Whether you’ve been following this serialized version of my novel Freeze Frame or not, you’re not too late to start. Jump in and read! In a story that seems ripped from today’s headlines, a Mexican drug cartel is using devious means to elect their puppet candidate president of the United States. If elected president, their candidate would re-open the Mexican-U.S. border to drug smuggling. Darcy James, creative supervisor for a major Detroit advertising agency is suspicious of a new account group at Adams & Benson. Summoned to the condo of one of her writer/producers who has discovered something suspicious on the DVD of one of her agency’s car commercials, she finds him badly beaten and the DVD gone. She called the EMS, which has taken him to the hospital where he lies in a coma. The story continues in Darcy’s words …
Chapter 31
Saturday, Oct. 16 -- Early Morning
Manny’s condition affected me deeply. I crawled into bed around four a.m. and couldn’t sleep, despite the fact our presentation to Cunningham, Higgins et al loomed just hours away at eleven forty-five. I kept thinking about Manny. I needed to know what the police were doing to track down the animals who assaulted him.
Around seven a.m. I started dialing the Precinct, but got the runaround so many times I felt like a carousel. As a last resort, I tried my ex-husband.
Ordinarily Garry Kaminski’s name would come up right after Charles Manson’s on a list of people I’d ask for a favor. But I was desperate. This time, I asked for him and found Garry to be his usual, open-minded self.
"What do you expect me to do?"
"There has to be something you can do, Garry. Manny Rodriguez was nearly beaten to death. And, you're handling the Vince Caponi and Darren Cato murders."
"That’s different. Caponi got two nine millimeter hollow points through his skull. The ME Report says someone rigged Cato’s suicide. The D.A. calls both of those situations murder. You're telling me this Rodriguez guy was beaten during a robbery. I work Homicide. Best I can do is talk to the cops assigned to the case. Find out where they're at."
"That's just it, damn it," I said. "They haven't done a thing. I gave some cop my name and address at the hospital. One of your guys is supposed to call this morning. Some investigation, Sherlock."
"Look, Darcy, I know you’re frustrated. How do you think I feel? Caponi's widow isn't telling us anything, either."
Caponi's widow?
Why would he mention her?
"What do you mean, she’s not telling you anything? What do you expect her to tell you, Garry?"
Silence. Garry realized he’d said something he shouldn’t, and no way would I let the subject drop.
"It’s been days since the murder, Garry. Why are you still talking to Caponi's widow? You said it, damn it. Now tell me."
Garry lowered his voice. "I need you to promise you didn't hear it from me."
"You've got it."
"The night Caponi was killed, he sent out two packages."
"Two? How do you know?"
"The Federal Express guy. We checked his records. One package went to Darren Cato at Adams & Benson, the other to Caponi's house. His wife signed for it."
"So?"
"She denies having received it. Says her signature was forged."
"Was it?"
"No way. The lab verified her signature, all right. But what the hell can we do? Throw a helpless widow in jail because she denies receiving a package? The media would be all over us."
"Maybe I can help."
"How?"
"We have common ground. First, her husband edited commercials our agency produced. Second, I'm a woman. She might talk to me."
"It's worth a try."
By now the clock read eight-thirty. Just enough time to grab a shower before heading for the office.
Chapter 32
9:24 a.m.
What in the world was that piece of paper doing on my office desk? The square bar napkin had been folded neatly in half, then in half again.
The message on the sheet of yellow paper underneath it read, "Hope you like the line." It was signed, "Manny." I recalled a story Manny Rodriguez had told me about the writer who dreamed up the famous "No Car Rides Like a Rembly" line. He was in a bar at the time and wrote it on a napkin.
Manny must have left the napkin before he went home last night, figuring he’d found the right theme line for the campaign. We had settled for "The little car that could," but I still hoped for something better.
I unfolded the napkin. The words were printed in black magic marker.
A little Ampere goes a long way.
Perfect. It emphasized the Ampere’s strong points while giving the car a definite personality. We’d insert the line into the layouts for presentation this morning. It fit so well, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Rereading the line, I laughed out loud.
Then, picturing Manny in Intensive Care, I cried.
Next month: Freeze Frame continues as Darcy attempts to discover the secret behind a mysterious DVDcoming presidential election. Be sure to check out Dave’s web site: www.bdavidwarner.com
|
