Under a Rock #2
Moyer answered. “He's legally dead. He's in ‘no man's land’. The indictments that are against him are for a non-deceased person. Legal is going back and forth; some say upon his death his debt to society was paid. The other side is unsure. If we can formally interview Jenny Jones and Sarah Vasquez again, and their stories are corroborated, then we can squash the indictments. For now, it is still Mr. Miller’s word against Miss Raines.
I, for one, would see them dropped if it wasn't for procedures. Also, we are watching Mr. Miller. If we get a hint of anything threatening your daughter, we will notify your head of security.”
“Very good, Special Agent, thank you. Anything else today?” Ronson asked.
“No, Sir, we can let ourselves out. Good day, Mrs. Raines, Mr. Raines.”
“Good day to you,” the Raines's said in unison to the departing FBI.
Jillian turned to her husband. “I better go see to Halo. I think a visit to her doctor is in order, too.”
“Good thinking, Jill, give Halo my love. I better speak with Ari about this.” Ronson leaned down and kissed his wife. “Love you, Jill. Take care of our baby. I’ll handle the rest.”
Jillian patted her husband’s chest. “Love you back, you big oaf. Now go on, scoot!”
Outside of Halo’s home, early, a few days after the FBI’s visit, Simo sat in his Hellcat reading through last night’s reports on Joel Miller and his crew.
There wasn’t much. He looked at his diver’s watch, put his tablet away, and turned to Theo.
“I’ll be back.” Theo nodded and Simo got out of the car.
He rang the bell and Jillian let him inside.
Quietly, Simo spoke to Jillian. “How is Halo?”
“She cries herself to sleep… I have never seen her like this. It simply breaks my heart.”
“I’m sorry, Jillian… if I can do anything to help her, I will do it.” Jillian nodded toward the stairs.
Halo was descending in a white and green sundress with heeled sandals. “Morning, Mom. Morning, Simo,” she sighed quietly.
“Good morning, Love. You look so pretty.”
Halo noticed Simo looking at her shoes as she came downstairs. “Simo? Not appropriate?”
“Can you run in that?”
Halo looked down and smoothed out her dress. “Hmm… good point. I’ll be right back.” Halo headed back up to her room.
In a few moments, she came back downstairs wearing jeans, boots, and a loose-fitting blouse.
“Now that you can run in, nea?” Simo smiled.
“Yes. Simo, please understand that there are times I may have to wear heels…”
“Understood. Let’s go, your appointment is in an hour.” Simo watched Halo transfer one purse’s contents to another and pointed at her hand. “What is that on your finger?”
“Yes, Love. What is that?” Jillian smiled.
Halo quickly covered her hand, as she worriedly looked at Simo and her mother. She sighed, tried to smile, and held up her hand. “A ring…”
“You married now?” Simo said wryly.
“No… Xander made it for me for Valentine’s… on the island.”
Simo pointed at it and his reply bordered on gruff. “You want to honor your man and his culture? Wear it on your right hand, ring finger.”
“Oh?” Halo quickly swapped the ring onto her right hand.
Then Simo chuckled and adopted a heavy Greek accent. “If you are lucky enough to be married in the Greek Orthodox Church, that is the finger the ring goes on. And don’t forget… we are all fruits…”
Jillian laughed.
Halo gave him a little laugh. “Funny, Mr. Simo… I wish I would have a big fat Greek wedding someday.”
Simo chuckled and gestured to the door.
Theo was waiting for them at the passenger door with his big smile. “Hello, Halo. Hello, Jillian.”
Halo smiled as best she could and accepted Theo’s hand as he helped her in. “Hello, Theo. How are you?”
“Pollee kalo, Kouklitsa!”
“Very good?”
“Nea. This is right.” Theo smiled.
“Theo, what does Kouklitsa actually mean? I heard Xander say it when… when he was on the phone on the ship.”
“Koukla is doll, or pretty. Kouklitsa is little doll… eh, for a young… lady or girl.”
“Efaresto, Theo.”
“Parakalo, welcome.” Theo closed the door and got into the driver’s seat and waited for Simo to buckle up.
Halo spoke up. “Wait… I have to speak with you all before we leave.” Simo raised his eyebrow, turned back to her, and gave her a pensive, single nod.
“Mom, Simo… it’s been five days since the FBI talked to us. I am tired of waiting. I am going to Oregon to meet Xander’s agent, Eric Rose, with or without either of you. I am so sick of sitting on my hands and waiting. I will drive up to Portland after my appointment.”
Simo let out a long sigh. “More work for Simo… fine. I will make arrangements. We will use Ari’s jet. You will stay with Annabeth, then you can meet Eleni.”
Halo felt like she had been holding her breath. She relaxed and smiled at Simo. “Thank you. Next time don’t argue so much, it wastes time.” Halo gave Simo the best smile she could.
Simo playfully threw his hands up, shook his head, and let out a laugh. “Ok. Theo will take you and Jillian to the doctor. I will meet you at Santa Monica. Go pack your bag.”
Halo was out of the car before Theo could get out and open her door.
Simo entered Halo’s garage and grabbed Halo’s convertible Jaguar keys.
Leaning up against the support post, he tapped his radio send button twice.
Everyone beeped. “When Halo and I are gone, keep the drones up all night around Joelly’s and here.
Have any vehicles tagged and logged that leave his house.
They will try and be stealthy. Keep your ears open.
They will hire more men. If possible, log any new faces into the database.
Now, around Halo’s, I want all the neighboring houses watched.
If it were me, I’d take a house as a staging point to launch an attack from.
If you see a bush, flower, or even dog shit out of place, you will report it and investigate. ”
Gunnar’s voice came over the line. “Simo, there are many houses surrounding Halo’s. I would like permission to discreetly install more motion detectors and cameras… particularly around the unoccupied ones.”
“Good idea, make it happen. Just be ready to get them back; I don’t want them stolen.
Oh, keep the cliff behind Halo’s under twenty-four-hour surveillance.
Gunnar, shut off the gas to the empty houses and lock it.
Last thing: Theo and Chen, I want both of you to stay at Halo’s and get set up for little Miss Stealth… just in case.”
Chen replied, “Understood. Good luck in Oregon.”
“Simo, out.” He started up Halo’s red Jag, backed out, and headed to Santa Monica airport, then to get Oregon prepped.
Simo watched the Escalade pull right up to the jet’s stairs.
With Halo’s bag in hand, Theo ran up the steps and handed the bag to Catrina, the flight attendant.
Back down he raced and opened Halo’s door.
From the plane, Simo watched Jillian hug Halo for much longer than normal.
Theo escorted Halo all the way up the steps.
She didn’t take off her sunglasses as Catrina apologized for being in street clothes.
Simo watched. It was as if Halo didn’t hear Catrina.
He examined her face. She was pale and looked emotionless…
something was up. He made his way back, sat across the aisle from her, and tried to give her an empathetic look.
“Everything at the doctor go ok? You sick?”
Halo didn’t remove her glasses and simply stared ahead as she answered. “Apparently, I am healthy as a horse. Thank you.”
As she adjusted her seat belt, Simo caught the sight of a white bandage around her bicep. “What is that?” He pointed.
“Nothing, Simo.”
Simo leaned close and had the urge to remove her sunglasses. “Halo, I need to know if you are good. You don’t look good. If you are sick or something, I need to be prepared and make arrangements. Now, what is that?”
Halo sighed and pushed up her sleeve. “If you must know, I had my birth control removed. It took almost an hour to get it all out…”
“Why so long?”
“It got crushed. Probably why I am so moody. I am nervous, too.”
“Ok, thanks. We will be there in a couple of hours. Oh, we are going to go out over the ocean then north… just in case.”
Simo watched her the entire flight. He guessed that meeting Xander’s ex-agent, who is now fucking his ex-wife, would be nerve-wracking.
He guessed that she really wanted to meet Athena, Xander’s daughter, and was trying to figure out how, and she was uptight…
hell, he was uptight thinking about all this shit.