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They were to meet in the self-service lounge just off the motel lobby at 8 p.m. It gave Max an opportunity to devise a plan to expose Enzo and Fatima. He had to be 100% sure his cousin and his wife were the ones who sent the hit squad after them. After eating and grabbing a quick shower, he went to the main office to see if the owner was available.
Gavin Nordstrom, the owner, according to the business license framed on the wall, was seated at a small desk behind the check-in counter, working spreadsheets on a laptop. He was a heavy-set man with a bald spot surrounded by a crown of slightly graying hair.
Max cleared his throat. “I apologize for the interruption, but may I speak to you?”
When the man turned around in his rolling desk chair, a huge, welcoming grin broke out on his ruddy face. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.” Standing up from his chair, he walked to the counter and stuck out his hand.
“Gavin Nordstrom. What can I do for you this evening?”
Max took his hand. “Max Fontana.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Fontana.”
“Max.”
“Okay, Max. What can I do for you?” he repeated.
Max glanced around the small office, looking for prying eyes.
“How long have you owned the motel? It’s a nice place.”
“Thanks. Been 10 years now. I worked in marketing for a packaged food corporation for 25 years in New Jersey. Stress was unbearable. My wife gave me an ultimatum. Find another career or another wife. She can be a hard ass sometimes, but she’s still the love of my life, so staying wasn’t an option. Her family lives here. They’re the ones who told us the motel was up for sale. The rest is history.”
The man is certainly a friendly guy, thought Max. Threw his whole life out there for me to see. Won’t require any more probing to know that he’s a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of guy.
“Good for you. I’m glad it worked out.” He took a second to collect his thoughts and leaned forward with his elbows on the counter. “I’m a businessman, Gavin, and I have a problem I think you can help me solve.”
Gavin’s lips tightened. “If this is an illegal problem, I’m afraid I can’t help you, Mr. Fontana.”
Max stepped back and shook his head. “Nothing like that, I assure you. I’m going to be honest with you, Gavin.” He often used people’s given names to establish a sense of familiarity and trust.
“Go on,” Gavin said, narrowing his eyes.
“I work in a large family-owned international business. My father recently passed and left me in charge and the majority owner. I left a few days ago for a business trip. Today, someone took shots at me. If I am gone, one of my cousins will take over.”
Gavin looked skeptical. “How are you sure it was someone in your family? Did you call the police?”
“There are only a few people close enough to me who could have known where I was at the time. I think I know who it is, but I need to be sure. Obviously, my life depends on it.”
The man looked shocked. He wiped perspiration from his face with his large, paw-like hand. “What is it that you think I can do? You can’t expect me to put my family or motel at risk.”
“That is not my intention at all. First, I need a decoy location to lead them to. Preferably somewhere remote. Maybe a motel or building that has closed. Something abandoned.”
“You want me to set them up so you can ambush them?” Gavin said with horror.
“Not at all. All I need is for a burner phone to be planted somewhere in or around the building and someone to surveil the location from a distance to see if anyone shows up. You don’t even have to tell me the address. If they do show up, they will realize they’ve been duped, and I’ll know who initiated the attack on me. Then I can get the police involved.”
“Not to stick my nose in your business, but why are you using burner phones to begin with? That sounds a bit suspicious to me?”
“That’s a reasonable question. I am the CEO of Fontana Properties and Development. You can look me up if you like, but I would appreciate you not sharing this conversation. Many of our clients want total confidentiality until they are ready to announce their intents. If their competition finds out in advance of their announcement, it could cost them millions. I often sign an NDA to guarantee my silence. Personal cell phones can be tracked, so I keep a number of burner phones in my office at home for highly sensitive meetings. Only people closest to me would have access to my home to place a tracker on one of my burners. I’m trying to identify that person so I can contact the police. As I said, my life depends on it.”
“Thank you for trusting me with that information. What exactly would you like me to do?”
“In the morning, I’ll make a call to the person I suspect is tracking me. It will activate as soon as it is turned on. I need someone to leave the cell phone at the abandoned location and then watch from a safe distance to see if anyone shows up. You can call me tomorrow night, and all you have to say is ‘yes’ they showed up or ‘no’ they didn’t. They will be there tomorrow if they are coming. You will receive $5,000 for your trouble. Absolutely no one will get hurt. My room is charged to one of my traveling companions, so there is no record to tie anything to you. What do you think? If it’s not something you’re willing to do, there are no hard feelings. Someone at my next location may be willing to help me. This is strictly about discovering how far the betrayal goes in my company.”
“What will you do when you find out?”
“As I said, go to the police.”
