Charmed Life (4 page)

Gregory looked into his daughter’s eyes. “Grace, honey, your life is what is important. Things will work out. They will.” He nodded to the agent. “Do what needs to be done. I’ll get my daughter in the right frame of mind.”

Adams nodded. “We’ll get these two situated in a hotel room for tonight, and get working on things to have in motion tomorrow morning.” He twitched his head in a call for his silent partner, and opened the door. “Someone will be here for you shortly to get clothes sizes, and so forth. I’ll see you tonight to go over everything with you.”

With Agent John smith, Adams walked out.

The door closed.

Gregory asked. “Feeling better at all?”

“A little. Now that you’re here.”

“It’ll work out for the best. Please don’t worry,” Gregory said.

“How can we not?” Freddy stood up. “I’m worried sick. They’re picking out my clothes.”

Gregory just ignored him and returned to his daughter.

++++

Freddy sobbed.

Actually, he sobbed twice.

When they arrived at their hotel, it was explained that part of the new identity process was a new look. Or at least an altered look. They were both taken into separate rooms.

When Freddy emerged, that was the first time he sobbed.

Gone was his long hair. It was short, very short, almost a military high and tight. His goatee was removed, all jewelry, and he sported a thin mustache..

Gregory was impressed with the hair, telling Freddy it was a great change.

Grace received a haircut as well. He long brown hair with subtle highlights was chopped to a shoulder length do with strong blond highlights.

“You look like your mother,” Gregory told her.

“Oh, yeah, how’s this.” Grace said lifting small glasses to her face. “I had to get rid of my contacts.”

Then Freddy burst into tears the second time when he opened the suitcase and saw his clothes.

“Levis! I can’t wear Levis. Not with my figure. And boots. Cowboy boots.” He sobbed. “Look at this shirt. It …” he gulped. “Tucks in.”

“Calm down,” Grace told him. “We can get new clothes where ever we go. I have jeans and tee shirts, as well. How do you think I feel?”

Freddy nodded. “We must be going somewhere southwestern. A Ranch or Texas town. At least it’s better than Ohio.”

Grace nodded. “It could be Ohio.”

Agent Adams, who had been present, called for their attention. “If you two are done. Please have a seat.” He turned his head to the ‘shifting’ sound of a shotgun. “Mr. Benson, really, we have agents.”

“I know,” Gregory said holding his shotgun. “But while she’s still nearby, I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

Grace walked to the bed. “I think I’m sleeping in the bathroom tonight.”

“Why?” Freddy asked.

“In case they blow us up. They say the bathtub is the safest place.”

Adams held up his hand. “No one is blowing you up tonight.” He pulled up a chair and sat down across from them. “Everything is in order.”

“Except our clothes,” Freddy said. “Who picked them out?”

Adams exhaled. “Look. Don’t you get it? Let me explain again, what this is. Witness Protection. No witness that has followed the plan has ever gotten hurt. The lifestyle you two lead, the way you look, you have a standard. Under the program, we give you new identities, change up your look, and put you far removed. Some place that no one knows you. A place that won’t recognize you. Change your life style, as well. If you live in certain place, look a certain way, that helps in people not finding you.”

Both Grace and Freddy nodded their understanding.

“Now we got you starter clothing,” Adams said. “I’m sure you can find more suitable items. That fifty grand of yours is in a bank account with your new name, Grace. Plus our standard stipend to get you going. We found you a home, a car is there. First month’s rent is paid, along with utilities. After a month, you’re on your own with paying for the place. You have to live a new life. A federal agent is in the town and works as a phone man. When you arrive, he’ll show up and introduce himself to you.”

Freddy raised his hand. “How do we know it’s your agent?”

“He’ll tell you he’s our agent.”

“But what if he’s lying. I want a code phrase,” Freddy said. “I want him to say, ‘show me your nipples’, that way I’ll know he’s your agent.”

Adams grumbled. “Fine. Fine. He’ll say that. Anyhow, you’ll meet him with in an hour of being there. He’s you link, your contact, and he lives close. So if there’s trouble, you can find him.”

Freddy gave a ‘thumbs up’. “Got it.”

Adams placed his briefcase on his lap. “Things are in order. We’ve already got you jobs, which you’ll start in three days …”

Grace whistled to halt him. “Time out. Jobs?”

Adams nodded.

“Jobs as in, go out and work jobs?”

“Yes. Problem?”

“Um, yeah,” Grace flustered and fumbled her words. “I don’t work a … job.” She quoted her fingers to the word ‘job’. “I’m an artist. I work on my craft.”

Freddy confirmed. “She doesn’t need to work a job. She has enough money.”

“My mother left me a fortune.”

“Millions,” Freddy said.

“Lots of millions,” Grace added. “I can use that money.”

Adams shook his head. “No, you can’t. Not at this time. Maybe after we set up a laundry for it. But not now.”

“Why?”

“They may monitor the bank accounts. You took that money out already, that’s why we’re letting you use it. A job will help pay the bills. Plus, that’s a lot of money. If you use it wisely …”

“It’s only fifty thousand dollars.” Grace said. “Gees.”

Freddy laid his hand on her knee. “Princess, I was poor.” He placed his hand on his chest. “Remember? I used to live …live in a duplex.” He exhaled. “There I said it. I know how to make fifty thousand last us a very long time.”

Grace closed her eyes in relief.

“Yeah,” Adams said. “It’s called a budget. Plus, where you’re going, standard of living is not that high. You two will be living together. We calculated your incomes together. You’ll have plenty of money to live by the standards of normalcy. And that … that is how we want you to live. Normal. Like everyday, normal people. Work everyday normal jobs, Act everyday normal. No one will pick you out.”

Freddy rolled his eyes and tossed back his head. “I am far from normal.”

“I know. Who knows? You guys may actually enjoy it,” Adams said.

Freddy scoffed. “I doubt that. But … we will make the best of it. It is our lives at stake. We’ll make this work. We can do anything.”

Grace mumbled. “Next thing you know we’ll have to do our own laundry.”

Adams cleared his throat and looked at her through the tops of his eyes.

Grace shook her head. ‘Can this get any worse?”

Adams just stared at them, and then continued. “Ok, new names. The way it works is you keep your first name and get a new last name with the same first letter. When we took your picture, it was for the ID’s. You don’t have the same last name. So, you need to come up with a story. Roommates. Cousins. Married. Engaged.”

“Married to her?” Freddy asked. “I’m gay.”

“I figured.” Adams reached into his briefcase. He handed Freddy an envelope. “ATM card, credit card, Social security card, and license, Birth certificate, too.”

Freddy pulled out the items. “Oh, look I’m a year younger.” He smiled. “Frederick Lincoln. I like that.”

Adams handed Grace her envelope.

She slipped out the first item. “Uh! I’m a year older.”

Adams smirked.

“Uh!” She shrieked again. “My name.”

“What’s wrong with your name?” Adams asked.

“Grace Berkowitz? Berkowitz?” Grace held her new license. “You made me Jewish. No wait. An old Jewish woman.”

“No one is saying what your religion is,” Adams said. “It’s your name.”

“Do I look Jewish?” Grace asked.

“You did,” Adams replied.

Freddy squeezed her hand. “You are an actress. You can pull this off. You can. Deep breath. This is going to be fun. And you can work on your novel.”

Grace nodded as she took deep breaths. “Ok. Ok. It can’t be all that bad.”

“You leave tomorrow morning,” Adams informed. “Ill be in touch.” He closed his briefcase and stood up. “Mr. Benson.” He shook Gregory’s hand. It has been an honor to have met you.”

“Likewise,” Gregory responded. “Thank you for everything.”

“Wait!” Grace jumped up. “You didn’t say. Where you are sending the poverty stricken, every day, normal working job, older Jewish woman?”

“Lodi,” Adams replied. “Ohio.”

Freddy titled his head. “Say again?”

“Lodi, Ohio.”

Freddy gasped.

Grace spun to Freddy. “We’re going to Ohio.”

Before she finished her sentence, Freddy passed out on the bed.

CHAPTER THREE

Alfonzo Carlotta was a nice looking man with a dashing style for clothes. People were attracted to him.

He met Grace at a Halloween party and mistook her for a waitress because that was her bad choice in a costume. He sat back in his desk chair rocking as his eyes went from the computer to the picture of him and Grace. Next to the picture was an ‘I love you’ card.

“Anything?” Lou, his father asked, stepping in the office.

“Nothing,” Al answered with a sigh. “No email. No call. Nothing.”

Compassionate, Lou walked to his son. “You know the video showed her and the queer walking in here. There’s no camera in this office, but it showed them running out. They saw, Al Boy, they saw.”

“We can’t be sure.”

“I think we can.” Lou sat on the edge of the desk. “Question is, what are you gonna do?”

Al looked up. “What do you mean?”

“She’s a witness …”

“No.” Al stopped him. “She’s not a witness. Even if she saw what happened, my Cara Mia would never turn me in. She loves me too much.”

“So why isn’t she answering your phone calls? Huh? Why haven’t you spoken to her since last night?”

Lou turned around to the knock on the door. “Yeah.”

He looked like a mathematician. Gary Stewart never boasted to be a great dresser; in fact, he still wore a bow tie. The fifty-something man walk in. “Got some news.”

Al looked up.

“Talked to Freda at City National,” Gary said. “Yesterday afternoon about an hour after everything went down; she made a sizeable withdraw from her account. Freda called the branch where she went and they said she was in there with a friend. The manager remembered and said she told her she was going to Vegas. They ran out and left.”

Lou turned to his son. “She’s scared.”

Al nodded. “At least we know she didn’t go to the Feds.”

Lou agreed. “She took money from her account. She ain’t gonna take money if she’s going to the feds.”

Al stood up. “She’s running away.” With a rush, he moved to the door.

“Where are you going?” Lou asked.

“To confirm. If she ran away, her father would know. She doesn’t do anything without his knowledge or permission.”

After getting a ‘good idea’ and ‘good luck’ from his own father, Alfonzo Carlotta headed off to see Gregory Benson.

+++

All those academy awards didn’t sit on display for nothing. There was a reason Gregory won ‘Best Actor’ nine times, and he was going to draw upon that skill one more time.

He knew what he had to do.

He expected Alfonzo Carlotta since the day before, and when word came that he was pulling up the drive, Gregory put on his best face.

Distraught.

Watching his own surveillance cameras, Gregory timed it perfectly. The second he saw Alfonzo reach the steps, Gregory flung open the front door.

“Thank God!” Gregory gasped out.

“Mr. Benson?” Alfonzo stepped inside the house.

“Al. Tell me …” Gregory grabbed his shoulders. “Tell me you know where my daughter is.”

Al couldn’t speak. His mouth dropped open. “You don’t know where she is?”

Gregory shut the door. “Not exactly. I’m …I’m a wreck.”

“I bet. So am I. I’ve been trying to reach her since yesterday,” Al said. “Did you speak to her at all?”

“Yes. She called me. She said she needed to get away. Was going to write a novel, took out some money, and was gone. She left behind her cell phone.”

“Did she say why?”

“She said something about finding herself for a while. I think … I blame myself,” Gregory sadly stated. “I blame myself.”

Alfonzo didn’t know what to say. Just... “Why?”

“I evicted her. I told her she had to give up the guest house. She was upset. Very upset. She rattled something about my wife and how I chose my wife, and how hurt she was because it was her mother’s writing hut. She said she never wanted to speak to me again and she left.”

Alfonzo breathed out.

“Next I heard from her was a few hours later. By that time … she had already taken the money. Lord knows where she could be.”

“And we both know how emotional Grace gets. I love your daughter, sir, I’ll find her. I’ll get on it.”

Gregory nodded. “Where do we even begin?”

“Civilization. At least we both know she won’t go too far from a Starbucks. We’ll start there.” Alfonzo shook his hand. “I’ll keep you posted. You let me know if you hear anything.”

Gregory let out an exasperated, “Thank you” and opened the door.

Alfonzo finding his daughter wasn’t really what Gregory wanted, but he was confident, Alfonzo would strike out. Confident because he would lead him in the wrong direction as much as he could. He would do anything to keep his daughter alive, safe and living in Lodi.

+++

It was a covert operation.

“When you get on the plane, order a fuzzy navel,” Adams told them. “When you do, the stewardess will give you a key.”

Freddy ordered the drink and sure enough, with the napkin was a key.

“The key is to a locker at the airport. Go there.”

After they left the plane, with only carry on in hand, Freddy and Grace sought out the lockers. They found locker ten-twelve, inside were keys, description of the car, and direction to the parking spot.

They found it with relative ease.

With a ‘blip-blip’ Freddy turned off the car alarm, “At least it’s not a compact car.”

“No, it’s worse. It’s a mini van.” Grace griped and slid into the passenger’s side. “We must have really pissed them off or something. I know they think this is funny.”

“This isn’t bad. It’s the vehicle of Ohio,” Freddy said.

“Is it really?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“What’s this?” Grace lifted an envelope.

“Open it.”

She did. “Direction, house key and address.”

“Shall we?” Freddy asked, turning over the ignition.

“Why not?”

“I’m curious to see how much worse this can get.”

“I don’t see how,” Grace said. “I mean an old Jewish woman who works a manual labor job, living in Ohio and driving a mini van.”

“True.”

The drove from the Akron airport following the directions precisely. It wasn’t a far ride, and things looked bright as they passed a Starbucks just before the Lodi exit.

The question of ‘how much worse could it get’ slipped further from their minds as they drive through the quaint town square. To them it was charming. To them it was a bright spot. They made a left at the light, passed the hardware store, drove two streets, and turned.

Their new street. Their new home.

Freddy cried out an aching, “No!” as he stopped the van.

“This
 
... this can’t be right,” Grace said.

He sobbed once in a dramatic way. “I envisioned in my mind a small house. Maybe an apartment. At the very worse …” He swallowed. “A duplex. But never this.”

Grace double checked and checked again. The address was correct.

“Bad clothes, I can take,” Freddy said. “A mini van. Yes. But they have pushed my congenial limits here. I can’t do this.” He turned away.

“You have to.” Grace pulled him back.

“I can’t.” Freddy heaved out. “I don’t care how nice it looks on the outside, it’s still …a trailer.”

+++

It was nowhere as bad as Freddy projected it to be. In fact it was very modern, maybe not a double trailer, but modern looking with a deck, and car port for parking.

The dining room living room combo had a warm décor, white walls with pictures. The furniture was basic but nice.

“Two bedrooms.” Grace announced as she emerged from the hall. “And a small room I’d like to set up as an office. There’s a computer in there.”

“Fine.” Freddy plopped on the couch.

“It’s not that bad. From inside you can’t even tell it’s a trailer.”

“I know. I feel it. I … I’ll be fine. Give me a moment. How are our bedrooms?”

“Holiday Inn like.”

Freddy closed his eyes.

“We’ll make the best of it. We have three days to get to know the town before we …” Grace paused. “Work.”

“Where are we working?” Freddy asked.

Grace shrugged. “They only left an address and a name. We’re to be there Monday at eight.”

“Jesus.” He stood from the couch.

“There are more clothes in our rooms. Pajamas, underwear, stuff like that.”

“Did you examine mine? Please don’t tell me I have tightie whities.”

Grace laughed. “No. You’re good.” She walked to the kitchen. “This is actually nice.”

Freddie gasped. “You of all people …”

“I lived above a garage, Freddy. This isn’t bad.” She opened cabinets. “They got us some food. I think we should find a store. Or go into town.”

“I think we should hit Starbucks and get a few shots.”

“That’ll work.”

At that moment, the doorbell rang.

“We have company?” Freddy asked, and walked to the door. A man stood there, mid forties, kind of rough looking. A worker’s jacket, five o’clock shadow, tool box in hand.

“I’m the phone man,” he said, stepping in. “My name is George.”

“I don’t know where the lines are,” said Freddy. “We just got here.”

George set down his case, closed the door, and extended his hand to Grace. “Ma’am.”

“George,” she said.

He then shook hands with Freddy. “Sir, may I see your nipples?”

Freddy gasped and jumped back. “I don’t know what type of man you think I am but … but ….” He grunted when Grace backhanded him. “Oh. Code phrase.”

George smiled. “Yeah, and imagine my surprise when I found out I had to say it. I just wanted to introduce myself. I live a few houses down the street. You have two phone lines. All the black phones are a direct link to me. Should there be trouble, just lift it.”

Grace nodded. “Thank you.”

“You have a couple days to get settled. I won’t bother you much. You really will love this town,” George said. “And you got a nice place here.”

“It fits,” Freddy said.

Grace asked. “Did you just move to town?”

“No. No.” George shook his head. “They place us in small towns to live, set up life and be ready in case a witness in put here. When this place became empty, we bought it up about six months ago. I like it. I was thinking of taking it and making you guys live in my house.”