How to Catch Butterflies (50 page)

“We had our best team on this, and they gave them a song and dance. There were lots of smoke and mirrors I can tell you. But we got them in the end, we always do“.

He was pacing her office, distracting her from reading the document. She wanted to tell him
stop, you’ll wear out the carpet
. But her eyes were transfixed on the name of the company.

“Yes well. We followed them thru Singapore, Geneva, The Bahamas and back thru to Zurich, then the Channel Isles and on and on, but they were no match to our intelligence department. And as you can see we found their point of origin. They have a London Office; well it’s not in that company name, but look at the name of the company that they are trading from over here?”

She looked down at the company name; she looked back up at Mr. Nichol’s. This is where everything is traced back to?”

She sat staring at the document in her hands. She looked up at Mr. Nichol’s as she rose from her chair.

“SO what happens now? What’s the process? She looked at Mr. Nichol’s for answers perplexed.

“Well we found this all out only late last week, and as you know we strike while the iron is hot, as case file was sent to the appropriate various departments of ‘our majesties’ many, many governing services. They are dealing with it now; this company won’t know what’s hit them. Well they will this week when they start receiving visits from departments, he tapped the side of his nose with one finger.

” I would say job well done to us”. He smiled to himself; he always liked catching the bad guys.

Justice to him was done.

“And it’s all because of you Rebecca. Well done, Job well done girl. Upstairs are very happy. I’m happy, you should be happy”. He smiled again at her

“Right, I’m off to another meeting, Oh there is a briefing tomorrow at 9am. Another case, but you’ll be told all that tomorrow with Duncan Peter’s, you’ll be working with him on that case. You both have the skills needed for the next assignment. Anyway, good to have you back” he smiled and was gone out of the office leaving Rebecca reading the report again.

Throughout the day she glanced at her ring and her watch. She couldn’t wait to get back to Jackson, they day seemed to drag. She busied herself, at 4pm she tidied up her desk ready for the morning and left for home. She was glad to see Jackson waiting for her when she arrived home.

*

Jackson had taken the day off work. Once he went back he knew his holiday was over, and he didn’t want it to be over yet. He was going to savor every moment. And it wasn’t every day the love of your life said yes to marrying you.

She had explained and he knew only too well how Rebecca’s plans changed on a Monday. At least being there he knew he could spend as much time possible with her, especially if she would be leaving early in the morning due to travelling for work which was a strong possibility.

Jackson had been out at the local supermarket and done some well needed shopping. As per usual Rebecca had nothing but bottles of water in her fridge.

They had food delivered last night; it hadn’t been an issue as they were in their love bubble. Tonight he was going to cook for her. He laughed to himself, Rebecca Keane, the woman that had conquered his heart. A woman, who in a few short months had changed him, his ‘Minx’

It was all Rebecca, she had turned him into the man he was now. Before her, only work mattered, it was always his focus, that’s why he was the top of his game. He didn’t do relationships, if he had an itch, he would scratch it. He had been with many, many woman, all creeds and colours. But none like his Rebecca.

Jackson stepped to the fridge dancing on air, and pulled the bottle of Bollinger from it, placing it in the ice bucket. He shimmed the neck between his palms, as the bottle moved deep into the ice, half submerging it.

He took out the champagne flutes, giving them a quick shine with a paper towel, and placed them next to the ice bucket.

He had prepared the runner beans ready to go, the new baby potatoes were part boiled and diced into cubes ready to be sautéed in the freshly chopped rosemary and garlic olive oil marinade in the oven dish, that too ready to go.

The fillet steaks were still in the fridge. Yep, he was ready for his baby to come home. He laughed to himself at what he had just said to himself.

There was the man whore, waiting for his lover to come home, what a complete role reversal. Jackson shook his head, still smiling to himself. He swigged on the bottle of beer, placing it back by his workstation, where he was chopping carrots into batons.

Jackson looked at the clock that hung on the wall, 4pm, hopefully she would be home before 6:30 by then, and hopefully the Gelato would be set. It was handmade, just like how his grandmother had showed him. And he would feed it to her after dinner or later in bed and lick it off her body. Not quite what his grandma would have expected to have been done to the family recipe

He was surprised as Rebecca walked thru the door at 4:15 p.m. She had caught him off guard, as he was wiping his hands on a tea towel; she entered looking around calling his name.

He walked towards her his arms outstretched. He saw his ring on her finger catching the overhead lights, twinkling as her hand moved causing her finger to sparkle with the diamonds incasing the large solitaire diamond.

“Hey baby, how was work ?” again he shook his head smiling at his private joke, “You look tired, hard day at the office dear? He joked as his arms encircled her.

She stood ridged, her Lemiena bag firmly at her side.

“I’m just tired”

She scanned the Kitchen counter, noting the champagne, and bucket of ice. She looked over at the countertop around the hob and oven, seeing the pots on the hob, and oven dish ready to be popped in. Jackson eyes followed hers.

“I’ve done a bit of shopping as you can see” he beamed rather proud of himself.

“Tonight you will be feasting on your favorite, Fillet steak, sautéed new potatoes, and your favorite veg. and for dessert we have my grandmother’s recipe for her Gelato.” He was feeling very proud of himself indeed.

“I’m not hungry” she declared “It’s been a long day, I’m tired Jackson”.

She didn’t look like the happy girl that had left their bed and skipped off to work that morning. He held her face, concern on his as he spoke softly to her.

“What’s wrong Rebecca? Is everything alright?” he looked at her, his head slightly tilting.

Jackson was trying to read her. His face was puzzled; Jackson asked her again she said nothing.

“Rebecca, what’s wrong? Talk to me? Is it work?” she nodded her head.

“Okay” he hadn’t a clue what was going on in her head and she was giving nothing away

. “Alright, erm, have you a new case?” his eyebrows rose awaiting her answer as she nodded her head yes.

“Okay” God she really wasn’t making this easy at all for him, she must have had a hard day at the office. He smiled again at his role reversal reference again.

“Rebecca help me, I’m struggling here, if you don’t tell me what’s up I can’t help, or do something, whatever it is. Surely we can sort something out between us YES?

He questioned, holding her face up tenderly to his. He was just about to kiss her, he wanted to reassure her everything would be okay, when she suddenly broke free and walked over to the kitchen counter. Jackson followed her as she threw her trusty Lemiena bag up and pulled out a document folder throwing it down in front of him.

He picked it up and read it as she spoke.

“Your company Jackson is involved in money laundering, to put it plain and in simple terms; you’re a conman. You’re a crook of the highest level. You’re also a dirty shitbag. You’re making a packet off the scam you’ve been running for years”. Her arms folded defiantly, she shook her head as she spoke.

“You almost had your hooks in me didn't you? Well thank god I found out about you before it was too late...You disgust me”.

Rebecca looked at him with pure contempt spilling out of her beautiful blue eyes.

“And you wanted
me
to work for you?” She walked up to him and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. He stood there, stunned his face stinging.

“That Jackson was because I nearly worked for you.” She slapped him again.

“And that was for making me fall in love with you.” She stood there her hand stinging, she could feel it burn.

“Now get the fuck out, and don’t let the door hit you on the way out, Oh and don’t forget your ring”. As she pulled it off her finger and threw it at him, as it bounced off his face onto the document folder he held like an open book.

He stood there, his face stinging from the two hard smacks she had placed there, shaking his head as his eyes narrowed.

“Where did you get this Rebecca? Where’s this from” How did you get this?”

His hand was hitting the paperwork. His face perplexed. As he stood there shaking his head in denial, as he went to walk to her stopping in his tracks as she spoke

“Don’t worry about where it’s from” she scolded at him sarcastically.” I know, and some of ‘Her majesties various services know too, like the fraud squad, the tax department etc. You’re in a whole lot of shit Jackson. Your company is done. You’re done, and you’re NOT bringing me down with you Mr. Conman. Now get the fuck out or I’ll call the police, and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help you leave”. She stood there defiant.

“Lucy I don’t know anything about this, what’s it called ‘World Class Executive Appointments Inc, what a fucking cheesy name. You don’t honestly think I have something to do with this? Do you?

He looked at the paperwork still in his hand pleading with her.

“How the fuck is this got anything to do with ‘Exclusive Executives’? You know we run a tight ship, every things always been above board. Everything, it always has been”.

He exclaimed again. He couldn’t believe what she was saying. She grabbed the document wallet from his hands as she started to read out the report as she paced in front of him like an interrogator, the sarcasm dripping as she read out loud its findings.

“And World Class Executive Appointments Inc. has London accounts, where small withdrawals have been made. Tut-tut, Jackson, that was the big mistake, and what a stupid one”. She shook her head at him as she continued to speak.

“The withdrawals have been for stupidly small amounts not even thousands. And we were able to trace them back to your company’s ‘Exclusive Executives’ computers, back to
your
company Jackson, where you stupidly done your internet banking”.