Playing Doctor

So, if you want, I'll drive around to the backside and block it off, if you want to come at him from the front ~ Kelly

Sounds like a plan ~ Daniel

He quickly left the office, telling his receptionist that he might be slightly late back from lunch, he had an errand to run, then headed over to Fuller and Hoffman. He sent Kelly a text telling her to get ready. He could see the guy, about a quarter of the way in on the alley, probably waiting for Aurelia to leave for lunch. Daniel entered the narrow alley too, essentially blocking the path out to the front street.

The guy smirked and then took off toward the other end of the alley, but as he nearly reached the end, Kelly pulled her car up and blocked it. He stopped and looked from her to Daniel and sighed. "Look, I'm just doing the job I was hired for. I don't want any trouble."

"Right. Let me tell you about your client and the woman you're stalking. Because of your client, she nearly died. She's developed a serious disease and now just as she's finally starting to get better, he's harassing her and sent her back to the hospital over the weekend. The man is a bad guy. He's using whatever you've found to blackmail her and force her to return to him and Portland."

"Damn. I didn't know. He just said his wife had run off and he wanted evidence to give to his lawyer, man." He sucked his teeth and shook his head. "Shoulda known something was up when he called me higher than a kite on Friday. Dude was flying, my guess on coke. Is she even his wife?"

"No."

"Fuck. I should have done more digging. Look all I got on her was her kissing you, but you can't even tell it's you, in the shots, the lighting was off, and my camera was acting up so they're dark. Figured he didn't need you, just her. At least until that phone call. Then he was demandin' I get shots of the two of you in more compromising positions."

"That's not going to happen."

"No, I can't imagine it will. Still, he was pretty adamant about me keeping on her. Even if I back off, he'll find another way to come at her. You're gonna have to deal with him, man."

Daniel nodded. "Do you have a location for him?"

"No. I got a number though. Still, I want to check some things out before I go givin' out client intel. Here, it's my card. I won't be giving him those shots, at least not for now. Give me a call in a day or two and I'll make my decision then on what to do."

Daniel took the card. It read Nathan Abrau, Private Investigator. It also had a website and phone number. "Okay, thanks. Can you leave her alone for now though? She needs as little stress as possible right now."

"For now." He nodded and then headed off down the alley, back toward the front street.

"Oh! Wait!" Kelly called.

He turned back around and glared at her. "What now?"

Kelly's cheeks turned a little pink. "Um. I sort of incapacitated your car."

"What?" He glared at her harder.

"Just take the racquet ball out of the tail pipe before you start it. It should be fine."

"You put a damn ball in my car's tail pipe? Who does that?"

Kelly shrugged. "We didn't want you getting away."

He pursed his lips and turned back around.

"You're welcome!" she called down the alley behind him. "Some people, so ungrateful." She rolled her eyes. "I could have not told him about it at all, then where would he be?"

Daniel chuckled. "I have to get back. Thanks for your help with all this."

She nodded but then said, "Look, I get the whole losing your license thing if you two are found out, but if you hurt Aurelia, I'm gonna kick your ass. Just so we're clear." She smiled, put on her sunglasses, and then climbed back into her car without another word.

Sighing, Daniel returned to his office.

Chapter 16

Aurelia

"Did he give you the photos?" Aurelia asked Kelly that evening when she picked her up.

"No, unfortunately. But he's not going to give them to Marcus, at least for now."

Aurelia felt the pain in her chest pulse, and she pushed on her chest. "Damn it, I was hoping that would be the end of it."

"I'm sorry. We should have pushed harder."

"No, it's f-fine. Damn," she muttered as the pain went up a notch.

"Okay, change of plans, you're going back to the hospital."

"No, no, I… I'm okay," she gasped out with a wince.

"You are not. And Dr. McHottie, who really is by the way, said to take you back if you started having symptoms again. You are. So, you're going." She turned the car at the next light and drove them straight to the hospital. "Come on, in you go."