“Excuse me?”
“Abe is Lincoln. That’s what his brothers in the club call him.”
“Okay, now I’m totally confused,” Franklin said as he turned his confusion to Brian, who held up his hands and agreed with a shrug. They both turned to Addy for an explanation.
“Lincoln is a member of a motorcycle club. Every patch holder has a nickname. His best friend and business partner’s real name is Eric. But everyone calls him Greaser. Due to the fact that he works, owns, and operates a garage. Because of his name and height, Lincoln became Abe. As in Abe Lincoln. If I remember correctly, someone said it as a joke when he first started hanging around the club years ago, but it stuck. In ourcircle of friends, I am the only one that calls him Lincoln, or Link. Everyone at the clubhouse calls him Abe.”
“Really?” Brian stared at her.
“Really.” She looked at the two and didn’t want to, but had to ask. “Do you have a name or description of the woman doing this to him?”
“I’m sorry, but to keep you safe, I’m not at liberty to divulge that information.”
“Yet you want my help. How exactly am I supposed to help? What if I offer my help and in the process, because I don’t know who is after my husband, I get hurt in the cross-fire? Where is the justice in that?”
“The police can’t get her on anything without your help. Oh, they could, but without proof it won’t hold up in court. Both private eyes and two police officers got together with Lincoln’s lawyer and myself last week. We think we have a plan, and if it works they’ll be arrested and they’ll be able to make the charges stick. They even went to the DA with this plan. He said if we could get you to cooperate, then he’d throw the book at them. But.” He stressed the word. “The DA recommended that you be kept out of the loop as much as possible.”
“So, how am I supposed to help if I’m not supposed to be involved?”
“The DA wants to set up a sting at the Hastings Hotel. However, Sam pointed out that the two of you meet with several clients there. Both male and female. You’re in one of the ballrooms or the dining hall, actually all over the place.” He held up his hand. “I understand, I’m not judging, it’s your business. But we’ve come up with a plan. With your permission, I’d like a copy of your schedule. And your cell phone.”
“Why?” Addy looked between the two men. “My cell phone is my life, my business.”
“We’ll do it,” Brian said at the same time. He jumped to his feet and left the room, only to return in seconds. “We don’t have a meeting each day for the next three days at the Hastings. Then we have back-to-back meetings for the next four days.” He looked at Addy. “Christmas parties.”
“But it’s only September,” Franklin said.
“Yes, and if someone wants to get a ‘Party by Addy’, they have to book months in advance. I can get you a copy of our schedule for the Hastings which will include our clients. Only when you decide what day you’re going to do it, you can get Addy’s phone.”
“Why would you want my phone?”
“Can I answer that?” Brian looked at Franklin and grinned.
“Sure.”
“I’m assuming they’ll have like a working lunch with all parties involved. That’s what I’d do. They could be in the restaurant when this woman is there. They could have your phone and call Lincoln with it. However, if they’re right, Link won’t answer. She will. Then they’d have her dead to rights on hacking, stalking, probably harassment, and everything else. Am I right?”
“You are. Never thought of having a working lunch though. We’re still working out the details on how to set up the sting.”
“Be out in the open. If you want, we can get together later and work out details.”
“I’d enjoy that,” Franklin said.
“But how am I going to work without my phone?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” Brian waved it away. “With the schedule we can work it so that on the day of the take down you can be in the office all day. It’s nothing to program your phone to have all your calls come here. The only thing I see that might mess it up would be if Link finally decides to call you. We wouldn’t want that. I’m probably talking out my ass, but if he does call you, that could muck up the entire operation.”
“He won’t and he’ll stay away,” Franklin said, and looked at Addy sadly. “He said he would do anything to prove his innocence to you and to get you back. And no, he’s still not willing to sign.”
“What if I don’t agree to do this until he does? If this is to help him, what do I get out of it?”
“Oh, girlfriend’s playing hardball.” Brian laughed and looked at Franklin and swallowed hard at the look he gave him.
“Unfortunately, you won’t be helping only Lincoln. You’ll be helping at least twelve other victims. So, I don’t know how you want to proceed. I gave you what we have so far, and the ball is in our court now. You can help, or you can hang them out to dry and hope these people don’t up their game and someone gets seriously hurt physically.”
Addy rubbed her face and sighed. “Fine, work it out with Brian and whoever. Let me know when you need my phone.” She stood. “I’m sorry for being so rude, but I’ve got some calls to make. You two exchange numbers or whatever. Brian’s in charge of the scheduling, he’s the best man to help you.” Addy saw them out and settled behind her desk. Knowing that no matter what happened, she’d never get a break in the divorce. It seemed that if it wasn’t one thing, it was another.
CHAPTER SEVEN
