Mr Loudmouth
Jason Haldis arrived at their usual lunch spot, a quiet corner table at a discreet café, and immediately noticed the subtle tension radiating from Hermione McEwen. Her usual composed demeanor was fractured by a tightly controlled anger, a rare sight that sent a cold ripple through him.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice low, cutting through the gentle hum of the café.
Hermione recounted an encounter at the coffee shop earlier that morning – emboldened by some perceived slight or perhaps simply malicious intent, a man who was completely unknown to her had been verbally abusive and insulting to her. As she spoke, the ice in her veins seemed to thicken, a sign of deep, controlled fury.
A dangerous stillness settled over Jason. No one treated Hermione that way, he thought.
"Where is he now?" he asked, his gaze sharp.
Hermione gave a brief description and the location of the coffee shop, a place not too far from their current location.
Without another word, Jason rose from his seat. "Wait here," he replied, his tone leaving no room for argument.
He walked with an unhurried yet purposeful stride towards the coffee shop. As he scanned the patrons, his eyes sharp and assessing, it did not take Jason long to locate the man who was going to enjoy the pleasure of his company. There was a lingering air of unpleasantness around Mr Loudmouth, even in his solitary coffee consumption.
Jason approached Mr Loudmouth, the Haldis presence radiating a quiet menace that seemed to prickle the air. Jason sat down at the table and leaned in close, his voice a low rumble that would not carry to nearby tables.
"You had some words for my friend earlier," he stated, his eyes locking onto the eyes of Mr Loudmouth. The initial smugness of Mr Loudmouth flickered and was replaced by a dawning unease.
The urge to simply end the Mr Loudmouth problem permanently was a potent current within Jason Haldis, but years of staying in the shadows had honed his restraint. He needed to make a statement, ensure the trouble-maker understood the gravity of his transgression, but leave no trace that could lead back to him.
Jason leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper, laced with a chilling certainty. "You will never speak to her, or about her, in that manner again. If you do, the consequences will be … far more significant than a bruised ego."
Jason held the gaze of the trouble-maker for a long, silent moment, letting the threat sink in. Sensing the genuine danger emanating from this quiet stranger, Mr Loudmouth swallowed hard and nodded almost imperceptibly.
Jason continued: Are we clear? Do I need to take your contact details, so I can check on you?
Mr Loudmouth (Now terrified): No, Sir. That will not be necessary. The message is very clear.”
Satisfied that his message had been received and understood, Jason rose from his seat and turned away, melting back into the flow of the coffee shop patrons.
He then returned to Hermione McEwen at their café table.
"I had a productive chat with your friend," he said simply, as he sat down.
Hermione placed her hand on the hand of Jason as he sat down and softly said “Thank you”.
New Work Proposition
Her equilibrium soon returned to its normal level and Hermione said to Jason: "I wanted to discuss something with you. A potential … opportunity."
Jason raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? This sounds like something that could be more comfortably discussed at your house.”
Hermione: Are you suggesting we get takeaway from here and go to my place?"
Jason: “Good call, Hermione."
A small smile touched the lips of Hermione: "I am not really in the mood for polite café chatter right now, anyway."
They ordered their food, the exchange with café staff brief and efficient.
Once they had their takeaway containers, they left the café and made their way to Hermione's residence, the earlier tension slowly dissipating.
The Hermione Residence
Functional and uncluttered, the home of Hermione reflected her methodical nature. They settled at a small table, the aroma of the takeaway filling the air. As they began to eat, Hermione laid out a few documents.
Hermione: A parent of one of the members of a local rock music band approached me. We know each other. We are friendly. The band is an up-and-coming rock music group. Apparently, they have been generating some significant buzz and decent revenue from gigs and recording releases.
Jason: A band? What is the opportunity? Protecting them from overzealous fans or ridiculous music critics?
Does she want me to whack a music critic? That is the sort of thing you do for fun.
Hermione: (A wry smile) Not exactly. My parent friend became concerned because the band has not seen any real financial return, despite their apparent success. Their manager, with a flamboyant name and less impressive accounting, seems to be consistently deflecting inquiries about their earnings.
Jason: So, a dodgy manager skimming off the top? That is hardly our usual fare.
Hermione: There is more. My initial look at the limited financial information the parent could access suggests Mr Flamboyant is not just taking a cut. The funds are being systematically siphoned off, and the paper trail, though deliberately obscured, points towards significant real estate investments … overseas.
Jason paused his eating, his interest piqued. "Overseas real estate investments? So more than simple mismanagement."
Hermione: Precisely. My parent friend fears the band is being completely fleeced, and Mr Flamboyant is preparing to do a runner overseas.
She approached me because she wanted to know if my creative talents could determine the extent of the damage and, if possible, recover the stolen funds.
Jason: And where do we fit in? Are we retrieving the money, or dealing with Mr Flamboyant?
Hermione: That depends on what we find. The priority is to ascertain the extent of the activities of Mr Flamboyant. The parent is primarily concerned with the band's future and the finances that have been denied to them.
Jason considered this, the aroma of the takeaway now secondary to the potential complexities of the case. A rock band, a dodgy manager, and offshore real estate. It was certainly a departure from their usual clientele, but the underlying injustice and potential for more intrigued him.
Jason: Alright, Hermione. Let's take a look at the band and their books.
Hermione: You may need to curtail your music critic culling activities and assist Mr Flamboyant in having an unfortunate accident that keeps him in the country while I look further into his finances.
Jason: You are back to your old self. That was what I was thinking might be my involvement.
Mr Flamboyant
The next day Hermione turned her attention to the less than impressive accounting of Mr Flamboyant and in particular his predilection for purchasing foreign based real estate.
It was clear to Hermione pretty quickly that Mr Flamboyant had a particular attraction to the Caribbean. Perhaps he was planning a Dreadlock Holiday, all his overseas real estate purchases were in Trinidad and Tobago.
Hermione then telephoned Jason: Jason, I thought I might come over for dinner and a chat tonight. Is that convenient?
Jason: Sure. Dinner with you at my place this evening is an excellent idea.
Hermione: Good.
Not long after Hermione arrived at his residence, Jason was getting an update on the progress of her investigation into Mr Flamboyant. Hermione said she needed more time to complete her investigation and Mr Flamboyant needed to be discouraged from taking a Dreadlock Holiday, at least for a month or three (3).
Hermione: It would be unfortunate if Flamboyant had an accident incapacitating him for a month or three (3).
Jason: It would not be the first time such an accident has occurred in one of our cases.
Hermione: A hospital stay also helps us monitor Mr Flamboyant, in case we need him to contribute to the investigation of his real estate purchases.
Jason: I like how you are concerned for the welfare of Mr Flamboyant, Hermione.
Their dinner conversation then moved on to other more mundane matters.
The Detour
The next day Jason made his way to the residence of Mr Flamboyant. Once he located the Flamboyant motor vehicle, he went to work. That work was quick and efficient. Jason had rigged this type of explosive to a vehicle undercarriage several times before. He knew precisely where to place it for maximum impact on the brake lines, without causing catastrophic damage to the vehicle itself, and he secured it swiftly. Once this task was complete, Jason immediately left the premises.
The following day, Jason monitored the GPS tracker he had also discreetly placed in the Flamboyant vehicle. As Flamboyant drove himself along a stretch of winding road on the outskirts of Brisbane, a road with a significant drop-off to one side, Jason seized his opportunity. Prompt activation of his remote detonator, and the small explosive did its work.
Inside the car, Flamboyant felt a sudden lurch and the sickening give of the brake pedal as it went straight to the floor. Panic set in as he fought the steering wheel, the car veering wildly on the unfamiliar curves. The inevitable happened quickly; the vehicle careened off the side of the road. The sounds of tearing metal and crashing foliage echoing through the quiet landscape.
An hour passed before the first responders reached the wreckage. Seriously injured and in considerable pain, Flamboyant was finally extracted from the vehicle and transported to a Brisbane hospital.
The attending paramedics noted the critical nature of his condition. They also said it was possible his injuries may have been exacerbated by the time elapsed before medical intervention could be administered.
Upon his arrival at the hospital, the attending medical team confirmed that the delay in reaching Mr Flamboyant on the mountainside had indeed contributed significantly to the seriousness and complexity of his injuries. Their provisional assessment was that Mr Flamboyant was looking at a period of extensive and prolonged monitoring and treatment of his condition and injuries.
Hospital
Once Flamboyant was admitted to the hospital, further measures were put in place to test his condition and assess his injuries. The results of those measures would inform the duration of his hospital stay.
Shortly after the Flamboyant admission to hospital, Jason received confirmation that the rock band manager was secure and would be out of commission for quite a while.
Jason then telephoned Hermione and told her that any immediate plans Flamboyant had for a Dreadlock Holiday would have to be put on hold, as he was looking at an extended stay in hospital following an unfortunate motor vehicle accident.
Hermione then turned her attention to gaining access to the Land Titles Office in Trinidad and Tobago. Once Hermione transferred title in the subject real estate to her corporation, she could do with it what she liked.
After some considerable initial frustration, Hermione gained the access she desired. She was surprised how simple and easy it was to transfer the titles to all the Flamboyant real estate to her corporation. As she was methodically undertaking those transfers, Hermione thought to herself that Flamboyant should have chosen a country in which to buy real estate that had better security on its Land Title system.
She ensured that Flamboyant had no real estate in his name or control in Trinidad and Tobago. Mrs Parent would be pleased to learn that Flamboyant had not benefited from his criminal behaviour, Hermione thought.
The next step was to sell some of that real estate, so the band could have their cash returned to them, and Hermione found selling that Trinidad and Tobago real estate was surprisingly easy. She chuckled to herself that she thought she got a good price for the real estate she sold quickly.
The remaining recovered real estate, and there was quite a bit of it, was then subjected to creative transfers to other corporations controlled by Hermione.
Hermione Meets with Mrs Parent
Once Hermione was satisfied that Flamboyant had been relieved of his Trinidad and Tobago real estate and it was securely in her control, she met with Mrs Parent. Hermione informed Mrs Parent that she would gain title to one of those now former Flamboyant properties as payment for her work and that of Jason. Mrs Parent was not troubled by the proposed arrangement.
Hermione told Mrs Parent her strategy was informed by uncomplicated logic, the gains of Flamboyant were ill-gotten. He was in no position to complain about any possible illegal behaviour of Hermione.
Mrs Parent responded: Of course, Hermione you would not conduct any illegal behaviour.
Hermione: Absolutely not, Mrs Parent. That would be wrong.
By the way, Mrs Parent, Mr Flamboyant had an unfortunate motor vehicle accident recently, the result of which he was admitted to hospital for treatment.
Mrs Parent: That is terrible luck for Mr Flamboyant.
Hermione: I am sure he has recovered by now and will be released from hospital.
Mrs Parent: Some good news for Mr Flamboyant. He can now go on that overseas holiday I understood he was planning.
Hermione: It would be tragic if Mr Flamboyant recovered from his accident and headed to Trinidad and Tobago, only to discover he was effectively penniless and with no avenue of complaint.
Mrs Parent: Tragic, indeed. I think I might go and tell my son Mr Flamboyant decided to return the money he borrowed.
The telephone of Hermione rang and she took the brief call.
Hermione: Good news, Mrs Parent. That was my colleague. He confirmed to me that Mr Flamboyant has recovered from his accident and has been released from hospital.
Mrs Parent. That is good news. So, Mr Flamboyant is free to go on his Dreadlock Holiday.
Hermione: Yes. I am sure it will be memorable for him.
Mrs Parent: Thank you Hermione. I am enormously grateful to you.
Hermione: You are welcome, Mrs Parent.
Hermione and Mrs Parent then ended their meeting and went off to deal with other matters in their respective lives.
Hermione Visits Jason
Hermione then telephoned Jason: I am coming over for a visit.
Jason: The door is open.
Hermione arrived shortly thereafter and soon she and Jason were in conversation. Ultimately the size of the real estate portfolio they had recovered was discussed.
Jason said to Hermione: “I hope you were not silly enough to transfer all that property to the band, other than the one that was payment for our services.”
Hermione replied, laughing: “You are a funny guy, Jason .”
Then she said: “Let’s go and get something to eat, Jason.”
Jason shook his head and laughed as they walked out the front door.
