Criminal Affairs

Chapter 7

Jack Burke was identified two years later, again by fingerprints, after working under an assumed name at another chemical plant. Though no research had disappeared, another company filed for a process patent just days before Jack's company filed a patent for the same process, and Jack was once again believed to have been involved in industrial espionage. The FBI again attempted to pick up his trail, but to no avail.

Jack Burke was believed to have been living with couples or women during the intervals where he was unable to be found. He possibly worked on oil rigs in Texas and Oklahoma. There was one police report in Texas where a man whose description matched Jack was shot at in a drive-by shooting while working on a oil drilling site. The man was unharmed. The police caught the shooters, and the report of one Officer Angela Harlan stated that they'd admitted being hired to shoot at the guy to scare him into paying a debt he owed, but would say nothing further about who had hired them... even when offered total immunity! When police went to talk to Jack a second time, he had disappeared from that job, that oil drilling site, and was not seen again in Texas.

Burke then showed up again, in the local Town and County. He worked a couple of low-paying jobs, but might have begun working for a drug ring at the time he was killed. He had been having s****l affairs with several women, including his brother's wife, the black-haired woman he'd wanted to marry back in college, as well as a number of other trophy wives in the County. He had filmed many of his s*x sessions, and it was surmised by Police that he did so for his own protection rather than blackmail, as he never attempted to extort money from any of the women.

Then the story ended with a shocker. The professor that had threatened Jack at his school had since taken a full professorship at the local University. She had contacted the FBI about Jack's presence in the County, and they put him under surveillance. Their report at the time stated that while under surveillance, Jack had had s****l relationships with one Jeanine Olivet and one Marie Arruzio. Only days before Jack was killed, this professor had a private meeting with University Regent Jack Arruzio.

The professor's name, the report stated in conclusion, was Dr. Laura W. Fredricson.

"I don't believe it." Michael Burke said, feeling his whole body shaking. "How could Wargrave get this much stuff? It reads like a dime novel!"

"I believe it." Eleanor said, her eyes unfocused, beginning to rant. "It's mostly from FBI and police reports, which Henry Wargrave could all too easily obtain. But that doesn't matter Michael: it was Laura Fredricson who lied about our son being a r****t and drove him away from school. It was Laura Fredricson who lied to the FBI about our son being a spy and drove him away from several jobs. It was Laura Fredricson who told Joe Arruzio about our son's affair with Marie, and who knows what lies she told Joe to drive him mad enough to kill them. And now Laura Fredricson is married to Jack's college roommate. Do you really wish me to believe that all this is just a set of coincidence after coincidence?"

---

"Hi Grandma!" Todd said cheerfully as Phyllis came into his and Jeanine's house. It was May 12th.

"Hello, dear." said Phyllis, giving Todd a kiss. It was meant for his cheek, but Todd turned and made it a full open-mouthed kiss. Phyllis returned the kiss and made out with her grandson for several minutes.

"So, Todd," Phyllis said, breaking the kiss, then sitting down after picking up Todd's baby son Doug and holding him, "you said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yeah." Todd said. "My parents... my dad and stepmom, the Burkes... are acting strange." Todd then recounted how the Burkes were holding whispered conversations, were exhausted from lack of sleep, and would stop talking when he entered the room. In addition, his father Michael had asked him a couple of times about his Uncle Don, and if Todd knew anything about Don's college days.

"I told them that I hardly knew Uncle Don in those days because my mom and he were estranged, and that I was only about 8 years old at the time." Todd said. "It's really weird."

"Hmmm, very interesting." Phyllis said. "Did any event happen that you know of that would cause them to have such mood changes?"

"All I know is that I keep hearing them say 'the report said...' whenever they think I'm not in hearing distance. I don't know what that report is, but they don't talk about it when I come into the room."

"And you're getting a strange vibe about it, aren't you dear?" Phyllis asked her grandson. Phyllis was getting a vibe about it herself.

"Yeah, Grandma, now that you mention it, it's... strange."

"Todd, if the Burkes were going to hide a report, where would they hide it?"

"My dad has a safe behind a portrait in the den." Todd said. "And Mom- er, Eleanor has a safe in the wall by her desk, behind what looks like a heating vent."

"Do you think you can get into those safes and bring me any reports you find in there?" Phyllis asked.

"I can get in the safes, but I wouldn't want to take anything out where they might find something is missing." Todd replied. "I'd rather take you into the house and we can look in the safes while there."

---

"Easy, peasy." said Todd as he typed in the digital code to his stepmother's safe, getting it on the second try. He'd brought Phyllis into the house in the morning after learning that his parents were going to take an overnight trip to visit 'a friend.' He did not know that they were going to the City to meet someone and put the wheels in motion to breach the Federal Witness Protection program.

"Nice work, Todd." Phyllis said. "Looks like you've done that type of work before."

"You're a riot, Grandma." Todd replied. "Hmmm, here's a report bound in a gray cover, says it's about Jack Burke." He handed it to Phyllis who began reading.

She was still reading an hour and a half later, as Todd watched to make sure the Burkes didn't come home. When she was done, she went into a long think.

Part 7 - All Smiles At The Range

Foster's Indoor Gun Range was a surprisingly busy place on May 15th. In the instructional area, a young man was guiding Eleanor Burke.

"I've had this gun for years." Eleanor said, displaying her Taurus .38 Special 5-shot revolver. "It's time I learned how to properly shoot it. Do you think I'll be able to control it, though?"

"That's a very nice gun for you." the man said. "See these little holes next to the end of the barrel? Those are called 'ports', and will help the gun stay steady when you shoot it. Also, remember that if you're being attacked, you're going to be full of adrenalin and you won't feel a thing shooting the gun... but that's also why practice is important, it'll help you maintain control even when you're frightened."

Going to the range, the man went through the basics with Eleanor.

"Okay, just aim at that target." said the young man. The target was a silhouette of a man, and it was about seven yards away. "You want your hand pressure on the front and back of the handle, not the sides. Feel the pressure on the front and back. Okay, c**k the hammer... okay, pull the trigger smoothly. It should be a surprise when the gun goes off."

*POW!*

"Not bad." said the trainer. Eleanor had barely hit the paper. "Okay, fire another shot. Smooth trigger pull, let it be a surprise..."

Eleanor fired all five shots, the last two double-action (not c*****g the hammer). Her aim was getting better and better. She went through a second set of five shots, then a third. After that, the instructor left her to finish out the box.

--

Phyllis had watched Eleanor Burke practice, feeling a certain foreboding. Eleanor seemed to have a reason for her shooting practice, and her eyes showed a deep purpose as she intensely worked on her aim. Soon Eleanor was finished, and put the gun back into her black and white purse.

Moments later, Melina and Cindy came in, keeping their appointment to shoot with Phyllis. When Melina saw Eleanor, she quickly ducked down as if she was tying her shoe, and fumbled with it until Eleanor had walked by and was gone. If Eleanor had noticed the other women, her eyes did not even flicker over it.

"What was that shoe-tying routine about, Melina?" Cindy asked.

"That was Eleanor Burke, Todd's stepmother." Melina said. "I'm not sure why, but I didn't want her to see me and recognize me here."

"I think you acted very wisely." said Phyllis. "Okay ladies, let's see if this old woman can give you a run for your money on the range. I have to re-qualify, so I need the practice, as well."

Phyllis shot very well at her targets at ten and 25 yards, and would've easily qualified if it'd been her actual trials. Cindy also did well, shooting a nice center of mass.