Free The Legend of Kareem by Jim Heskett

three of them.”
    I nodded, checking Glenning’s face for a reaction. Didn’t get one.
    “You did what you had to do under terrible circumstances. I’m sorry for what you had to go through. When you get back to Colorado, please go speak to the local HR person at your office. I’m sure we can work out some kind of compensation for your pain and suffering.”
    “If this is about me signing away my rights to sue IntelliCraft, you can forget it. I’m still weighing my options about that.”
    Truthfully, the idea of suing IntelliCraft hadn’t even occurred to me until that second. I’d been so wrapped up in everything else.
    “Of course,” Edgar said. “I wouldn’t ask you to waive your rights to anything.”
    I studied the third man, the one leaning against my motel room door. He seemed like a typical bruiser, with meaty arms straining the limits of his long sleeve t-shirt. “What I really want to know is: who shot at my car in Austin?”
    Edgar seemed taken aback. “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about it. Austin is a big city; lots of crime. I don’t much care for it, myself.”
    “Okay, fine. What do you people want?”
    “To clear the air,” Edgar said.
    “Yeah, you told me that already. What do you specifically want from me? Why have you followed me all the way here? Couldn’t you have cleared the air over a phone call or an email?”
    Edgar and Glenning shared an uncomfortable look. Maybe they thought I wouldn’t know I was being followed, but with everything that had happened to me over the last few weeks, why wouldn’t I assume I was always being followed?
    “Okay, Tucker, I can get to the point, if that’s what you want,” Edgar said. “We understand your father recently passed away. He was in possession of some of my company’s information. Sensitive information. And I’m very interested to see if it has now passed into your possession.”
    “What’s the information?”
    Edgar didn’t even blink. “I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”
    “How am I supposed to tell you if I’ve got it or not, if you can’t tell me what it is? Do you see the disconnect there?”
    Edgar stood, walked to the mirror hanging on the wall, and adjusted his tie. “What are you doing in Texas? Isn’t your wife at home, recovering from the incident?”
    The mention of Grace sent a spike of heat down my back. I closed my eyes for a second, reminded myself to stay calm. He probably wanted me to get angry.
    But I also didn’t have a good reason to explain why I was racing south across Texas. I said the first thing that popped into my head. “Tree. My dad’s will said he wanted a tree planted in his honor on Padre Island. So I’m on my way down there.”
    He kept his face pointed at the mirror, started smoothing his hair against his scalp. “That’s quite noble of you. But why didn’t you fly?”
    “I like to drive, not that it’s any of your damn business.”
    He smiled at me. “You’re getting a little worked up. It’s not my intention to upset you, Tucker. I’m just trying to understand the situation.”
    “The situation is that you’re pestering me about some kind of information you seem to think I have, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now, it’s late, and I’m tired, and I’d like you to leave.”
    Edgar nodded and flicked his eyes to the other two men. “I understand. I’m sorry to have bothered you. We’ll go now, and if you think of anything,” he paused to take a business card from his jacket, “please do give me a call. This is my direct line.”
    He set the card on the bed and nodded to Glenning and the other man.
    “Are you stationing Glenning and this other lunkhead here at the motel? Are you going to keep following me all the way to Padre?”
    The lunkhead didn’t like being called a lunkhead, but he didn’t do anything more than scowl at me. Glenning just grinned.
    “Of course not. We’re going to leave you be. As I said, we’re not those people.