Punishing A Good Deed

By Donald Everetti

“Money, morals, and scruples are what it comes down to; Go figure!” is what James Anthony Fratino tells his wife Annette as the reason to form their own investigation firm, Fratino Investigations, and go after the bad guys that are out to rip-off Jimmy’s place of employment, Seven Rivers Casino for ‘large money,’ as streetwise Jimmy would say.

Jimmy and Annette Fratino live on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, in the city of Port Angeles. Jimmy commutes to the small town of Sequim every day and has skyrocketed his way up from blackjack dealer, to pit boss, and is now being groomed for the next manager’s position by his mentor and rabbi, Big Darryl Galuchia.

With hints at a somewhat colorful past that stretches from coast to coast, Jimmy has a secret; once a year he’s a thief and he has to come clean with Annette when he needs her to help him escape from the closet he’s trapped in. Jimmy overhears part of the bad guy’s plans to electronically steal from his employer and when they put him in the hospital; in a coma along with multiple broken bones, Jimmy’s out for justice in Punishing A Good Deed since no one plays in what Jimmy considers ‘his’ backyard.

What people have been saying...

“From spine chilling entertainment to nail biting suspense, you’ll love this author and won’t be able to get enough of him. The writing is flawless, gripping, and the voice is unique. I can’t wait for another book from this talented author because this was one compelling and exciting read. 5 stars without a doubt!” ~Donna Johnson, a reader

“If you are looking for a good suspenseful mystery, with a touch of romance and with a strongly crafted main character this is the book to choose. James Fratino you need an office now with your name on a frosted glass window.” ~Tessa Stokes, author The Seven Spell Saga and The Ruthin Trilogy

“The novel is well written with lots of humor and human interest, believable characters who appeal despite their failings, and a gripping plot line. Once you start reading this, you won’t want to put it down. Five stars - highly recommended.” ~Alex Le Soum, author of The Kolian Chronicles

“I like a book that can pull me in, a story with well-drawn characters who are very real and with a complex plot and with more than a little humor thrown in for good measure. Everetti’s James Fratino is all this and more. If you get sucked in and find yourself reading into the late hours of the morning, don’t say you haven’t been warned. This book is fantastic and engrossing and very definitely a must read. Everetti most certainly delivers!” ~George Weir, author of The Bill Travis series

“The author really knows his characters and his territory - the Pacific Northwest - and ladles in plenty of humorous observations, while never slowing down the action. Everetti is a dexterous and exceedingly clever wordsmith: “Or maybe I just wasn’t expecting the unexpected when it unexpectedly happened.” Highly recommended.” ~Mia Zabriskie, author of The Disturbing Effect of Moonlight

“The main character is well developed and believable, with a sense of humor that is unexpected. A page-turner from the beginning, with all the thrilling suspense you’ll come to expect and receive throughout the book. A fantastic plot that’s solid. Suspense that grips you and keeps you on the edge of your chair. What more can you ask for?!? I can’t wait for this talented author’s next book because this one was one wild ride! Definitely worth the read and all 5 stars.” ~D. Walsh, a reader

“Donald Everetti's 1st novel in his James Anthony Fratino Series, PUNISHING A GOOD DEED, is a mystery/thriller must read. The mystery plot is good and the suspense doesn’t disappoint. Download this great read now. From beginning to end; you won’t be disappointed. The twists and turns this story takes guarantees a thrilling ride.” ~G. Huckleberry, a reader

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donald Everetti
• Release date: Oct 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466138315

Donald Everetti

I am 59 years old. I live in Port Angeles, WA, on the same Olympic Peninsula where all that Twilight craze has been going on. I am married, have 3 step-children Mikey, Kristie, and Christopher, 1 son-in-law Jake and 1 granddaughter Sophia. We also have 3 'other' kids...Missy a Boston Terrier, Charlie cat the oldest, and Bella the youngest and is Missy's cat. I was born in southern Indiana about thirty miles from the Kentucky Derby, my grandfather and great grandfather used to breed and race the eastern seaboard. We moved to San Diego, California when I was five and that was where I grew up, went to school, and learned about life. I mean all about life. I went to our Peninsula Collage a few years back for a degree in MicroSoft Office Specialist while I worked nights at Seven Cedars Casino where I work as a Pit Boss, or Floor Supervisor, as we call it now. I have fifteen years in the casino business, starting as a blackjack dealer and working my way up. I’m still there and it’s my longest steady job for one employer.

Book preview

(A James Anthony Fratino Series)

By Donald Everetti

Published by Donald Everetti at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Donald Everetti

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

No part of this book may be used or reproduced without the author’s permission and the author claims all rights to this work world wide as permitted by law.

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the author, D. Everetti, and is an infringement of copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locals is entirely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Cover photo by Jim Champion

This book is dedicated to my wife Munkins; what can I say except thank you for believing. Looking for the blue sky, warm sun, and a place to kick back with you, you’re the best!!

With love,

Don

Chapter 1

I’m an idiot. I didn’t mean to be one but sometimes you just do things and the next thing you know you’re saying to yourself, ‘how could I be so stupid!’ God I must be some kind of idiot or just plain idiotic to get myself into this kind of mess. Or maybe I just wasn’t expecting the unexpected when it unexpectedly happened. My hand freezes on the dial and my body tenses. All thoughts of trying to roll in the last number of the combination vanish as my heart rate picks up a couple of notches.

Houston this is Burglar One. Do you copy?

Houston copies Burglar One. Go ahead.

Houston I’m picking up external noises at this time. Can you give me some verification?

Stand by Burglar One.

I stop and listen for a couple of moments before I get up and open the door to Dick’s walk-in closet so I can hear what may be going on downstairs. Concentrating, I close my eyes so I can focus a little bit better. Did I really hear something or am I just imagining it in my mind; which is completely possible with a mind like mine. I faintly hear something and I’m almost certain it’s the garage door. If I wasn’t imagining it the first time, then it means this time the garage door is coming back down, which tells us something we don’t want to recognize is happening. Crap!

Burglar One do you copy?

Yes Houston I copy.

Be advised we’re picking up external noises accompanied with alien life forms.

Okay then Houston where are the escape manuals for this mission?

Burglar One be advised that command felt you could do this mission without one so we left it on the desk. As a matter of fact we’re looking at it right now.

Houston do you think you might be able to read it to me?

Burglar One the escape manual says Run!

Thanks Houston, that’s pretty good advice. I think I’ll take it!

No problem Burglar One, we’re here to help. Thank you for calling.

Houston Control Center, have a nice day!

It’s all about choices; whether good or bad, the ones you make or the people in our lives that we come into contact with make for us. I know all about bad choices and today might be considered a bad choice day. Then there’s the rule thing I have. Rule number one: don’t get caught burglarizing somebody’s house or you will end up eating bad food covered in non-descript bad gravy.

Crap! 30 minutes ago I was sitting in my non-descript Chevy Cavalier, which is painted flat black with black powder coated trim and wheels so it blends in a little bit better with the dark, crappy, wet weather we have here in Western Washington State. I thought it was the right choice to drive it tonight. I thought it would blend in. Small confined areas like the Olympic Peninsula where I live you’ve got to know how to blend in, bullshit in, and be blind to them while you are looking right dead square at them or talking to them. I call those things my three ‘B’s. I thought it was a good choice to move here and be closer to my parents up until about five seconds ago. Now I’m not so sure; Florida looks pretty good again to tell you the truth.

I’m running my version of Danny Ocean on a guy named Dick Jameson, in the mid-level section of Bell Hill. He and his wife Shirley live in an upscale neighborhood where people with big bucks live in quiet, peace, and safety; with alarm systems set, top of line security windows and doors that are locked with fairly good locks for the most part. Dick owns the only high-speed auto parts shop for racing and hot-rodding around here. He’s also a part ‘silent’ owner of the only race track we have here in the greater Port Angeles area. At least that’s the rumor around town and from what I’ve heard Dick say when he comes into the casino. He doesn’t outright deny it; then again, he doesn’t confirm it either.

I figure with all that cash flow there must be some sort of reservoir to hold some of it; like a safe maybe. Safes come in all kinds of assorted shapes, sizes, and models and they’re great for stashing cash in. They can be hid just about anywhere you want or can imagine and the only restriction there is to it is how much money do you want to spend to hide your safe and your money from people like me? I thought it might be a good choice to see if I could drain Dick’s reservoir of some of that cash flow. Right now it doesn’t really seem to be the best of choices that I’ve made lately. Go figure that one!

I’m sort of stuck at the moment between the proverbial phrase ‘rock and hard place’ in the situation I now find myself in because my wife Annette knows nothing of my nocturnal ramblings and she’s about the only person at this time of night that I could possibly call. I debated whether I should call her or not and the more I think about it the more I realize that time’s running out quickly and so are my options. I could take my chances and try to sneak out or I could try to sneak into the spare bedroom and hide in the closet but I might be there all day tomorrow if they don’t leave; plus you never can tell when somebody is going to want something out of it and there you are. No, not the best of escape plans. Crap and double crap! It also means that I’m going to have to break rule number two: never tell anyone, ever, that you’re a thief, to keep from breaking rule number one: never get caught. The options are a pissed off wife, if I call her with something like this, or five years in prison which will probably piss her off just as much if I get caught in this walk-in closet.

After fumbling around for what seemed like an hour I think I got a text message sent to her phone. After waiting for what seemed to be another hour I realized that she was probably sleeping and had her cell phone off for the night which meant I would have to call the house phone and hope she would hear it and pick up. Getting through was no problem although I don’t think she was going to believe me when I told her what she would have to do to help me.

Hi honey, I whispered into my cell phone as quietly as I could. You never can tell how much volume or how far your voice is going to carry from inside a bedroom closet. Remember these things sometimes happen to people in this business. Well, okay, they happen to me, once in a while, the other people I can’t answer for but I bet it happens to some of them some of the time too!

Hi yourself, she answered sleepily while registering in her mind I was whispering into my cell phone in the middle of the night and I wasn’t home yet; also look what time it is. The next round of questions and I better have the answers was about to begin and I didn’t have the luxury of a timer to play against; plus I seem to always lose at this game with her every time we play. I had to use the old cut’em off at the pass right at the start.

Honey, listen to me, do exactly as I say and don’t ask any questions okay? I’ll explain everything to you later on, I told her.

Okay, but what’s wrong? Where are you? So much for the ‘don’t ask questions’ part of what I just told her. Jim, why are you whispering?

I am stuck in the closet of a house I’m in the middle of burglarizing on Bell Hill and I need you to help get me out of here, I whispered into the phone.

Jim, is this some kind of a joke you’re trying to pull on me? Good lord Jim, it’s the middle of the night!

No, it’s not a joke! I whispered at her. Get in your car and come down to 1534 Ronson Rd. It’s on Bell Hill. When you get here and figure out which one it is, drive around the corner and park in the driveway of the house that is being built right behind this one. Then walk around to the back of the house, pick up some baseball sized rocks, probably about five or six should do it, and throw them through the windows and bounce them off the sides of the house. Can you do this for me? I continued to whisper into the little phone in my hand; willing it to transmit the help I so desperately needed from her.

What are you up to at this hour on Bell Hill? she asked me with the voice tone. Jim, this doesn’t sound like one of your pranks. I swear if this one of your pranks I’ll kill you buddy-boy! Now what are you up to?

I swear to God I knew the tone was coming at some point as soon as I made the decision to call; I just didn’t think it would be this quick. All guys know we’re going to get the tone on something like this. Leastwise any guy that is married, had been married, or has been in a relationship for more than a month knows it.

Annette I told you I’m burglarizing a house; Dick Jameson’s house as a matter of fact. You know the guy that owns the hot-rod shop in front of the race track?

Oh okay, I know who you’re talking about now, but why are you burglarizing his house Jim?

Because I think he has a safe full of money Annette, that’s why, I said as I heard someone walking past the closet and go into the bathroom. A few seconds later I heard the water running in the tub in the master bath and then somebody going into the walk-in closet next to mine. I figured it must be Shirley and I was right because she yelled down to Dick telling him not to stay up all night watching a recap of all the games.

Jim I heard someone yelling in the background, who was that?

That’s Shirley, Dick’s wife. She’s getting ready to jump into the tub and she was yelling downstairs to tell Dick not to stay up all night watching recaps of the games he missed this weekend on ESPN, I told her. They came home a day early Annette. I didn’t hear them until the garage door was coming down and by then it was too late to get out, I added.

Jim, you’re serious about this aren’t you? she asked and I could imagine her chewing on her nail and thinking. Then she started tapping on her tooth with her fingernail and that was a sure sign that she was doing some heavy duty thinking.

Annette I’m about as serious as a major coronary; so either you can help me or I’m going to do about five years! I hissed into the phone. Take your pick tonight!

Alright already, I’m on my way! she snipped at me in return. Where am I going and what do you want me to do when I get there?

I told her where I was, how to get here, and what I wanted her to do once she got here. She didn’t sound too enthused about the escape plan I put together on the fly.

Throw rocks at the back of their house? Jim, you’ve got to be kidding? That’s your escape plan? she asked me and for some reason she made it sound ridiculous.

Honey I’m sort of doing this on the fly at the moment but if you can manage to get one or two through a window I’m sure it will help considerably, I told her.

As soon as I had gotten her promise that she was coming and would do as I asked, I had time to reflect on some of those choices that I had made lately; particularly the one concerning how I got to be sitting in this closet in the middle of the night. Well, let’s see. The safe’s here for starters and I needed to give it a good checking out since I didn’t have time for it the last time I was here. Okay, when I was here the last time I didn’t even know if he had a safe for sure, I just figured there was one, good chance he had one, and I would have bet money on this guy having one.

Maybe choosing tonight to come here after work wasn’t such a good choice either. I mean Dick said they would be in Portland, Oregon for three days. Geesh, like this is really my fault that they came back a day early? As far as I’m concerned my planning and choices on this one were at 100% up until about twenty minutes ago when everything started turning to crap. That’s when the garage door started going up and those little warning bells from Houston Control started screaming in my head Run Forrest Run. Save Yourself Forrest. I get a lot of move lines and music lyrics in my head at the most unusual times. Go figure.

You ever take a real good running jump at a creek when you were a kid? Just as soon as that last foot left dry ground you knew, just deep down inside, you knew you were as screwed as the creek was deep and wide because there was no way on God’s green earth you were going to make it across without getting wet. You were coming up short on the far side and with all the wing flapping and arm flailing you did, you knew that you were getting just as wet, if not wetter for it. This safe and closet was my creek tonight because I knew as soon as I heard the garage door motor I didn’t have enough time to put everything back like it was and get out of the house.

Maybe I should explain how I do this kind job. For starters I do one job a year and I usually take all year to do each one. Time starts on January 1st and runs through December 31st. If I can’t safely plan all the aspects and get all the equipment I might need to get in and out undetectable, leaving no trace evidence like fingerprints, hair strands, or shoeprints, I bail out and forget about it. Now according to the audio feed I listened to a couple of days ago these guys weren’t supposed be coming home until tomorrow. That was part of the equipment and planning phase I was talking about.

I also have the simple cash rule I follow. I steal only cash and I try to steal as much of it as I can from people who keep a lot of it around and who are likely to try evading paying taxes on it or report it stolen. Hide it any place you want to because within three hundred and sixty five days it’s probably going to be mine. I chose to do it this way because there are way too many stupid thieves in prison. Don’t think I’m not tempted to steal anything that isn’t nailed down because I am. I’ve been locked up before and I didn’t like it very much. That was one of those choices that I made before and it didn’t work out too well. Now I try to make the best choices I can on the information made available to me or that I’ve collected, in any possible way or means.

I next started going over in my head which choice of lies I had available to tell Annette when I was interrupted by a loud thud on the outside of the house. Putting lies aside I started putting my escape route I had planned into motion just in case something like this happened to me. I made for the nearest exit of opportunity. The plan is simple; escape!

Escape routes and plans are all fine, well and good to have in case you get stuck in a closet in the house you are burglarizing. They are even better if you’re not going to have to explain them to your wife. Even better, your wife doesn’t have to come to Sequim at 3:00 am to throw rocks at the back of a house and through the windows creating a diversion so the owners will hopefully run out to the backyard thus giving our loveable thief the chance to quietly escape and prove to the world that yes we can make like Forrest Gump and save ourselves!

Unfortunately I didn’t plan to have Dick’s wife Shirley taking a bath as soon as they got home in the bathroom next to the closet I was stuck in or having Dick running around some place downstairs that I couldn’t exactly tell where he was at. I didn’t want to think of the consequences of getting caught in their bedroom closet while Shirley was taking a bath and hoping that first rock against the side of the house got Dick’s attention. I started moving out and started praying at the same time that Shirley didn’t come butt- naked out of the bathroom. All I needed was time to get out of the closet and rearrange things like they were so nobody could tell I’d been there; and Annette had another rock bouncing off the house in answer to my prayers.

I was moving in fast-cat mode, quick and quiet, down those stairs when I picked up the sound of Dick coming out of his recliner chair in the living room and heading towards the back door. This means one of two things; he’ll intercept me at the hallway if I keep going and he looks up the stairway to his right, or worse, turns left to fetch trusty old Betsy that he keeps in the nightstand drawer next to the bed. Betsy’s a 45 caliber automatic that I don’t want to meet or two, his attention stays riveted on the backyard as hoped and he doesn’t give a second thought to butt-naked Shirley in the tub upstairs.

I clamped down on my fear and waited just above the landing. I heard Dick’s footsteps at the intersection of the stairs just before Annette got lucky and heaved one perfectly through what sounded like the small bathroom window off the kitchen, locking in Dick’s direction of attention and going to the back door. About this time Lynard Skynard’s song Give Me Three Steps kicks in the back of my head and I’m headed towards the front door boogying my way out as another rock thumps the house and Dick starts yelling in a volume that speaks for its self.

Checking the alarm panel on my way out the front door I punch the off button so it doesn’t start adding to the racket that’s just starting to grow. No use adding to it I figure. Hopefully Dick will think he forgot to reset it when they came in. Another rock slams against the house as I relock and shut the front door and start heading down the street. I pull my cell phone out and hit Annette’s name for speed dial.

Annette picks up on the first half ring so she was probably throwing rocks one handed while holding her cell phone up to her ear. Run for it now; I’m out, I tell her.

You’re goddamn right I’m running you son of a bitch. This was followed by phone silence as she had hung up on me. Not that there was a lot to say at the present time, so I could understand the rest of the conversation would take place later at her convenience.

Figuring I should give her withdrawal some cover, I jogged back up the road a ways, picked up a couple of rocks, and pegged the front door, then front guest bedroom just for good measure.

As you can guess I couldn’t wait to get home and start talking my way out of this one, although deep down inside I knew there wasn’t a way, so I retrieved the little Cavalier and headed back to the storage unit where I kept it parked. As I drove west on highway 101 to Port Angeles I began trying to figure out what I was going to tell Annette.

I finally started to come down from the adrenaline rush you get from one of these experiences. No matter what, I was going to have to come clean and tell her the truth. There was no way, no lie, to cover this wise guy. Clear. Plain. Simple. The question to ask myself was is she going to stay with me after this? I knew she’d believe me once I showed her everything and told her the truth. On the other hand she was going to be just totally pissed off. Did she love me that much? Marriage vows and all the ‘I love you honeys’ aren’t enough to keep two people together sometimes after throwing rocks at 3:00 am. I had kept a very big part of my life, a very secret part of my life, hidden from her for the five years of our marriage. This, I realized, was just as bad as having a woman on the side and her finding out about it.

The next series of questions and answers was about to begin and I knew who the loser was going to be. I parked the Cavalier in the parking garage, made sure all my equipment I had taken with me was transferred to my pickup and drove the three blocks home.

Is contestant number one ready with her questions? You bet your ass she is! Contestant number two, are you ready with those honest answers? Yes I am.

Please God make it quick and painless I prayed as I got out of my truck and walked up to the front door of our home. ‘Crap!’ I muttered as I turned the door knob.

Chapter 2

Any guy on the face of this planet that has a wife, significant other, girlfriend, or just plain had a woman pissed off at them knows about the tone of voice. With the tone automatically comes the look women give with it. Your goose is cooked. No way. Nada. Come clean; throw yourselves on mercy of the nearest female around because you lose no matter what. You’re wrong, you’re wrong, you’re wrong!

As I came through the front door Annette was sitting in her favorite chair waiting for me, and of course, giving me the look. Annette is thirty, five years younger than I am. She’s 5 feet dead even and weighs exactly 129 lbs. naked and soaking wet, which is how I like her to be most of the time. Her blondish brown hair hangs just past her shoulders a couple of inches and she wears it loose except when she goes to bed. She has a great body with just the most perfect back I’ve ever seen. The front side is just as great with an almost perfectly flat tummy and the nicest breasts a guy could ask for. God gave her the face of an angel with the cutest smile and piercing hazel eyes that has just a touch of brown around them. At the moment they were boring holes in me. Well, I thought they were.

I put some coffee on. It’ll be done in a minute. Want some?

At this point only a complete fool would say, No thanks Annette, I think I’ll just head on off to bed. You know, hard night at the old burglar factory, so I kept my mouth shut. Instead I showed how well I knew us as a couple, please, right about now I could really use some. Especially with the things I have to tell you about. I’ll definitely need it, I said as I took my favorite chair for only a few minutes. I knew that I would be moving to the computer chair so I’d be better able to face her and talk to her more directly. Just waiting for a cup of coffee to be brought to you can be an eternity of waiting in the unknown zone when a woman is pissed at you. It’s eerie like the Twilight Zone only it’s for real. Said coffee was duly delivered with a little blithe smile as I’ve ever seen. Let the games begin!

Annette decided to get the game started with question number one, what in the hell was all this ‘I’m stuck on Bell Hill, in a closet, in a house I’m burglarizing’ bullshit? she asked me with a look of wonder that said I was stupid too.

Houston, octave range one and two have been reached. Preparing for major blast off at this time. How do you copy?

Copy you in the clear Burglar One. Proceed with operation, ‘Come Clean’.

Come get you!!! Come to Bell Hill and throw rocks at someone’s home at 3:00 in the morning? What in the name of god do you think you were doing? You could have gotten both of us arrested! You’re an asshole! Do you realize you could have gotten both of us killed? she asked as she raised her voice in wonder at me.

Houston octave range is off the chart. I say again off the charts. Be advised meltdown highly possible at this altitude.

Look, it’s sort of a long story honey, but basically I find a home or business that I think has a good sum of money, in cash form, and I spend up to a year planning how to steal it without getting caught, I said calmly to her with a shrug like it was nothing. I had started with hard eye contact, low even vocal, steadied and measured. The kind of eye and vocal thing that lets people know that you’re real serious. I decided to keep my Jedi eye-vocal thing going, press on, and save the pleading on follow up if I needed it. I probably would, knowing Annette.

If it doesn’t seem worth it after a good checking out I drop it and start planning for the next year. I’m slow, take my time and don’t hurry. I don’t include anyone else because I don’t trust anyone but you in my life and I couldn’t tell you because if anything happened, I didn’t want to put you through lying to the cops for me, I told her and then looked down like I was ashamed of myself.

Annette looked at me for a moment trying to absorb all that I had told her and put it in order. She gave me a look that I couldn’t quite decipher. Keep going buddy-boy, she told me as she gave me the hand signal thing to keep it coming.

I’ve been doing this pretty much since I moved here. Well, okay, since before I moved here, I added just to be truthful. I’ve got extra cars garaged in a couple of places; registered in false names. I’ve got a space under the garage that I keep all my tools and gadgets in, plus the extra money, I said.

You have extra money? What extra money? Annette asked raising her eyebrows in shock. Tell me about this extra money. Where is it? You keep it under the garage you said?

I keep the money hidden and then feed it into the system little by little. Not all the extra money comes from doing side jobs with Carl, I said to her.

Carl is my brother-in-law. I do some home remodeling and carpentry on the side for my brother-in-law or for some of the people I work with at the casino. It brings in extra money that we spend in cash form for things like going to the movies, gas, smokes, that sort of thing, plus I keep my eyes open for something along the nocturnal side.

I guess I should also tell you that my name is James Anthony Fratino and that besides being a thief, I work as a floor supervisor, or as most people would know it, as a ‘pit boss’ at the local casino; Seven Rivers Casino. I’ve been there for a long time. I always get people telling me I look like a Mafioso from one of the mob movies like Casino or The Sopranos, which is my favorite show. I’ve got more jewelry than most women will ever own in their lifetime. I wear nice suits, perfectly shinned shoes, shirts of every color made and the ties to go with them. Plus, I now know to accessorize and color coordinate thanks to Annette. The women love it when I give credit to my wife.

I’m only 5’9"and carry 175 lbs. but I’ve got attitude, the look, plus thirteen years experience in the business to help me handle the customers. I know almost everyone that walks through the doors so I don’t get too much grief from people. Also a lot of people seem to think I carry a gun under my left armpit for some reason.

I pick up lots of information there; casinos are great for that. People love to talk about themselves and other peoples business especially after they spend thirteen years associating with you and your business. I keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut. I try my best to get along with everyone there; customers and fellow employees both. I like to think that everyone there likes me. More than that, I try to make all of them trust me. I love my job.

Just how extra is this money? Annette asked me again with the raised eyebrow look. How much extra money exactly are we talking about? her eyes had gotten that dull glint glow that means she’s thinking something that I probably won’t like very much. My wife may not be into illegal activities, but all women I know like extra money, from anywhere.

Let’s say around fifty thousand extra at the moment. I keep as much as I can for incidentals and you know me, I like to save for a rainy day, I said with a slight smile. Maybe this wasn’t going to turn out too bad after all I thought.

And these tools and gadgets you were mentioning a few minutes ago, what’s with those.

I invest in buying electronic tools and hi-tech monitoring equipment, the latest spying stuff and of course all the new hi-tech clothing you would need these days. I have two cars, a truck, and a motorcycle that I use only for these jobs along with a false identity for all of them and the parking garages.

Annette just sat there and gave me a funny look and then put her face in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees and just inhaled, let out a big sigh, and then shook her head back and forth for a few minutes. When she finally raised her head she just looked at me with a dumbfounded look on her face for a second or so. So all this stuff you just told me was true? All of this is the truth, the burglaries you’ve done, the money you’ve stolen, the cars and your false identities? All of this is true? The slight strain in her voice told me she believed me.

Yes, it’s all true and I’m sorry I had to drag you into it tonight honey. I really didn’t want you to know because it might have put you in jeopardy, I told her with as much sincerity as I could. I sat my coffee cup down and crossed the three feet that separated us, kneeling on my knees in front of her and taking her hands in mine. She startled me when she jerked her hands out of mine

Don’t! Just don’t touch me right now when I’m trying to sort this out. I just can’t believe I could live with you and have this happening right beneath my nose for the last five years and not have a clue one as to what you were doing! she told me in exasperation. I ran the Houston launch thing in my mind as I prepared for Annette to go ballistic on me again. But she didn’t. That surprised me more than anything right now. I can’t believe that I let myself be talked into that wild stunt tonight. I can’t believe you’ve been doing this bullshit stuff behind my back for five years and not once have I doubted that all you were doing was working at night, she had that I can’t believe that you hurt me tone in her voice and look on her face. I was screwed now. I couldn’t even look her in the eyes after that. I’m exhausted, let’s go to bed. It’s almost 5 am and I can’t take any more of this tonight. We’ll finish this in the morning.

I followed Annette into the bedroom and we both got ready for bed, slipping under the covers on our own sides. We both turned to each other and exchanged a small kiss good night like we usually do and then turning out our small bedside lights. Like I said before, I’m an idiot. Was my marriage to Annette over? I fell into a troubled sleep worrying about how bad I had screwed things up between us. Go figure.

Chapter 3

I woke up around 10:00 am and the bed was empty on Annette’s side. I got up and went into the bathroom and went through my morning routine like all of us do. I came out and went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Annette was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in front of her. We exchanged glances as I fixed my own and then took a seat across from her. Our house isn’t all that big so we have a small dining table set in the kitchen which is used for all our meals unless we’re eating on TV trays in the living room. Good morning honey, how are you? I asked.

Annette inhaled and let out a big breath as she answered, I’m okay I guess. I’m just trying to sort this all out in my head. I feel betrayed and used and cheated. I’m scared the cops are going to come and arrest us for last night. What if somebody saw my car and got the license plate number? That guy could have caught you in his house and shot you. Could have killed you and gotten me killed, arrested or both.

Although the last part of both of us getting killed and arrested at the same time sounded stupid when you thought about it I wasn’t about to tell her that right now. She sounded hurt and scared. Now wasn’t the time to say she was stupid. I know. I’m sorry I got you involved.

I know you are, she told me putting a hand over mine and giving it a couple of small pats. I felt a little better from this gesture. Who knows, maybe she was taking this better than I thought.

Look, believe it or not I try to take every step I can to keep things like that from happening. I have equipment I set up and monitor them real good before I go strolling into somebody’s house. Dick and Shirley were out of town and weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow afternoon.

But they did come home early and look at the results from it. This has to stop and I mean now Jim. The look and tone were starting to develop on Annette’s face. She was starting to get pissed again.

You want me stop now? Right this minute type stop now? I asked her. I still have field equipment down at his house.

Yes, if you still want to be married to me you better stop it right now and I do mean this very second right now. I also want to see this money and your little hideaway you have; now, please and you’re not going back for any reason, you can just let your field gear go.

I can’t let the stuff stay there, there are things in the house, outside the house, in the attic and under the floors. I have listening and recording units I need to remove so no one ever finds them. They find this stuff they’ll turn it into the cops and it could lead back to me. Annette gave me the look, with crossed arms, so I knew it wasn’t the time to push my reasoning or thinking for going back to Dick’s house. I gave up and gave her a ‘come on’ wave with my hand and headed out to the garage.

Our house is small and so is our garage. It’s only eighteen feet by twenty feet. Like the rest of the house, the garage and the family room needed some serious work to bring them up to code. The garage had a dirt floor in it when I bought the place. Whoever built the family room and the garage had done it without a permit or the brains to do the job the right way. Basically I’ve had to rebuild the place little by little and with the extra money I’ve come by I’ve been able to do all the remodeling and upgrades first class. When I got to the garage I figured out where I wanted to put the work benches and cabinets first, then after I got my inspection from the building department I poured the foundation footings. After they were done I rebuilt all the walls because they were rotting and were out of plumb and the roof needed to be leveled. After all that stuff was done and before I poured the concrete slab for the floor, I dug out a ten foot by eight foot room to go beneath the slab. I made the walls and floor out of concrete, put in electrical outlets and lights. I installed a two foot by two foot wall safe in one of the walls embedded in a two foot concrete casing. Just in case someone found it and decided to pull it from the wall. When I poured the slab I had already back filled around the walls and laid one inch plywood sheeting over the top with temporary supports beneath while the concrete was curing.

I located the entry underneath one of the work benches and formed it to sit one inch under the top of the concrete, then filled it with dirt to the top so after the slab was poured I could get my final inspection from the building inspector. He’d never know it was there even if he was standing on top of it. In fact he did stand on the very spot for the entrance and never knew it. With the building inspector gone for good I closed the garage doors, hit the lights and got down to the business of finishing the interior. The wiring was done so I insulated the ceiling and walls then hung the drywall, taped, textured, and then painted it flat white except for where the work bench was going to be mounted.

If you’re going to have a secret room entrance you have to be able to access it easily and leave no traces of it. That means you can’t be dragging a work bench back and forth from against the wall because you’ll be leaving some rather large permanent scuff marks and grooving in the concrete from all that back and forth movement. Can’t have people seeing something like that; especially the cops. Eventually someone would be over sometime and notice the scuffing and would wonder about it. So, what do you use on a four foot work bench that you actually want to put all kinds of tools and junk in, that’s probably going to add a couple of hundred pounds, that has to be movable, and you can still actually use it as intended? My answer was a hydraulic fluid hinge of course. Built by a steel fabrication company I found in Texas on the internet. Two foot by three foot and tapered down to ten inches with a twelve inch wide mounting plate to attach it to the six inch stud wall and backing. I used a set of kitchen cabinets I took out of a remodel I did that were still in real good condition. I mounted them using large lag bolts with washers. That way I could use large bolts on the work bench and hinge without them looking out of place from the other ones in case anyone ever got to looking at them. Lastly I installed an electronic solenoid catch and release unit like they have for security doors and gates. Works perfect.

Chapter 4

I had hidden the switch for the solenoid release in the control box for an electric motor driven hoist. Instead of having a release hook for the load I took it off the unit and just wired the solenoid to it instead, then mounted it on the wall away from the work bench. The type I bought had a double tap safety feature built into the release button so you couldn’t just hit it once to release the load and kill someone and unless you used one all the time or were familiar with hoist motors, you weren’t getting into my secret room. It was with some pride when I told Annette ‘please dear, hit that orange button twice if you would’. From the look on her face I could tell she was wondering about it.

I had been leaning on the work bench until she hit the button and when she did you could just barely hear an audible click. I just stepped away and with a grand flourish of my index finger I pulled the work bench away from the wall and watched as it silently floated towards her. It was one of those moments like in the commercials when they list what everything costs and at the end they say ‘And the look on her face, priceless’. I could tell she didn’t know what to say so I just gave Annette the ‘come on’ wave and headed down the steps, flipping the light switch on as I went. She stood at the top for a couple of seconds taking in the view from above before warily venturing down the steps. I was standing next to one of the shelves that ran from floor to ceiling holding numerous gadgets and gear as she came down.

Close the door would you? We wouldn’t want somebody coming in the garage and seeing the entrance.

Annette glanced up, looked back at me and asked, We can still open it from down here can’t we?

Of course we can. You don’t think I’d be smart enough to make sure I couldn’t get out? And if the electricity goes out it can still be opened manually. I went up past her a couple of steps and swung the work bench back in place, listening for the faint click that would tell me it was closed and we were safe.

Annette stood there and looked around the room a few times taking it all in. She walked over to one of the shelves and picked up what was a small remote video camera, turning it over in her hands then setting it down for another one that was a wireless receiver that picked up both picture and sound up to a range of a hundred yards. Then she moved across the room to another set of shelves that held the clothing, shoes, backpacks, tote bags, and other military type gear like Nomex outfits for silent night work. When she went to the last shelf she didn’t touch anything. Annette just stood where she was and looked over the floor to ceiling shelves that held most of the tools that I used on my nocturnal cash flow jobs. It was also the one where I kept my guns with silencers and my knives.

Annette finally looked at me standing next to the wall safe. I knew she had already seen it because you can’t miss a two foot black wall safe sitting in the middle of a concrete wall fifty-five