In this story, we get to meet Jack Best, Detective, in his first case. We hope to read many more...

JACK BEST'S FIRST CASE

By Steve Olley

I used to be a cop, but the grind got to me. Or maybe it was the city. Tom Hayes, the desk sergeant, said it was probably the 6am starts. All I know is, I felt that whatever I did wasn't going to make a difference; and yeah it would be nice to get up at a decent time in the morning. So I decided to quit the police force and move out to the small town of New Dresden , just far enough away from the city, so you could see fields and trees once in a while.

The `JACK BEST DETECTIVE AGENCY' was located in a small office on the second floor above a bookstore on Main St . I'd got a desk and a swivel chair; a filing cabinet and a couple of comfortable hard back seats for visitors. I spent the first couple of days getting myself organized, and getting a guy in to paint my business name on the window, so that you could read it from the street.

All I needed now were clients. Then late on Friday afternoon, just as the clock moved close to six and I was preparing to close up for the night, the door opened and a man stepped inside. He was a meaty sort of guy, a composite of muscle and fat; flat face with a squashed nose and a couple of hard looking eyes. He was dressed in a light jacket, grey pants and a battered baseball cap.

"Hi," he said, looking at me a little nervously.

"Hi,” I said. "Can I help you?"

"I was waiting for you to close," he said looking around and out through the window down into the street. "I wanted to make sure no one saw me here."

"I see. Will you take a seat Mr.…?”

"Jedidiah Hayes, most people call me Jed."

I shook his calloused workman's hand.

“Will you take a seat?"

We sat down across from each other.

"So how can I help you, Jed?"

"It's my wife, Mr. Best; I think she's seeing another man."

"I see, and what makes you think that?"

"Are you married, Mr. Best?"

"No."

"Well I've been married for 13 years. When you're with someone that long you notice even the smallest of things."

"Go on."

"I work at Willard's, the window manufacturer out on Highway 10. My shift runs from 7 to 3:30. The other day we had a break down; some new guy named, Joey Boyle, had an argument with his supervisor, and literally put a wrench in the works. They fired him on the spot and sent us home early. I went home and found that Amy, my wife, wasn't there. I figured she was out doing some shopping or something. So I decided to pop down to “ Berkeley 's” to get a two-four.

"When I came back to our street, I noticed my wife's car ahead of me. She pulls into the driveway and gets out, and I noticed that she's all dressed up. She went into the house. She didn't see me pull up. By the time I'd got out of the car and put the two-four in the fridge in the garage, and then gone into the house, enough time must have passed for her to quickly change back into her regular clothes.

““Hi honey” she says. “You're home early.” I tell her about the breakdown at the plant and ask her what she's been up to today. She says to me, “Nothing, not a thing, I've been home all day.” I tell you Mr. Best, when she said that my heart sank. I mean, I know we're not the most amorous couple in the world or anything, and maybe things have gone off the boil these last few years, but I love her, and if she left me I don't know what I'd do."

Jed sat there silently looking out of the window, for a moment I thought he was going to cry.

"So you never asked her where she'd been." I said. “You know it could be something quite innocent."

"Then why did she lie?"

"Maybe she's planning you a surprise birthday party or something."

He looked at me. "Don't mess me about," he said.

"I'm sorry; I'm just making sure you understand what you're getting into here?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm here to make sure my wife isn't seeing another guy."

"So you want me to follow her and see where she goes?"

"Yeah."

"Have you got a picture of her?"

He took out his wallet and pulled out a small photo of her. She looked a little bit younger than Jed. She looked a handsome woman, blond hair and brown eyes.

"What's your address?"

He gave it to me.

"How much do you charge?" he asked.

"$160 a day plus expenses."

"Mmm." He thought for a little and then he said: "Follow her for three days and no more."

As I watched him cross the street and climb into his pick-up, I thought: “So you love your wife as long as it doesn't cost you more than $500.” Some guys didn't deserve to keep their wives.

***

The next morning I was parked up the street in my Pontiac Sunfire. Jed said he left for work at 6:45a.m., so I had to be there by then. So much for getting up at a decent time! I poured myself a coffee from my thermos and settled down for the day.

At about 8:30a.m., Amy Hayes came out of the house. She had on a blue skirt, and a white blouse under a blue jacket. She climbed into her old brown Toyota Tercel and drove off towards the centre of town. I followed at a distance.

She made a few stops in town. She picked up a newspaper and some coffee. Then she drove on, till she arrived at a seedy club on the east side of town. There was a sign outside that said “Friday night is amateur night!” She drove to the rear of the building where there was a set of offices that belonged to the club. I parked up and watched; I had my camera with me. I took a snap of the club and her car parked up outside.

I knew that the club was owned by a guy called Eddie Bannon. Eddie was the sort of guy you didn't want to pick fights with. He had guys who worked for him who would break your fingers if you pointed them at Eddie.

Two hours passed and nothing. By now the coffee had worked its way down, and I was busting. There were some bushes up behind the parking lot. I got out and crept round to the bushes and began to pee. Just as I was finishing, I heard the office door open behind me and a woman's voice gasp. Then I heard her go back into the building. I zipped up and snuck back to my car. Rats! My first case and I get caught peeing behind a bush by the woman I'm supposed to be following.

Things turned from bad to worse when two guys seemed to appear out of nowhere at the side of my car. They signaled me to open the window. I did.

"Yes," I said.

"Mr. Bannon would like a word," said one of them.

I got out of my car and followed them into the club. They took me through to an office at the back. Eddie Bannon sat behind a desk. He was a middle aged guy with a leathery face beneath a mop of blond hair. He had a gravelly voice.

"Okay, Joey, I'll take it from here."

The two thugs left the room, and Eddie motioned me to sit down.

"My name is Eddie Bannon."

"Hi, I'm Jack Best."

"Well Jack, can you tell me why you've been watching my club and peeing in my bushes?"

"Well, I have to apologize for the peeing. Too much coffee, you know."

"Unfortunately, I do," said Eddie shuffling uncomfortably in his seat. "So why have you been watching my club?"

"I haven't been watching your club."

"Jack, you've been sat in that car for the last two hours."

"I'd rather not say, Mr. Bannon."

"Well, Jack, I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist. Otherwise I might have to call the police and report you for exposing yourself."

I could just see the newspaper now, “Local private investigator, Jack Best, caught exposing himself.” That would be the end of the business.

"I'm following someone," I said.

"Who?"

"That's confidential."

Eddie reached for the phone.

"Okay!" I said. "I'm a private investigator hired to follow Amy Hayes."

"Amy!" said Eddie. "Why Amy?"

"Her husband thinks she is cheating on him. He hired me to see what she's been doing."

Eddie laughed. "AMY," he called out.

The office door opened and in walked Amy.

"Amy,” said Eddie, "our phantom peer here is a private eye hired to follow you. It seems your husband doesn't trust you."

"Oh," said Amy. "I see." She didn't seem as surprised as I thought she would be.

"Did Amy's husband tell you that Amy's a qualified book-keeper?"

"He wouldn't have," said Amy. "He doesn't know."

"He doesn't?" said Eddie.

"No. You see Jed doesn't want me to work. He's old-fashioned. He believes a woman's place is, well you know."

"I see," I said.

"Amy's been helping me get the books in order," said Eddie. "You see, I'm going to be audited by the stinking IRS. And Amy here said she'd help get things looking straight."

"So what do you want me to do?" I asked Amy.

"I guess it doesn't matter now, he was going to find out sooner or later. But if you don't mind I'd like to tell him myself."

"That sounds fine to me," I said.

Joey was called and I was shown back to the parking lot. As I walked back to my car, I remembered the words of an old cop I used to partner with, called Sam Thompson, he used to say: “Remember, everything isn't always what it seems.” Perhaps everything they had just told me wasn't the truth. It wouldn't take me long to confirm their story. So why not do it, just to be sure.

***

I had known Denise since I was five. We grew up together. She lived next door. When we were teenagers we dated for a while, but it didn't work out. We found out we preferred being just friends, and friends is what we'd been. When Denise's husband, Mick, died in a car wreck three years ago, I helped Denise see it through. It had been a pretty rough time for her. She had a two year old kid at the time, and I'd helped her out by being the much needed Uncle figure for him. The thing was Denise worked for the IRS. She hated it. She said if I ever needed to know something about someone, she could do it for me. Denise was clever, and as discreet as possible in finding stuff out for me.

I gave her a call and asked her to check out this IRS audit thing for me. It didn't take her long to find out that there was no audit.

***

This time I parked the car some distance from the club, and took some binoculars with me to a more concealed place where I could watch the back of the club. I didn't have to wait long. Amy came out to her car, and so did Eddie. Just before she climbed in to leave, Eddie leaned towards her and they kissed briefly on the lips. I snatched up the camera and caught them.

***

I was feeling pretty pleased with myself as I headed back to the office. I had been there for about an hour when I got a call from Denise.

"I've had a look at some past tax returns of Eddie Bannon's club,” she said.

"Geez, Denise," I said. "You should be careful."

"I am,” she said.

“So what did you find out?”

“The club is in serious financial trouble. If things don't improve, it looks as if Bannon might lose the business.”

“Yeah and a lot of thugs have to go looking for a new boss!”

“It says here that there are only two people permanently employed by Eddie Bannon: Dave Brown and Joey Boyle. The rest are all listed as casual workers.”

Somewhere in my head there was a bell ringing. The last name: Joey Boyle. Was that the Joey who had escorted me to the club? And was that the same Joey Boyle who had been fired from the plant where Jed Hayes worked, for throwing a wrench in the works. Was I being played for a fool? As Sam Thompson said sometimes things aren't quite what they seem.

"You know that Eddie Bannon isn't his real name?" said Denise.

"What?" I said.

"He's registered that name for use with the club, but his real name is Alan Novakowski."

"I guess Eddie Bannon had a nicer ring to it," I said.

***

The next day I headed down to the registrar's office to see if there was anything else I needed to know. Like was my client's name really Jedediah Hayes? Their marriage certificate said it was. Mrs. Hayes however; was the surprise. Amy Hayes' name before she was married was Amy Novakowski. It seemed that Eddie Bannon and Amy Hayes were cousins.

What was going on here? The story about the IRS; the kiss in the parking lot; and Eddie's man, Joey Boyle, being the one who closed down the plant early; everything about this sounded like a set up.

I waited until I knew that Jed was at home and that Amy was there too. Then I phoned him and told him that I had to see him; and I told him to make up a lie to his wife about where he was headed; a lie that she knew would be a lie. If I was right about this, then Amy and Eddie had to believe that I had fallen for their fake kiss in the parking lot.

So as I waited for Jed to show up at my office, I thought about what Eddie and Amy were hoping would happen next. I guess after I had told him about their kiss, they would expect Jed to come looking for Eddie at the club. But what exactly they had planned I didn't know. And I wasn't too sure what to say to Jed either. Was I sure that I could handle him?

When Jed came, he didn't seem as nervous as he had been before. In fact he seemed quite angry. One might say he seemed aggressive.

"So what did you find out?" he asked abruptly.

"First, do you know Eddie Bannon?"

"Doesn't he run a club?"

"Yeah, that's the guy."

"No, I don't know him. What's he got to do with my wife? If he's been messing around with her, it'll be the last thing he does, the punk."

"Easy, Jed, it's not so simple."

"Go on."

"Remember the guy who shut down the factory that day so you would come home early."

"Yeah, Joey Boyle."

"Well Joey Boyle works for Eddie Bannon. It was all a set up. Your wife meant for you to come home and find her gone."

"She did?"

"Yeah, now did you know that Eddie Bannon is your wife's cousin?"

"Amy's related to that guy?"

My next question was going to confirm my suspicions.

"Jed, is your life insured?"

"Yes, why?"

"And would Amy receive the money?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask how much?"

"Three hundred thousand. Hey what's going on?"

I knew what their plan was now. They knew that Jed would go looking for Eddie at the club after it closed, either to seek revenge on Eddie, or on the club.

"Listen, Jed, I think your wife and Eddie Bannon are going to try and kill you?"

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry to be the one to have to break it to you."

"Amy?"

"Yeah."

Jed stared out of the window into the darkness for a moment, then, as if he had made up his mind about something, he said: "So what do you want me to do?"

***

Two hours later, Jed and I were waiting outside the club. It had closed down half an hour ago and Eddie had sent all the employees home. I knew that Eddie would be expecting Jed, but not me; that if we wanted to catch Eddie, then I had to catch him red-handed. I had told Jed that this was going to be dangerous and that we could just go to the police with what we had. But he knew as well as I did, that we didn't have any evidence.

I planted the tape recorder on him, and I took my camera with me and I had a gun in my pocket just in case. The idea was for Jed to go in and get Eddie to talk, or something like that. But what I hadn't counted on was Amy being there as well.

Jed and I walked over to the offices; we could see a light on in Eddie's office. Jed opened the door and went in. I waited outside, listening in.

Eddie and Amy were waiting for him.

"Hello Jed," said Amy.

"Amy!" Jed was surprised that Amy was there.

"So you came to sort me out did you, Jed," said Eddie. "You caught me messing around with your wife."

"Your dirt, Bannon," said Jed.

Eddie laughed; it looked like the set up had worked just fine.

"The trouble is Jed, you got it all wrong. I'm not having an affair with your wife. But everybody will think that's what you thought."

"What?" said Jed.

"Yeah, you see all they'll find is your body amongst the ashes."

"Ashes?"

"Yeah, Jed, the ashes of this rotten club. You see Jed I've been losing money on it for years, and I figured it's time I got some of that back. You'll burn down the club for me in an act of revenge for sleeping with your wife. And Amy here will be rid of you."

"Amy?"

"Yeah, I've had it with you Jed," said Amy. "I want out."

"So you see, Jed, both Amy and I are going to get what we both want at the same time."

"But I'm not going to set this place alight."

"O but you are," said Eddie pulling out a gun. "Turn around."

I heard Jed turn and then the whack of a gun butt to his head and the sound of him falling to the floor unconscious. They were going to burn the place down with him in it. It would look as if he set the fire, but was overcome by the fumes before he could leave. I called the police and the fire brigade and an ambulance, and then went inside.

I could already smell the smoke, and then I ran straight into Amy.

"What are you doing here?" she said startled.

"I know Amy; we've got it all on tape."

She pushed me out the way and ran for the door. I let her go and moved on into Eddie's office. Eddie was emptying a gas container on to the floor. The flames were beginning to climb the walls. Jed was lying crumpled on the floor.

"It's all over, Eddie," I said.

Eddie looked up and went for his gun that he'd left on the table, but I got there first.

"Oh no you don't!" I said to Eddie. “Now pick him up and drag him outside."

Eddie threw the can of gas at me and moved towards the door. I swiped at him with my gun and he fell to the floor.

The flames were beginning to spread rapidly. I picked Jed up and dragged him out of the office. By the time I got him outside I could hear the sirens coming closer. I went back into the building. The office was burning fiercely, and the smoke was really thick. I got down on my knees and crawled towards Eddie. I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him out of there.

By the time I got outside again, the firefighters had arrived. Jed had begun to wake up and was coughing like me, trying to rid the smoke from our lungs. The cops turned up, just in time to escort a dazed Eddie Bannon to the station. Mrs. Hayes was found two days later hiding out in Drakesville, 20 miles down the highway.

***

Eddie had not only lost the club, but also his freedom. Amy Hayes went down as an accessory to attempted murder. And Jed, well after he got over the shock of losing Amy, he started dating again. As for me, after the newspapers got hold of the story, I reaped the benefits of free advertising. The work has been coming in steadily ever since; although not all of it has been as exciting as Jack Best's first case.