Get Rid Of Him
1150 Words
Having people profiled wasn’t a hard thing for Louis. She could just snap her fingers and get the information she needed on anyone. Grisha Mikhail’s information was slightly harder to get. That was the first red flag.
He was Russian American, explaining his exotic features and annoying height. He was raised in New York by a single father, a piece of information that was screaming misogyny. But he was in fact kind to women. At least, that was the information they got from the cabaret girls and former girlfriends.
Despite looking a little young, he was 32, three years younger than she was. He also had a good reputation among the force for being so capable and quick-witted. His only flaw was his smoking addiction and hatred for paperwork. He was also an uncouth man with little to no decorum. The second red flag.
The third red flag was his way of negotiating. He made himself at home in her office, dictating negotiation terms anyhow he liked. Having been in the business for more than 13 years, she had an A+ in patience. He threw all that in the bin.
“What an annoying man” she commented, thinking about the meeting again.
“You look stressed, boss”
“Who is it, giving me this amount of stress, hun?!”
“It’s not my fault she died” he mumbled, shrinking in his seat. Louis was angered by his reply, throwing a heel at him. He dodged it and watched it land on the couch beside him. Louis had good aim. She missed him on purpose.
“Damn it, Keith! How can you get involved with the police like this?!”
“It wasn’t my fault!” He argued back. Louis was normally reasonable but she was too frustrated to be reasonable.
“Annoying bastard…..” she didn’t even know if she was talking about Keith or Mikhail. She collapsed back in her chair, sighing deeply.
“I thought I asked you to lay low. Why the hell are you here?”
“I heard you were negotiating with the police on my behalf. I wanted to see if I could be of assistance”
“It would be better if you weren’t walking around. They can cart you away”
“They can’t without a permit”
They couldn’t truly but Louis wasn’t sure Mikhail wouldn’t just arrest Keith anyway. He looked like the kind of manipulative crook to do that.
“Just do me a favor and go home. Wait till we clear you”
“I can handle this myself. If the staff think you’re picking favorites…..”
“Keith, I cannot allow any of the staff to be taken into custody. If those geezers found out about this, it would take years to salvage our reputation. I’m not picking favorites. You’re a valuable employee, not just my brother”
Keith wasn’t actually Louis’s blood brother. He was more a foster child, taken in and groomed by Louis. Many people already knew how much Louis cared for Keith like he was her own. Keith also cared about Louis. He wasn’t willing to sabotage her reputation as a leader she built with effort.
“You’re too stubborn”
“You too. I’ll figure out a way to take care of this. Go home, Keith”
“Alright. Take care”
It was only after she saw his back disappear in the distance that her true feelings showed. She was frustrated beyond compare. Talent be damned, she would kill that man if he messed with her business.
The early morning trickled into late afternoon at the office. Taking lunch only after she was reminded, Louis checked her mails. She had sent out correspondents to many people involved in the case, too eager to close it as soon as possible. Deep down, she knew she couldn’t. Yet, one could hope.
There was a small alarm located on her table. It would play a short sound signifying she had a guest or someone at the door. It was convenient for business. The alarm only went off if the person had been certified for entry by her secretaries.
The glass doors slid open and a burly man of eurocentric descent walked in. He was about twice her size, wearing a black suit, shades, and wire on his neck. His long blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, resting on his left shoulder.
“Solomon, what happened?” she looked away from her mails to see him with a serious look. Granted he only ever looked like that, she had worked with him enough to know how to differentiate his moods. It was grim right now.
“The detective has been snooping around”
“What?”
“We followed him around yesterday and he was following someone else around; an employee. He entered a club with her and got her to spill something. We are not sure what he knows but I think he must’ve found out about your relationship with Mr. Keith”
“s**t!”
She fumed silently, cursing the employee for being too loose, cursing him or being too sly, and herself for not having seen this in hindsight. Solomon waited for his orders. One of Louise’s best qualities is the ability to recover quickly after a huge hit.
“Keep following him around. Make sure he doesn’t make contact with Keith. I’ll deal with the employee”
“Okay”
She turned back to get to work. After a few minutes, she looked up to see Solomon still standing there.
“Is there another problem?” She asked with foreboding anxiety.
“No” he suddenly turned shy.
“I just wanted to ask if you’re free tomorrow evening…..”
Louise didn’t know when but the sigh of relief slipped from her lips. She smiled, amused with his bashfulness.
“Another dinner?”
“Yes”
“Let me guess, Yulia has been pestering you to bring me home for dinner”
“No! It was my idea this time”
“Sure, sure. I’ll try to free my schedule”
“Okay. Don’t work too hard”
“I’ll try”
He finally left. Louis threw her head back, exhaling too deeply. This case wouldn’t be the end of her; she would make sure of it. She eyed the phone beside her laptop, making a strong decision at that moment. She dialed a number that was on speed dial.
“Yes, boss?”
“Where’s that detective I asked you to tail?”
“He’s at the station. Solomon should’ve given you a report. Is there any problem?”
“I want to give an order. If you find anything suspicious about him again, don’t hesitate to get rid of him. Am I clear, Hansel?”
“......Yes Boss”
- Writer
