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“Good morning!” he said in a chipper voice. “I’m Mike, head of security here.”
“Head of security? I thought you managed the place,” said Miller.
“Well, I’m sort of a jack of all trades.” He explained all the features and benefits and then finally got to the cost of the condos. Miller let out a slow whistle, shaking his head.
“Man, my police retirement doesn’t allow me to afford that. I hate it too. Worked my ass off for decades, and for what?”
“A retired cop?” said Mike, looking intrigued. The man was good-looking, muscular, big as shit. The women would love him.
“Yeah. Right here in New Orleans. My wife, Addie, she’s back at the hotel. She’s a retired cop too. Worked vice for years. She deserves something nice like this. I did some time in the Army as well, but that doesn’t make you a rich man either. Shit, I hate this. I really wanted to find a place like this.” He stood and reached out a hand to the man. “Well, if anything should change, please let me know.”
“Hold on. Pierre? Is that right?” said Mike.
“That’s right. Pierre.”
“Well, Pierre, I think we might be able to help one another. But before we talk about that, let’s go down to the restaurant and have some lunch. I have a feeling about you.”
Their restaurant or cafeteria was packed this time of day. The food seemed relatively decent, and there were dozens of people, although it was decidedly female. Immediately, women began coming to their table.
“Hi, Mike, who’s your friend?”
“Mike, you brought me a present.”
“Oh, Mike. Well done. Fresh meat,” winked a woman.
“Holy fuck, is it like that all the time?” asked Miller, genuinely surprised by the women and their assertiveness.
“Every day, man. The women are willing to do anything you want just for the chance to have a date or even a husband.”
“Not sure my wife would like that, but we do have a pretty open marriage. Makes things more exciting if we can do our own thing if you know what I mean,” said Miller.
“I get it, believe me. You don’t have to marry anyone, but these women are wealthy as shit and willing to give favors, trips, gifts, surprises, anything.”
“Seriously? I mean, I’m uncomfortable with gifts, but it seems harmless,” said Miller. Mike smiled at him, gripping his arm.
“Man, there is so much more.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jean and Ella dug through the financial records that the boys had found on Charlie Gates. He had hidden accounts everywhere, stashing money in offshore accounts all over the world. The men who were listed on the payroll of the PFPJ were between the ages of fifty-four and seventy-three. None were currently married, but most had been married once before, at a minimum. Some as many as four times.
“How are they avoiding getting caught?” asked Jean.
“Simple,” said Ella. “They marry a woman in one community, get rid of her, and move on to another community. In a few years, they return, hoping their residents are turned over or dead. No one remembers them, or if they do, they just see someone who was a widower five years before. They don’t know that they’ve been taking women for the last few years.”
“How do you keep it all straight in your head? I mean, I love my wife and all, but if I had to keep another wife straight in my mind, I’m not sure I could.”
“That’s because you’re a good man,” she said, smiling at her brother-in-law. “You’re all good men. I think what surprises me is that they haven’t used females to get what they want. I mean, it’s a well-known fact that men tend to remarry faster than women. A woman left alone too long simply discovers she doesn’t need a man in her life. A man left alone too long learns exactly why he needs a woman in his life.”
“I guess you’re right,” nodded Jean. “I’m trying to figure out the ultimate goal here. They’ve got millions in these accounts, but I can’t prove that the business is doing anything wrong. No charges have been filed against them for any wrongdoing. So what are they doing? Do they want to buy an island somewhere? Do they want to just get rich and move out of the country? I don’t know what the end game is, and that’s making me nervous.”
“Well, we know for sure Charlie wants power. Maybe he’s hoping for the role of POTUS. If he had that, he’d have the support of every cop in the country.”
“Maybe,” frowned Jean. “I wonder what his stance is on guns and gun laws, policing, and even things like police brutality, policies, and procedures, all of it!”
Ella stared at him, then looked at the sheets in front her. It was a lot. More than a lot. If Charlie Gates had all this money behind him, he could become one of the most powerful men in the country, influencing change in law enforcement.
“Are we assuming that the people they’ve killed in Atlanta were killed because they overheard something they shouldn’t have?” asked Ella.
