HELL OF A DEAL, a supernatural satire

Twenty

20

Jim Hanford always had the same tan, which complemented his silver hair. Jim had been Al's personal lawyer for fifteen years, and during that period he had never changed in appearance.

Al stepped cautiously into the law firm's lobby, on the lookout for those FBI men. It appeared clear, and Al tried very hard to seem casual.

Jim shook Al's hand, a curious look on his face. Jim led Al into his inner office, which was dim and lined to the ceiling with legal books. Hanford said, "Just to get some minor preliminaries out of the way, can I see your identification?"

"Oh, yes, certainly." Al pulled out his wallet with his driver's license. Jim walked it out, and he made a copy of it. Returning to the office, Jim closed the door behind him. "Please sit."

Al fidgeted and squirmed. "It's messy, I know."

"How so?"

"My sister doesn't believe I'm who I say I am."

Hanford jerked. He looked over to the copy of the driver's license. "Go on."

"She's angry, because she can't contact dad."

"Oh? Where is he?"

"I told you, on sabbatical." Al breathed in deeply to calm his nerves.

"But where, specifically?"

"I don't know where specifically. I haven't spoken to him since the 18th."

Hanford jotted notes on a yellow legal pad. He grabbed the license copy, and he took a second look at it. "Do you happen to know if Victoria has spoken to your father since then?"

"No."

"Well this could be serious." Hanford looked up, and he studied Al.

"I know. She called the FBI."

"You spoke to them?"

"Yes. They came to my house. I mean to dad's house."

"So, you're living there?"

"Yes."

"And what did they ask you?"

Al sat up straight. "They asked me about the 18th, and when I saw him last."

Hanford scratched out notes. "What did you tell them?"

"I said that I dropped him off at LAX sometime that afternoon."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you drop him at the airport?"

"Of course."

"Do you know where he was going?"

"Fiji."

"Good. That's a start."

Al threw his hands in the air. "I have a feeling they're going to suspect me of some wrongdoing, on the account of Victoria's misplaced anger."

Jim appeared inquisitive. "Tell me about that."

Al bobbed in his seat. "Victoria has a very short temper, you should be aware. She sprayed me with pepper spray, about three minutes after our first meeting, and then she had me arrested."

"Arrested? For what?"

"For I don't know. Doing my job, filling in at the studio in dad's absence."

"Were you charged?"

"No. They let me go. After I showed them all my identification."

Hanford scribbled quickly. "Good. So there's more identification?"