Enemies

Everything was planned meticulous and then this!

Normally Aurelio Stansfield would have had the night shift. He was sick and didn't work.

Carmine de Anda - not his real name - had chosen the night specifically, because he knew Aurelio Stansfield pretty well and thought when all the electricity, CCTV and telephone lines were cut, Aurelio would call the police by cell phone, but stay put in the security office, giving him and a friend enough time to plunder the warehouse.

Carmine was about to join his accomplice, when he noticed a shadowy figure heading towards the storage units of the warehouse. It was Carmine's arch enemy Coldham Fintan Noose III, the new head of security.

Carmine had to stop Coldham at all costs. Coldham had proofed to be a worthy enemy and crossed some of Carmine's schemes. Besides Coldham would be able to identify his accomplice and Carmine couldn't afford that. It would be only a question of time before his friend was talking and Carmine's own identity would be known.

Carmine held an iron bar already in his hands. He was originally planning to use it to help lift a few items they wanted to steal. It was the perfect weapon. Carmine edged silently closer to Coldham. He went unnoticed and managed to crash the bar over Coldham's head, who crumpled immediately to the floor like a felled tree. Carmine thought that wasn't enough. He wanted to do as much damage as possible, fuelled by his thirst for revenge and to keep Coldham as long as possible away from his job. Carmine smashed the iron bar down on Coldham's left leg. It made a crunching sound. A kick to the Chief Security Officer was even more satisfying. Carmine heard police car sirens, so he stopped, otherwise he would have had a bit more fun. He stepped over Coldham's prone body and helped Leander Miller, the Sourcing Manager of the company, grab a few designer pieces. The two retreated in the nick of time through the back, while the police force entered the building through the main entrance.

Carmine de Anda visited Coldham in hospital. It would have been odd, if he hadn't done so in his capacity at the company. Of course he pretended to be concerned about a valuable employee of Foreman Scandinavia Import and outraged what had happened to Mr. Noose. Inwardly he was gloating, but not for long. Coldham might had a concussion, a broken leg and ribs, but his spirit was undiminished. The attack seemed to have no negative psychological impact. Even though the CSO was kept in hospital for a week and the broken bones kept him at home for a month, he wasn't deterred to work and manage his security team, who rallied around him, from his sick bed. Carmine had hoped with Coldham incaptivated he could break in and steal the more valuable furniture they couldn't take during the failed attempt. Unfortunately security had been beefed up and Carmine didn't dare to repeat the feat.
He was glad Coldham didn't suspect him and trailed another innocent guy, whom Carmine's lover and he had set up.
Carmine decided to wait another few months before he was leaving the company and start his new life with his lover in the Caribbean.

©2014

Dinner

"Did your boss say what we should wear?" Ines Hansen asked her husband Ty. "He said nothing about that. Just that the dinner was going to be a casual affair and nothing too fancy." Ty worked as a security guard at an import company and had a new boss, who had invited all his employees to dinner at his home.
Ty and Ines were in their mid-forties. Ty over towered most people with his 6 ft. 5 in. heavy frame. He loved to eat, especially steak and potatoes. Ines didn't mind Ty's stomach was bulging.
Ines took more care what she looked like and spent a lot of time at the fitness center and used Botox to smooth out her wrinkles. She was reaching up to her husband's chin, had colored red hair and blue eyes.
She was also slightly more ambitious than Ty and had been upset when she heard Michael Kuraite, the head of security had been fired for being unable to solve the thieving happening under his watch at the company, but Ty, who was second in command, had been overlooked for the promotion and instead some unknown young guy had been given the position.
"I wish we could refuse. Did you tell Mr. Noose David is coeleriac?" "Yes, I did. He knew about it and promised to make sure there weren't any gluten in the meal." Having no choice Ines started getting ready to go out.


"Do I really have to go?" Deante McDonnell asked his mother Emily in a whiney tone. She nodded. "It's very important for your father to be in the good books of the new boss." "But what has it to do with me? Can't I simply stay at home? I promise I behave." "No, Deante, Mr. Noose wants to meet the whole family." "But there is nobody my age..." "You heard your mother. Get dressed appropriately and be ready in ten minutes. We don't want to be too late." Deante's father Adrain Bennis ordered, his tone allowing no further protests. Adrain was muscly and strong. He was African American like his wife and son. Emily and Deante were fine boned and light skinned, but not very tall. Deante was thirteen and drove his parents mad, when he proved to be stubborn and wanted to do things his way. Deante believed he was mature and could take care of himself. He wasn't a baby!
Deante knew his parents well enough they weren't going to budge on this one, so before they were shouting at him and threatening to take away privileges, he decided to fight another time.


"But, Dad, I promised Kendall to meet with her at the mall tonight!" Tamika Metz protested. She had been looking forward to the outing. "I know, honey, and I'm really sorry. If you go tonight with us to the dinner, you can go to that party of yours." Tamika thought about it. The high school senior was long legged, blond and had a honey colored teint. Normally her parents didn't allow her to go out during the week, so this was a real sweetener. "Alright." She considered the two or three hours the party was going to last wouldn't kill her. Tamika was also pleased to hear David and Samantha Hansen were invited as well. She wouldn't be too bored then.

Jeana Stansfield was looking forward to the dinner. She liked Adrain Bennis and his family. Ines Hansen was a bit too superficial in her opinion.
Jeana was curious about her husband Aurelio's new boss. She had heard he was her age and seemed to be interested in healthy cooking, which she was too. Jeana's mother had diabetes and her father high blood pressure. Jeana wasn't interested in going the same way, so the dark haired and brown eyed petite beauty, wanted to change her lifestyle. Aurelio, who was bulky and a former college football player, had other ideas. For him salad was rabbit food and refused to eat even a tiny leaf. Jeana thought Mr. Noose was a fresh change of wind and maybe he could influence Aurelio to consider picking up healthier eating habits. Jeana was stupid enough to bring up her concerns and Aurelio should take an example on his new boss. Aurelio reacted hurt and counterattacked. They soon were having a blazing row, causing them to be late and they forgot the chocolates, a gift for their hosts. Both were disappointed, because they had wanted to make a good impression.

When they finally arrived all the others were already there. Jeana was surprised about their hosts. She thought Fin, as Mr. Noose wanted to be called, was good looking, but his wife was plain. Fin was tall and blond with blue grey eyes. She had expected Frieda would have also model looks. She was roughly Jeana's height, black haired and had dark brown eyes.

Ines was wondering how Fin and Frieda could afford a three bed room house with views over Mount Rainier near Washington Park, here in Seattle. The rent and house prices in the area were sky high. Ines assumed the rent was either as high or more as Fin was earning in a year. Maybe Frieda had a high earning job as well. Ines was going to find out.

Deante thought he was going to be bored. As always the older teenagers wanted nothing to do with him. Somehow Deante managed to get seated near Fin. "What would you like to drink?" Frieda asked. The teenagers wanted all Cola. Fin brought in the casserole he had made. Deante was impressed. His father could make fried eggs, but that was it as far as his repertoire went. His mother Emily claimed she could cook, but her meals were always dreadful, either too salty, burned or raw. The family had agreed to have take aways or go out eating. Deante was wondering how Fin managed to cook by himself. Deante felt a bit awestruck and shy in Fin's presence, so he didn't dare asking yet.
Fin gave everyone a generous portion of the lemon chicken bake. There was also a side salad. The guests seemed satisfied. It was moreish and Deante liked that there were a lot of vegetables in it. Deante noticed an immediate difference. Normally his meals made him full and lethargic. Now he wasn't hungry and felt energized. They talked about Deante's favorite subject at school. Fin told him about his own. The guests found out Fin had been a rebellious teenager and had been sent to a military boarding school. He regaled them with a few of his adventures there. Deante liked the idea of sneaking out during the night, going to a party and never getting caught.
The theme changed to fitness and what regimes the adults followed. Fin, for example was running five times a week and trained every day in Tai Chi, while Frieda went to yoga classes and swam regularly. Deante's father and Aurelio were into weight lifting. Sammy had a black belt in Judo. The other women went to the gym regularly.
When Fin's team heard he was practising Tai Chi they thought he was a sissy. Being influenced by their father David and Samantha believed the same. Fin rose in Jeana's and Deante's esteem. Ines had never spent any thought men would be interested in Tai Chi. The rest didn't care.

Ines asked about Frieda's job. Frieda explained she was a house maker. She also said she still breast fed Casey and it was more convenient to stay at home. Most of the guests came to the conclusion Fin was from a well off family, based on what Fin had told them about his upbringing, and that he was supported by his parents. Otherwise his lifestyle wasn't possible. Some of them were a bit jealous and thought about how hard they had to work to achieve where they were.

In the end the guests also met Casey. She was wailing loudly for a few minutes before Fin went to check on her.
Parenting wasn't easy and the Bennis' and Hansens believed to let the baby cry until it stopped by her/himself. The Metzs had a different approach. They had always reacted to Tamika's crying. In each parents' opinion the Nooses were treating the issue wrongly. They reacted too slow or too fast.

Fin and his daughter were back in time for dessert. At first Casey was a bit shy. Casey took a bite from Ty's passion fruit and orange jelly and smiled broadly. After playing peek a boo with Tamika for a while she got cranky and Frieda brought her back to bed.

Deante had been struggling with his own shyness, but overcame it and asked Fin to teach him to cook. Fin agreed. He was only surprised Deante wanted to start the next day. It wasn't an issue for him. Emily gave her permission.

The evening came to an end and everyone left, but before there was some added drama. Sammy had a bit too much to drink and thought he should test if Tai Chi was really good to defend oneself from an attack. Fin blocked a Te-waza - a hand technique in Judo to force an opponent to the ground - from Sammy. For a moment everyone thought there was going to be a fight between Sammy and his boss. Instead Fin threatened to make sure Sammy was fired and that he would drag him before court if Sammy ever tried to attack him again. It brought an abrupt end to a pleasant meal. Tamika was mortified. Josefina did the right thing and apologized immediately.  Fin accepted and seemed calm about the whole affair. Josefina and Tamika bundled Sammy into their car and left.
The
 others didn't know exactly what to do or to say. Ty, being Sammy's best friend, looked for an excuse. "I think Sammy had simply too much to drink. He didn't mean it..." Seeing Fin's eyes flickering dangerously, Ty trailed off. "Can we change the subject?" Fin's voice was surprisingly gentle. Ines thanked Fin and Frieda for the dinner and complimented the flavors of the casserole. Emily and Jeana agreed and shuffled with their feet. The atmosphere was tense. Deante suddenly didn't want to have cooking classes from Fin. He feared him a bit and wouldn't dare messing around. Finally after the silence was too awkward the guests said good bye and left.

©2014

Break in

This story is inspired by an article I read about a blood soaked cloth - the blood was from Pope John Paul II - that was stolen from a church.

The only real person in "The Break in" is Pope Sixtus IV. There are rumors he was gay and had sex with attractive looking young men including his own nephew, who all profited by receiving benefits, like being made cardinal. 
The one night stand is fictitious as are the villages of Santa Trinita (named after Santa Trinita Bridge in Florence, Italy) and Villa Mattani, the church of San Michele and the Trattoria Capetta.

L'Aquina is the capital of the Abruzzo region.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Prologue

"I need to have it!" Cagney Brasileiro said fervently. His grey eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Make sure, I'll get it." He ordered his right hand man Lyn Rodriguez. They had worked together for around twenty years. Lyn sighed. His go to person, who took care of his boss' special requests, had recently died. Lyn needed to find someone else. He inquired discreetly for suitable candidates. Lyn and a Colombian American called Adam Granato, living in Vancouver, were immediately on the same wave length. They agreed to meet in person to discuss Lyn's little problem.

A few days later Adam touched down in Sao Paulo. He was meeting with Lyn at the Emiliano Hotel for drinks. After hearing what Lyn was looking for, he thought immediately about the right person for the job. He knew only one.


Rome, 1480

Lucio Gianetto picked up the alb. It felt cool and soft under his touch. Smelling it woke memories of entangled limbs, salty skin and soft kisses. The boy was slender, dark haired and had deep brown eyes. He was daydreaming and still cradling the alb, when His Holiness entered the room. It was lavishly decorated and had high ceilings with views over the roofs of Rome.
His Holiness had a sharp, beaky nose. He watched Lucio for a while, then walked over to him and kissed Lucio on the cheek. His stubbles scratched a bit. "You seem to like the alb." His Holiness said. After a moment’s hesitation the pope added: "Keep it as a memento of our night together." Before getting rid of Lucio the pope also threw a few coins into Lucio's lap. Sad Lucio got dressed and left the Papal palace, never to return.

Present day

Coldham Fintan Noose III was hit by the heat. He had arrived from Miami via London in Rome. He was tall, light ash blond and had blue grey eyes. His destination wasn't Rome, but he broke off the journey and stayed a night at the Eden.

Coldham Fintan Noose III spoke fluently Italian with an accent that was difficult to place.
He didn't like being called by his first name and was nick named Fin.

The next morning he rented a car to travel to Santa Trinita, a small village in the Abruzzi.
Fin had a certain target in mind. He checked into a B&B. When he showed his passport the female receptionist was delighted. "Oh, you are American! We have your sort very rarely here." She exclaimed. Fin didn't know if this was a good sign. The lady was nosy. "What is the reason for your stay?" "I'm here for your fabulous cuisine, especially the maccheroni alla chitarra and scrippelle 'mbusse." "That's true. We have the best cuisine in Italy. You should go to Trattoria Capetta. They serve the finest maccheroni in town." "Thanks for the recommendation. I will try it out."
The room was basic, but comfortable and airy. Fin napped for a few hours in the afternoon. On the way to the trattoria Fin checked out the building he was after. The security was low key and getting into it wasn't going to be a great issue.
Being hungry he tried the maccheroni (guitar pasta in spicy tomato sauce). It was delicious with simple, fresh ingredients. The owner was very proud of the dish, telling Fin the vegetables came from his brother's organic farm and the pasta was made in house daily. Having found a foreigner, who appreciated his wife's cooking, the owner decided to stuff his guest. The next course was crepes in chicken broth, also known as scrippelle 'mbusse. "Why don't you try the chicken? It's really good." Fin agreed. It had been roasted with peppers and onions. Fin loved the flavours. He refused the wine - not only because he had to drive the next morning. Fin wanted a clear head for his adventure during the night. The main course was followed by local cheese, a slice of almond cake and espresso. Fin was very full and thought he could never move again. Of course he managed to get up.

When everyone slept, Fin sneaked out of the B&B. It was a moonless night. He went to the old, crumbling house on Via L'Aquina. Fin used the back entrance. He had a torch and a few tools with him. Opening the door was child's play. Fin soon realized he had come too late. The complete content of the building had been removed. He wasn't upset, since he had a clue where to look next.

He called from his room. It was only early evening in Vancouver. Adam Granato picked up nearly immediately. "Hey, Adam, the house is empty. Could you do me a favour and send me the will? It should state who was receiving Pope Sixtus IV's alb." "No problem. Consider it done." Adam was good to his word. He had scanned in the document and sent it via email only six minutes later. Fin liked his new middle man. Dealing with Adam was much more pleasant than with his predecessor Damien.
Reading the will of Esposito Gianetto Fin found out the Pope's tunic had been given to a church called San Michele in a neighbour village. Based on that information Fin decided to stay a couple of nights more.

Beata, the receptionist, was delighted Fin liked the food so much he decided to extend his stay. He asked her what Villa Mattani had to offer. She suggested a few things he could explore and where to eat. One of the "must sees" was the Baroque church San Michele.

Fin pretended to be sightseeing and also ventured to the church. He tried to figure out where the community would keep such an important inheritance. The will had been only recently read, so there was a chance that no decision had been made what to do with the alb or it might was still with the lawyer, who was responsible to enforce the will.

As luck was having it Fin arrived just in time to see a group of older women surrounding a middle aged priest, bent over something, excited and curious. The priest told his congregation they were very lucky and that he would keep the alb securely in sacristy's safe. Fin pretended to be interested in the architecture and paintings of San Michele, but listened in carefully. It was easy to make out where the sacristy was and also to check what kind of security was in place. Gaining access required a bit more skill. Fin withdrew to the next bar to work out a plan. The entrance to the sacristy was walled in - only one way to get in or out. It could work to Fin's advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation. At least it made detection of him more difficult during night. There was no CCTV, so that was good. Fin decided to break in within the next few days as long as there was New Moon.

"I'm looking for a night club." Fin told Beata, who liked the American. She advised him with a smile and they flirted a bit. It didn't matter Beata had a boyfriend or Fin was married.
The night club was Fin's cover, spending a few hours there, before going to the church. The gate leading to the sacristy had been locked, so Fin used his lock pick to open it. He did the same with the sacristy door. Each lock didn't keep Fin longer than a few minutes. He only used a torch to search for the safe. Locating it, Fin paused to find a solution how to break into the safe. It was an old one, so Fin used a stethoscope. It was tricky, but in the end Fin had the code broken. The alb was there. Fin took the whole content of the safe. He didn't want to make it too obvious what he had been looking for. Suddenly Fin heard someone approaching on the gravel outside the sacristy. Fin grabbed all his things and tested the door leading to the church. It was open. Fin went through. His heart was racing. He was thinking furiously what to do next. Fin found a hiding space, going up the stairs to the organ. It gave him an overview of the church. Fin switched off the torch. Fin's eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. He knelt in the front pew; his eyes barely looking over the barrier. The door opened and someone used a torch; passing the light beam across the church. Fin ducked and held his breath. There were steps walking towards the entrance of the building. Fin heard the big gate rattling. The steps returned and stopped at the stair case. Fin swore silently. He didn't dare to move and hoped the person wasn't going up. He was unlucky, so Fin had to find a better hiding place. He stepped as quietly as possible behind the one end of the organ that wasn't facing the stairs. He prayed whoever was searching wasn't going to be very thorough. If not he would use the surprise momentum, tackle the stranger and throw him over the balustrade. Fin didn't like violence or killing someone, but he couldn't afford to be identified or caught. The steps approached and the torch lit up Fin. He was ready to action his plan, but stopped in his tracks. A second person called from the ground: "Hey, Charles, did you find any intruder?" Charles Harold Fox, another burglar and familiar with Fin, but not exactly a friend, replied immediately. "No. There's nobody. Damn, we have missed the chance to steal the alb!" "Ah, don't take it too hard. There are going to be other jobs. Are you coming down?" "Sure." Charles had turned and was about to leave. Fin whispered: "Meet me at Trattoria Capetta at noon." Charles didn't react.

Fin arrived a few minutes early and chose a seat on the terrace, so Charles hadn't problems spotting him. Massimiliano, the owner of the trattoria, was surprised by Fin's new seating arrangement. He normally preferred a table indoors. The unasked question was answered when a slight built man with green grey eyes and light brown hair in his thirties joined Fin. Massimiliano didn't speak English, but the body language of both his customer's was tense. "Don't you have some goods to deliver?" Charles asked. "It has a bit time." Fin replied. "Why have you invited me?" Charles' voice was harsh. "To gloat?" Fin shook his head. "No. First of all thanks for not letting on to your partner that I was there and second not trying to take the clothing from me." "I might not like you, but I'm a gentleman and follow the code." Fin's mouth quirked upwards. The feeling was mutual. They respected each other and that was what counted. "Yeah, I know. Come, sit down, have lunch on me and I have a proposal to make." When the two men seemed more relaxed, Massimiliano approached. Fin ordered a Garibaldi and Charles an Americano as Aperitivo. They shared an Antipasti platter and followed Massimiliano's advise to have the polenta with spicy sausage sauce. When the food arrived, Fin asked: "What about if I give you twenty percent of my earnings from this job? I'm indebted to you..." "Shove the money up your ass!" Fin wasn't too happy about Charles outburst. Fin had under estimated Charles' pride and was about to apologize when Charles continued: "You don't owe me anything, Coldham Fintan. When you found and kept my daughter save, I was indebted to you, that's settled now. Okay?" Fin nodded. "Alright. How is your family?" Charles glared at Fin. He had two daughters and two sons. The last thing on Charles' mind was discussing them with his biggest competitor. He was short. "Good. I've heard you have married your Latina... Congratulations." Fin knew Charles tried to aggravate
him and remembered Fin's wife's name. He didn't react - at least not as Charles expected him to. "Thanks. We have now a year old daughter. Her name is Casey." Against Charles' will his ears pricked. "What is she like?" He asked interested. "She looks like Frieda and takes after me character wise. She's a bit shy, but intelligent." Charles snorted. "Doesn't every dad believe their child is the cutest and most intelligent?" Fin laughed. "True." He admitted. "Please indulge me and have a look at a photo of hers." "Just one?" Charles asked. "Just one - I don't carry an album with me." Fin reassured Charles. Fin handed Charles the photograph. Charles had to agree. Casey looked very much like Frieda. Massimiliano had hovered in the back ground and now also commented: "Hai una bellissima figlia." Fin thanked the trattoria's owner. Massimiliano thought Casey was beautiful. After lunch Fin and Charles went separate ways.

There wasn't much left to do for Fin. He packed and told Beata he was leaving the next morning. She was sad.
Fin booked a flight from Rome to Sao Paulo to deliver the stolen item. At the airport he changed into a cassock. Fin was prepared in case customs wanted to check his luggage. His suitcase was packed with albs and cassocks. Everything went smoothly and Fin was treated with reverence.

When Fin met Lyn Rodriguez at the bar of the Fasano Hotel he was dressed in his normal outfit - Armani from head to toe and completely in black.
Lyn had been impressed. It hadn't taken more than a months from contacting Adam to holding Mr. Brasileiro's alb in hand. He was going to continue doing business with Adam Granato.

Cagney Brasileiro was happy as a child when he finally received Pope Sixtus IV's alb. He added it to his vast collection of Pope Memorabilia, some of the items were legitimate acquired, others not.

© 2014

Just confirming

This story picks up where "Just checking" left. If you want to what was stolen and who was Mr. Noose's client, please read "The Heirloom".

When Patsy Loesing had checked out her new driver, she found some inconsistencies and further investigations revealed he owned a security company. Mrs. Patsy assumed the driver had been engaged by her son Kenneth to protect the family from a threat, like a kidnapping or assassination.
She wanted it confirmed, but didn't dare broaching the subject directly. Kenneth had returned from a vacation with his family, so she thought talking about him now.
Kenneth was sitting at the breakfast table with his wife Anna and his older sons Wylie and Johnny. When the kids were gone and Anna busy with filling the dishwasher, Mrs. Patsy took her chances. Filling her cup with coffee, Mrs. Patsy asked: "Are we in danger, Kenny?" Kenneth looked up and frowned. "Not more than usual." Mrs. Patsy interpreted Kenneth's comment as confirmation that there was a threat to the family and Mr. Noose, the driver, was there to look out for them.
It came as no surprise when the driver left shortly afterwards. It was a relief to know the issue had gone away.

Mrs. Patsy never found out the driver wasn't there to protect the family. He was a cat burglar and on his own mission. When he had stolen, what he was looking for, he left.

©2013

Just Checking

Fin is planning a new heist and is incognito working as a driver.

Patsy Loesing was intrigued by the new driver. She had tried to find out more about him by asking him questions, but he was a bit evasive, so to get a feeling about his character, she decided to "borrow" the spare keys for the old carriage house, where all their drivers had lived and the new one wasn't an exception.
She asked Kris, the gardener, to drive her to the driver's accommodation. Since he was as curious about the new guy as Patsy was, he was a suitable accomplice.
Patsy knew Coldham F. Noose III wasn't at home, because he was on an errand that should take a while.
The house was small. There was a hallway with doors leading off to different rooms. Patsy chose the kitchen first.
The new driver kept the kitchen immaculately clean. On the rustic table lay a mobile phone. She checked the brand and hadn't expected to find a VERTU phone. She switched it on, but didn't get much further, because it was protected by a password. Disappointed she switched it off again. The fridge contained sushi, yogurt, milk, cheese and fresh juice. The pantry was a big surprise too. It was stuffed with fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and vinegars, soy sauce and other high quality ingredients. Most came from the local farmers market, the best delicatessen in town or Whole Foods Market. Patsy found out that Mr. Noose liked organic produce. The freezer was minimal stocked with luxury ice cream and sorbets. The cupboards revealed spices, herbs, Ethiopian and Colombian coffee, Assam, fruit and Japanese green teas. There was also a wok - unbranded. It looked old and well used and was sturdy. The pans, pots and kitchen knifes were all professional grade and very expensive. Patsy couldn't identify the cutlery, but was sure it was branded like the Rosenthal plates, bowls and mugs.
There was also a Radio/CD player on one of the shelves. The radio was tuned to a local pop channel. There was also a CD in the player. It was an album from Bobby Darin. Again Patsy hadn't expected Mr. Noose would know the singer and song writer. Bobby Darin had died before Mr. Noose had been born.

In the living room Kris found a small collection of Jazz, Swing and Pop CD's. He recognized the usual suspects like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. He had never heard of David Benoit, Paul Hardcastle, Phil Perry or Madeleine Peyroux.
Kris realized he and Coldham had totally different tastes. Kris liked Country music and the Beatles. Coldham had a few albums from the Rolling Stones and Queen.
There were photographs as well. One was showing Coldham having his arms draped around two ancient Asian ladies. Another one had captured a young Hispanic girl, looking like she was far, far away in her thoughts. She was attractive. Kris knew Coldham had a girl friend so maybe that was her. In another was a group of young people. The majority was white, but three of them were African American. One lady was especially sticking out, because she had huge breasts. The last photograph depicted a portrait in black and white of an older gentleman and his dog, a Yorkshire Terrier.  It was difficult for Kris to figure out where the Asian ladies fit in. The group was most likely Coldham's friends and the older man either his father or grandfather. Kris thought he saw some similarities.

Patsy and Kris met in the hallway. They compared what they had found out. Patsy moved on to the bath room. Kris wanted to have a look at the kitchen himself.
Patsy's eyes popped out. She had never seen so many male grooming products before. There was a whole set of Aramis face wash, scrub, toner, facial cream with SPF factor, shaving cream, aftershave and shaving oil. There was another set from Kiehl's in the drawer, two facial masks, besides Sisley's Ecological Compound and three bottles of perfume.
The toothpaste and cream was fairly normal. The hand soap smelled very good. Patsy couldn't identify what brand it was.
Coldham seemed also to have a preference for bath salts over gel. In the shower stall was a bottle of Frederic Fekkai shampoo and an Armani body wash.
Patsy's husband Baxter had been a men’s man and believed in soap and water. He would have believed Coldham was a sissy based on the bath room amenities.
Patsy wasn't so sure, if the new driver was straight.

After Kris had satisfied his curiosity in the kitchen, he also checked out the bathroom.

Patsy had moved on to Coldham's bedroom. A laptop was resting on the writing desk. It was from Alienware, a very rare and expensive company.

Beside the bed was a stack of books. Some were technology and security related, others were biographies. There was also a small collection of poetry, a book about Ethiopian fables and some foreign language books. Patsy thought one was in Chinese or maybe Japanese, the other one was Spanish or Italian.
The wardrobe contained clothing Patsy had seen Coldham wearing while on the job. The other third was clothing he wore in his free time, the last was completely Armani. If it would have been some t-shirts and pants from Emporio Armani, Patsy would have understood, but this was from the main line Giorgio Armani and something a normal driver could never afford.
She also found a box that was normally used to store expensive watches on the top shelf of the wardrobe. Baxter had owned a few Tag Heuer and Breitling watches, so Patsy knew how they were stored. Her eyes popped nearly out, when she saw a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000, valued at around 10.000 USD. It was normally used by divers, and made famous thanks to a James Bond movie. The second watch was Ulysse Nardin Freak Blue Phantom and cost nearly ten times as much as the Rolex. It had come out only the previous year. Something was definitely wrong with Mr. Noose. He wasn't simply a driver.

Patsy asked Kris not to mention anything to Mr. Noose. She was going to investigate. Based on the Social Security Number she was able to gather some information and found out Mr. Noose owned a security company, specializing in protecting goods and people. He was very successful. Tax filings showed since founding the company his earnings had climbed steadily, and profits had been 35 Million USD the previous year.
Patsy guessed her son Kenneth had engaged Mr. Noose to protect the family from a threat, so she kept quiet.

©2013