

  I immediately began gulping down the ice cold water, thankful for the ice cold sensation it sent throughout my body. I thought about thanking Clayton but wasn’t too sure how I felt about him and all his acts of southern hospitality. I cleared my throat, “Uh, what’s going on?”

  Clayton partially sat on my desk and crossed his arms while he explained. “So I’m thinkin’ I’m on to somethin’,” he began. “Upon reviewin’ the profiles of our lovely buyers, it’s plain to see that the ages range from twenty-one to thirty.”

  I nodded. “Right in my ball park.”

  “Mhm, and that’s not all you have in common with these kids’ they’re all trust fund babies.” He noted.

  “It’s inheritance, Clayton.” I said firmly.

  He held his hands up defensively. “The point is y’all are still made of money.”

  I glared at him. “What’re you getting at?”

  “You gotta get in with them! It’ll be easier for you to maneuver your way into figuring out how they get stuff done. These wealthy youngsters are fueling the Trio economy!” He said excitedly.

  I rubbed my bottom lip as I pondered the information he gave me. “Good point. My guy Timmy knows someone who’s into that stuff.”

  Clayton clapped once. “Well, alright.” He glanced down at the photos spread out on my desk. “What ya got here?”

  It was my turn to relay some information. I pointed at the first set of photos. “So my father gave me these photographs earlier, said they were from last year, the ones beside them are more recent.”

  He examined them, rubbing his chin. “What do you have them side by side like that for?”

  “Well I found it odd that just a year ago the fuckers were shooting them in the head and now in the throat.” I said.

  Clayton’s eyebrows came together as he tried to make something of the information. “You could look some more into that, I suppose.”

  I nodded and took a cool, refreshing gulp of the ice water. “That I will.” My office phone rang. “David O’Neil,” I answered.

  “Get your suit and tie, brother, we’re goin’ out!” Timmy’s voice came from the other line.

  My hands came over my face; I truly wasn’t up for getting all spiffy…or even being around people for that matter. Not to mention the last party I’d gone to I’d been arrested for saving a life. All I wanted to do was solve the damn case so I could show my father I wouldn’t let him down. Then it clicked in my mind! “As much as I don’t want to, I will.” I answered.

  “Perfect! We’ll be at your house tomorrow at eight.” Timmy informed me.

  I shook my head. “You’ve got it.”

  “Alright, see you then, Chief!” Timmy sounded satisfied.

  “What did I tell you about that?” I growled.

  “Oops, I mean see you then…you little lawyer you.” He snickered. “No one’s around anyways.”

  I chuckled, “Better safe than sorry, see you tomorrow.”

  “What’s that all about?” Clayton asked, nosily.

  “I just made the first move into this case.” I responded. “Tomorrow I’ll be at a lavish event with some of the wealthiest families in Chicago. I’m bound to make some connections to get to the drug and I have a definite connection already.”

  Clayton’s eyes widened. “Alright! This is good, I don’t know why I ever doubted you.” He winked and turned on his heel to leave my office.

  I rolled my eyes, already knowing he never had a reason to doubt me. Though I was glad I was able to show him that I could establish moves in the case without having to be told to do so, thinking maybe he’d go and tell my father about my progress. I leaned back with my hands over my head, and sighed. My eyes grazed across my desk and landed on an old photo of my mother and myself as a child and a minor pang of sadness tugged at my heart.

  After she died, nothing was the same between my father and I; it was always so hard to keep him happy unless I was achieving a goal that he had set for me. Essentially I could say that I was putting my heart and soul in the case to catch a glimpse of the warmth and love from my father that I received prior to the death of my mother. Was it so much to ask? Was solving the case even going to make things better between us?

  “Hey! Mr. Lawyer, open up!” Timmy’s voice boomed from outside as he banged on my front door.

  I had been in the bathroom, trying to practice facial expressions that didn’t make me look like I always wanted to murder someone. How was I going to make connections with anyone when my face always looked so angry? I raced to open the door, stubbing my toe on a few boxes I hadn’t yet unpacked. They always got me! “Shit!” I shouted before opening the door.

  “What the hell is going on in here?” Timmy looked around with wide eyes before stepping in the house.

  “Got a few boxes I still haven’t put up.” I answered, shoving the box out of the way with my foot.

  “A few…? It looks like you just moved in yesterday, boss!” Timmy laughed. “Hey Chris, you think you could manage to help chief with a few boxes real quick? Make somewhat of a path through this guy’s house? Sheesh.” Timmy yelled to Chris who was hopping out the car.

  “Of course! Chief, my man!” Chris yelled walking up the driveway, looking a bit out of it.

  “Are you alright, man?” I asked as he stumbled into my house.

  “A-ok.” He grinned and picked up the two boxes.

  “Just pull down the staircase in the garage and stick them up in the attic.” I opened the door to the garage for him.

  “Gotcha,” He burst out laughing.

  “Chris, what the fuck is so funny?” I asked, irritated.

  He shook his head, still snickering, and headed into the garage.

  “That’s right brother, I like this all black. Hit the ladies like a phantom!” Timmy assessed my suit once I came back to the bathroom to shave.

  I chuckled. “I try, I try.”

  “So you excited or what? I have a feeling you might get lucky tonight.” Timmy slapped my leg with a rolled up newspaper.

  “Women aren’t at the top of my to-do list at the moment Timmy,” I sighed. “This is an important case, I can’t afford to give my attention to much of anything else at the moment.”

  “Well good thing this party has nothing to do with the case! Come on, you just need one night, one girl to get your mind off the stuff at the station, it’s consuming you!” Timmy exclaimed. “
Just let this be a night where you…ya know, let go. Think about all the ladies that will be there, eager beavers to be pleasers if you know what I mean.” He looked at me suggestively.

  I snickered and shoved him, glad I could always count on him to make me laugh. He may have been right about my being consumed with the case, but to get my mind off of it I would have rather just spent time with them and not pretending to be interested in some dumb broad that’d do anything for me just because she knew I had money. I did feel like my life needed a little pizazz but I just couldn’t afford to take too much time off focusing on work, not to mention I would need something to report back to Clayton.

  “As much as I would love to, I can’t! And the party has everything to do with the case.” I said.

  “How so, brother?” Timmy asked. “But I must say, whatever you say right now I won’t take serious. I can’t take you serious with shaving cream all on your face brother.” He chuckled and shook his head.

  I rolled my eyes. “Anyways, I’m gonna finally talk to that Brandy kid tonight and see if he can get me anywhere. We also figured that the crowd that uses Trio is young and wealthy.”

  “Like the members at the City Club.” Timmy nodded.

  “Exactly,” I mumbled as I washed my face off.

  “Well I could definitely help you out as I told you before. It’s not for me, but I know where to look.” He said.

  “I’m not looking to get into anything too deep tonight, I just wanna establish something with Brandy.” I told him as I patted my face dry.

  “You got it boss, whatever it takes to get you one hundred percent back here with us.” Timmy sighed, looking at me wearily.

  I knew he was hinting at how he, Chris, and I used to have wild nights as teenagers, carefree and far more relaxed. I nodded at him in the mirror, not wanting to bring up the better days.

  He held out my bowtie in his hand. “Finishing touch and we’re out.” His voice was quieter, more serious.

  I fastened my bowtie around my neck and slicked my hair back, making any last adjustments before we exited the house. “Chris we’re leaving!” I shouted when I saw no sight of him in the house as I made my way to the front door.

  When we were outside, Timmy whirled around and caught sight of Chris on the roof. “Oh, what the fuck brother!”

  “How in the hell did you get up there?” I demanded.

  “He’s a little high, but you know you’re the lawyer now not the chief so don’t say anything.” Timmy admitted, laughing nervously.

  “High on what?” I asked, outraged. “High enough to get onto my roof!”

  “Just a little reefer, relax. No Trio around these parts, I told you we don’t do that.” Timmy held his hands up defensively.

  “Drug use nonetheless!” I exclaimed.

  “Chris, come on down from there it’s time to go!” Timmy ignored me.

  “You didn’t know there’s a door to the roof in your attic? Man, there’s an amazing view from here!” Chris hollered, looking up at the evening sky.

  “Come on Chris, we have to be there in fifteen minutes.” I ignored his question.

  “I can see Eva’s house through the trees! Hi Eva!” Chris turned around and waved.

  I looked at Timmy with furrowed eyebrows. “Eva?”

  He smiled and nodded. “She lives past the woods right behind you, we’ll pass it on the way out big guy.”

  “I bet if you look close you’ll be able to see her changing at night.” Chris snickered.

  “Alright, get down or we’re leaving your ass!” I yelled to him as I hopped in the car.

  “Oh you guys are no fun,” Chris pouted as he made his way down from the roof back into the attic.

  “And we’re out boys!” Timmy hollered once we were all in my car.

  “It’s gonna be one hell of a night!” Chris yelled and burst into another fit of laughter.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at my friends, they never failed to make me realize that it was okay to live a little and not take life so seriously all the time – I was nothing but thankful for them. The car weaved along the road that crossed through the trees as we made our way out of the neighborhood.

  “El casa de Hutchinson,” Timmy announced when he pointed to a large brick, Tudor-styled home.

  “Not bad,” I said nodding my head, impressed. I was more impressed by the fact that we lived right behind each other…

  The tree-lined drive to the city club had been decorated with festive lights and the music could be heard from the outside. On the front lawn there was a large ice sculpture carved into the letters ‘CPCC’ and grand spotlights focused on the main clubhouse. The parking lot was jam-packed and there were people everywhere.

  “Welcome to one of the wealthiest parties in the Midwest, brother.” Timmy patted me on the back before he hopped out of the car.

  “What have I gotten myself into,” I asked myself and shook my head before getting out as well.

  “The party is here!” Chris exclaimed when he took a glass of wine from a server.

  “How do you wanna do this? Do you want me to introduce you to my guy now or later?” Timmy asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking at me.

  “Let’s do it now, I don’t want to be the downer of the whole night.” I responded.

  “That’s what I like to hear,” He lightly jabbed my in the arm and smiled. “Chris, let’s go!” He began walking up the stairs into the clubhouse.

  Chris and I followed close behind Timmy as he weaved through the crowd in the dining room and up the stairs. I looked behind us to see if anyone was watching us sneak off and saw that everyone was too wrapped up in their conversations and drinks to pay us any attention – no wonder it was so easy for the kids to get away with the drugs. On the second floor was a hallway with individual hotel rooms. Timmy stopped and knocked lightly.

  “Who is it?” A voice asked from the inside.

  “It’s Timmy.” He answered.

  The door opened slightly, revealing a pale skin twenty-something male with bleach blonde hair and brown eyes, sporting a classic white and black tuxedo. Nicholas Brandy. He smiled when he saw Timmy and looked at me questioningly. “Timothy, so nice to see you! I recognize Chris but who is your friend?” He nodded at me.

  I held out my hand. “David Finley.”

  He shook my hand but regarded me with caution. “Pleased to meet you.” His gaze returned back to Timmy. “Are you here for business or what?” His voice was high-pitched and annoying and he spoke in a slow dramatic tone.

  “I guess you could say that.” Timmy answered.

  “We want drugs,” Chris blurted and laughed.

  Nicholas laughed, “Oh of course.” He finally stepped back and opened the door completely. He gestured for us to come in. “Forgive me for not introducing myself, I’m Nicholas Brandy.” He turned around and looked at me.

  “Nice to meet you,” I nodded at him. I was unsure if he was a queer or just excessively lavish, either way I didn’t want to give off the wrong message so I kept my distance.

  Inside the suite was a beautiful nightmare. Gorgeous women in expensive gowns were on the couch, smoking with their eyes rolling into the backs of their heads and laughing at one another about to cough up a lung. A prim and proper young man in the restroom was on the ground, leaning against the bathtub with his sleeve pulled up and something tied around his arm. He shut the door with his foot when he caught me looking. On the table in the middle of the room, three lines of white powder were waiting to be snorted. Three ways to use the drug and instantly I knew it was Trioxytin. I nervously shoved my hand through my hair, really wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into.

  “I’ve never seen you around here, are you new?” Nicholas asked me, sitting at the table and pouring a glass of liquor.

  “He’s from college,” Chris snickered, setting down a cup of his own, waiting for Nicholas to fill it.

  “Not exactly, I grew up around here and went away for college.
I’m back for law school.” I answered, watching him.

  “I’m in medical school, don’t we all just have bright futures ahead of us.” He chuckled and snorted the first line, following it with the liquor he had just poured. “Intensifies the burn.” He smiled. “So what’s going on, Timothy? You want some of this or some for the road?”

  “Some for the road, my girlfriend doesn’t like this kind of stuff.” Timmy shook his head.

  “She’d cut your balls off,” Chris snorted.

  “Be quiet you idiot.” Timmy warned Chris. “And lay off of the liquor, you’re in for one hell of a hangover you know that.” He jabbed a finger at Chris.

  “Oh I know how that can be,” Nicholas rose and walked over to pick up a brief case next to the couch. “What about you two?” He eyed me and Chris.

  “Well he’s already fucked up,” I nodded at Chris. “But I’ll share with Timmy.”

  Nicholas chuckled. “You must be new to this. One rock is enough for one person.”

  Feeling belittled, I reached in my pocket and pulled out two hundred-dollar bills, smacking them on the table. “Two rocks, who am I paying?”

  His eyes widened. “A man who knows what he wants.” He took a sip of his liquor, eyeing me. Eventually he opened the briefcase and tossed a small bag filled with two white rocks across the table.

  “That’ll be two-fifty.” He said.

  “Two-fifty!” I exclaimed. “Why? I thought it was a hundred each!”

  “If you can’t afford it…” He trailed off, sipping his alcohol.

  I threw more bills on the table, disgusted.

  He retrieved the money and stuffed it into the pocket of his suit.

  “Didn’t mean for things to get so hasty, he has a temper.” Timmy laughed nervously as he explained to Nicholas.

  “I know how it gets, hopefully that makes it better.” Nicholas nodded at the bag.

  I picked it up and shoved it in my pocket.

  “Thanks for lookin’ out brother.” Timmy said to Nicholas.

  “Anytime, Timmy you always know where to find me.” Nicholas smiled. “Is that all I can do for you boys this evening?”