Something Stinks, So I Begin A Thorough Background Investigation. It's Like A Colonoscopy But More Invasive.

A Coastal Town Somewhere in New England

My quick meeting with the surviving partner at Welch, Lemerise, And Tanner left me unsettled and asking myself more questions.

Tanner Is Dead, Where is Lemerise, and who is Welch?

When we met at his office, Tom Welch was being evasive and trying to obfuscate some things. While he spoke he kept wrapping and unwrapping a rubber band around his hands, and I don't think he could tell you what color my eyes are. My questions were basic, and he was evasive. I think he was scared.

Welch looked everywhere except at me. My eyes are blue, deep pools of, you know what, and I'm one charming MoFo. Why the rubber band, the shakiness, and avoiding eye contact? I want to think I don't come off as intimidating in looks and manner.

Welch, Lemerise, And Tanner consult with companies and governments worldwide about large-scale construction projects. 

Before I left Sophie's house with Police Chief Ron Strier, he told me about an incident that got called to the duty desk a week before Gerry Tanner was murdered in his house.  

Strier told me that Tom Welch reported the incident. When a patrol car responded, Welch met the officer outside the company door and said, "His report was a misunderstanding, and that he jumped the gun about an internal IT issue."

Strier went on and told me that "Three days after the Tanner's were murdered a concerned low level employee at Welch, Lemerise, and Tanner came into the station asking to see the Chief".

"This employee had an interesting story to tell," Strier said

"The week before the Tanner murders, every computer at the firm was somehow bricked" (rendered useless)

The data in each computer was destroyed, and no one could power up their computers. 

The week before this happened, the company emailed all remote employees to bring their computers in for a necessary "Security Update." 

The employee wondered about the timing of this with the Tanner murders.

The Welch, Lemerise, and Tanner IT departments figured out that each computer was disabled and that the only recourse was to buy new computers and download all the backed-up information.

The unnamed employee said, "Everyone at the firm was psyched because they were all getting new computers."

 Then, the IT department discovered it was impossible to retrieve the backed-up information.

When they called the Data Storage company that held the company's data, they were told, "There was a devastating fire in the server farm and that all of the servers were either melted or water damaged beyond repair; but don't worry, your insurance should cover it."

Does anyone else see something suspicious here? I do, and I'm no detec... Wait I am a detective.

Later that night, I relayed all the facts I knew to the Blueberry Muffin Queen to see what she thought.

Eve followed the bouncing ball because she stopped me before I could finish dropping all the facts.

She said, "Someone entered the Tanner house to get a computer that was supposed to be at the office. It was not destroyed like the others."

"Bingo," I said.

I don't love her just for her blueberry muffins. Tango jumped up and got excited when I said, "Bingo."

Sure the muffins are a benefit but Eve is one in a million in so many ways.

Eve owns a Bakery/Coffee Shop in the trendy part of a New England town with a large student population.  

Her shop is lovely and was used once as the set for a Hallmark Christmas Movie.

Eve is beautiful, of course, and how we met one night was not a scene that could ever be shown in a movie on the Hallmark Channel. The chemistry was fueled by margaritas, Mexican food, and my place, where Tango did his best to look like a cute puppy.

Eve and I both work a lot. Due to the amount of time we each spend on the job, we are still getting to know each other.

At the end of the day, when we punch out, she tells me about burning her forearm on a hot oven, and I might mention getting my ass kicked by two paid thugs. We have a snack and a cocktail and maybe watch a little Netflix.  

Something worked because our nights are always excellent. She's great to come home to, and she has a first-rate mind.

So what the Hell is she doing with me?

New York, New York

Yeung Bo had been dressed down and warned with no niceties.

Someone he had never seen or heard of before came to the food court.

He looked as dangerous and unforgiving as he was and was sent to add a chill to Yeung Bo's cushy existence. 

Yeung was told that if it weren't for his wife's father, Yeung Bo would have already been executed. 

"The data on that computer is important. The Chairman himself does not want it to get into the wrong hands." "This causes enormous pressure on me that now falls where it belongs which is on you."

The visitor also laughed at and admonished Yeung Bo for hiring a Russian that an eighteen-year-old girl easily dealt with.

"The amount of money that was going to be paid to that Russian assassin was more than you and I make in a year!"

"He was killed, and the computer was not recovered even though he reported that he had secured it and was leaving the target site."

"You have one week to locate and retrieve that computer."

"We think we know where it is."

"Do you understand?"

"Shi de" (Yes)

"Oh, and you have an unlimited budget."