Alexander by Kathi S. Barton Page B

What did she say when you asked her about it?” Wills, ever practical.
    “ She said that she knew I’d talked to her mother and that since I’d come to my own conclusions about her, she might as well take advantage of it. And before you ask, yes, I did talk to her.”
    When he didn’t continue, Edgar looked at him. “And?”
    “ And…and…I’m not sure. I think I believe her. I mean, all the things point to what she’s saying, but I just don’t know.”
    “ Oh for heaven’s sake, Alexander, what things? What is this woman saying about her own daughter?”
    Alex sat down before answering his mom. “That Heather seduced her step-father into her bed and got pregnant to break up their marriage.”
    ~~~
    Mik looked at the pictures before him. They showed Alexander James with a kid. He didn’t have any idea who the kid was, nor did he give a tinker’s damn, but he filed away the information for use later. He wanted Alexander.
    Brick had been useful, but not what Mik had wanted. When he had perused the company to help him with his “problem,” he’d wanted them both. What he’d gotten was the brawn not the brain. Brick had been good, just not good enough. So Mik had had to let him go.
    He smiled when he’d thought of the man and his wife. So stupid and so very trusting. Mik hadn’t wanted to hurt the woman, but sometimes one had to go the extra mile in order to get better results.
    “ What do we know of Alexander now? Is he ready to open another company? Or is he still trying to be retired?” Mik looked up at his man when he didn’t answer right away. “Well?”
    “ He’s bought himself into a bakery—House of Aromas. He and his new partner have started on the renovations into the building already. He has some property, a house that he’s also having some work done on.”
    “ But? What are you not telling me? I know there has to be something along the lines of computer somewhere. The man is just too good not to want to play some.” Mik wanted him to open another company, something he could get into. Something, Mik hoped, he could use against the man.
    “ Nothing so far. I have been watching him at the coffee shop, keeping an eye on what he’s into there. He has a good security system on his Internet access so it’s taking me awhile to break into his computer, but I will.” David was his best computer expert and if he was having issues, he knew it had to be good. But there was more.
    “ Are you going to tell me what else or do I need to keep guessing? If I have to keep guessing…” Mik pulled out his gun and laid it on the desk. “I’m going to start shooting something. Or…someone.”
    David pulled at his collar. He was sweating now, Mik could see, and sweating a great deal.
    “ I think I may have been made. Mr. James, he saw me. Him and that brat, they saw me hanging around the bakery. Then there was…I’m sure they saw me snapping the pictures of him.”
    Mik picked up the gun and fired. David was dead before he hit the floor. Mik looked at the two men at the door. Neither of them turned around when the shot had been fired and he smiled at that. No one would say a word either. He knew as well as they did that he’d kill them if they did.
    “ You, by the door. What’s your name?” He needed a replacement and it was as good a time as any to get one.
    “ Jimmy Dugan, sir. And this here is Danny Dugan, my brother.” The man looked over at his brother. “We can…you want so we can get rid of the body for you?”
    Ah , Mik thought, an intellect. “ Yes. Then I need you to go and see what you can find out about Alexander James and the brat. I want everything you can find including if there are any women in his life. Don’t disappoint me or you’ll find yourself in the same place David here is.”
    Both men looked down at the dead man and shuddered. Good, that’s what he wanted, fear and a little terror. He wanted them to get him what he wanted.
    Alexander was the man to get. Mik