Free The Phantom Photographer: Murder in Marin Mystery - Book 3 (Murder in Marin Mysteries) by Martin Brown Page B

the chemical wash to reveal its image, Michael felt that same rush of anticipation he felt two years earlier when he saw his wonderful photos of Fred and Nora appear. Using all his acquired skills to shoot his targets made his work fun, challenging, and most importantly, profitable.
    And there in the tank, he watched as the perfect coda to weeks of surveillance and information gathering revealed its image. In addition to photos documenting the date, time and place of Sheila Grimes’ and John Walker’s liaison, here was Michael’s target, Sheila, scantly and seductively dressed, ready to engage with her lover in Room 408.  
    After that, the takedown was routine. Michael called John Walker, explaining who he was, and suggesting that he would like to be involved with the good deacon’s church; if possible, he’d like to volunteer to be the church’s photographer for their newsletter. He said that many people in Novato’s business circle knew of his work including, “the branch manager of the Novato Bank, Sheila Grimes.”
    In his office at First Presbyterian, Deacon Walker went through what Michael had come to think of as the many shades of red. There were anger, embarrassment, regret, and fear, to mention four. Here was a man accustomed to controlling the meeting, who was quite lost in the moment. Walker knew he was being blackmailed, but his instinct was to take control of the meeting, at least to the extent that he could walk away from the negotiation having gotten something.
    Michael, knowing Walker’s worth, asked for a “retainer” of five-hundred dollars per month.
    “I’m, of course, greatly unhappy about this,” Walker explained in a ministerial manner and tone, “but I want two important concessions in return.”
    Michael was intrigued and impressed. Here was a victim with the poise and sophistication to recover from his shock and embarrassment and propose additional terms to what was otherwise a straightforward deal.
    “I want Sheila to never know about this, and I want our relationship to continue, if I choose to do so.”
    “Let’s make that six hundred dollars a month, and we’ll call it a deal.”
    “Agreed, with one caveat; I will not have you coming back here with any further demands. You’ll receive your money every month, sent to the address of the post office box you provided, but this is the end of our transaction. If, after this, you decide you want more money, I don’t want to hear about it. Tell a single person or tell the entire world our secret, and I will indeed be greatly embarrassed, but you will be ruined. Do we have an understanding?”
    Michael thought for a moment and thrust out his hand, which Walker took and shook vigorously. “You’re an enterprising young man. I’ll pray for your soul.”
    “As I will yours,” Michael said with a smile.
    Both men thought they had shaken hands with the devil and hoped they would never meet again.

CHAPTER TEN

    Three years after completing college, Michael’s degree in anthropology had become a curious relic from a distant past. On top of his salary and sales commissions earned at Cook’s Cameras and More, the business of discovering dirty little secrets was now bringing in an additional income of over twenty-thousand dollars a year.  
    His father, Caleb, had taught him the value of saving and investing his money. “Always pay yourself first,” he would advise, when Michael earned money during the summers between his high school and college years.  
    “Whatever your goals, set aside money to help you meet them. There will always be bills, rent money, or mortgage and car payments, insurance, and more; if you want to do more, travel, get married, whatever, you’ll need money to do that with.”
    “But what about credit?” Michael insisted.  
    “Credit was meant originally for buying big things that you could not afford all at once, the best example being a home or a car. Credit to buy a pair of shoes and a thousand other