015 - Bad News and Running Home

Steven finished his presentation. This trip was to meet some distributors about selling some of the product his company made. During his pitch his phone had sounded. He checked it briefly, then turned the ringer off and continued. When he finished he checked his voicemail, finding several messages. The first one was his General Manager. She told him to call immediately, and not to check any other mail until he does. She had cleared his voicemail before sending this one.

Steven called his office.

“Hello, Leticia, this is…”

“Steven. Thank god you called. We have been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon.”

Steven had hired Leticia because she had a reputation for being unflappable. He had hired her away from her prior job. Now, listening to her, she was flapped.

“Steven, the police called, you house was broken into, and Rox and your kids are missing. The police are looking for you, to see if you are all right.”

Leticia stopped for a breath and only heard silence. So she continued.

“Mrs. Winchel, your neighbor, has also called looking for you. She said the police answered a 911 call for your house, and came to ask her about it. She told them that she had seen two dark clothed men prowling around your house, just before the kids came home from school. Then Rox drove home in the truck. Then the police came by here to find you, and I told them you were on a business trip. We tried to call and only got your voicemail. So I figured you were still presenting. Now they need you to call them.”

Steven had felt the world collapse on his shoulders, and his knees give out. He was alone in the room for the moment.

Leticia continued. “I gave the officers your cell number, and told them that you were in Salt Lake on business. They insisted on seeing your office, and were generally behaving like they owned the place. Once they left, I called again, cleared your voice mail, and left the last one.”

Steven’s Marine training began to surface. Leticia had given him what facts she could. Now he needed to act. The phone hung silent as his mind got back into gear.

Steven took a deep breath. “O.k. Get me on the next best flight home. Cancel the rest of this trip.”

“I already have the website open. Will two hours be enough time at that end to get to the airport?”

“Yes. The kit needs packing, but that is not important now. Get that flight, send it to me by email, and meet me at the airport when it lands. Talk to you then.” Steven hung up the phone. He rechecked his voice mail, and logged his laptop computer on to his email.

The second voicemail was from an officer from the Douglas County Sheriff’s office, asking for Steven to call at his earliest convenience, and before talking to anyone else.

Steven dialed the number from the voice mail. He got the sheriff’s dispatcher.

“This is Steven Caplan. I need to talk to Deputy Poulson.”

“One moment.”

A series of clicks and one ring, and a voice came on. “Deputy Poulson.”

“This is Steven Caplan. What’s going on?”

“Mister Caplan, your house was the target of a breaking and entering today.”

Steven paused to let Deputy Poulson continue. “And?”

“And we need to talk to you in person at your earliest convenience. Your secretary…”

“General Manager. Leticia is not my secretary.”

“Pardon me, your General Manager told us you were out of town…”

Steven’s patience was at an end. “And my absence there gives you permission to harass my employees, and not come to the point and tell me that my family is unaccounted for?”

After a moments silence, Deputy Poulson continued. “Whom else have you talked to, Mr. Caplan?”

“Only Leticia. She’s getting me on the next flight. So why did you send people to harass her?”

“We didn’t. They were just sent to find you.”

“Well I’m not there,” Steven snapped.

“You don’t need to get angry at me.” Deputy Poulson responded, keeping calm.

“If you are going to abuse my people I’m going to.”

“We are not abusing your people….”

“Good,” Steven interrupted. “Keep your goons away from my people. The last thing they need is a flock of vultures hanging over them. Now are you going to meet me at the airport, or at my house?”

“I will meet you at the airport. What’s your flight number?”

“I don’t know yet. I will call you as soon as I do know.”

Steven hung up before the guy could say more. He had never trusted or liked the police much. That was why he had his CCW. Even though many were ex-military, as he was, Steven had always felt that most policemen were school bullies that had grown up and found respectable ways to continue bullying people.

Steven logged onto and checked his email. In five minutes he had his flight plans printing on a borrowed printer. He got a call back from Deputy Poulson at ten minuets, told him the flight number and hung up on him again. At fifteen minutes Steven was on his way to the airport. He left his demo stuff behind, to be shipped back to him later. Fortunately the client understood, his stuff would be taken care of by them. Leticia had emailed that she had already called the motel and they were taking care of his bag and clothes there.

At the Salt Lake International Airport Steven presented his flight plans, his I.D. his CCW’s, his computer, its case, and his gun. He left his checked luggage at the hotel, so he had to get his gun checked through in a borrowed lock-box. That done, he got his ticket and went as quick as he could through the security cordon and to his gate.

Once there Steven found a quiet place in the terminal and called Deputy Poulson and told him his flight number and arrival time. He then began peppering the deputy for information.

Deputy Poulson began. “Your neighbor, Mrs. Doris Winchel, had called 911 to report two men prowling around the house, and that the dogs had gone quiet. A deputy was sent by to see. Mrs. Winchel met the deputy in person, and told her everything she saw, from the men, the kids coming home, and Roxanne pulling in, and going inside. The deputy tried the front door, only to find it locked. The blinds were all closed, so Mrs. Winchel took the deputy around back. Here they found your dogs were dead, and the double doors smashed and forced open. The living room had the couches and chairs pushed aside. Mrs. Winchel helped the deputy call your office, but found you were out, so the deputy radioed to have two officers go by to find you.”

Steven did not have a notepad right there, but had learned to commit things to his memory very early on in his time in the Marines. He tried to press Deputy Poulson for more information, but the deputy was hesitant to discuss anything, as opposed to report what was known. In frustration, Steven commented that this paranoia was why he distrusted cops, and hung up again in anger, then paced a bit to cool down.

After an interminable time spent typing his notes on his laptop and emailing them to his home account and to Leticia, he heard the call to board. Now, so long as the airline was its usual efficient self, he would be feet down in the Reno airport within the hour, and after claiming his gun, he could look for his ride home.

*          *          *

Caspian sat in the parking lot of a church building in sight of the Caplan house. The ground here was flat enough, and the buildings sparse enough that he could watch everything from where he sat most of a mile away. He had checked the stone once he had turned the car off, and was annoyed that all three of the local swirls were gone. This meant that they were not just out of the area, but already off planet. Caspian hoped they were kept together, but doubted they would be kept that way.

On the other hand, now Caspian only had to talk to and convince Steven to come, or to just up and kidnap him. But it also meant that his task, instead of taking two adults to Tywacomb, and then to Shalaia, had changed to taking one adult, and then probably tracking down the second and then retrieving the kids, from wherever they would be. It was doubtful that the people from Krogg would want to carry Roxanne very far, and keeping her close to her children was too much danger.

As Caspian thought it out, he liked it less, but also slowly realized it gave him an excuse to annoy the elves, as much as they had already annoyed him. So maybe it would balance out. Presuming nothing else got fowled up. Best not to make any hard plans; just go with the events.

For now he had to wait for Steven to come home. Judge Kevan’s notes said that Steven owned a manufacturing facility, making all kinds of carry-bags. Caspian had not spent much time following him, as he had figured that where Roxanne was, Steven would be as well. But since they had apparently taken Roxanne. . .

The local constables had one vehicle parked at the Caplan’s house. Several had come and gone. It was getting on to evening, and Caspian began to regret not putting a trace on Steven when he had had a chance.