“Carl, this cannot continue," said one afternoon at lunch. "Something needs to change and change quickly.”
Carl smirked. “What do you mean, my Love? I thought everything was going so well?”
“What I mean is that you're adding businesses weekly, and you might even have to add another truck to keep up with it all. Yet, every time I ask about my percentage, you keep changing the subject. I know our relationship developed into something it was never supposed to be, and for that I will have to live with myself, but you do owe me.”
"I owe you what?” I've wined and dined you in the best places in Chicago for months. I've showered you with new jewelry that is wrapped your pretty neck and wrist. I've taken very good care of you. I don’t owe you a damn nickel. In fact, I'm pissed off you would now dare to ask me for more.”
Barbara slammed her fork on the plate. “This wasn't our agreement, Carl. What you did to get me in bed has nothing to do with what you owe me with my marketing skills.”
"Well maybe I assumed I was paying for your skills every time you rang up room service in the fancy hotel room, where you insisted we meet once a week.”
“Are you now suggesting I'm a whore, Carl?”
“I'm suggesting you sure didn’t mind me spending my hard earned dough to please you for the small amount of net income your so called skills provided me. Now stop asking me for more than you already have, or your dim witted husband is going to find out where you have been spending your weekly meetings, and it wasn't to get him new business.”
“Do not dare threaten me you ignorant little man. I will get what's owed to me.”
Barbara threw her napkin the on the table and stormed back to the office. Her flush face and short temper caught the attention of her husband. He walked into her office and asked if everything was alright.
“I know I've not paid you much attention lately, sweetie," Richard said. It was tax season, and with all the extra clients you brought in this year, I guess I should have been more prepared and hired extra staff, but I didn’t. I'm sorry I've not been the best of husbands lately. How would you like it if we book a vacation for a couple of weeks? Would you like that?”
“Yes, I would Richard. I have a feeling it will be best if we both leave town.”
After cooling off for a few days, Barbara called Carl and asked him if she could come over and cook dinner for him and apologize. Richard was attending a seminar out of town for the weekend. Carl didn't accept the invitation right away, but Barbara insisted her apology was sincere. She could stay the evening with him, something they had never done.
Barbara's meal would be something out of the ordinary. She had remembered reading about a type of fish she wanted to serve, though it wasn't easy for her to obtain on short notice. She searched a few Japanese restaurants in the area until she finally found the fish not already gutted and cooked. She had to pay off the owner of the restaurant a large sum of cash to obtain the entire fish.
Upon arriving at Carl's suburban home and sharing an extended kiss, Barbara said, “Thanks so much for accepting my apology, Carl, and allowing me to make you dinner. I know how much you enjoy a nice fish dinner. I found the perfect one for you.”
She cooked it up as close as she could remember from the book, she read many years earlier. She prided herself on being a well-read person as well as a good cook.
Soon after eating a few mouthfuls, she noticed Carl was starting to lose the ability to move his arms or move in his chair. His face refused to twitch. Barbara knew not to eat her portion of fish and only eat her salad.
Barbara's face took on a sinister look with a raised eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Carl? Oh, wait you didn’t really eat any of the fish did you? I guess I didn’t tell you. You're eating the Japanese Fugu fish. It emits a deadly toxin. This one happens to be called tetrodotoxin, it slowly paralyzes you to where you can no longer breathe."
Carl's eyes widened.
She continued. "The beauty of it is most western doctors can't detect it. It will look like you died of natural causes here at the table and maybe in a few days when people start to notice you've not been to work, your body will be found. However, that won’t be until at least Monday, my dearest when you will be long dead. Lucky for you, I have a potion that will stop all this nastiness, but you need to sign a paper for me. All this will then go away. But you do need to act quickly because you don’t look so good.”
With the assistance of Barbara, Carl signed his Last Will and Testament granting ninety percent of Carl’s money to a charity already set up by Barbara. His company would go to his assistant because after all, Barbara had no use for it. She really didn’t want any attention heading her way after his death.
She sat and watched Carl inhale his last struggling attempt at life. She could see the fear in his eyes, but never once did she offer a tear. She never had a potion, only a small vile of water she brought with her for show.
After Carl exhaled for the last time, she cleaned up all the remains of the fish and dinner. She made him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, tore off part of it as if he had eaten some of it and made sure she never touched his body, other than put a dab of peanut butter on his lip.
She put the newly signed Will in an envelope with his other work papers in his desk. She had made sure the paper was notarized. While working for the law firm, she would collect papers that were to be shredded.
One time a new attorney in her office, who was a notary, was testing his new seal. She was ordered to destroy the tests, but she kept a few for safekeeping. She used her typewriter in the office and typed a perfectly looking legitimate Last Will and Testament dated and signed from a few years previous to that fateful evening.
Barbara meticulously cleaned up any traces of herself ever having been inside Carl’s home. She even wiped the oven and kitchen clean of any wandering fingerprint of hers. She wore gloves when touching the envelope and around Carl’s desk, careful not to leave any clues. She later put Carl’s fingerprints on the Will and the envelope after he was paralyzed and couldn't stop her. She was home before nine o’clock and called her husband’s hotel room from their home to show she was home in the evening.
It was about that time when Elder Orcus asked me to start to follow Barbara. It seemed she had masked her own emotions so well that even a master of reading souls was not sure of her guilt or innocence. Since we do not have any special powers to read minds or see where people are on maps or any special talent other than to see and steal souls, the Elders did not know of her now appetite to kill. They only knew they had to be more accurate before removing her soul. When I was given the assignment to follow Barbara, I had no idea she had committed a murder or the detailed extent she had gone to cover her tracks. It didn’t make it any easier that I was also running a budding record company with a singer, who was registering off the charts as being a bad soul. Johnny was my main target at the time of Barbara’s first murder.
A few days later, the news arrived that Carl Palaski had been found dead in his apartment. The case fell on Detective Elliot Nesstor's desk. Richard and Barbara both attended the small memorial service. It wasn't until weeks later, when Carl’s attorney and the landlord were cleaning out his belongings, that they found the Last Will and Testament. Carl’s attorney wasn't convinced of its authenticity.
It took months, before the funds were released into the account Barbara had set up, because her company documents with the state showed the company was only a few months old when Carl died, yet his Last Will and Testaments was dated almost two years earlier. An attorney representing the newly formed company testified that the charity had been set up for years. However, the formal filings with the State of Illinois were not done until recently since the company had no funds.
That little trick cost Barbara a lot money to get the attorney to lie to a judge. Since Carl had no family and no one other than Carl’s attorney protesting the will, the judge ordered the funds released. Barbara’s fake charity bank account instantly swelled with over fiv
e hundred thousand dollars.
Barbara didn't stop there. It almost seemed too easy for her to kill and steal money. Detective Nesstor looked into the death of Carl Palaski and found little to continue an investigation. Barbara was extremely thorough in covering her trail.
Since I wasn't trained as a spy or detective, following Barbara full time and running a record company, was becoming increasingly difficult to do. I knew she was meeting with a new man from time to time, but there was little evidence that she was a person capable of committing murder. From a short distance, I could see that she would go home every evening after office hours to have dinner with her husband.
She rarely strayed far from home on weekends, and the few times I could follow her during office hours, she seemed to be meeting with clients in crowded restaurants. There wasn't much I could report to the Council that warranted stealing her soul.
I wasn't close enough to her to understand how manipulative and calculating she was as a person. Ordered to keep my distance, I followed her as much as possible. I was, at that time, still required to keep an eye on Johnny and the record company. It was a good thing I didn’t have my own family to attend to, since my days and evenings were filled with working, spying or attending performances by various groups or artists. I also had to keep a close eye on the relationship between Johnny and Alexis, since I knew it was very likely he would be losing his soul.
A second person associated with Barbara was found dead in their home. He was also a single man with only a few relatives, who lived many miles away from her downtown office. A Last Will and Testament was found shortly after he was found dead.
An amount was left to a single charity, though compared to Carl’s death it was a smaller amount. The elderly man was self- made through the stock market. He lived and worked alone and had few friends. Not well known to his neighbors, no one noticed if he had visitors. However, there were now two people connected to Barbara and Richard’s company, who had turned up dead within a year.
Detective Nesstor again investigated, but nothing suspicious was discovered during his investigation. This man was found dead in bed several days after the coroner’s office believed time of death occurred. There were no traces of foul play, nor did anyone see anyone coming or leaving the home. I had seen Barbara have lunch with the man one time, but never anything more. If she was involved with his murder, she acted quickly.
Soon after the second death associated with Barbara, my work with the record company was complete. I had taken my first soul. While visiting my parents in Florida, a third body turned up cold in the Chicago suburbs.
This time there was no connection to the accounting firm. I had never seen Barbara with the man. The only connection was that he was a single man and money was donated to a recently formed charity. My assignment was to now follow Barbara full time.
Mario Espendari responded to one of Barbara’s advertisements for bookkeeping work. His family was rich in land used for wine making, as well as some commercial buildings in Rome. Wine making had been the family business for many generations. He was the sole heir to the company and family fortune. Mario came to the United States looking for potential new outlets for his wine business and possibly investing in Chicago real estate. He didn't really need much bookkeeping help as much as he was looking for tax advice from Richard Gifford.
While in the office, Barbara spied Mario in his fine Italian suit. Mario didn't have looks that would be mistaken for a magazine model, but he was not unattractive either. Barbara saw him as a man just over six feet in height, slender, but not thin, nothing that really stood out. However, she did notice his very expensive suit, his well-groomed hair, and polished fingernails. She assumed he was a wealthy man and appeared to be her same age. After learning from Richard that Mario was looking for tax advice, Barbara insisted on meeting the man.
“Mr. Espendari, thank you so much for reaching out to our firm. Possibly one day next week we could have lunch, and I can tell you all about the other services we provide?”
“That’s very kind of you Ma’am, but Mr. Gifford did a fine job of explaining what I needed to know.”
“Yes, I am sure he did. He's a very detailed man, but did he explain to you that on special occasions, I offer marketing services to exceptional clients, like yourself? Possibly we can have lunch and I can speak to you on those terms?”
“And what gives you the impression I am exceptional or would need marketing help?”
“Well Mr. Espendari, I hate to admit it, but my office is next to Richard’s and I wasn't attempting to pry, but I did overhear some of your conversation. I do believe it's possible we can assist you with more than tax services. All I am asking is an hour of your time with some polite conversation. I'm sure I can make it worth your time.”
“Why do I have this feeling that you are not going to give up until I agree, Miss, Mrs.?”
“Oh, I apologize for my lack of a proper introduction. I'm Barbara, Barbara Gifford, yes Richard is my husband.”
“I see, well I am not one who has often dines with other men’s wives, so I thank you for the kind offer, but I think I must kindly decline.”
“Sir, I think you are misunderstanding my offer. I work here as the office manager, but I also have my own business of marketing for others as well. Richard and I agreed to this when I first came to work with him. Please, it is nothing more than a friendly lunch where I can discuss what I do with my marketing expertise.”
“Well, if nothing else, you are persistent. If you are half as good at marketing as you are in talking people into doing things they are a little uneasy about, then maybe we can work together. Here is the number where I am staying, let me know when it is convenient to meet.”
It only took Barbara one day to call Mario. She saw potential opportunity in him and didn’t want him to slip out of town before she explored if he fit her profile.
Barbara greeted him inside the lobby at the Grumpy Grouper. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me Mr. Espendari.”
“Thank you for the invitation Mrs. Gifford.”
After sitting and ordering wine, they clicked wine glasses. They exchanged brief exchanges about their day before Barbara announced, “Please, no reason for all this formality, call me Barbara.”
“Ok Barbara, by all means call me Mr. Espendari. Well maybe not, we Italians are known for our warmth and hospitality so please, Mario it is.” He leaned back and offered a wide smile that Barbara quickly returned.
“Now then, Barbara, tell me why the lunch, what is it that you think you can do for me that I cannot or have not done for myself?”
“Mario what is the rush to talk about business?” I'm a woman who needs information. I need to see if you're a proper candidate for my services before they can be offered.” She offered another smile with a small lift on the right side of her mouth.
“Oh, and just what is it you are seeking, my lady, only information?”
Barbara leaned forward slightly in her chair and looked Mario directly in his eyes. “The more I know about you, the easier it will be for the both of us, Mario. Start with telling me about your family and all your businesses and why have you come to our beautiful town. It is hardly a place to grow wine, but I'm sure you don’t need me to tell you about your business.”
“I have not come here to make wine. That much is certain. However, a potential distributor of wine does have headquarters here in your city. There may be an opportunity for me to expand my business. I also have considered buying some property in the United States, so while I am here, I thought I would investigate potential sites. My finance people in Italy did a fine job of explaining your tax code to me, but one can never be too careful. I saw one of your advertisements and gave your husband a call to get his advice as well. Your marketing worked to find me, so why not offer you a chance to explain what you can do for me.”
“Trust me, Mario. If you allow me the opportunity. there is so much I can do for you. But again, tell me about your wife and yo
ur children, your family. I need to know all I can about you because that helps me, in making decisions about how to assist you.”
“I realize more than you think I do, that is to say, in why you want my information, Barbara. After all, I did not become successful at such a young age, and be stupid with my resources. Do not mistake me for an easy mark, or you will be sorely disappointed in where our relationship will end.”
“I was in no way attempting to insult you, Mario. I apologize if my words were upsetting to you. I have a way of being too aggressive at times, and most men frankly, can't handle my aggression. Some might even suggest; it can be deadly at times.” She leaned back and giggled, but never took her eyes off Mario, hoping for a reaction she could use for future reference.
“To answer your question, I am a single man, I’m afraid. I have no wife, no children, only my business. My employees, they are my family now. I worked the wine business with mio padre until his passing last year. Since then, I am slowly taking control and making some changes I wanted to do before, but mio padre would not allow. He was not one who wanted to deal with strangers in strange lands. He never ventured past Rome or our winery. He would only go to Rome one day a month to attend to his business, only to return the next day. He had his routines and rarely swayed far from them. Me, I want to see the world. I want to experience all the things I could not when he was alive. I am free to run the company as I see fit since I have no brothers or sisters. Mia madre passed away a few years ago and it has been only mio padre and I since she died.”
“How sad, Mario, but now you can experience things you never thought possible. Possibly you can even do some good in helping the less fortunate along the way.”
“Do not feel sorry for me. I have wanted for little in my life. I have seen more than you might think. I will warn you. I am very well educated. Speaking several languages has made it easy for me to travel the world. It has only been in recent years, that my travel stopped. Now, I am hoping to see what is good in you Barbara, in marketing terms of course.”
“Of Course, what else could you possibly be speaking about, Mario?”
After an hour or so, it was agreed that Barbara would work up a marketing plan for selling Mario’s family wine in the United States. Mario told Barbara he would keep his meeting with the Chicago distributor, but he wanted to hear what she could offer.
Two weeks later, they met for lunch again. Barbara had indeed worked up a very good marketing plan. It started supplying small quantities using small distributors in the larger cities along the northeast coast like Boston, New York, Philadelphia and the Baltimore areas. They would then introduce it to the Chicago area, and later the west coast of the United States. She would arrange for press releases and interviews for Mario.
He was impressed with her work, but he wasn't sure he could handle the supply needed to start in too many places at once. Barbara asked about where the fields were exactly in Italy. She asked if she could visit, since she had talked about a vacation with Richard to Italy for several years.
“Oh, we are not really set up for visitors, and it is not easy to find on a map, but if you ever do get there, I would be happy to show you around.”
Not the reaction Barbara was expecting.
CHAPTER Nine