Free Bay of Deception by Timothy Allan Pipes Page A

largely blank page of his note pad, debated on bringing up her friendship with Mrs. McKenny but decided against it.  Perhaps , he thought, if Jeffers wouldn’t tell him anything useful, Carol Montoya might . 
    “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to have a look at the items left in Ms. Montoya’s desk, prior to going on disability.”
    “I’m embarrassed but I can’t be of much use to you there, either.  It’s company policy for employees to take all personal items when they go on extended leave or disability.  In fact, her desk is in storage even now.”  
    A slight knock on the glass door behind him pulled Oliver’s head around in time to see Renee enter the office.  She carried a light gray metal box, which she placed atop Jeffers' desk and slipped back through the glass doors.  When he turned back to Jeffers, the man was busy at the small laptop computer sitting to his left, quickly navigating through various programs until he sat staring at various columns of what appeared to be names and corresponding numbers. 
    After scrolling for several moments, he turned toward the gray file container, the entered a code into the small LCD screen on the container's side.  Jeffer's waited briefly, then his eyebrows knit together in obvious puzzlement at the box before him.  Oliver perked up as the executive again reentered the code he'd obtained from his laptop and again, waited for the latch to release. 
    "This is peculiar," Jeffers's said more to himself it seemed, than Oliver.  "Ms. Montoya must have changed her code just before going on disability.  No matter. All employee container respond to a master code for just such occasions."  Jeffers turned back to the laptop upon his desk, scrolled briefly and then turned back to the container before him.  Punching in the new-found code, the executive smiled as the latch atop the metal box released, accompanied by a low two tone beep.  Looking up at Oliver, Jeffers reached in to pull out the contents and was suddenly on his feet, staring into the file container with anger that was quickly masked.  Either the executive was quite an actor, Oliver decided, or this wasn’t in the setup.  After a few more seconds, Jeffers looked up and even in the low light, the giant looked flushed.
    “I...I’m sorry, Detective," Jeffers said sitting once again.  "It appears a theft has occurred.”  Well-masked but still evident was the rage in the giant's voice as he turned the file container over to reveal only empty air.  “If you weren’t here, and if it didn’t sound so dramatic, I’d say we need to call the police to report Carol Montoya’s files as stolen .

CHAPTER NINE
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Oliver stepped to Jeffers' desk, peering into the file container and found only dust and a few hole-punch leftovers.
    “I’m afraid you’ll need to call the police after all, Mr. Jeffers,” Oliver said as he picked up the receiver and handed it to him.
    “The Monterey Police Department have jurisdiction in the Monterey Business Park and I’m little more than a coincidental observer.”  He stepped back to his couch and settled himself down for a twenty-minute wait.
    “The number is 647-0500 and probably the best thing is to go through the drill and report it as if I’m not even here.”
    Jeffers hesitated slightly before punching in the numbers, then waited till the dispatcher picked up.
    “Yes...this is Paul Jeffers over at JenelCo in the Monterey Business Park, I need to report a robbery...no, no one’s in danger...I’m sorry. I should have said a theft has taken place.”  The executive swiveled in his chair slightly, “Yes, that would be fine...in fifteen minutes, thank you.”  Jeffers replaced the phone, then sat and turned to Oliver once again.  “They’re sending an officer out...said he’d be here in the next fifteen minutes.”  
    Exactly fifteen minutes later, Cory Hana stepped through Jeffers' doors and inwardly,