Careful and regular readers may note we skipped Chapter 25. We did so because Chapter 20 – Don’t Fear the Reaper got repurposed as Chpater 25. If you’re really paying attention you might’ve noticed chapter numbering also screwed up.
As of now there are 65 chapters. I won’t be looking at Fains I again for about a year. Who knows what the chapter count will be then.
Al entered the Kansas City BMW dealership with a Brooks Brothers’ Herringbone sportsjacket over his shoulder and a cell phone clipped to his belt. He walked around, ran his hand over the roofs of a few cars, over the hoods of a few others, and slightly shook his head each time.
A salesman left separated himself from a meeting and approached all smiles. “Looking for something in particular?”
“You got any M5s? Arrest Me Red? I’ll wait while you paint it. You do have fast drying sealing paint, right? I need to be on the road in less than an hour. I’m paying cash and have my own temp plates.”
The salesman smiled.
Two weeks later, new plates in place and the Herringbone neatly folded on the driver’s side rear seat, Al drove the M5 to Celestron LTD’s latest project, Winsome Farms. The small company installed dish-based cable TV systems in new developments. Winsome Farms was the last one on their books. The site stood deserted because the builders knew the bottom would soon fall out from the condo market. If nothing new came in and soon, the doors would close and millions would be lost.
A lone woman, shapely in designer clothes and sunglasses, hardhat, and unlaced workboots, walked around the existing dishes with a clipboard in hand. She checked equipment serial numbers and ticked them off on her paperwork as she went.
Al parked directly in front of the last completed condo with his own clipboard and a microrecorder. Like her, he ticked things off. Unlike her, he occasionally spoke into the microrecorder.
Madelyn checked out the M5 then called out. “Construction’s stopped. No investment opportunities here. You looking to pick up something for a job site?”
Al continued his inspection. “You able to offer auction pricing?”
Madelyn watched Al and brefly squinted behind her designer sunglasses, a predator evaluting the eoffort involved in subduing some prey, before going to her car and swapping her workboots for heels to high for a worksite. She threw her sunglasses on top of her workboots, undid the top two buttons of her blouse, and approached Al with a smile. “Anything specific catch your eye?”
Al glanced at her, offered a wan smile before returning to his clipboard, then removed his sunglasses and stared at her. “Madelyn Thompson?”
“Oh, my god! Al Campbell? You’re a long way from Central High. What are you doing here?”
He handed her a card. It read “Brigstone Developments/Al Campbell, Senior Principal” in stylish printing.
She smiled.
“Remember in eighth grade, you saddled up to me all smiles and jiggles, because somebody found out I had a dollar for lunch money, and the girls bet you you couldn’t get it from me?” He laughed. “Well, I invested it and put it to good use.”
She joined in his laughter. “Did I ever give it back to you?”
He shook his head. “No, never saw it again.” He nodded at the card still in her hand. “I’m the lead investor. My group travels the country looking for high-income, housing deficient areas. We put in luxury homes on five-acre minimum lots. I heard about this place and decided to see if there’s anything salvageable.” He paused and smiled his own predatory smile. “You one of the developers? Looking to cut your losses before your investors cut them for you?”
She noted the Rolex GMT on his wrist. That watch is worth more than I make in a year. “You’re developing around here?”
He laughed. “Hell no. This area’s over developed as it is. We’re planning a series of developments – vacation spots, senior living, junior executives, you know the kind of things – about 150-200 miles northeast of here.” He checked his watch and shook his head. “Pity it’s so late in the day. I’d offer to take you up there, give you a chance to see if you’d like to invest.” He cocked his head at her and smiled. “We could still get up there, look around, and back, but it’d be late.” His eyes danced for a moment at her two open blouse buttons. “Or we could stop somewhere along the way, take our time, get to know each other better.”
Madelyn battered her eyes. It was hard work not fixing on the size of the diamond in his left pinky ring.
Oh, you don’t have any idea what you’re in for, Al.
Her carhorn sounded three short beeps. “That’s my car phone.” She walked over and echekd the incoming number. “Just my office. I can get back to them later.
Al lifted his clipboard and jiggled it at her. “Give me fifteen, twenty minutes to finish up. My car’s unlocked. Make yourself comfortable and we can take off from here.”
Madelyn looked at the M5. You must’ve really matured, Al. You were never into bling in highschool. “I – ” She glanced at her own clipboad and swallowed. Easy, girl. Don’t make it easy. You want to land this one. Let the hook sink in deep. “Al, I – ”
“Or not. I’m easy. Your call, okay?”
Celestron LLC’s office admin punched the call waiting line. “I’m sorry, Mr. Morelli. I can’t reach Madelyn. She must be out of range.”
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