She had always had a special love affair with words. She learned to read before she could walk, she was the only kid in all of her classes who read at least one book a week. She loved words with equal passion and vigor as she loved people. People fascinated her. Her favorite past time was sitting in crowded public places, read a book and watch people. Sometimes she would imagine the world living out the words as she read them silently to herself. She often found it incredibly humorous and would giggle to herself for hours on a random public seat she commandeered.
Charleston “Chuck” CarMichael was a beautifully deep chestnut brown skinned woman, short in stature, and easily over-looked, but to watch her in a crowd was to watch a master manipulator at work. She had a way of leaving a unforgettable impression that could easily be confused to the point of having left no impression at all. To see her is to wonder how anyone with eyes could forget anything about her in any space she occupied, regardless of the costume she adorned and yet easily understand how it happens so often.
She loved how easy it was for her to assimilate into any environment without even trying. Being so easily over looked made getting in and out of places unseen almost as elegant as the Mona Lisa’s smile that isn’t a smile.
Today’s assignment was a routine one, post up, get a few pictures while remaining undetected and get out. Something she’s done effortlessly enough times to keep her wallet flush at all times. She adjusted her glasses as she positioned her camera to get her subject in to frame.
Her view from the corner patio table gave her the perfect vantage point to see the front of the building and the neighboring garage entrance. Tabitha, her favorite server dropped off her usual an order of zucchini muffins, green tea and hot gossip.
Tabitha had become an invaluable resource of information over the last few weeks. She was the owner of the, popular coffee shop, Green Bean Coffee and Tea house which had been in existence almost as long as Chuck was on assignment.
Chuck put her camera away just in time to see Tabitha turn on her heels and storm off into the kitchen. Chuck made a note to find out who he was and why he made Tabitha so upset. Tabitha returned to Chuck’s table with a fresh kettle of hot water for her tea, returning to their conversation as if nothing happened. “Tabitha, who was that guy?” Chuck asked trying to remove as much concern and inquiry from her voice. She didn’t want Tabitha to think she was being intrusive. Chuck learned the hard way about putting her camera in business it didn’t belong.
Tabitha’s smile faded a bit as she thought about how to proceed. Chuck could see that she was struggling with what to say. “Tabitha, sweetie have a seat.” Chuck pushed the empty chair across from her out from under the table with her foot. She grabbed Tabitha’s hand, giving it a squeeze of comfort as she tried to usher her to the chair. Tabitha didn’t take the bait. Instead she pushed the chair back to the table saying “Thank you Charleston but I’m ok. He’s nobody you need to worry about.” Then she moved on to her other morning regulars, giving them each a few minutes of her time as if nothing transpired.
It didn’t register that Tabitha used her formal name until after she finished her tea. She knew for a fact that she had introduced herself as Chuck and only paid in cash. She had no identification on her with her real name so how did Tabitha know her real name? Most people assume her name is Charlie, not Charleston. So how did Tabitha know? She scanned the tea house searching for Tabitha’s rainbow colored t-shirt. When she didn’t see it, she assumed she was in the kitchen. Chuck walked thru the swinging doors and into the kitchen and saw only the new guy. He jumped when he saw Chuck, immediately protesting her being in the kitchen.
“Where did Tabitha go?”
The new guy looked confused. “What do you mean, she’s out front?”
“No…she isn’t.”
Chuck made her way thru the kitchen and out the back door that lead to a small alley way. There was a small bistro table and chairs set up, probably for employees of the neighboring businesses . Chuck didn’t see Tabitha anywhere. How could she have just disappeared right in front of Chuck’s very attentive eyes. Confused and disappointed, Chuck walked around to the parking lot of to the side of the building where Tabitha was waiting for her, leaning on her car.
“Who are you?” She asked pulling the small concealed weapon from her hidden holster and aiming it at Tabitha’s head. Tabitha remained calm. She stood straight up with her hands raised in clear view. “Easy Chuck. We’re friends right?” she asked faking a smooth tone. “Wrong. Who are you? I won’t ask again.” “My name is Tabitha Westmark…I’m…”. Chuck cut her off by firing her weapon. Tabitha flinched as the bullet whizzed by her ear. Chuck needed her to know she was serious, she would not ask again. It would be easier to kill her, take her prints, & deal with the consequences later. That’s what lawyers where for and she paid her lawyers very well.
Tabitha’s face changed…she went from this sweet, bubbly personality to a serious and stealthy attitude instantly. Chuck recognized the change and changed her aim from Tabitha’s head to her left knee. If she had to shoot whomever this was, she didn’t want to kill her until she knew whatever information she knew. “Clearly you are serious. I respect that, a woman about her business.” Chuck turned off the safety of her weapon. “My name really is Tabitha Westmark. Of the Westmark Family? Richest and most infamous family ever known in this century?” Chuck didn’t move. She gave no indications or hints so Tabitha kept talking. “You were hired by my brother, Thomas, but I’m sure you don’t know that. Knowing him, he used one of his flunkies to hire you anonymously. He’s such a douche. He hired you to watch me…take pictures, learn my daily routine….I want to know to what end?” Tabitha’s story made a little bit of sense. Chuck had no idea who hired her, she was, in fact hired online by an anonymous source who paid her an enormous amount of money to get close to Tabitha, but how did she know. The person who hired her had no clue what they were looking for. The description she was given was super vague and the photo attached to the email was about 7 years old. Tabitha could have been anybody as far as anyone knew. She had no identifying marks on her body, while this Tabitha had a sleeve of tattoos.
Chuck decided to play it safe, she cocked her gun, not changing her aim. Tabitha began to ramble, she was scared. “Listen, I can prove everything I told you. Just let me get my phone out. I can show you I am telling you the truth. Please God, don’t shoot me. I swear I’m not lying Chuck. You know me!!!!” Chuck was so caught up in Tabitha’s theatrics that she almost didn’t hear the footsteps coming up fast behind her. Without thinking Chuck turned on her heel, crouched and fired, hitting the new guy in the leg. He fell to the ground yelling in pain. Chuck swung back around just as Tabitha had closed the 20 foot gap by almost half before Chuck shot her weapon purposely missing her target but Tabitha kept charging. Chuck fired her weapon again, hitting Tabitha in the shin. She hit the ground hard as she cried out in pain. “YOU CRAZY BITCH!!! YOU SHOT ME?!?” Chuck didn’t speak as she drug the new guy, who passed out from shock, up onto one of the bistro chairs. “I can’t believe you freaking shot me!!!!!!” Tabitha was still yelling as Chuck approached her to help her up. “Don’t you freaking touch me!!!! Call an ambulance! You psycho bitch!! Don’t just stand there staring!!!”. Chuck assessed her situation. It was a clean shot, thru and thru, non-life threatening. If she got to a hospital fast enough she would leave with a minimal scar from the bullet wound.
It would take at least 10 minutes before Tabitha lost a dangerous amount of blood, that was plenty of time for Chuck to get her answers. Chuck knelt down just out of Tabitha’s reach and aimed her gun at her victim’s head. “Normally I wouldn’t ask a third time, but I’ve grown to like you Tabitha. If you are in fact Tabitha Westmark of the rich and infamous Westmarks. So one last time, before you start begging and pleading, just tell me who you are?”. Tabitha glared back at Chuck. She tried to hold her look of contempt, but Chuck’s icy and aloof gaze sent chills down her spine. She knew Chuck would pull the trigger again just as effortlessly as she had done before. “Fine. My name is Missa. I’m on assignment looking for the person responsible for the death of Tabitha Westmark.”
“On assignment by whom, Missa?” Chuck asked flatly. “Mr. and Mrs. Westmark. I work for the security firm they employ.”. Chuck waved her gun in a motion that instructed her to continue. “They tasked me to locate their daughter after she disappeared.” Chuck did not move. “Can you please call for an ambulance or backup? I’m going to bleed out.” Chuck maintained her position. “When I know what you know, you get help. Not a second sooner or later. And remember the truth hurts, then it heals. Lies however, surely kill.” Chuck cocked her gun and waited for Missa to finish talking. Missa realized she was in no position to do anything but comply. She told Chuck everything she wanted to know and more. She told how she worked for a private security firm located in the building Chuck seemed to be casing. She told how the firm had been hired by the Westmarks when they hadn’t heard from their daughter in over 7 days. She shared with Chuck that Tabitha made a point to email, update her social media, and her website every day while she was away and how she hadn’t done any of the above lately causing her parents great concern. She told Chuck of Thomas, the equally curious brother who arrived home from his travels 3 days ago without his sister who he claimed he met up with 5 days ago. She shared how the siblings were to arrive home on the same flight but that Tabitha never made it to the airport, leaving her parents to think the unthinkable. She shared that she was hired to clear Thomas’s name and find their daughter and her killer.”
Satisfied with Missa’s explanations, she dialed 911 from the new guy’s phone and called for help. She knelt down by Missa, this time much closer, “Remember, lies kill.” She got into her rented car and drove away, leaving the wounded to be attended by the arriving ambulances.
Chapter 2:
She leaned back in her chair, getting lost in her thoughts as she stared out of the window. No goons with guns showed up to her dummy apartment following the altercation in the alley. It wasn’t hard to find information on Missa, aka Fake Tabitha. Missa Jonathan was a decorated veteran who became an even more decorated cop until she was forced into early retirement. Circumstances surrounding her retirement were sealed but experience told Chuck that Missa was either a dirty cop who got caught or a clean cop caught up in dirty cop business. Either way, her early retirement landed her in the private sector where she currently worked directly for the Westmarks as part of their personal security team.
The Westmark family fascinated Chuck. On paper and to anyone watching, the Westmarks were your average upper middle class family. Father is retired veteran turned auto mechanic shop owner, mother freelance accountant, married young and in love for 47 years, total of 4 children. Three sons and a daughter with the youngest two being twins. The eldest two followed in their father’s footsteps of service, while their siblings did not hear nor feel the call. The 20 year gap between the twins and their siblings seemed to be a point of contention according to their social media pages. Seems their brothers didn’t appreciate their siblings sense of entitlement and indignation. They thought their siblings extremely spoiled and myopic in thought. The twins had differing opinions about their beloved big brothers. Thomas teetered between wanting to be accepted to the point of desperation and complete indifference. Tabitha never wavered from completed indifference. It didn’t matter if her brothers liked her or not, they were her brothers, she loved them and she knew they loved her. They didn’t necessarily have to like each other. It just so happened, they all did. Tabitha’s indifference made her the glue that held them together.
Chuck realized, she needed to talk to the family and that would mean blowing her cover. She figured Missa wouldn’t risk having another failed assignment on her record. Just to be sure, Chuck took the time to make sure she was right. Moments later, Chuck was reading a hospital intake record of two gunshot victims, one female, one male. She crossed referenced the information on the record with the security cam footage. She had to ‘see’ it to believe it. She watched as both Meesa and the new guy are wheeled off elevators and left in rooms with guards posted at the doors.
She needed a way to interview the family without necessarily blowing her current cover when she thought, why blow it when I can just use it. Only the three of them knew who she wasn’t, it was an even field. Chuck immediately changed clothes and rushed out the door. A few pit stops later she was entering Meesa’s room with a teddy bear and a small edible arrangements. She placed the bear and the small vase of fruit on the stand next to the bed before taking a seat.
“How are you in my room?” her wavering shallow voice creaked as she slowly started to wake. Chuck filled the plastic cup with ice chips, feeding Meesa with the plastic spoon the nurse left. “Shhhhh. How is not important. What’s important is that you’re alive. Those nice police officers there said I could be just a few minutes to return your bag” she held up her small cross-body bag. “You went thru my things?” Meesa tried to sneer, but only ended up sounding strained. “No. I never opened it. I knew you’d need it so I made sure to bring it to you. Don’t try to speak just yet. There’ll be plenty of time for that. For now, get some rest. You’ve been thru quite the ordeal.” Chuck grabbed a fruit kabob and begin eating as she continued. “Has your partner been by to check on you? I mean if my business partner was held up at gun-point and shot right next to her one and only employee who knocked unconscious; I would be one of the first people at the hospital. I mean, if at least to ensure my investment is still sound. I mean, I’d at least send somebody to check on them.” The women glared at each other as tensions rose, higher and higher with each dramatic blink. “You know I do not own that shop. Just ask whatever questions you have, whomever you are. I’m fucking tired.” Meesa’s strength had increased a great deal. “And stop eating my fruit. You brought it for me.” She reached for the vase of fruit kabobs but Chuck slowly eased it just out of reach. “See friend, once again, demanding what is not yours to demand.” Chuck took out the second kabob and began eating the fruit. “I did in fact bring this snack for myself. The bear is for you. Had I known you’d have your own company, could have saved a few dollars.” Meesa rolled her eyes and laid back down in her hospital bed. “Who are you? To have conned or bribed my SHITTY security detail into my room and threaten me?” she hissed, yelling her curse at the door for emphasis. “Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters to you is that I know who you are Ms. Jonathan.” Chuck chuckled to herself as she continued talking to Meesa. “You should also know that I intend to talk to your bosses.” Chuck studied Meesa’s face. She watched as her muscles relaxed before saying “No need, they already know what they need to know.” A slick smile spread across Chuck’s face. “Tsk. Tsk. Ms. Jonathan. You’re real bosses. You know, the bosses of your bosses.” She let her eyes rest on Meesa’s as she let her final word nail the coffin shut. She watched as her whole body tensed up. The monitors started to beep crazy as Meesa started to struggle to breathe. Chuck grabbed the oxygen mask off of the wall as security made way for the nurses to rush into the room. A nurse snatched the mask from Chuck as she simultaneously opening the valve. She placed the mask over Meesa’s nose and mouth. “Just breathe Ms. Jonathan. Try to take slow deep breathes for me please.” The nurse kept repeating in as soothing a voice as she could muster. The other nurse came around and ushered Chuck out of the hospital room, delivering her into the care of the security detail. Chuck didn’t argue or fight. She simply gathered herself and left the building.
She didn’t mean to cause a scene, in fact, she was more surprised by the reaction than everyone. Meesa was scared. So scared that she forgot how to breathe. What was it about the Westmarks could possibly scare one of their security guards so badly?? Chuck made a mental note to dig deeper into the Westmarks. For now she needed to get to Meesa’s condo. She was sure it would be empty, if Meesa was half as smart as Chuck gave her credit for, she kept work far far away from home. Chuck had other reasons for going to Meesa’s condo well after it had been searched by whomever would come looking. At first glance the place didn’t look like it had been touched. The firm’s clean-up crew were very thorough. Chuck made her way through the condo, careful not to move anything. She noticed a console table with a single picture frame on it. She noted how out of place the frame looked on the console full of decorative baubles. She made her way to the master bedroom closet. She walked around the middle counter slowly letting her fingers glide under the short ledge until she felt the small button. She smiled to herself and pressed the button causing the counter to split open to reveal the safe in the floor. Chuck figured there would be money in various currencies, multiple passports, the typical things in a person like Meesa’s profession would have stashed. Instead she found old family photos, what looked like keepsakes, her medals, and a pouch full with what she counted to be 18 keys. All of them marker with a number etched on both sides.
She carefully photographed everything in the safe and replaced it all before closing it back up. She turned her focus to the master bathroom. She had a hunch and her hunches weren’t usually wrong at times like these. She flipped all of the switches noting their functions. None of them did anything odd. She checked all of the switches on the tub, they all functioned with the jacuzzi. She sat on the edge of the tub, unsure if her instinct was failing her when she noticed the switch under the vanity. She flipped it and listened intently. She heard a faint mechanical sound coming from the closet. As she opened the door, she heard a click. There was a section where it looked like something should be. Chuck started her search there, tapping and pressing on every surface until she felt a hole…just big enough to fit a finger or two. She felt around inside and felt nothing. No latches, no strings, no buttons. She pushed and then she pulled, pulling the wall away with her to reveal a door. Chuck marveled at the clever little hidden closet she found. It was filled with wigs, a small collection of hand held weapons, and a small container of manila envelopes. Chuck photographed every item and scanned every document and photo in the envelopes. She was finishing up her research when she hear what sounded like keys in the door. As she finished and was making her way back to the living room she was startled by a young red haired kid, no more than 17 and a dog. The kid screamed making the dog growl. As the dog walker tried to calm down the tiny Pomeranian, she asked Chuck “Who are you and why are you inside Ms. Jackson’s house?? I’m calling the police!!!” “You’re Armani, the dog walker right?” Chuck extended a hand as if she was introducing herself in honest sincerity. “I’m a friend of hers, uh, from work. she had a crazy accident and she sent me to make sure her baby didn’t come home to an empty home.” she replied, talking sweetly to the dog who was now licking her hands. The dog walker didn’t seem to buy the fascination Chuck was telling. “Feel free to give her a call, she’s expecting your call. Just ask for room 1124 of the inpatient surgery recovery wing.” Chuck said while still rocking the little dog in her harms. Chuck made her way back to the picture frame that intrigued her. She took a photo of the picture. Something about the glare was off in the photo. Chuck checked the frame and discovered that it was in fact a recording device. She examined the camera, closed loop system, which meant the frame was for Missa’s protection. “Who did you think was spying on you Mighty Missa?” Chuck giggled to herself. She liked the unasked for nickname. She put the dog down and let him roam the home and went back to the master bedroom. She closed and locked the door and returned to the hidden closet. There had to be a place where Meesa watched the security footage. The camera frame was hooked on a closed loop system which meant it worked only on her wifi. So the playback device had to be nearby……unless it was automatically uploaded to a secure cloud to by synced to any device. Chuck decided she’d keep the picture frame and use it as a bargaining chip. She was almost out of Meesa’s free and clear when the dog walker stopped her at the door. “Hey, would you be staying for dinner? Ms. Jackson will be home soon. She’s been released.” Armani asked innocently. Chuck ignored the girl and walked out, picture frame in hand.
Discover more from Romneka G.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Romneka G. 
Leave a comment