AZOTUSLAND Chapter Sixty-Four

The next morning both rooms were hopping with business. Many of the regulars were there. Alice and Fred were in the corner talking, and when Jim had a spare minute he went over and talked with them and asked Fred about some help he might need doing some interior work. Fred agreed to stop by on Monday afternoon.

"What about me?!" Alice blustered.

"Okay, okay," Jim said. "I know I owe you. Why don;t you come with Fred on Monday and we will pick a section near the front of the complex, or perhaps a side area where people can enjoy a pool or fountain," he said.

Alice grinned. "Bout time!" she chuckled and went back to her pumpkin bread satisfied.

Manfred came by and Jim called to him.

"Yes, Sahib?!"

"Manfred here's a list of ingredients a need by Wednesday. No hurry, just when you are in town please pick that up with the rest of the private food and your gallons of ice cream."

"Mocha Almond Fudge Sahib!".

By this point Jim had gotten a credit card for Manfred and he had explained to him its limits. To his knowledge this one was area that Manfred was scrupulous in.

The Cafe was doing very well financially, and raises had been given quietly and without fanfare to all on staff. Jim had also begun to work on getting healthcare for all full timers and hoped to be able to afford a co-pay situation for part-timers.

He also was interviewing, as he could, someone to replace his shift as he had other projects in mind, the most significant being opening three more Azotus Cafe's in various urban locations. It would be very hard work, but he knew now it could work.

He had already asked Ward if he could cover some of his own shifts and he could do a few, but not all. Jim used those Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to interview potential managers.

Of course Roo was the obvious choice, but he wanted her for another city and to be the head honcho, really his Vice President. He had thought about Maugham, but was unwilling to part with him, especially given the sidebar activities. Renata would need to stay here and would be on leave. Still she was a viable candidate. In his mind, Martine would replace Roo when she left (and he was thinking of Santa Cruz, Portland, and San Francisco for the first three).

He was making a double mocha half chocolate for a new customer when Maugham came in distressed.

He came around the bar and whispered in Jim's ear. Jim stiffened.

"Martine? Can you finishing helping this gentleman?" He asked steady, then he and Maugham left quickly out the door.

Down the stairs Maugham said more. "They found his body washed up at China Camp Beach. They think you and I may have had something to do with it."

"Relax cowboy," Jim said. "We have nothing to hide and you know who is behind this. Poor Jacob."

There was a plain clothes detective and a street cop. Jim introduced himself and they went and sat at the stone table near the IC and talked.

Jim and Maugham listened intently, then led the officers upstairs to the Ops and showed them the series of emails. They had printed them out and had them in a binder. The officer asked if he could take them and Jim readily agreed, gave him a card with his personal cell number on it and agreed to help in any way he could.

He had walked them through his own process and how he had concluded it was Candice Broyon. No, he did not know where he lived now, but all things seemed to point to her. The fact that his car had been destroyed by a bomb lent credence to his story.

"Obviously Detective Vorosko I do not want to frighten my patrons with this, but if it will help you I can get you in touch with a few of the regulars. They will tell you what a wonderful man Jacob was how he was loved by everyone here."

"Loved huh?" the Detective asked.

Jim smiled, "I only mean he was appreciated by many. He led discussions and was really a part of this community."

When the officers left Maugam and Jim went down into Silo 2 and had a heart to heart.

"She is fucking nuts!" Maugham yelled. "She killed him...why?"

"I think she is sociopath," Jim said clearly. "One of the reasons I ended it so quickly and decisively was because on a number of occasions I sensed she had no moral center at all. She just drew a blank. All that mattered was what she wanted. Even when we made love it was really just fucking. I could have been anyone, except we had our business dealings. Even in that I suspected she would have slit my throat if I had I not been careful to protect my assets and majority share. That's when she would use her body and made wild promises about loving me forever, when in fact she loves no one, not even herself."

"Nice sermon Jim," Maugham said slyly.

"Okay, okay," Jim thought. "Maybe we are going about this wrong. Do a wide web search for the name 'alabaster". Look in chat rooms...look for people who have been burned by someone using that handle. It's an old nickname. Look on any Internet dating sites for anyone with t hat handle or part of it. We have been searching around the outer branches and leaves, we need to find the roots."

Maugham perked up and said that sounded good.

"Oh, and Fred and Alice are coming down here on Monday," Jim said.

"Fred and Alice?" Maugham said. "You wait a couple years to tell me, Manfred knows all along and now Fred and Alice?"

"We are making changes my friend," Jim said gently. "I'm not going anywhere, at least not permanently. This place will stay my personal study and my new Ops. I am integrating. The rest of Ops will be moved into Silo 1 which will be your personal office and space. Use it how you wish and work with Fred on modifications if you need any. The old Ops will be converted into living space for you and Martine."

Maugham was impressed. His only concern had been what he saw as a fatalism in Jim that now seemed gone. Maugham didn't want Azotus if it meant Jim not being there. But with Jim opening up his world and Maugham having fresh digs he was pretty happy.

"Okay Jim," Maugham smiled. "I like it. How soon can I setup in Silo 1?"

"How about right now," Jim said. "Take the first three of the four towers and the flat screens and move them down right now. I'll show you the rest of the devices available to you and I'll get you a key. Really Maug...it's your space now. Just have Manfred bring the last tower and flat screen down here for me."

"Done Jim," Maugham said then started to leave.

"Oh and Maug," Jim said, and Maugham turned back. "When the time comes for you to marry her, let me do the ceremony."

Maugham smiled broadly. "It's that obvious huh?"

"Is to me brother."