Just Playing Detective

Nine year old Javier Loesing stared at his parent's guest. Allman Gregory Noose was nearly peeing in his pants because a bee was circling around the dinner table. Javier realized then it must be their former driver Coldham Fintan Noose III, the twin brother of Allman. While Allman didn't have fear of bees Coldham did. That didn't make sense, though, because Allman was married to Frieda and she was here. Javier was confused. Was Frieda also a twin? He was going to test them. Innocently Javier asked when the Nooses would reciprocate the invitation to dinner. For a moment Javier thought Allman or Coldham was angry with him. The impression was gone within seconds, so Javier wasn't sure. Frieda smiled at him and agreed it was no problem. Javier's parents and Frieda set a date. The mystery didn't leave Javier alone, though. He decided to investigate himself.

At the first chance Javier went online.
He googled Allman and Coldham. There was no information at all about Coldham, but plenty of photographs of Allman and a CV. The similarities between the brothers was stunning. Unfortunately the CV didn't mention if Allman had any siblings. Something didn't add up, though, because he knew Coldham had grown up in Miami, but Allman had lived most of his life in the North East of the US. Javier was stuck and looked for inspiration.

A few days later Javier talked with his oldest brother Wylie and how he would go about investigating people. Wylie mentioned their father used different search programs.
Javier worked out how to get access to them.

Interesting enough Javier found out Coldham wasn't a driver. He owned a security company, which made good profits. He was married to Frieda and lived in Miami with their daughter Casey.

Allman on the other hand was a psychiatrist and lived currently in California. He was happily married to Jennifer, a landscape gardener.

Javier noticed also that Allman was around one and a half years older than Coldham. Ergo they weren't twins.

Further digging revealed Allman was an only child, while Coldham had a younger brother Holiday Michael.

Javier combined some things Coldham had been telling them were true, but also that he had been lying in regards to others

Javier was sure now the person, who had been there for dinner and whom they had encountered on a Scotland vacation a few years earlier had been all along Coldham.

Javier felt betrayed. They had been very close when Coldham had worked as the family's driver. After Coldham had left them, they had lost contact.

Javier called the real Allman. Coldham and he might looked the same, but the voices were totally different. Allman's was high pitched, while Coldham's was deeper.

Javier managed to get Allman to talk about his dissertation and the newest project he was working on amongst other things.

Javier collected all the evidence and was going to show it to the whole family during dinner at the Noose's home.


©2014

Just lying

This story  builds on Drivers, The Heirloom, Just checking, Just confirming, Talk inside the shed and Talk outside the shed.

Patsy Loesing was expecting new guests. Her son Kenneth had told her one of them was the brother of their former driver Coldham Fintan Noose III. Anna, Kenneth's wife, and Kenneth had met Allman Gregory Noose and his wife Frieda at a hotel in Scotland on a vacation two years earlier.  Now Allman, a psychiatrist, and Frieda were living in Seattle. The Loesings had a vacation home in Des Moines with direct access to the beach.

When Patsy entered the sitting room, which was furnished in a mix of contemporary and classic style, she was perplexed. The person, claiming to be Allman, was definitely Coldham Fintan. Patsy was sure of this.
She knew more about Coldham than she let on. Coldham had behaved too unusual for an average driver and had been secretive. Patsy's suspicion had been roused and she went to check out Coldham's living quarters. What she found there convinced her he wasn't what he claimed to be. A thorough investigation revealed Coldham owned a security company. Patsy combined he was there to protect the family and when she checked with Kenneth, he confirmed it. Patsy was wondering why Kenneth thought Coldham was Allman. She didn't blow Coldham's cover, but was about to say it was interesting how successful all the brothers were, when Frieda upended her glass into Patsy's lap. Patsy's gut feeling told her Frieda hadn't been clumsy and done it on purpose, even though she looked totally abashed and apologized immediately. It seemed genuine. Patsy went to change her clothing and was followed by Frieda.
Patsy was straight. "What do you have to hide?" "I didn't want you to unmask Fin." "What? Kenneth didn't engage Fin?!" "No, Burt Lewis, Tianna Loesing's son, had heard through the grape vine that Averall Loesing planned an attack against you. There were rumours he wanted to kidnap a family member. Officially Burt stayed neutral, but asked Fin to look out for you. He worked as your driver as long as there was a threat. Kenneth didn't know what Fin's real job was. Burt asked for secrecy, so Fin has taken on the identity of his second cousin Allman, who's really a psychiatrist. We would appreciate if you could keep quiet about the situation." It made sense. The Wallenstein branch of the Loesings had been always trouble makers, ruining even Patsy's wedding day. Patsy was glad she now knew the truth and promised to keep her mouth shut. Little did she know...

©2014

Drivers

If you are interested what Mr. Noose's intentions are, please read "The Heirloom". Other stories relating to this are "Chastity and the Stairmaster", "Bragging Rights","Talk inside the shed", "Talk outside the shed", "Just checking" and "Just confirming".


The slapping sound seemed unnaturally loud in the confines of the car. Harvey Thompson was immediately sorry the moment he hit Johnny Loesing.
Normally Harvey didn't lose his temper and was an excellent asset to the limousine rental company he worked for.
The Loesing children were a nightmare, though, and meant nothing but trouble since the beginning. They were rude, late, told lies and treated Harvey with disdain. They had spread honey in his shoes and used the car as their personal trash can, causing additional work for Harvey, who was responsible for the cleanliness of the Bentley.
Harvey had been warned by his colleagues, who had for some time also worked for the Loesing's since the original driver retired. Of course he didn't believe them. The kids couldn't be such monsters as they were described to him. Unfortunately the others were right. Harvey saw his job disappear.

The car had barely stopped, when Johnny opened the door and ran into the house. His father had arrived earlier that day from a business trip and hadn't gone back straight to his office. Harvey could imagine what was going to happen in the next few minutes. It didn't take long and Mr. Loesing asked him to come to his home office. Harvey's boss Stephen Charlton was on the phone and the loud speakers were on. Kenneth Loesing was in his late fifties, bald and had blue eyes. He sat fairly erect in his executive chair. He had a craggy face and was even more frowning than usual. Kenneth invited Harvey to take a seat. "Can you please explain why you slapped my son Johnny?" Kenneth was keeping his temper in check. Knowing his sons, he assumed they weren't innocent, even though Johnny had cried and claimed he hadn't done anything. Since Wylie, Johnny and Javier had managed to get rid of nine other drivers, he didn't believe them. Kenneth didn't know with whom he was more angry: His sons or Harvey.
Wylie, Kenneth's thirteen year old son, had most likely encouraged his younger brother to do something stupid. Johnny and Javier were gullible enough to follow his lead.
Kenneth expected his employees were capable and self-controlled. If someone punished his children physically, it was Kenneth himself.
Harvey hadn't said a word yet. "So?" Kenneth inquired. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Loesing. I acted rash and lost my temper. There is no excuse for it. Stephen, I'm quitting." "Now, now, Harvey. Tell me first what Johnny did to earn your wrath." Kenneth soothed. Harvey didn't want to talk about it. His career was over anyway. After a little prodding Harvey told what happened. "We were driving on North St. Augustine Road, when Johnny grabbed the wheel. He wouldn't let go. We nearly ended up in a ditch. I was furious and scared. I over reacted." Kenneth sighed. He couldn't keep the driver, but felt sorry for him. He decided to put in a good word for Harvey, when he spoke with Stephen. "Unfortunately I have to fire you, Harvey. Please leave all the car keys on the desk." "Harvey, I want to discuss the situation with me in the office." Stephen told his employee. Harvey fought with tears. He loved his job and was dependent on it. He thought he would never again drive customers.
While Harvey was on the way to headquarters, Kenneth asked Stephen not to fire Harvey and also advised he wouldn't press charges.

While Stephen was coming down hard on Harvey, but letting him keep the job, Kenneth was still thinking about his own problems. He was fuming. Kenneth knew exactly he wasn't going to find a new driver and that he had to drive himself to work. Mrs. Flo, the house keeper, would have to do the school run. Kenneth went looking for her to discuss the situation. Mrs. Flo, an attractive red head, agreed readily.  The only issue left was Kenneth's mother's mode of transport and dealing with his errand son. Normally Kenneth didn't like asking his wife Anna to take over chores, but there was no help for it. He found her painting in the garden.
With a bit of grumbling she agreed to drive Kenneth's mother. Kenneth promised Anna in return a new jewellery piece from Harry Winston, when they were in New York.
Anna left the discipline of their sons to Kenneth and didn't care especially what Wylie, Johnny and Javier were up to. The apple of her eye was her daughter Adrien.

Kenneth snatched the boys and lectured them. "I know Willie means a lot to you and I understand you want him back as your chauffeur, but he is now over seventy and can't fulfil the job any longer. He has deserved his retirement after serving us for over twenty five years. We might not be able to find a new driver now that you all contributed to us having a very bad reputation. Willie is definitely not returning; no matter what you do. I also can't take you serious anymore, because you promised each time we found a replacement you would behave. I'm very disappointed in all of you!" Calmer Kenneth told Johnny: "Let's go for a walk." Johnny blanched. He wasn't sure if the invite meant they were heading for the shed and he was going to get a spanking or simply a talk. Johnny shrugged. There was only one way to find out. With hanging head Johnny followed his father.

They were walking in the direction of the shed. Johnny swallowed hard. It had been quite a while since his father had bent him over his knees. For a moment Johnny thought about running away. He gave up on the idea quickly. Even if he ran away he would have to scale the wall to get out. And then what?

Kenneth Loesing opened the door, switched on the light and took out the "spanking" chair. "Take a seat." He ordered his son. Johnny was tall for his age and had chestnut hair. His brothers and he had a mix of their parents' facial features and looked similar; only the hair colour was different - ranging from dark brown to dark blond.
Johnny was surprised. Normally his father went straight down to business. He obeyed. "Okay, Johnny. Do you think you deserve that I warm up your bottom for you?" Johnny didn't know what to say. He had done something dangerous and his father reminded him of that. As hard as it was Johnny had to admit it was a spankable offence, so he nodded in agreement and said: "Yes, sir." "I like you are taking responsibility and showing matureness, so I won't spank you this time around, but be warned! If we find a driver and should I ever hear you have misbehaved or mistreated the new employee, you will end up with a smarting behind! Is that understood?" "Yes, sir." "Good. I hope this was the last time I have to discuss this with you. If I have to you are going to be very sorry! You can also tell this your brothers. Now to your punishment. I think a grounding is in order. No TV and no phone for the next two weeks." Johnny wanted to protest, but thought he better shouldn't push his luck.
Kenneth was glad Johnny had reacted mature. He had stopped spanking his two older sons when they reached the age of ten, thinking they were too old for it. Kenneth didn't want to start again, but if the boys were disobeying him after numerous warnings in regards to the driver, he would reconsider. First he had to find one, though.

The next morning Kenneth asked his personal assistant Brian Caspermeyer to advertise state wide for the newly available position. Brian didn't say a word, but Kenneth could read Brian's mind. The PA was wondering how this could have happened again.  Kenneth explained what had happened. Brian saw bleak that Mr. Loesing was finding a new driver.
Nearly six weeks after first placing the position Brian received a call. Someone was interested and offered to send in the CV.

Coldham Fintan Noose III had good credentials and was the only one applying, so he was immediately invited for an interview. Brian thought the driver was gone in two weeks, max.
Kenneth introduced himself and offered Mr. Noose a seat. He was tall, elegantly dressed and had light ash blond hair and blue grey eyes. They went through his resume together. Coldham, as Kenneth called Mr. Noose, had been growing up in Miami, studied for a year Business and Psychology, but dropped out to pursue his Commercial Driver’s License and a training course for limousine drivers. He had worked for two years at a limousine rental company, driving anything from a Cadillac to stretch limousines and a Mercedes S-Class. "What did your clients most appreciate about you?" "My punctuality and reliability. Mr. Sabini, my former boss, can vouch for it." "Why did you change from a rental company to a private household?" "Monday Scannell was a regular customer in Miami. He always asked for me and one day made me a good offer, so I took it. He has a large car collection. I used to drive frequently a classic Porsche, a Lexus Limousine and a BMW 7 series car and many others, depending on his demands." "And why are you interested in this job?" "I've moved here recently. My girlfriend is local. I met her in Houston. She has finished her studies and returned to Dallas, so I wanted to be near her. Working for Mr. Scannell showed me I prefer to work for one person and his family instead of a big company and constantly changing customers." Kenneth explained what duties Mr. Noose would have to carry out. He also tested the driver's skills. Mr. Noose passed. They then discussed benefits, pay, vacations and so on.
When Coldham left Kenneth asked Brian about his opinion. The PA thought Mr. Noose was calm and collected and made overall a good impression. Kenneth asked Brian to do a background check on Mr. Noose and to get the driver's former employers on the phone. If all added up, Mr. Noose was going to get the job. Everything fell into place, so Kenneth asked Brian to give Mr. Noose the good news. He didn't have an idea that the driver wasn't what he claimed to be and that Mr. Noose had his own agenda.

©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