Family Secrets-Chapter Eight

After they pulled into the driveway of a modest home, Bo reached for the door handle of the car.  He then leaned back into his seat and gave a long look out of the windshield.

“I would like for you to come in with me.  There is… there is someone I would like for you to meet,” Bo said before he got out of the car.

Confused, Bill followed Bo up the walkway to the front door.

 

In a back bedroom, Bill saw a woman in a nurse’s uniform tending to a frail looking man with gray hair lying in a hospital bed.  Bo grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed. 

“Uncle Joseph,” Bo said softly, patting the man’s hand.

Joseph slowly opened his eyes, turned his head toward Bo and took a ragged breath.

“Beauregard…It’s so good to see you again so soon,” Joseph said with Bo’s southern accent and a smile.

“Hello, Uncle Joseph.  You know…I have been thinking, and I believe I have changed my mind.  I would like to stay here for a while.  That is, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience.”

“Don’t be silly, my boy.  You’re family, of course you can stay here.”

“Oh…and there’s someone I would like for you to meet.  Uncle Joseph, this is Mr. Bill Reeves,” Bo said as he leaned back so Joseph could see Bill.  “Bill I would like for you to meet my uncle, Mr. Joseph Swanson.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, sir,” Bill said, giving an awkward wave.

“Reeves you say?” Joseph said as he gave Bill a long look.  “I knew a Reeves family several years ago.  But that was when I was working in Indiana.”  Joseph lifted his trembling hand and pointed at Bo.    “Did I ever tell you about the time I did surveillance on a notorious bank robber, Beauregard?”

“Maybe another time, Uncle Joseph,” Bo said with a smile.  “Right now, you just get yourself some rest.”

 As Joseph settled back into his bed, Bo stood and motioned for Bill to follow him as he left the room.

  Bo went to the living room and sat down on the couch.  He rested his elbows on his knees, looked around the room and let out a sigh.  “Uncle Joseph is a retired Agent with the FBI.  When I was young my family would vacation here nearly every year.  I would sit in this very room and hang on his every word as he would tell me of his many adventures of apprehending criminals,” Bo said with a thoughtful grin.  But his grin slowly turned into a frown.  “Then, about a year ago, he was given a terminal medical diagnosis.  They only gave him six months to live, but yet…here he is…still hanging on.” 

 Bo leaned back into the couch and looked at Bill.  “A few months back, my family began the task of putting his affairs in order.  We started going through a filing cabinet in the basement and found detailed notes on all of his old unsolved cases.  That’s when I discovered Mr. John Dillinger was still alive.   You see…after Mr. Dillinger was allegedly shot and killed in Chicago, my uncle was tasked with following one of his former gang members.  For the next eight months, he kept a watchful eye on your Uncle Harry.  Then one day, a man matching Mr. Dillinger’s description showed up at your grandfather’s home.  My uncle of course reported all of this to his superiors.    But, shortly after that, he was given another assignment and was told not to tell anyone what he had seen.  That’s what set me on this journey.  That is why I am pursuing this story.  My uncle wasn’t allowed to bring Mr. Dillinger to justice, so, I thought maybe I could.  But it seems the more I learn, the more I doubt exposing the fact he is alive and revealing he has changed his name to Carl Hellman will do that.” 

Bo let out another sigh. “Well, in any case, you have asked me on multiple occasions who my source was.  And tonight, you not only saved my life, but in doing so you put your own life at risk…so…well, I am sharing that information with you now.  My uncle…or I guess I should say my uncle’s detailed notes, are my source.  That is how I know so much about your family and their ties to Mr. John Dillinger.”

“Bo…I…I don’t know what to say…thank you,” Bill said.

“Oh no, Bill, thank you,” Bo replied.  He gave a long pause before a grin came across his face.  “But don’t get too used to it.  That is likely the last bit of information I share with you,” he said with a wink.

“Well, I still appreciate it,” Bill said with a laugh.

Bill stood up and started toward the door.   He stopped and stood for a moment in silence.  He couldn’t stand the thought of Carl putting all of that marijuana on the streets.  He turned toward Bo.

“You said your uncle was a retired FBI agent.  Does he still have any contacts there?” Bill asked.

“Most of his colleagues have been retired for quite some time.  But he does have contact with one gentleman still with the FBI.  Why do you ask?”

“You said you wanted to bring Dillinger to justice.  What if I had information that could do that?”

“Mr. Reeves, have you changed your mind about collaborating with me on this story?”

“No…I know what he has planned next and I won’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try to stop him.  The problem is, he has the local police in his back pocket.  So, I thought about taking this information straight to the Feds.”

“Well, it just so happens that I know the gentleman who my uncle still has contact with.  And I can assure you he would be very interested in that kind of information.   If you return here tomorrow evening, I will arrange that meeting,” Bo said.

 

 

The next morning, Bill drove constantly checking his mirrors looking for the black sedan he had seen the night before.  When he arrived, he cautiously got out of his car and briskly walked across the parking lot toward the factory.  With every few steps, he looked over his shoulder to see if he was being followed.  He entered the building, put his back against the wall and let out a long sigh.

“They didn’t recognize my car last night,” Bill said with a grin.

 He made his way to receiving, then stood with his mouth gaped open when he saw Peter taking items out of his desk and placing them in a box.

“Peter?”  Bill said slowly.

Peter looked up and from his packing.  “Looks like you’re in charge now, Bill,” he said as he lifted the box.  “I won’t be around here anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Your uncle let me go.”

Bill ran his fingers through his hair.  “Uncle Harry fired you?  Why would he do something like that?”

“Don’t blame Harry for this.  He had no choice,” Peter said shaking his head.  “It’s all my fault really.  Just remember one thing, Bill.  Never tell Carl Hellman no.”

“Wait…is this about that load coming in a week from Saturday?  Peter…I swear…if I knew it would have got you fired, I never would have agreed to unload it for him.”

Peter tucked the box under one arm and patted Bill on the shoulder.  “Don’t blame yourself for this.  Like I said, it’s all my fault.”  A slight grin formed on Peter’s face.  “To be honest with you, I’m glad Carl just had me fired.  In the old days he would have had me killed.”  Peter took one last look around the receiving area then looked back at Bill.  “Good luck, Bill,” Peter said with a smile.  “I’m sure you’ll be great at running your own factory.”

Bill plopped down in a chair and watched Peter walk away.  “Don’t worry, Peter,” Bill mumbled under his breath.  “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Carl pays for this.  He’s going to regret everything he’s done.”

 

After work, Bill returned to Joseph’s modest house.

“Ah, Bill, it’s you.  Please come in, there is someone I would like for you to meet,” Bo said after he answered the door.  “Mr. Bill Reeves, this is Federal Agent Ken Bishop.  Mr. Bishop, this is Mr. Bill Reeves, the man I have been telling you about.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Bishop,” Bill said as he stretched out his hand.

“So, you think you have the goods on Carl Hellman?” Ken said shaking Bill’s hand.

“I believe I do,” Bill said sitting down on the couch.

“Well, I’ve already told your partner here that I have been after Hellman for twenty years.  So, I doubt you’ve found something I don’t already know.”

“Let’s say I do have something…something that will put Carl into prison.  Will you target just him, or everyone involved?”

“Let me guess, you want me to take down Hellman and leave your Uncle Harry Freeman alone?”

“Well, if you can, I would like to keep him out of prison.”

“I can’t do that.  Your uncle is Carl’s right hand man.  If Carl goes down, so does your uncle.  Now, are you going to spill what you have or not?

Bill’s heart dropped.  He didn’t want to see Harry go to jail.  But deep down he knew his uncle was just a guilty as Carl.  He paused for a long moment before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  “Carl is getting 400 pounds of marijuana,” Bill said as he exhaled.  “This shipment is so big he will be there to oversee it.”

A grin formed on Ken’s face. “Well, well, well, It sounds like Carl wants to be a major player now.  I wondered how long it would take him to do that.”  Ken gave Bill a nod of approval.  “I have to say I am pleasantly surprised.  I didn’t think you would actually have anything.  But I guess you do.”

“So, what happens now?” Bill asked.

“Now I contact Hoover and give him the news.  If Hellman is getting that much marijuana, he’s going to have an army there to protect it.  I’m going to need backup.”  A grin slowly came across Ken’s face.   “Boy, I would love to be there and see his face when I tell him I finally have something on Hellman.”

“And then we see our stories in print,” Bo said with a broad smile.

“Oh, that’s not going to happen,” Ken replied.  “If I contact Hoover, you can kiss your newspaper story goodbye.”

“What?  What do you mean?” Bill and Bo both protested.

“J. Edger Hoover is the one who covered up John Dillinger faking his death in the first place.  And in case you didn’t know it, Hoover is still very much in charge of the FBI today.  If you print your story before Hoover knows about it, he may not be able to stop it.  But if he finds out what you’re up to, he’ll stop you for sure.”

“Ah, but he can’t.  You see, we have the freedom of the press on our side,” Bo said with a smile.

Ken let out a laugh.  “You two really are that naïve, aren’t you?   Hoover and his buddies control the entire Judiciary Branch of the Government.  Even if you promise to keep Hoover’s name out of your story, he’ll drum up evidence on you both just to ruin your credibility.  Then he will arrest you along with Hellman and you’ll spend the rest of your days in a prison cell somewhere.”

“But we didn’t do anything wrong,” Bill said.

“Hoover doesn’t care about innocence or guilt.  He cares about one thing and one thing only.  He wants to keep his secrets…a secret.”

“Just tell Mr. Hoover you received an anonymous tip and don’t mention us or the story,” Bo pleaded.

“I’m too close to retirement to risk lying to Hoover,” Ken replied. “Now, let’s get down to it, when and where is this shipment arriving?”

Bill quickly stood and ran his fingers through his hair as he stared off into the distance for a moment, then turned his attention to Ken.

“No…no deal.  If we can’t get our story, you don’t get Carl,” Bill said.

Ken slowly walked forward until his face was inches from Bill’s.  He put his hands on his hips and looked Bill directly in thy eyes.  “Alright tough guy, let’s say you print your story and expose how John Dillinger became Carl Hellman.  Then what?  Do you really think he’s just going to let something like that slide?  If you print this story, Hellman will send one of his goons to track you down and kill you.  But it won’t be a quick death.  Oh no, they’re going to make you suffer as much as they can.  And trust me…your uncle won’t be able to stop it.  So, you have a choice.  You can have your story…or you can have your life.  But the truth is you can’t have both.”

Bill squared his shoulders and looked back at Ken.  “No…deal.”

Ken looked toward Bo, then looked back at Bill and pointed his index finger at Bill’s face.  “You’re playing with fire,” Ken said angered.

Ken turned and walked toward the door.  “You know how to get ahold of me if you two come to your senses,” he said as he walked past Bo.

After Ken left, Bill let out a long sigh, plopped down on the couch and rested his elbows on his knees.

“So, what is your plan of action now?” Bo asked sadly.

“I’m not sure,” Bill said as he shook his head and looked down at the floor.  Then, after a moment of silence, he sat up.  He slowly lifted his index finger into the air and started shaking it as he looked at Bo.  “Ken said if he had to contact Hoover for back-up, Hoover would stop our story…right?”

“Um, yes, I do believe that is what he said,” Bo replied slowly.

Bill quickly stood.  “What if Ken could arrest Carl for something else?  Something where he didn’t need back-up?  That way, he wouldn’t have to contact Hoover.  He could nab Carl all by himself.  Then after Carl is in prison, he can’t come after us, so we can print our story.”

“Well now, all of that is all true.  But the reality is, Mr. Bishop has unsuccessfully been trying to arrest Mr. Hellman for many years.”

“That’s because he’s never had someone on the inside of Carl’s operation feeding him information.”

Bo slightly turned his head, squinted one eye and gave Bill a long look.  “And who exactly will be feeding him this information?” Bo asked.

“I will,” Bill said boldly.  

“And how do you plan on infiltrating Mr. Hellman’s organization?”

“For starters I’m going to unload that shipment of marijuana.  I don’t really want to…but I don’t think I have a choice.  If I’m going to have a prayer of getting closer to Carl, that’s what I have to do.  Then once I have his trust, I can get the dirt I need.”

Bo snapped his fingers and pointed at Bill.  “I overheard a conversation between two of the blackjack dealers at the casino, and one of them seemed to be a bit disgruntled over his pay.  Maybe if I speak to him, he would be willing to give us some information as well.”

“No,” Bill said quickly.  “You can’t take that kind of risk.  Carl has already tried to kill you once.  If he sees you at that casino again, he will kill you for sure.”

Bo crossed his arms and gave Bill a glare.  “So, you can risk your life, but I can’t?  Mr. Bishop made it very clear that Mr. Hellman wouldn’t hesitate in seeking retaliation on you as well.”

“Well, I’ve come too far to give up now.”

“You do realize you aren’t the only one who has a great deal invested in all of this,” Bo replied sternly.  “Let’s be honest, if our roles were reversed, you wouldn’t be just sitting here idly while I continued to pursue Mr. Hellman.” 

Bill looked at Bo and let out a sigh.  “You’re right,” Bill replied.  “I can’t ask you to just sit here and do nothing.”  

  

Reviews

[SweetNutmeg]

No typos, more questions. This seems to be my refrain.

Bill is continuing to collect more reasons to not print his story, and apparently that is... well, not ok, definitely not ok. But still not enough to deter him. I don't know how he can get himself out of this sticky situation. I have a feeling you can't just quit when you're tired of working for Carl. The plot thickens. Lots of questions. I need to keep reading to get the answers, so I will be back for more, for sure.

[Michelle Saldana]

Wow, this chapter delivers yet another round of suspense and surprises!

Bo's initial approach was quite questionable, but understanding his motivation for exposing Dillinger's identity and witnessing his evolving partnership with Bill makes me dislike him less, lol.

I do appreciate the new dynamic between Bill and Bo; I like how their partnership is growing stronger as they navigate this dangerous situation together.

Additionally, Ken Bishop's behavior is incredibly frustrating... what a butt, lol.