Indirect Route (4 page)

Jane, don’t be a wuss all your life.  Get in there!

Janie felt the sting of truth in Mia’s words.  When was she going to stop being such a wimp when it came to her personal life?  She’d spent so much time taking care of her mother and her job, she’d never taken the time to grow up and take care of herself.

I can’t, I’m faking the flu.  But you’re right.  I’ll do better, I promise.

I know you will.  I love you—call me tonight and we’ll have wine words.

Love you too—ttyl.

It seemed like half an hour, but was probably only about five minutes, when Aaron emerged from the house and made his way back to the car.  He was smiling, so Janie relaxed the tiniest bit.  His smile was like a salve, she realized.

“Well?” She pounced as soon as his door shut.

“She has no idea who Kenneth Brown was, but she does know the neighbors four houses down.  She said they’ve lived in the neighborhood for over thirty years, so if Kenneth lived here, they would probably remember him.”

“Okay,” Janie said, feeling somewhat deflated.  “Do we want to go and talk to them?” She looked down the street.

“Kelli said they’re on vacation in Florida.  They should be back on Friday.  She’s getting their mail for them.” Aaron grinned.  “Her name’s Kelli.  Which you would know if you weren’t such a scaredy cat.  She hopes you feel better soon, by the way.”

“Did you just call me a scaredy cat? Who are you, Dennis the Menace?”

“Tease me all you like.  Big baby.”  He put the car in gear and drove off, as Janie shot him several withering glares.  They drove for a few minutes back towards the center of town.  Finally Janie’s curiosity got the best of her.

“Where are we going?”

“Well, we’ve got two days until Kelli’s neighbors get home.  So, for today, I think we should chase some other leads.  Get out the paperwork from this morning.” Janie paused at his bossy tone, but took out the papers anyway.

“What other leads do we have here, Detective Aaron?”  She saw a lot of administrative data, license codes, and official seals, but nothing jumped out at her as particularly helpful.

“One of those applications has an old employer listed.”  Aaron looked over her shoulder, and she slapped his thigh. 

“Watch where you’re driving.  I’ll find it.”

“I think it was an application for a hunting license,” he said, still looking her way.  Janie turned her body away from him and faced the passenger door window. “No, not that one,” he insisted.  It’s on a legal-size sheet of paper.  No, no,
legal
size.”  Janie grinned into her chest and pulled another letter-size form from the bundle. 

“This one?” she asked hopefully.

“God, no, one of the long ones,” Aarons cried, exasperated.  Janie began to giggle.

“You are so annoying,” Aaron said, but his reluctant smile made her break into a full-on laugh.

“That’s what you get for bossing me.”

“Just find the form,” he said, shaking his head.

“Please?”

“Pretty please.”

“Fine.  Here it is.  I didn’t even see this form earlier.”

“Because you have no eye for detail.”

“Because I was kind of freaking out, if you remember.”  Janie looked through the form until she saw the question about place of employment.  In block script, Kenneth Brown had listed “Johnson’s Pipeline International”.  Under occupation, he’s put “welder”.

“He was a welder.  Huh.”  Janie’s voice was flat.

“Huh?” Aaron’s eyebrows lifted.  “What’s wrong with being a welder?”

“Nothing.  I’ve just never known a welder before.  Does that mean he spent all day with one of those metal masks on?”

“Probably.”

Janie was silent for a moment.  “It sounds like a tough job.”

“Yep.” 

They were both silent for a moment.  Aaron finally spoke.  “So you want to go check out Johnson’s Pipeline International?”

“Sure.”  Janie shrugged.

“Are you going to come inside with me this time?” His voice held a tinge of challenge.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

***

The entrance to JPI was gated.  Aaron sighed and pulled into the convenience store across the street.  “Okay, we need a plan.”

“Can’t we just tell the guard at the gate that we need to talk to someone in human resources?”

“Yeah, but it’d be better if we had an appointment.  Or at least a name.”  Aaron bit his lower lip.  “Let me find their phone number.”  He pulled out his cell and began searching.  Clicking on the number, he made his way through the receptionist to the HR office.  He set the phone on speaker so Janie could hear the conversation.

“Yes, my name is Aaron Dillon.  I’m tracing a former employee of yours concerning a probate matter.  Is there a way we can request some records for review?”

“Yes, sir,” said the efficient female voice on the other end of the line.  “We’ll just need a copy of the “Appointment of Fiduciary” form from the court, and a photo id.  Records requests typically take three to five business days.” 

“Oh, yes, I’ve got electronic copies of the forms, will that do?”  Aaron said coolly.  Janie gave him an incredulous look.

“Absolutely, sir.  If you have them on a thumb drive or cellular device, we should be able to download and print them for you.”

“Great.  Can we come in this afternoon?  We’re on the firm’s time, and we’d like to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”

“Well, I’m pretty swamped this afternoon.  Would you be able to come in around four o’clock?”

“Sure thing.”  Aaron got her name and office number, and hung up with a satisfied slap of the car’s dashboard.  “Done and done.”

“Except for the fact that we don’t have an appointment of whatever-the-hell-you-were-talking-about form.”

“Minor detail.  Let’s go back to the hotel and I’ll get something together on the computer.” 

They drove home in silence.  Janie was worried about what kind of crazy plan Aaron had up his sleeve.  Forging court documents wasn’t something she wanted any part of.  But what if it was the only way to get Kenneth Brown’s employment documents?  Was she willing to break the law to get the information she needed?

“Penny for your thoughts,” Aaron said as they drove into the hotel parking lot.

“I’m just worried about what kind of crazy ideas you’ve got in that unstable head of yours.”

Aaron laughed.  “Janie, I’m not planning on doing anything I haven’t already done fifty times before.  These are well known short cuts that skip tracers and PI’s use all the time.  It kind of goes with the territory.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”  Janie’s voice was firm in its moral authority.

“I can’t argue with you there.  But if you want to find Kenneth Brown, this is the cheapest and quickest way to do it.” 

Janie kept her mouth shut as she unbuckled her seatbelt and followed Aaron into the hotel lobby. When they got to the room, Aaron went straight to his laptop and hooked it up to the Ethernet cable on the desk.  Janie sat on her bed, deliberately avoiding him.  She knew he was right.  But did she really want to skirt the law in order to get the information she needed?

Aaron’s computer made a twinkling noise as he opened a new program.  “You know,” he said from behind his screen, “this isn’t a crime on par with armed robbery.  If this guy really is your father, then you’re entitled to find him—his information is pertinent to your mother’s estate.  Plus, you know, there’s the possibility that he’s. Your.
Father
.”

Janie picked at the hem of her shirt.  Why did he have to sound so condescending?  Wanting to obey the law didn’t make her some kind of goody-two-shoes.

“You know what I think?”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” Her voice was grim.

“I think you’re using this ‘I don’t want to break the law’ excuse because you’re afraid of what we might find.”  His voice was accusatory, but when he peeked over the top of his laptop screen, she saw understanding in his eyes.

Janie sighed.  “Maybe you’re right.  Or maybe you’re just trying to make me feel mentally unhinged so you get your way.”

“That’s possible.  Listen, let’s do this.  From now on, I won’t tell you about any ‘shady’ shenanigans I might employ to get the information I need.  That way, your ignorance keeps you on the right side of the law.”

“It’s like some kind of mafia pact or something.”  She couldn’t help but grin as Aaron nodded in agreement.

“Fine, keep me in the dark.  In fact, I don’t even want to see the bogus documents that you’re cooking up.”

“Then go make yourself useful and get me a coffee from the lobby.”  Janie could hear the laughter in his voice.  Was he being a pig on purpose?

“Please?”

“Fine, please.”

“
Jesus,”
she sighed as she left the room.  She could hear his laughter through the closed door, but she wouldn’t let herself crack a smile.

CHAPTER EIGHT

AARON

By the time Janie returned with his coffee, Aaron had already completed the forms he’d need for the Johnson HR department.  He’d deliberately pissed her off, in the hopes that she’d stay away long enough for him to make a few calls.  His friends in the IT community were quick and reliable when it came to document production.  Within half an hour, he’d compiled the necessary documents to obtain any of the files JPI had concerning Kenneth Brown.

The door flew open a few minutes after he’d closed his laptop.  “I hope you like sugar,” Janie said without preamble.  “I added six cubes for good measure.”

“Thanks,” Aaron laughed.

“Thanks?  Look who discovered manners in our brief time apart.”

“Well, I figure I owe you one.  Since you brought me that steaming cup of candied coffee.”  He took the cup from her hand and took a tentative sip.  “This is black.”

“I know.  I couldn’t really ruin your coffee.” 

Aaron let out a loud guffaw and sat at the edge of her bed.  “Come sit,” he said.

“You’re so bossy.  And in my face.  You were so shy and awkward when we first met.” She eyed him critically.  “What’s happened to you?”

“Nothing.  I’m only shy when I first meet people.  If I decide to like them, I tend to loosen up a bit.” 

“Obviously.”  Her dry delivery made him stop.  Was she really angry?  The possibility didn’t sit well with him.

“I hope you know I’m just teasing you.  I’m not really an oaf.  I just…I don’t know, I could just tell you were nervous, and I wanted to distract you, try to put you at ease.”  He cleared his throat and looked down into her eyes.  “I’m sorry if that didn’t come through.  Remember, I’m not exactly Mr. Smooth.”

“You do pretty well.”  She nudged his shoulder with hers, then moved to the desk chair.  Aaron stared at the empty space beside him, feeling inexplicably bereft.

“What do you want to do now?  We don’t have to leave for another…”  Aaron glanced at his cell phone.  “Two hours.”

“I say we find some lunch, then grab a nap.”

“A nap?”  Aaron was incredulous.  No one between the ages of four and eighty took a nap.

“Sure—good way to recharge the old battery.” Janie flashed him a serene smile.

“Is that what is says in your AARP magazine?”

“Laugh if you want, nerd boy.  Napping is a very healthy.  It’s part of a comprehensive self-care plan that I follow religiously.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re going on about, but naps are for babies and shift workers.”  He stood and flexed his muscles.  “I’ll have no part of your malingering.”

“Fine, then take me out and feed me.”

They ended up in the lobby restaurant, splitting a burger roughly the size of a dinner plate.

“This thing is so bloody, I feel like we’re on the set of The Vampire Diaries.”  Aaron pushed his untouched half towards the middle of the table. 

“Won’t you eat anything?”  Janie whined.

“Believe me, if I’m going to dip my toe into the world of restaurant eating, it’s not going to be at this crime scene.” 

“I can get them to make you one that’s well-done.”

Aaron smiled.  “No thanks.  But I promise, when we get back home, I’m going to make you a spaghetti bolognaise that will blow your socks off.  And you can watch me eat every bite.”

“It’s on like Donkey Kong,” Janie said, stuffing the last bite of burger in her mouth.  “God, it’s so good, Aaron, you don’t know what you’re missing.”

“E coli? Listeria?”

“Oh, shut up.  Are you ready for your nap?  You seem kinda cranky.”

Aaron picked up his napkin and threw it at her.  Janie grabbed it and threw it back at him.  “No fooling around in the restaurant—you’ll get us kicked out of here.  Let’s pay the check and go.”

After they returned to the room, Janie fell to her bed and cuddled under the covers.  Aaron went back to his laptop, but noticed that she was asleep within five minutes.  He waited to wake her until the very last moment.

“Janie,” he whispered, pushing her shoulder.  “C’mon, time to go.”  She moaned and turned her back to him.

“Janie,” he said, louder this time.  “Come on.  Our appointment’s at four.  We’ve got half an hour to get there.”

Her eyes fluttered open, and before she was able to focus, she broke into a sleepy smile and hugged Aaron’s arm.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he whispered.

“Hey, yourself.”  She sat up and rubbed her eyes.  Aaron continued to stare at her, not quite able to look away.  The rise and fall of her breasts as she yawned did something to his chest, and he swallowed, hard.

“Okay, I’m awake.  I promise.”  She shook her arms out in front of her, then stood and walked into the bathroom, leaving the door open.  Aaron watched as she splashed water on her face and fluffed her hair with her fingers.

“Good to go,” she said, emerging to retrieve her purse and slide the room key into the side pocket.

“You’re low maintenance.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” she said, laughing. 

“Good, ‘cause that’s how I meant it.”  Aaron dropped his car keys in his pocket and opened the door.  “Let’s roll.”

At precisely four o’clock, they were walking down the corridors of JPI’s corporate office suite towards the HR department.  Aaron had his laptop, his documents at the ready.  Sitting in the reception area, Aaron reached across and placed his hand on Janie’s leg, which was tapping nervously against the side of his chair.  “Relax.  This’ll be easy-peasy,” Aaron murmured from the side of his mouth.

“Right,” Janie nodded, continuing with the rhythmic tapping of her foot.  Aaron sighed.

“Mr. Dillon?”  A tall, grey-haired woman emerged from a corner office and introduced herself as Sharon Kelly.  She invited them both back to a conference room and gave them each a bottle of water as Aaron explained their situation.  He produced the documents on his laptop in a nonchalant fashion, and wasn’t surprised when Ms. Kelly barely glanced at them.  Soon she moved behind her desk, booted up her computer, and began opening several windows.

“What’s the time frame we’re talking about again?” She asked without glancing from her screen. 

“We know his employment spanned the mid-eighties.  We don’t have a start date or a termination date.”  Aaron flashed her a charming grin.  Janie rolled her eyes.

“I can run a check with his social.  Just a minute.”  Within a matter of seconds, pages were spitting out of the laser printer in the corner of the office.  Ms. Kelly rose to retrieve them, gave each one a quick glance, and then handed the entire sheaf to Aaron.  “That should do it.  Have a look when you get back to your office, and if you need anything else, just let me know.  Here’s my card.” 

Janie stood, realizing that they were being given a polite heave-ho.  Considering it was near the end of the day, she suspected that Ms. Kelly was impatient for the five o’clock whistle to blow.

“You’ve been very helpful. Thanks so much for your time.”  Aaron shook her hand while Janie looked on, only offering a shy ‘thank you’ as they exited the office.

As they walked silently down the hall, Aaron took Janie’s hand and squeezed it.  She squeezed back, and their hands remained entwined as they walked across the parking lot.  Aaron wasn’t quite sure why he’d initiated the contact, but he didn’t regret it.

They were four miles down the road before either of them spoke. 

“I can’t believe that was so easy.”  Janie sounded breathless. 

“It’s a relatively standard request.  Unless Kenneth Brown was an international man of mystery, there’s nothing earth-shattering in those papers,” Aaron said, gesturing to her lap with a tip of his head.

“Maybe not to anyone else, but it’s earth-shattering to me.” 

“Yeah, I guess so.  I’m sorry to be so blasé.  Just habit, I guess.”

“It’s okay.  I mean, you’re right.  People deal with family stuff every day.  I’m the freak who’s not used to it.”

“Not a freak.”  Aaron shook his head.

“Maybe a bit of a freak,” Janie said with a chuckle. 

“Well, maybe, but for reasons completely unrelated to your father.”

Arriving back at the hotel, Aaron suggested that they each get a drink at look at the documents on the covered patio off the lobby.  Beers in hand, they relaxed at a beech wood table.

“You look—I can’t take the suspense.”  Janie began peeling the label off the bottle in front of her.

“Okay.”  Aaron began shuffling through the papers, his brows creased together in concentration.  He immediately knew that they were going to be here awhile.

“Well, first things first.”

“What?”

“Kenneth and your mom were definitely married.  Here’s a copy of their marriage license.  I think he had to provide it to get her on his health insurance plan.”  He looked up, waiting for a reaction.  Janie’s face was surprisingly passive.

“Do you want to see it?”

“No.  Yes.  I don’t know.  Just…what else is in there?”

“Let’s see.  Your parents were married in 1984.  But not in Mobile—looks like the license was issued in Gulf Shores.”

“Is that close?”

“Not too far.  It’s on the Gulf.”  He looked up at her and grinned when she gave him a ‘duh’ look.  “Lots of hotels and vacation spots.”

“Okay.  What else?”  Janie took another sip of her beer and shivered.

“Janie, we can look at this later if you like.”

“Nope, lay it on me.  I’m ready.”

“Okay...”  He continued to scan the documents, tapping his fingertip against the edge of the table until Janie covered his hand with her own.  Smiling apologetically, he continued.  “He started at JPI in July of 1989.  Just a few months after the wedding.”  When Janie didn’t react, he continued.  “It lists your mom’s occupation as ‘homemaker’.  Wow, I haven’t heard that term in a long time.”

“I wasn’t born yet, so she wasn’t quite a stay-at-home mom.”  Janie looked reflective, so Aaron decided to stop talking for a minute.  “I wonder if I was planned?”

“I wonder the same thing sometime,” Aaron mused.  “My brother and sisters are way older than me, but my parents always assure me I wasn’t a mistake.  Now that I’m an adult, though, I can see that for the lie it is.”

“Not necessarily,” Janie argued.  “Lots of couples decide they want another baby later in life.”

Aaron laughed.  “I’m thinking my parents weren’t wanting anything more than a lake house and a pontoon boat.  But I’m not complaining—they were great parents, just a little…I don’t know, tired, I guess.”

“My mom was always tired, too.  First from being a single mother, and then later from her illness.”  The stillness in the room was broken by the sound of the air conditioner clicking to life.  Janie slapped the table and broke them from their trance.  “Enough navel-gazing.  What else is in there?”

“Let’s see.”  Aaron continued to leaf through the stack of forms.  “He’s an organ donor.  He doesn’t smoke.  He’s allergic to penicillin.  This should all be helpful to you, from a medical standpoint.”

“I guess.  But it’s not very exciting.  When did his employment end?”

“Umm…November of 1993.”  Aaron flipped the page quickly.  “It says he resigned, so he wasn’t fired or anything.”  He was nearing the end of the pages, and he could tell by Janie’s desperate expression that she’d been hoping for more.

“Whoa, wait a minute,” he called, sitting up straight.  “February 1992.  Looks like a little Miss Jane Denise Brown was born on the 19
th
.”

“Brown?  But my birth certificate says Block.”

“Not this birth certificate,” Aaron said, thrusting the piece of paper in front of her.

Janie stared at the document with bug eyes.  Aaron looked over her shoulder as she perused the fine print.  “It’s all exactly the same except for my last name.  And the fact that there’s a father listed.  On my birth certificate, the father section is marked out with big typewriter ‘X’s’.  This is bizarre.”

“Is there a way to legally remove a father’s name from a birth certificate?”

“I doubt you can do it without the results of a paternity test,” Aaron said with a sigh.  “I’m not sure what the law is, though.  I can double check with some people I know.”

“You sure know a lot of
people
.” Janie grinned at his look of feigned innocence.  “Who knew you were so well-connected?”

“It’s a small group of nerds who do this kind of trace work.  We do favors for each other, that’s all.”

“Are there any girls in your little circle?” Janie’s eyebrows raised suggestively.

“A few.  Why?”

“I was just wondering what kind of favors you might be trading.”  Her leer made him laugh, but the thought of her asking about his sex life made him blush, as well.

“Don’t go shy on me.  I’m just curious.”  Janie downed the last few sips of her beer, clearly needing a rest from the stress of her family drama. “Have you ever slept with someone you work with?”

“Ninety percent of the people I work with on a daily basis are men.”