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Howie woke to the feel of Mackenzie’s body next to his. He smiled, as he recalled their night of lovemaking, and pressed a kiss to her temple. Moving carefully, so as not to disturb her, he freed himself from her arms, and made his way to the shower. The hot spray seemed to stimulate his mind into alertness, and he dwelt upn the revelations that Mackenzie, AJ, and himself had made the night before. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that MAD_MARVIN and Topper were one in the same. Once they could identify- proof positive - which username was Topper’s, they could go about obtaining retribution for Mackenzie. And her parents. The right username would also most likely lead them to Topper himself. Without that, Topper was nothing more to them, than he was the authorities - a ghost. Impatience coupled with frusteration enveloped him. Mackenzie’s words came to mind. “The only thing left is justice, and you can’t rush that.”
*****
Mackenzie woke to the feel of someone’s lips on her forehead.
“Good Morning.” a voice said softly. A smile emerged on her face; she knew that voice well. Her eyes fluttered open, greeted by deep chocolate orbs, so near her own. He blinked.
“Hey. You’re up early.” she murmured. Howie chuckled.
“It’s 9:30. We leave for the next venue in half an hour.” he replied, amused. “I wanted to let you sleep in at least a little longer.”
“Thank you. I had the strangest dream last night.” she sighed.
“You’re welcome. What was it about?”
“I was chasing this....thing....down a hallway. There were doors on either side of the corredor, but I didn’t notice them until the thing fled into one of them. I tried to follow it, but the door wouldn’t open. I tried several of the other portals, and they were all unlocked. But the one I needed, I couldn’t get into.” she finished.
“That’s strange. It sounds like your subconcious was trying to tell you something.” Howie commented, his brow furrowed.
“Yes, but what?”
“I think that’s for you to figure out.” he said, pressing a kiss to her soft lips, then tugging on her hand. “Now, get up.” he urged gently “We’ve only got twenty minutes. Mackenzie did as she was bid, and accepted the robe that he handed her.
*****
Howie lay napping quietly on his bunk. In fact, all of he guys were asleep. Even Randy had curled up on the couch behind John, the driver. Denise was, as usual, on her cell phone scheduling appearances for the Boys in Chicago, their next stop. It sounded as if they were invited to appear for an in depth interview on Oprah. Mackenzie tuned out the deep breathing of the sleeping men, and Denise’s call, turning her attention to the laptop in front of her. Of the three remaining profiles, MAD_MARVIN’s best fit the outline of their suspect. Mackenzie sighed in frusteration. That was just an opinion, not a fact. She glanced to the shelf built into the head of her bunk, and her jewelry box caught her eye. With a mind of their own, her hands reached for it, placing it in her lap, and lifting the lid. She removed the mirror, and starred at the slips of paper which were still tucked in the compartment. Mackenzie unfolded them one by one, finally coming to the last note that Uncle Louis-Lou- had slid across the table to her. It was his number.
“Of course!” she murmured to herself. Why hadn’t she thought of it earlier? Marcus may be dead, and Marty may not be able to offer any further assistance, but there was always Lou. Eagerly, Mackenzie fished her cell phone out of her bag, and punched in the seven digits. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.
“Hello?” a gruff voice demanded.
“Is Lou there please?”
“Who’s asking?” the man questioned warily, though a little softer.
“Mackenzie.”
“Micki! Oh, how are you? I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize your voice.”
“I’m fine. Is any thing the matter? You sounded harsh just then.”
“No, no. I’m wonderful. What can I do for you, honey?”
“Lou...You’ll never guess!”
“Then why don’t you tell me?” he said, amusment in his voice.
“We think we know who killed my parents!”
“WHAT?!” he responded to her abrupt announcement.
“I’ve been doing some research. Online and off. We’re getting so close, Lou! I can hardly contain myself!”
“Wait, wait. Slow down! We?”
“I’ve met a man, Lou.”
“I see. He......knows?”
“Yes, of course. I told him, and he’s been helping me. He’s the most wonderful man, really. I wish you could meet him. He and his friends have been so helpful, so generous.”
“I’m happy for you Micki. Exactly how much does he know?”
“Everything, I told you. He’s been here this whole time.”
“So, how close are you?”
“Very! In fact, that’s why I’m calling. I need some of your help, Lou.”
“Alright. What sort of help?” he replied.
“Information, that’s what I need.”
“It sounds like you’ve been getting plenty of that on your own, Micki.”
“Yes, but this one last piece of the puzzle is eluding me! That’s why I need YOU.” she pleaded. He sighed.
“What do you need to know?”
“First off, we narrowed down the list of active buyers. There are three left that we haven’t entirely elimenated, and I’m so positive that one of them is it, I can hardly breathe! The person at the top of our list goes by the username ‘MAD_MARVIN’. I need to know for sure that this is our guy! Can you help me?”
“I don’t know about that, Micki. You’ve got a pretty vaugue notion. Maybe if I understood better, the rest of what you know.....”
“Alright....”
“Start from the beginning, honey.” he proded.
A half of an hour later, she had related Lou the entire story. He seemed encouraged.
“Great job, Micki! Couldn’t have done better myself. I agree, MAD_MARVIN sounds like your guy. Now, you need to go to the authorities. Additional evidence isn’t needed. Just go, go now.” he urged.
“But, Lou....we don’t have nearly enough! You were right, it sounds vaugue even to me! The police will never believe this outrageous story. I have to prove it to them.” she hesitated.
“Listen to me, just go. Promise me?” he insisted anxiously.
The tour bus rolled to a stop, and Mackenzie heard Denise begin to wake Nick and Brian. It was time for a lunch break. “I have to go, Lou. I’m sorry!” she exclaimed.
“No, wait-”
Mackenzie disconnected her phone, and sat starring at it. She shrugged, and climbed from her bunk.
“Micki! Good you’re up, can you wake Howie and Kevin?” Denise greeted her.
“Sure.” Mackenzie moved to Kevin’s bunk. “Hey Train, come on, get up. It’s tme for a lunch break.” she said, shaking his shoulder. He moaned, and rolled out of bed, his eyes barely open. He gave her a wave to let her know he would be alright. Mackenzie went to Howie’s bunk, which was across from her own. She had wanted to save waking him for last. Mackenzie leaned down, and pressed a kiss to his lips. She felt his arms wrap around her back. “Time to get up, Sleepyhead.” she whispered.
“Do we have to? Couldn’t you just stay here with me?” he asked rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Cute, but no. I’m hungry, and I’m willing to bet money that you are as well.”
“Funny, I never took you for a gambling woman, Ms. Ross.” he teased. In response, she hauled him out of bed, and they set off for -where else- McDonald’s.
*****
“He said to go straight to the authorities?”
“Yeah. He said we’ve got enough on this guy.” Mackenzie responded to AJ’s question, as the three slueths sat in a corner booth, slightly apart from the other guys.
“He’s wrong.” Howie frowned. “We don’t.”
“I thought so too, but Howie....... Lou wouldn’t lie to us. He’s been around for a long time, he knows what to do.” she dismissed.
“Mackenzie.......” Howie hazarded, then thought twice. I guess you’re right. But, if we go to the police, we’d have to tell the rest of the guys and our managment.”
“Wouldn’t that be ok, though? I mean, if we’re going to catch this guy, there would be no danger for them, let alone us.” Mackenzie shrugged.
“The whole story, Mackenzie. Think about that.” AJ rebuked softly.
“Oh. I see. Not just the part about MAD_MARVIN.”
“No...everything.” Howie confirmed. Mackenzie toyed with her fries, and looked at her hands. Finally, she took a deep breath, and gazed bravely into Howie and AJ’s faces. “Fine. We’ll explain it all.” The two men across from her sighed in relief, and Howie reached for Micki’s hand, holding it tightly.
“They’re great guys Mackenzie, they’ll understand.”
“I know that, but...let’s just not do it yet. When we get to Chicago and tell the police, we will, alright?”
*****
Something wasn’t right. It didn’t make sense. Howie peered at his laptop’s screen. The proverbial pieces of the puzzle were all laid out on the table, but for some reason, they just didn’t fit together. Close, but not quite. His eyes blurred as he examined the payroll index, and the website once more. This had to be the thousandth time that he had scoured the site, in less than a month. Howie emitted a low growl of frustration. Some little fact, some little tidbit, kept scratching at the back of his brain, but Howie was unable to identify what it was.
Mackenzie was a smart girl. As soon as she had returned from each of her rendevous with various people, such as Marcus, Lou, and even her phone conversations with Marty, she had written down the content, sometimes the exact words, which had been spoken between them. Her effort to avoid forgetfulness was a valient one, and Howie was thankful for this habit of hers, as he poured over the accounts of her meetings. Again, he expirianced that “itching” sensation at the back of his mind, but could not pinpoint what was bothering him. Finally, he gave up, just as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. He glanced at the clock. It read 3:12am.
*****
“Denise!” Howie whispered fiercely. The woman turned around, with a smile.
“What can I do for you Howie?” she asked cheerfully.
“Coffee again?”
“You know it! Now, you wanted.......”
“Can I talk to you over here for a minute?” he inquired, pulling Denise away from the Backstreet Family which were all milling around the front desk, waiting for their room assignments from Denise. She shot Howie an odd look as he pulled her behind a large plant.
“What’s up?”
“I need you to arrange something for me.” he continued in a whisper. “Can you.....not get Mackenzie a room?” he asked.
“What?!” Denise’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. Howie sighed.
“I want to share a room with her, ok?”
“Does she know?” Denise asked in amusment.
“Yes! She knows!” Howie hissed, insulted at what she was insinuating.
“Sheesh! Calm down, Howard. I was joking. I didn’t know things were like that between you two. And yes, I can ‘not get Mackenzie a room’ as you so eloquently put it.”
“Thanks.” Howie sighed. She handed him his room key, then walked off without another word to hand each of the other Boys their own key cards.
Howie strode over to where Micki was leaned against the wall, her eyes shut, waiting to recieve her assignment from Denise. “Hey, you.” he called softly, “Come on.” he invited, tugging her hand.
“Where are we going? Howie, I need to get my room card!” she exclaimed. He turned to face her, and met her slightly irritated eyes.
“You’re cute when you’re annoyed.” he grinned, then sobered. “I already have our key card.” he announced. Her eyes widened.
“You didn’t.”
Howie hesitated. “I did, but if you want, I can get a different room for you.” he said in a rush, thinking he had made a mistake.
“NO! I...no. This is great.” she assured him. He grinned.
“Come on, then!”
*****
“Doesn’t this bug you, Mackenzie?”
“Doesn’t what bug me?”
“All of this.” Howie swept his hand around the bed, encompassing the information he had laid out methodically, and had been analyzing since they had entered their room, a half an hour ago. Mackenzie grabbed a hair tie off of the counter in the bathroom, and came to stand in the doorway. She pulled her hair back.
“I still don’t understand.” she frowned. He sighed.
“I mean, doesn’t it bother you that all of this fits together a little too easily without really.....well, fitting together?”
“How do you mean? I thought this was good.” she too, gestured toward the stacks of paper and evidence.
“It is good.....but something keeps bothering me, and I can’t put my finger on it.” Howie paused. “You know how you told me a while ago that you had suspicions that someone inside your father’s company had something to do with this whole mess?”
“Yes......” Mackenzie answered hesitantly.
“I get the feeling that MAD_MARVIN’s profile is just too squeaky clean cut for what we’re looking for. It’s so....perfect, it can’t be real. Think about it. The legal documents had to be arranged systematically, and with facts that only someone close to your father would have known. If they had been poor forgeries, the changeover would have never happened. The laywers and judges working on your parent’s case would have caught it.” he paused, then asked, “Who worked closely with your father?”
Mackenzie smiled slightly. “My father treated his corporation like a family. He conversed with everyone, right down to the technicians that put the computer software together. I remember being amazed because he always greeted every employee by name, and went so far as to ask them personal questions. You know- ‘how’s the wife, family, baby.’ That sort of thing. He was such an open person and was so trusting of those around him, he probably had twenty people with whom he worked closely.” she sighed. Howie rubbed his eyes tiredly.
“Ok.....Let’s put it a different way. Who did your father work closely enough with, that they knew the status of the corporation.”
“Well, his secretary, Regine; Rob, the financial advisor; and Curt, the personel manager. There was also Marty and Lou, of course.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. Focus on Regine, Rob, and Curt. Do you have any idea where they are now?” Howie gently grilled Mackenzie. He could tell that she was exhausted, as was he, but it seemed as if they had very little time. Something inside of him, was telling him to get the facts out in the open as soon as possible.
“I have no idea.” her shoulders slumped in defeat.
“That’s ok. Dont worry, we’ll find out where they are and question them. We’ll research your father’s close advisors, the same way we’ve located all the other information we’ve needed. Micki......do you have any idea who your father knew that could have..........”
“Sold my him out?” she offered.
Howie nodded. “Business IS business.” he said quietly. Mackenzie thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“You’re right. When you put it like that, I suppose any of them could have.”she replied. They were silent for a moment.
“If you got a hold of a corporation by illegal means, where would you go?” Howie pondered.
“Anywhere no one would expect me to be.” she hazarded. Howie nodded.
“Exactly.”
*****
Pacing was becoming his forte. The man stopped abruptly, midstep, and emitted a deep growl of frusteration. The girl kept getting closer and closer. The shroud of annonymity that the man had painstakingly built around himself was quickly becoming unraveled. The one solution that kept popping up in his mind, made him falter. Why did he hesitate to kill her? Nothing so low as ethics nor morality had ever kept the man from killing before. To get to the top, one had to compromise such sentiments. The desire to remain in his powerful position knawed at the man’s stomach and clawed at his mind. The girl was a compromise to that power. Had long had he worked, how many lives had he taken, and how many people had he ruthlessly used to get to where he was now? The man had lost count, but knew that the numbers would probably shock the average Joe.
The man resumed his pacing, thoughts swirling. Murder was beginning to become an unpleasant task. He would normally hire it done, but with this delicate situation, it was better to see to it himself. Unwittingly, she continued to provide him with the very information that would most likely kill her.
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