The ‘den’ Triplets
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2011 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 22

Las Vegas Here They Come

As Mr. Small walked to the door, I advised him, “Make sure that a certain party knows that you are no longer married.  Whatever you do, don’t threaten to release him from your company's employ.  It might be interesting to see what would happen if, when you need to talk to him, you call him to the office, so you are on your playing field.” 

As I had been walking Mr. Small to the exit, Jacob had taken a group of people into my office and had gotten them situated.  When I walked into my office, Jacob started to introduce the people in the group.  I was surprised that I knew four of the people.

“Jacob, I already know four of these people.  I know Mr. Howard, Mrs. Schuler, Mr. Justice and your mother.”

After Mr. Blair, Mrs. Denton and Mr. Stone had been introduced, I decided to take charge, “Ladies and gentlemen, I know what this must have to be about, with the situation at Christ the King Church.  I’ve already talked to Mrs. Schuler and recommended that your church’s by-laws be rewritten to prevent any new pastor from arbitrarily dispensing funds.”

Ray Howard responded, “Reverend Stocker insisted that he had to have immediate access to the funds, in case of emergencies and if Mr. Stone, who is the clerk of session, were to be out of town.  Mrs. Denton, who is the Church’s treasurer, was having a difficult time rectifying the expenditures to the budget.  When she confronted Reverend Stocker, he would have a hard time trying to account for the checks.  He had some receipts to explain some of the checks, but there were some that simply said maintenance when the bank statements were received.”

I looked at Mrs. Denton, “Did you notify anyone of the problem?”

“Yes sir, I gave a report of the problems to Mr. Hooper, who was Chairman of the Finance Committee.  He would always tell me that Reverend Stocker knew what he was doing, and that they always discussed the problem before Reverend Stocker wrote any checks.”

I looked at Mrs. Stocker, “Mrs. Stocker, has there been any changes in your family's personal finances?”

“I’ve always handled the family finances.  I kept a close check on the finances because he would use his debit card to pay for things.  When that man left, last week, he cleaned out the checking and the savings accounts.  The church council came and asked that I pay back the missing funds.  There is no way I can pay them what they say I owe them.  They informed me that I would need to vacate the manse, immediately.”

I looked at the assembled group, “I don’t think that you people should expect Mrs. Stocker to be paying for any of Mr. Stocker’s indiscretions.  It would seem to me that all of you who are present are at fault here, except for Jacob, for letting something like this happen.  In view of the fact that Mr. Stocker was apprehended in Las Vegas with Mr. Hooper, that would indicate that he probably had a gambling addiction.  What is it that you people want me to do?”

Ray Howard answered, “Mr. Naylor, we’re asking that you act as a special prosecutor for my office and put the screws to Mr. Stocker.  The church council feels that I shouldn’t handle the case, because of my involvement in the church.  I became the current president of the church corporation as of the first of January.  I wish I had never agreed to be a ruling elder.”

I looked at the assembled people, “I’ll probably regret this, but I’ll take the case, because of the high and mighty attitude that Mr. Stocker exhibited during the prostitution trial. I was incensed by the way he treated his adopted son, and his insistence that he know which of Jacob’s and Nia’s twin daughters was actually Jacob’s.”

“Jacob, set up the conference room and have David and Jeff join us and tell them to bring a laptop to take notes.  You’ll need to answer the phone and greet the next clients.”

I took the assembled group to the conference room and introduced them to David and Jeff, “These are the two young men who were able to help me resolve the prostitution ring predicament that the city found itself in.  They will be doing the leg work on your case, so that no one who isn’t a participant in this meeting will ever know what actually transpired, unless you or your church deems it necessary to release any information.  I would think it would be advisable to let as few people as possible know what is transpiring until the case is resolved.  Now if you will excuse me, I want to tell Mr. Lee and Mr. Hawkins what you told me.  You can correct anything that I say.”

“My next two clients are in the waiting room and I really do need to talk to them.  Let me assure you that anything that was discussed in this office will not be discussed elsewhere until the case is resolved. If today’s conversation goes beyond this office, it is because one or more of you were talking where you shouldn’t have been talking.”

Ray Howard looked a little surprised, “Mike, we had a council meeting yesterday after church, and we voted to terminate all associations with Mr. Stocker.  Doesn’t the congregation have a right to know what is happening?”

“Ray, it is the best interest of your congregation that they not know everything that’s happening.  I suggest that you send a letter to your members simply stating that Mr. Stocker’s association with your church has been terminated.  That could prevent a mass exodus of members because of all the publicity surrounding the case.  As it stands now, I believe you’re the second largest church in town, next to the Catholic Church.  You have a great deal to lose if the truth of his activities is made public.  Now, if you will excuse me, I do have some other appointments.”

The rest of the afternoon flew by and I couldn’t seem to get caught up.  I had Jacob call Todd and tell him I wouldn’t be home until about six.  Jacob was still working when the last client departed.  I looked at him, “Jacob, why are you still here?  Where are David and Jeff?”

“They left immediately after the meeting with some of the people from Mr. Stocker’s former church.  They said they would call you later tonight.”  “My Mother and Mr. Howard were talking to me and my Mother is going to move in with Antonia, the twins and me for the time being.  We’re going to put her belongings in storage for now.”

“Jacob, are you going to be able to take care of your Mother on what you’re making?”

“Don’t worry about my Mother, Mike.  She was a widow before she married Mr. Stocker.  Her first husband must have been well-to-do.  He left her a nice legacy which she never informed Mr. Stocker about.  She’s going to pay the Howard’s an amount to be agreed upon.  She’s determined to never become involved with a clergy person again.  Mr. Stocker always had an excuse for not spending any time at home.”

“Jacob, go home.  Don’t be like your stepfather.  Your family has to come first.  I’ll lock up and take as long as I can so Todd will be asleep and I can sneak into the house without him or the boys knowing I’m home.”

“Yeah, I really believe that.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

I called the house and my Mother answered, “This is Doctor Naylor.”

“Mom, tell Todd I’m leaving now.”

“How can I tell him?  He took the boys and was taking them to look for you.  He’s afraid that some of your enemies gunned you down after the television article that appeared about you on the five o’clock television news.”

“Mom, what are you talking about?  I haven’t talked to any media people.”

“There was a blurb on the evening news that said Mike Naylor has agreed to be the prosecutor in the case against Mr. Stocker who is in jail for embezzling funds from Christ the King Church.  Michael, you can’t make money from taking cases like that.”

“Mom, I’ll tell you about it when I get there.  I’m locking the doors now,”

As I was getting into my car, two men approached me.  I knew as soon as one of them spoke that I was in trouble.  “Is youse Jacob Stocker?”

“I wasn’t when I left home this morning.”

The second person pulled out a gun, “Don’t get smart with us.  We wants the money that your daddy owes us.”

I saw a police cruiser coming down the street and climbed out of my car and put my hand up over my head, “Gentlemen, you can check my wallet, and you will see that I’m not Jacob Stocker.”

The second man pointed at me, “Mouse, get his wallet, and see who he is, and see how much money he has on him.”

The first man put his hand in my back pocket but didn’t find anything except a handkerchief, “Okay, you louse where’s your money bag?”

The two officers from the cruiser had stopped and came up behind the two robbers without the thugs knowing.   The taller of the two officers spoke, “We’re the police, and we have our guns drawn.  If you make one wrong move, we’ll shoot you.  Drop your guns, put your hands above your head and turn around.”

The first guy did as he was told but the second guy started to turn around toward the officers and fired a shot, fortunately the shot went wild and the officers had the two villains on the ground, the younger officer motioned to me, “Mr. Naylor, would you please take our handcuffs and put them on your two friends.  Do you have any idea why they were going to shoot you?”

“They thought I was Jacob Stocker and were demanding that I pay them the money that his father owed them.”

The taller officer asked, “Why would they think you were Jacob Stocker?”

“I have no idea.  I look nothing like Jacob.  Why was it that you just happen to be driving by at this time in the evening?  Nearly everyone has departed this area for home by now.”

“The chief has ordered that a constant patrol be near you since the prostitution case, and he has doubled the patrols since you’re involved Mr. Hooper and Rev. Stocker's case.  You’ve made some powerful enemies.”

“Officers, are you suggesting that my sons are in jeopardy because of my activities?”

The older officer answered, “I’m sure that after our report goes in tonight, that you and Jacob Stocker and his families will be receiving more protection.  Word via the grapevine has it that you're going to be the prosecutor in the Stocker case, “

I must have looked surprised, “How did you find out when I only agreed  to take the case, this afternoon?”

The older of the two officers responded, “What do you think we talk about on our car radios.  The police know everything that is happening, now that you busted the prostitution ring and got the department squared away.  Chief Patrick is keeping a tight reign on the department.  We need to get these two to headquarters and book them.  I’m sure we’ll find that they have rap sheets a mile long.  We may need to question you further regarding what happened this afternoon.”

When I walked into the house. I heard Todd complaining, “Where the heck is Mike?  He should have been here by now.  He’s never this late.”

My mother laughed, “Todd, stop worrying, He probably stopped in the bar looking to see if he could find someone to have a quickie with.”

Todd pouted, “Mom, don’t even suggest such a thing.”

I decided to put an end to their conversation, “Yeah Mom, stop talking like that.  If you want to know why I’m late, call the police station and they’ll confirm that I was the victim of an attempted robbery.  Two thugs mistook me for Jacob.  Let’s eat.  I’m starved.  I’ll tell you about my crazy day.

Todd started to giggle, “I guess the boys and I will have to be with you twenty four hours a day to make sure that you stay out of trouble.”

Todd and I were doing the dishes when the doorbell rang.  Mother, who was sitting in the family room watching the boys as they were lying on a blanket in the middle of the floor, answered it.  “Hi David and Jeff, I’m sure you didn’t come to see me.  The boys are on the floor in the family room and their Dads are dilly-dallying in the kitchen.  Only heaven knows what they might be doing.”

Todd and I walked into the family room.  I looked at Jeff and David, “What’s up, guys?”

Jeff answered, “We came to ask if the practice would spring for us to fly to Las Vegas.  We have stumbled onto some information that indicates that Reverend Stocker and Mr. Hooper might have been more closely allied than their involvement in the Christ the King Church.”

“Guys, you certainly may go.  Take the office credit card and use it to pay for your airline tickets, accommodations and food.”

Jeff grinned, “We figured you’d agree to let us use the card.  We have a flight booked out at six in the morning.  We got a special deal at the Bellagio for the weekdays.  My Mother will fill in for us to help Jacob, since you’re fully booked for the rest of the week.”

David chuckled, yeah; we’ll be back after we’ve checked out all the shows on the strip.  We’ll call you when we get settled.  We need to go pack, since we have to be at the Kansas City airport at 5:45.”

After the two guys and Mother had departed, Todd and I were feeding the triplets.  Todd was saying, “Mike, do you think it was a wise idea to let David and Jeff take the office credit card?”

“Todd, there are still some honest people in the world.  David and Jeff are two of them.  I’m guessing they’ll be back tomorrow night or Thursday at the latest.  When they are at work, there are no indications that they are anything more than coworkers.  I’m afraid that someone is going to realize how valuable they are and hire them away from me.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the doorbell, I put Jaden down and went to answer it.  Mrs. Stocker was standing there. “Mr. Naylor, is it too late for us to talk?”

“Nope, we’re just getting our sons ready for bed.  You can help us, but I’m sure that now that you’re going to be living with your two granddaughters you’ll probably get enough of that.”

Mrs. Stocker laughed, “I doubt that, Mr. Naylor.  The reason I stopped by is that while I was packing, I found this package of receipts from a condominium in Las Vegas.  This explains where the bastard would go, once a month.”

“Mrs. Stocker, two of my employees are leaving for Vegas in the morning.  I’d like to give these receipts to them so they can take the receipts with them.  They want to see what information that we can gather to convict your husband and get the church some of its money back.  They’re onto something, but what it is I don’t honestly know.”

Mrs. Stocker handed me the receipts, "You certainly may have them.  I’ll be in your office first thing in the morning to file for a divorce from the monster.  Jacob has already scheduled me in.  I’ll be sure to bring any other information that I find between now and then that might be helpful to my suit and the church’s suit.”

“It’s a good thing I never told the creep about my inheritance nest egg, or he would have gone through it too.  The house that the Howards are letting us live in for next to nothing will be fine until the twins are older.  I need to go.  I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”

After Mrs. Stocker had departed, I called David on his cell phone, “This is David Lee.“

“David, it’s Mike.  I hope you guys aren’t in bed.  Mrs. Stocker was just here and she found some receipts that might be helpful on your pleasure jaunt tomorrow,”

“Jeff is in the shower as we speak.  I’ll swing by and pick up the information if you’re still decent.

”We’re getting the boys ready for bed.  Just walk in.”

We had just gotten the boys settled when David arrived.  I handed him the package that Mrs. Stocker had given me.  David quickly looked at the package, “Thanks for calling, boss.  This pretty much confirms what Jeff and I had been thinking.  We will probably only need to spend one night in Vegas.”

“We’ll call you when we find out any information that will be useful in the suit,”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes: It looks as if Mike has some very good and loyal employees.  I think that Rev. Stocker is about to find out that he is toast... burned toast! 

Maybe by the time we read the next chapter, the brown Adrenalin will be hitting the air circulation device.

I am going to be waiting with cheese in my mouth in front of the mouse hole, with bated breath.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher 
 

Posted: 02/25/11