Temple: A New Journey Begins
Please see the disclaimer on the Synopsis page.
"Damn, that woman. Getting herself caught. I should not have hired her. Still, she did get rid of four pests."
"Too bad she couldn't get rid of Caine."
"Caine is the least of our worries," Kyle Jameson retorted. "It's that guy from the CIA I'm concerned about. I know she has to be the one. They may not mention names in the paper or the location, but it's just too much a coincidence. She leaked the information about someone in this town discovering platinum."
"I can't go over to the jail, they'll know we talked."
"You want her spilling the beans about our little operation? You want her giving out names next time? I caught her looking at my maps. She had to be the one to leak that information to the press. I want her taken care of."
"Yes, Mr. Jameson."
"Oh, and find out who that CIA guy is, and why he's still hanging around."
"If I get rid of that guy too, don't you think someone else would notice? I mean he's from the CIA."
"I didn't say to get rid of him," Kyle "I just want to know why he's still here. In the mean time, you take care of our loose end sitting at the jail."
"But how do I do that?"
"Buy her a box of chocolates. Maybe that will keep her mouth shut. I don't care. You figure it out."
***
Bobby walked into the Sheriff's office carrying a small package under his arm. He stopped at the counter and cleared his throat in order to get the Sheriff's attention away from what was occupying his time.
"Excuse me, I'm here to see the prisoner."
"Why?" Came the answer from behind the newspaper that the Sheriff was reading.
"I've got something for her," Bobby replied.
"Do you know her?" the Sheriff eyed the man suspiciously from behind his paper shield. The young man looked familiar, but for the moment the Sheriff could not place him.
"We met briefly. I read the papers. I can't believe that little lady in there would try to kill anyone." Bobby put on an air of innocence.
"You did not see what she did to the bar." The Sheriff tried to go back to reading his paper.
"Seems I recall, there was another person in there as well, this guy Caine."
"How do you know that?"
"It was mentioned in the paper. Have you talked to him yet? Get his side of the story?"
"What are you trying to do, defend the lady?" the Sheriff questioned Bobby.
"No, just trying to get all the facts," Bobby replied.
"Are you her lawyer?"
Bobby didn't answer, letting the Sheriff believe what he wanted. He watched the Sheriff get his keys.
"You should have said first thing. You get ten minutes, nothing more."
Bobby bit back the retort. 'Ten minutes is all I'll need.'
Bobby followed the Sheriff to the lockup. He saw Xia sitting on the cot in her orange prison issued overalls. Her eyes were closed and her legs were crossed. She looked like she was imitating one of the monks that visited the shrine.
Bobby leaned and whispered to the Sheriff as he opened the cell door, "Could you give us some privacy please."
"Suit yourself. Just call out when you want to leave. I'll be right over there."
After making certain the Sheriff was out of sight from his prisoner, Bobby opened the box that he carried and pulled out another plain box. This one was white with no markings. He placed the box on the small self next to the cot.
At that moment, Bobby was nearly startled out of his wits when he found himself locked in the arms of the woman, but it wasn't in an embrace. She held him in a chokehold with his left arm locked behind his back.
"What are you doing and who sent you?"
"Mr. Jameson sends his regards. He wanted me to see that you were taken care of."
"I bet," Xia looked at the white box suspiciously. "What's in the box?"
"Just a little something to show his appreciation."
Bobby coughed and tried to clear his throat after Xia released her hold on him. He watched as she gingerly opened the box with one of her nails. He gave a slight smile as he saw the look on her face change after viewing the contents of the box.
"How nice, a box of chocolates, and a little bonus."
Bobby carefully kept his expression as neutral as possible as he watched her open the envelope and placed one of the chocolates in her mouth. Each watering morsel was specially prepared for the occasion. Bobby's eye also caught the contents of the envelope and noticed a familiar green color.
"Oh, I'm sorry, would you like one?" Xia held out the box for Bobby.
"No, thanks. I'm allergic to chocolate. I break out into a rash."
"Too bad, they are really good," Xia popped another one in her mouth to savor it's flavor. "So, when is Mr. Jameson coming to spring me from this place?" A third chocolate disappeared as quickly as the second. Silence reigned as Bobby watched her consume the next piece.
As the fourth and final chocolate popped into Xia's mouth Bobby uttered his words.
"He isn't.
Sudden, agonizing cramps caused Xia to double over. "Ohhhh."
Bobby watched dispassionately as tears streamed down Xia's face and her eyes grew wide with sudden fright and understanding.
"Mr. Jameson doesn't like failure, and neither do I."
The envelope slipped from Xia's fingers as she slumped to the floor, the doctored chocolates doing their work. Sightless eyes stared toward the ceiling. Bobby quickly removed the evidence and replaced it in the original box. He scooped up the money and crammed it in his back pocket. He then picked up Xia and placed her on the cot, trying to make it look like she was taking a nap. Bobby picked up the box then called for the Sheriff.
It wasn't long before he was back outside. Bobby quickly walked to the nearest recycling center and tossed the box along with its contents into the bin.
Continues with Part 35
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2004.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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