Linda was long gone. Raymond paid her a thousand dollars for her "cheap" services and let her go. She thanked him profusely and said I was going to cover a lot for her. Good riddance, but at least, she was good in bed. And she was also without a job.
He rolled out of his king-sized bed and slipped into the bathroom. Room service got him the softest, cotton towel he had always used.
He got to the roof and waited, thinking of what to do next. He needed to be strategic to know what next to do and how to tackle with the so-called people who slapped him behind his back. He would take care of Roselle in due course. All he needed was to focus on the people who broke his nose and designed his face with bruises.
And his so-called best friend, Pete.
He searched through his contact and searched for his father's contact—Mr. Kane. It was still like a dream hat the richest man in the city with the highest connection was his father. He needed to find out what happened to him at the forest, and why. All those, he thought, would come along the way.
His phone was still cracked at the edge and he hadn't still changed it. He would probably order on A****n to do rather than going into the shop because he had a lot of things to take care of.
"Hello, son," his father said into the phone. His voice was rich, filled with emotion as he spoke to his long-lost son.
"Hi, Father." Saying "Father" was weird in his mouth. He had yearned for a connection to someone. A family member or a friend. For a long time, he had no one but a best friend that stabbed him behind his back.
"How are you doing? When are you going to come back home? I really do need to see you. It's been a long time." His father's voice was rushed, expectant.
Raymond still had a vague memory of everything that happened before he was found in the forest, but he needed to treat the present, and later, he would focus on the past.
"Father, I will be back soon. I have a lot of things to handle here." Raymond peered across his roof, enjoying the scenery.
"Typical Raymond," his father snorted. "Why did you call?"
"I need a private investigator. There are some people I need to check out. Do you have one?"
His father chuckled. "Of course. Every rich man has one to track down their rivals and be at the top of their rivalry. I will send him a message that my son needs him and I will send you his contact. Pease come home soon, we have a lot to talk about."
Raymond nodded. "Thank you. I will see you as soon as I finish with business."
"No problem. Your brother is so expectant."
Raymond's eyes twitched, shocking hitting him square in the face. "A brother? I have one? You know what? Just forget it. We will talk more when I return."
"Sure."
Then, the line went dead. Few minutes later, his phone pinged with a number and a note that stated "PI".
He didn't hesitate to dial the number, making a mental note to order a new phone. The line rang once and when the receiver picked, the man's raspy voice rang in his ears. "Glenn Jacobs on the line. What do you want done? I am not a hired assassin, so I don't carry death threat plots."
"Raymond Kane on the line. And what is that about hired assassins?"
Glenn exhaled. "Oh, that. Some people call me asking me to kill a particular person like they didn't search 'private investigator' on G****e before placing a call. That's by the way. Your father called me and said you need me. Truth is, he has been on the lookout for you since the past two years. Was one of the people who he assigned to find you, I'm glad he found you anyway. What do you want?"
"I need you to track down someone—or a group of people—for me. Can you come down to that hotel that's secluded for the rich. I kind of have forgotten the name, but you know which I'm talking about. I want us to have a proper discussion."
Glenn Jacobs laughed. "I also do not know the name but know what you're talking about. Meet you in five minutes."
Five minutes later, the landline in his room rang. He picked it up and a woman's cheery voice rang in the background. "Mr. Kane, there is—"
"Let him in," he cut her up. Not only was she trying to flirt with him, she was also taking up his time.
His doorbell rang and he opened the door. A man in his fortes with an awesome body—nice abs, protruding biceps, and a straight jawline—stood at the door. He looked like a weatherman as his salt and pepper hair grew down to his shoulder. He wore a pair of jeans and T-shirt, and a matching beanie. Not the PI Raymond was expecting.
"Glenn Jacobs," he said in his New Yorker accent. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Raymond Kane," Raymond returned warmly. "Please come in."
Glenn Jacobs walked into the luxurious room that had its own bar and king-sized bed, and a roof. They climbed up to the roof where the evening breeze took them over.
"Great view," Glenn said, peering down at nature and moving cars.
"I can't agree more." Raymond toppled Glenn's drink and passed it to him. "Back to work."
"Yes, that," Glenn snorted. "Who are you trying to find?"
Raymond sighed. "I don't know a name."
"Maybe a picture could help? Everyone is active on social media now, even sixty-year-old grandpas. So, maybe, a picture could help."
Raymond sighed again, sipping his Whiskey. "That's the problem. I don't have any link to them. Am only in search of them because of how reckless and insulting they became. Let me tell you the full story."
Glenn leaned in while Raymond narrated everything that had transpired between him and the creditors of ten thousand dollars. Ten, few minutes later, that same money was robbed.
"They are the same people," Glenn lectured. "I've heard cases where creditors give out money only to come behind the debtors back to steal it."
"Yes," Raymond blew out.
"How can we track these people if you don't know what they are?" Glenn grunted.
"I know what they look like. Can you sketch them out?"
"Yes." Glenn unzipped his backpack and brought out a pencil and a notepad. "I can do that."
Raymond remembered vaguely the features of the man that lent him the money. He remembered the lots of tattoos that designed his hands and the gold premolar of the thinner man. Glenn sketched as he described, then they came up with a full picture of two men.
Glenn turned the picture to Raymond. "Do they look like this?"
Raymond glanced at the picture, remembering a week ago when he owned nothing but his wife. He remembered wanting to please someone whose needs were not satiated. That was what led him to those two demeaning men even though the second, thin man looked like a skinny model.
"I want you to find out. They'll pay for what they did to me." Raymond cracked his knuckle and the steam from him fury could burn the papers into ashes.
"Okay, Mr. Kane. You re just like your father. I will do as you say." Glenn folded the paper into four squares and dipped it into his pocket. "I'll give you updates on what I find. I'll send their home address to you in case you need it."
Raymond chuckled. "That's good."
Glenn stood up to go, but he turned back. "Who did you say connected you to these guys?"
"Pete," Raymond answered.
Glenn stroked his chin. "Pete has a hand in this too, I suppose."
Raymond spoke through gritted teeth. "He'd better not because he has enough sins to pay for already."
Glenn nodded and left the suite. Raymond took the last swig from his glass. Everything was piecing by itself. He had one thing to face: Roselle.
Then, Pete.
And he had the perfect plan for it.