AZOTUSLAND chapter twenty nine

Jim invited Maugham to grab the bottle and his glass and follow him up to Silo 2.

When they hit the top of the stairs and Jim turned it off and shut the door, Maugham asked "So what's behind door number two, a submarine?"

"No Maug, but you are gonna need some equipment."

Once inside Maugham was once again dumbfounded at the size of the library. "Do you ever sleep?" he asked.

"Sure...now come over and look at these maps."

When Maugham came over to the drafting table he saw a detailed map of the gated community.

"All I need you to do is check her computer and see if she is the one sending the messages. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes inside, so I figure 40 to 50 minutes total. She lives alone, has a cat and she'll be with me in San Rafael."

"Okay, so I assume you want me to come in the beach side. How do I do that?"

"See this spot here on Beach in Belvedere?"

"Sure."

"Well her place is directly across this channel ...right here. There are two big palm trees on each side of the property so you cannot miss it, even in the dark."

"So am I supposed to swim across in frigid waters?"

"No, Manfred has already racked up the Jeep and he will take you out to Beach street."

"Manfred is in on this!!? Are you nuts!?"

"Just bringing the Jeep and Dagger around for you."

Maugham rolled his eyes and poured more wine. "Will you tell Martine goodbye for me and that I loved her."

"Really Maug? Love?"

"Yeah sheesh. I dunno how it happened but somehow she managed to wrap her heart around mine."

"Good," Jim said. "Now here's the rest of the plan."

**********

At 10:30 Jim and Maugham went down to the parking lot where Manfred was waiting.

"Hello Sahib! All is as all is planned for youus!"

Maugham snarled at Manfred and got in the Jeep. Jim got in the Mustang and drove off to meet Helen.

On the way Manfred struck up a conversation.

"Soos we are going kayaking, no?"

"No Manfred. I am going kayaking. You are going to wait at the Jeep until I get back from my exercise."

"This reminds me of an episode of As the Stomach Turns."

"It's really called that?"

"No, Sahib calls it that, then laughs for some reason."

"Nicolai was a Russian spy and, wells I thought him a very bad mans," Manfred said. "But really, I miss the show for two weeks and when I came back he was still in the same room! So how much badness can happen?"

"I dunno Manfred."

"Well not much badness!"

"Okay...hey I'd just like some quiet okay?"

"Okay Mr. Maugham," Manfred said then he slapped a Mermen CD into the player and cranked the sound.

"Oh brother."

At just that time Jim pulled up into the parking lot of Sam's and saw Helen in the parking lot. She seemed nervous and terse, but then she had been so that last night when who she really was flashed with anger. Jim did not want a repeat and he knew Maugham would need at least 40 minutes. It was a calculated risk.

"Hi Helen," he said approaching, and he kissed her on the cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"No," she said flatly, "But you can buy me a drink."

Inside they found a table by the back and ordered two Cosmopolitans. Jim also ordered the roasted garlic brie with toast and they settled in for a chat.

"I need your help with Azotus Helen, if you are willing," he said. She perked up and took note of the way Jim hair had silvered at the temples. She liked gray-haired men and she had plans for Jim.

Twenty minutes away Manfred and Maugham were unracking the Dagger "Crazy 88" a dark red mean little Kayak built for speed and endurance. It could take a major wave if need-be but as Maugham looked out over the channel it was calm. No, if anything he would have to go slow and quiet.

"You look good in black," Manfred said.

"And you look good inside the Jeep. And use the headphones."

Maugham grabbed the long paddle and the Dagger and hiked down to the beach. Wearing a 5-4-3 wetsuit and scuba boots he was quite warm as he waded in and slogged into the boat and headed out.

He left the gun under the passenger seat of the Jeep. He was pretty sure he wouldn't need it.

********

"Care to let me choose the next round?" Jim asked.

"That would be fine."

"Waiter, two camprioskas please," Jim said calmly

He asked her about considering a series in the Library on motivational speakers and personal coaching and she seemed intrigued. I few minutes later the waiter brought their drinks.

She took a sip and then said "Really Jim!"

"No Helen give it time to settle...you'll like it's earthiness on the far end."

She took another sip and relaxed. "I have been working on an extended series and it looks like this..."

Maugham reached the far shore between the two Palms in a little over ten minutes and pulled the Dagger up on the beach. From there he quickly hiked up the hill, the two staircases and made it to the back door. The cat was waiting and brushed up against him as he worked the lock. He left his rubber boots outside and was pretty much dry. The cat ran into the kitchen which was lighted. Everything else was dark.

Maugham made his way past the bedroom and into the back study. He hoped to god that the computer was in sleep mode.

It was.

Hitting the return key it stirred and he went off to look for the cat to put it out.

When he got back and sat down he opened every mail program. Outlook, Outlook express...and he checked every possible yahoo, MSN, G-Mail, etc...sites and used the automatic log-in feature to scan for files.

He knew there was a chance she would know someone had accessed these, but still tried to erase histories and other links that he had to use.

He found a folder of profiles...all men, but they seemed harmless. Jim's was listed but with no red flags.

The last 11 emails to anyone in that file were to a man named Terrell. Maugham opened and read the sent messages.

She was a bitch, but obviously her obsession was now with Terrell. The emails were ugly, but not threatening. Her last email to Jim was in the drafts folder from 3 months earlier.

Helen was not Rnonymous. That was clear.

Maugham did some clean up and was about to leave when he heard the front lock of the door click and he dove under the bed.