Angel On My Shoulder Part 2

Chapter 174-1

Angel On My Shoulder

Part 2

 

I had only been to Dads workplace a couple of times as I watched Dad stuff several envelopes with cold hard cash. Stringum mad sure he had his personal checkbook so he could leave a large donation to the halfway house. It may be run mostly on government funds, but there are private funds as well from people like Stringum that like to help out when they can.

The halfway house was sitting on 15 or so acres of farmland. To keep it away from the mass population of the house that was beginning dominates the surrounding areas. It also helped keep the intimates from running off the moment they were freed from prison until they have reentered our society with new job and house where they can support themselves.

I didn’t ask Jeff if I needed to go inside with them, it was stated that was one of the reasons I was here in the first place or the main reason depending on how you look at it. Even I was uncertain what that main reason was. I just know that like most people really get excited when they see a limo pull up in front of them everyone from miles want to see who is riding around it. Tony took over the job of wheelchair duty giving me the duty to carry the silver briefcase of cold hard cash.

Dad introduced to me every person that was at the halfway house as we slowly made it inside. It soon became clear the reason I was told to come as Jeff remained on my shoulder telling me. Who the impostors are, that have been selling out our information. The moment Jeff spotted them he told me to look for the things that were out of place. Like markings on the hands or wrists, the feeling I get when I shake hands with them.

I took pictures of each person that Jeff and I noticed and then discretely told Stringum and Tony, which wasn’t an easy thing to do, but I only had to give a sign which was taping the briefcase as I if I was bored. The moment I did Stringum froze and Tony quickly made a note of that person. Yet the problem was even though we spotted our targets we couldn’t act on them, which was the reason Tony was here, so he had his team could when the time was right.

Dad made his way around to each of his fellow workers and gave them a firm handshake as he said his goodbyes, and placed a nice fat envelope inside their jacket pocket as he embraced them with a hug. Stringum would give me a hand jester to which envelope to give Dad to hand to his friends or foe. Noting the friend went away more than happy as the one pretending to be his friends got the other envelope that was not stuffed, only holding a small token of appreciation.

Stringum had asked a special favor from Jeff as a token of good will regarding him being baptized and joining the church. After all, Stringum was a businessman, which meant he was willing to buy what he has to offer if he was willing to sell the item at cost. Which was who Mom and Dad should pad their friend's wallets and who they shouldn’t as well as help those that are truly looking for a second chance, which was an envelope with a sealed rose stamp, with contained some start-up money and a job offer, from one of many of his contacts and employees.

I choked when Stringum wrote out a check and handed to Dads boss said. “A donation to help see you through the winter and find a replacement for Mr. Rothwell.” 

After Dad had given his envelope had said; “for putting up with me and for your trouble.”

The poor man gasps opening the envelope and looked the check that Stringum gave him, said. “What did you do rob a bank or win the lottery?”

Dad smiled. “The lottery because I happen too already owns a bank. And promised myself if I ever became rich I would use it to help my friends.” Dad didn’t ask if he is ok if he didn’t work today or put in a two-week notice or until they found a replacement. And his boss certainly didn’t mention it stating if he ever needs a favor all has do is call.

Dad said with a final handshake, “you got yourself a deal.”

Dad was now aces with everyone, except for those that didn’t reap the benefits, as I am sure they will compare their nice padded wallets on how much each of them got. Stringum and I also knew that within moment of our departure that spies within were notifying the people they truly work for that we had been here and what we had just done. Tony quickly updated Dad as he gave a description of each of the person Jeff and me had noticed that were working two sides of the coin. Dad didn’t seem all that surprised but I could see it did touch a nerve.

Mom sighed as we pulled up to her workplace, said. “This shouldn’t take long.” Stringum shrugged his shoulders, letting Stringum and Dad carry in her boxes and I once more carrying our large bankroll. Mom wasn’t as generous as Dad was, deciding only to give to a few that really deserved it. Dad said. “Karen darling deserved or not. It’s better to give then letting them think you are stingy.”

She said. “And what of those that we find that are cutthroats and thieves? Do we give to them as well?”

Stringum said. “Yes, because you never know the reason, like that young girl that murdered her grandfather, as she was forced to do it or watch her entire family be killed.”

Mom knew she had been forced because Dad told her, even though she wished not to revisit it in her mind. She had no interest in watching it on tape and personally, none of us blamed her. Stringum handed Dad two bundles of cash to distribute to all the workers in the building as Mom said her goodbyes to the people that mattered most. Stringum spent most of his time with receptionist and nurses after I had shaken hands with each of them, only find two that were not whom they seemed to be like I had done with Dad.

Stringum made a mental note as he flashed around his cash giving Tony two bundles to distribute to their patients, while he paid off their accounts as well as many others wiping their slate clean and adding to it so when they come in they wouldn’t have to worry about a hefty bill. He paid more for those that had large families and making a note of them in his little black book.

Even though Jeff had pointed out that he was a corrupt man, stealing drugs and making them and that he worked for Crawford. He gave him a donation stating afterward that to tell Crawford he was here and he is looking for him and this should be a down payment as services rendered.

The man gasped wondering where he was getting this information. Stringum warned him that from this moment on he was about to take an early retirement or he’ll find himself in prison listing several places he been cooking drugs Crawford produced, from the help of our ghostly friend.

Mom slapped him across the face and called him a fat pig. Overhearing Stringum as he told the man to get out of town. Him being one of the five doctors in the place, and after Jeff and I had visited every one of them finds three of the five corrupt.

Stringum made a note in his black book; that this would need some attention quickly as we hurried out after overhearing the first doctor on the phone telling someone that we are here, yelling for someone to lock the door and make sure we didn’t leave.

Tony proved why he was here as he quickly jumped into combat mode and took on anyone that tried to stop us as Stringum smashed the glass door with the briefcase allowing patients and staff to flee. As Tony wrapped things up and inside, hearing cop cars coming as we made a mad dash into the limo and sped away.

Mom was devastated as she looked back, realizing that all this time she had been working for drug dealers. Thinking she was just helping with the billing for a doctors office. She moaned; “those poor innocent people.”

Stringum said. “Karen I promise you they won’t suffer. I know a few doctors that would love an opportunity to help take over being their new doctor, while those inside are going to be practicing in a nice comfortable jail cell.” Mom asked Tony afraid of the answer did he kill anyone inside.

He said. “No Mrs. Rothwell. Just tied them up and leaving a nice note so when the police arrive they’ll know who to blame, the Black Phantom, giving our man Crawford something to look forward too.”

Mom said. “And to think we paid the man for the trouble.”

Stringum said. “Not exactly, I paid him so he would bring the rat to my cheese, as I have said People like him are greedy, and they’ll look at all that nice cold cash and think how I can get my hands on more. Finding my calling card and wham bam I have him in my little trap before he can race back to his little hole. Like the idiot in Heber, I wanted him to think he was doing me a favor by providing me a location to hold the party. Yet by doing so he has allowed me full access to his guest and their guest and one by one they will fall and then he too will fall.

“You would think if I just take him out of the equation that would be the end of it, but you are wrong. Every church has someone below them and above them. If you take out the leader the next one in order takes his place, but if there is no one to take his place or too scared too. The church will crumble and its members will revert back to their comfort zone. Religion is a fickle thing and has to do with fear and intimidation sometimes, not all churches are like that, like the LDS church or the Catholic Church; they have the numbers, they have done more good than harm.

“I may and Eric my boy may not agree regarding their teachings, but they don’t kill, they don’t rape their woman and children. And they do happen to carry a very big stick that I can’t wait to shove up their asses and send them to hell where they can tell their satanic demon that it was me, and the people like me that took them down one brick, one person at a time. So the second we get back I am going to walk my miserable little a*s to any church house or place his friend tells me to go and craft me a very big stick of my own.”

Dad reminded him that still not going to be as easy to do that, Stringum said. “Easy or not I am still going to do it and so are you, none of is going to be selling our souls, and none of us is going go down without a fight. I chose Heber as my first target because it the smallest compared to the others.

"I figured you would like a fresh start compared to always being remained what they have done to you and your home in Highland. Compared to Heber where its just one little town so far away from the other towns and city’s where we have no idea where the satanic church begins or ends. But we will, and it will be just a matter of time.

“Heber will be our main base where we can use our resources to attract, and reinforce and build a castle so impregnable that it would withstand anything they might throw at us. I have set up a meeting with my architect and find a contractor over lunch so we can start building as soon as possible and quickly before snow makes it impossible.”

Stringum told the driver if he could please turn up the heat that it was freezing back here. It didn’t matter that the rest of us were melting into a small puddle. It wasn’t the outside cold that Stringum was feeling. It was the numbness of darkness that was trying to take his soul away. Jeff refused to help in that regard because he wanted Stringum to learn that if play with fire you just might get burned.

It didn’t matter that he was a good man at heart; it was the lack of protection that he didn’t have and because of that, he wasn’t ready for the fight. Jeff wanted him to know that he wanted him to learn from his mistakes. So when he does make into the baptismal waters, his eyes will be truly opened and his heart and soul will burst with warmth in so much he could stand in the Arctic snow and think it was the middle of July. Personally, I never felt that kind of warmth or at least I don’t remember it. But I have been told by some that it does happen.

We circled around back up to Orem mall as Stringum had the driver pulls us right up to the curb in front of a sporting goods store. Telling the driver to find a nice parking spot and wait for us. Even though we had eaten in the limo on our way to Dads employment and finished it off on the ride over to Moms. We were still hungry, but none of the restaurants were open yet, other than selling cold sandwiches made yesterday. Which nobody was in the mood for, considering we were all in the mood for a hot breakfast and several cups of hot chocolate.

The only place that was open that sold what we all wanted was Denny’s. So after spending some more cash that really made the store manager happy as Stringum bought the very best of everything, and called Landan as he drank several cups of hot coffee. Hoping to warm his insides, which still seemed frozen?

Asking Landan to make sure he had everyone sizes so when we returned to Heber later tonight or first thing in the morning, we all would be toasty warm and little more prepared for winter. Mom and Dad choked when the total just for us including our driver was well over 5,000 dollars, for a couple of warm coats, shoes, and pants including several pairs of very warm long underwear.

Not forgetting to tip the staff and the manager I was a little surprised that we still had more than half a suitcase of cold hard cash as I tucked the receipt into it for my bookkeeping.

It was then that Landan informed us about the High Priestess, that she had been found murdered just as Jeff described would happen, and just as he had said Stringum accused Tony of doing it, causing him to borrow the manager's office to call and find out what in the hell just happened. Which gave me the chance to tell Stringum as Jeff requested not to tell him, because he needed to prove to Mom that he and I were on the up and up. I asked Mom if she still needed any more proof.

She looked at me than Dad and shook her head, said. “We are still going to have nice long talk you, me and Jared when we get back. I’d ground you for keeping that a secret, but I don’t think our friend Jeff wouldn’t look too kindly on it. Considering you were told not tell me. But doesn’t mean your Dad won’t get some kind of punishment for keeping it a secret from me.”

Dad said. “Hold on Karen, I am as much in the dark as you are in regards to Jared.” Stringum turned around when he overheard that.

Mom poked her fingers into Dads' chest. “I am aware of that, but you still kept what you do know about Eric and his ghostly friend. Trust me your punishment will be equisetic.” Mom walked away picking up the shopping bags and piled them on top me telling me to make myself useful. Stringum wanted some answers regarding. How my brother Jared got mixed into this, but Tony had just come out of the offices and he didn’t look happy.

Stringum said. “And let me guess it was our mysterious woman?”

Tony gasped then looked at me, “let me guess your friend again already told you about it.”

Everyone nodded. Tony said. “I got to get me one of those, he could definitely be useful.”

I said at the same time Stringum did. “Good luck with that.”

Stringum continued on and smiled. “Considering Eric is the only one I know of can see and talk to his special ghostly friend.”

I cringed. “Well, that’s mostly true. There are some exceptions,”

Stringum looked at me and said. “Ok, I am listening.”

I said. “Sorry, but could we talk about it over a nice hot cup of hot chocolate and some double blueberry pancakes where I am not covered with shopping bags?” Watching me trying to see over them and dropping a couple.

Mom said. “Don’t, he’s being useful,” using that special tone that said don’t cross me or else. While Stringum picked the ones I dropped only to replace them instead of carrying it as Moms eyes narrowed on him like a hungry beast ready to eat him.