Curtis by Kathi S. Barton Page B

enough time for that
later. Right now he needed to get that building.
    He’d called the Hunter Corporation and
had asked to speak to Curtis Hunter. He was told that Mr. Hunter was out on an
emergency and wasn’t expected to be back until tomorrow. Eric wondered if it
had anything to do with the Washington bastard, but decided that more than
likely not. The girl had handled everything and the old man was simply a means
to an end. He called the local hospital next.
    “I’m sorry, sir, but unless you can give
me more information than his last name I can’t give you any information on our
patients.” She sounded as if she had yawned and then continued. “You’ll have to
contact a family member and get that information from them. I’m sorry.”
    The line went dead before he could tell
her what he thought of her customer service. She made him feel as if his call
wasn’t as important as anyone else who had called in and he felt as if it was. He
laid the phone on his desk and fumed about the lack of cooperation he was
getting. Picking up the phone again he made another call. This one, he was sure
would get results.
    “I need someone removed. As soon as
possible, if not before.” The voice at the other end simply grunted. “Where do
I send what you need?”
    “Main Post Office. One hour.” The line
went dead and he laid his phone down. He pulled out an envelope and a sheet of
paper. After printing out the information, making sure that he didn’t make any
of the letters the same, he wiped it down and put it into an envelope. He
nearly forgot himself and licked the envelope closed, but caught himself. People
were so distrusting now days. After having Mary take it to the lock box that
only he and one other person had the key to he decided to go out.
    Eric wasn’t much of a ladies’ man. He
wasn’t gay by any means, but women, especially women he wasn’t sure of, made
him feel…well, dirty. When he had a hooker, the only type of woman he ever had
sex with, she came to the house and showered using the soap and towels he gave
her before he’d even touch her. Then he’d…well, they never told a soul who they’d
been with nor where he’d taken them. The back lot of this property was becoming
quite the little graveyard. He got into his car to find entertainment for the
night.
    He had to get that building. His funds
were running low and having to take out Curtis Hunter was going to cost him
much more than he thought reasonable. For one thing, the man was worth more
than a man had a right to be, and for another, there was the stupid family.
    Eric knew who they were. Rich, handsome,
and full of themselves. He’d heard that one of them had married poorly and had
thought the man a fool. He’d been taught that moving up was the only way to go
and going in any other direction was foolhardy as well as costly. Money is what
made the world go around. His phone ringing had him pulling over.
    “I found out how much was in the bank. The
record filed with the police back then says that there were bearer bonds as
well as a great deal of jewelry stolen. Most of the lock boxes were numbered
and it seemed as if the robbers had it down as to which ones to open.” That
didn’t surprise Eric. His father had been very resourceful. “According to the
records kept back then the estimated worth of the jewels is nearly four million
at today’s prices. The cash another five.”
    “And the bonds? Are they still worth
anything more than the paper they’re printed on?” Christ, he hoped so. The rest
was going to save his ass, but the bonds could keep him in money for a little
longer.
    “Oh yeah. Most of them are stocks, from
what my resources tell me. And if they’re only worth half what he thinks, they
could be worth as much as fifty million.”
    He was glad he’d pulled over. His heart
was pounding so hard that he could hear his blood as it raced in his veins. Fifty
million dollars. He tried to think what that might look like and