A PUPPET ON A STRING

Chapter 6

Smith moved among the crowd that had gathered to glimpse the Senator's body was being taken to the awaiting ambulance. A fitting end to the sexual predator that Luxon had become. The humiliation of his lascivious affairs had died with him. The Privacy Bill would pass unstained by Luxon's indiscretions. Satisfied Thomas had completed the assignment, Smith wires the balance to his account.Twenty-five up front. Twenty-five on completion. Soon followed by a brief text message acknowledging the transfer."Transfer complete." Stated the message.

No more need be said. Thomas understood the meaning. His bank account had gathered no moss. In twelve months he had accumulated over half a million.Money he had never dreamt of earning a year before.Just then Smith's mobile vibrates. The private number suggests only one person.

"Sir." Smith addresses his mentor. Mister Black.

"Congratulations." The caller commends Smith,

"Thomas has proven himself yet again."

"Thank you Sir.""It will be a shame to lose him."

"Yes... Unfortunate... But he has come to the end of his services."

"Lincoln Park... Tomorrow morning... Ten... We can discuss Drake." Black instructed.

"Yes Sir... Tomorrow." Smith responded hesitantly.

The lines go dead.About the time Thomas was finishing his second Jameson, Frank was about topeel himself from a bar stool and head home. The tempestuous weather of the past couple of days had passed. His mobile had remained silent all day. Re-confirming his belief that recruitment agencies had long since discarded him.Preferring to place him in the too hard basket.Like weed killer the bourbon inhibited the thought from taking root in his mind.

"Catch you tomorrow Tomo." Calls out about to leave.

"Yeah... You too Frank... Take care out there." Returning to racking glasses.

The spring weather had brought the patrons back to the bar.Grimm was not so much a regular. He was more of a fixture. Not one for sitting about doing nothing, he took to standing in the shadows at the far end of the bar. And hinged himself against the bar. A bottle of bud at hand. First appearances would suggest he had lived hard life. As if he had waltzed with the Blue Lady, and the Devil had cut in. As though he had seen things people should not. And no one dared to ask. Preferring to keep their distance. Just as Grim kept his. Finding a solace in his own company.An open red and black plaid shirt covered a black tee glorifying Guns and Roses.

A black and white bandana tied off about a snake skin boot. A thick silver wallet chain garlanded at his side. A black backward facing baseball cap pinned with an Alex Rose badge completed the heavy-metal guise. Everything about Grimm was dark. Everything, but his pale stove pipe blue jeans."What's with Frank?" Grimm asked curiously looking over to Tomo.

"Same shit, different day... Still looking for work."

"Something will come up... He's a smart man." Sharing a rare thought.

"Yeah... Hope so. Don't like seeing him drinking his redundancy away... A waste of good money."

"What about me?" Grimm asks as if he's excluded.

"You're different Grimm."

"Thanks man... I think." Leaving him wondering what that meant exactly.

"Maybe Marilyn can talk some sense into him." Suggests Tomo.

"Yeah... Nice lady that one... He's lucky to have found her."