DUMPSITE, Page 6

  “Are you not up and about?”

  “I will be as soon as I can stand up.” Mudd continued. “See you in café.”

  A click was all Mother heard.

  After a fancy breakfast of crepes with various healthy fillings they headed to the car. Mother took the wheel.

  “So, are we ready for the first of many trips, scouring the countryside?” Asked Mudd.

  “I hope there aren’t too many trips. We need to finish the music.”

  They started going north on Route 9.

  “Let’s check the two spots I found on line last night; if they’re not to our liking we’ll look elsewhere.”

  “Sound’s good to me,” said Mudd as they continued north. “When I lived in the area a few years back, a metal fabricator, not far from my house, closed their business.”

  “Is the building still standing?”

  “As far as I know.”

  M&M talked music for the rest of the trip until Muddy thought he spotted a green van with Karry Kennels written on the side, he asked if Mother saw it.

  “Why?” Mother asked.

  “I never had the chance to tell you. When you were in AC, I went to town for some drumsticks. I thought a car was following me. It was a green van.”

  “Karry Kennels, comes to Chateau 54 frequently. There are more then a few folks who have pets. They will take their dogs for walks and also to the vet if needed.”

  “Maybe so, but it seemed kind of strange when I was heading back that the van would be parked in the same 007 spot I had pulled into.”

  “Let me check with Gerald. He has a schedule of all incoming service companies.”

  “What’s first on the agenda?” quipped Mudd

  “Start looking for County Road 526 we need to make a left and go about three miles.”

  Whoa! There’s the turn.”

  “Got it. We should be there in a few minutes.”

  The place was huge. From the outside it looked as if it could be the spot. Inside however it was more like the town disposal plant. It would take a large cleanup crew to get it in condition for a shoot. They got back in the car and headed for site number two.

  It was almost 30 minutes before they arrived. This building was much smaller. It was messy but empty inside. A day or two to clean it up and it could be ready. The sign mentioned the real estate company and phone number. Mother called. It was for sale. The man on the phone didn’t think the owner would want a movie company there while they were trying to sell the property. He would check.

  “Where’s the place you mentioned? Mother asked.

  “I’ll look at a map, find the shortest route.”

  “Good, there’s a map in the console.”

  Mudd couldn’t tell where the factory was on the map. He suggested a call to the county clerk.

  “Well Mr. Mudd, why don’tcha call. Was it in Monmouth County?”

  “I think so. Let me get the number.” He called the county clerk who suggested he

  call the real estate handling the sale. The real estate office thought a short-term

  rental was not out of the question. He told them he would get back after they see the

  property.

  Muddy took over the driving as he turned the car around and headed south on the Garden State Parkway. They would head west on Route 70. Mudd, after about 12 miles turned onto a side road looking for the factory.

  “There it is,” Mudd excitedly said.

  “It looks perfect.”

  The inside was relatively clean. Three, four days of light cleaning would get it ready for the shoot. The movie work wouldn’t start until spring. Somewhere between April and June.

  “Write down the information on the sign, it may help when the real estate calls

  back. I’ll head to Chateau 54.”

  “Got it, Mudd.”

  “This could be a central location for the project. The crew could keep all the equipment and props stored at the site while filming takes place,” Mother suggested.

  The Muddman came through again. Next on the agenda, find an area which can be turned into the dumpsite.

  “The dumpsite.”

  “What did you say, Mother.”

  “Nothing, just thinking out loud.

  M&M found the old factory. Next, the dumpsite. Muddy looked a bit frazzled when they returned. Mother, wondered how he felt about the whole situation. He knows, Muddy didn’t buy into all this extra tension when he agreed to come and write music for the movie. They needed to talk.

  Mother went to call James. The office, a small but comfortable space he had picked out when Chateau 54 was being built, secluded but not hidden. He chose not to have windows and go for a secure and quiet office. He was not too neat and would leave important papers on the desk, therefore a heavy door, which needed a key and a code to open, was installed. Most of the time only the key was in play. James, Vince and Chuck had sent a CEO type chair. It was a gift to the new man in charge. The chair did everything but talk. It was made of soft blue leather, which hid a massage unit and heater to be used when the Jersey dampness came around.

  There was a safe installed in the floor. A small amount of cash was kept there for emergency use along with every bit of information concerning Chateau 54, the deed, mortgage, copies of ownership agreements, leases, rental agreements, and some personal stuff belonging to the four owners. Mother kept a small portable, easy access safe, for his few important papers and handy cash.

  The desk was drab but a very useful and efficient piece of furniture. The walls, a light cocoa color with his favorite pictures hanging in the appropriate places. Controlled lighting was available for a bright well-lit office or a subtle effect when he needed to be creative. Every electronic gadget was installed from computers to a small keyboard which did everything but sing harmony. Wait a second, it did that too.

  As, Mother, was unlocking the door the phone rang.

  “Hello”

  “Hey, it’s James.”

  “I was just about to call. What’s up.”

  “Not sure, but it seems Vince is missing.”

  “What do you mean missing?”

  “Haven’t heard from him for two days. We had a lunch date and he never showed.”

  James voice was unsteady.

  “Have you talked to Chuck? How about Noodles, has he called?”

  “Not yet. I’ll check as soon as I hang up.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Mother, asked.

  “I don’t know. What can any of us do.”

  “Call me after you talk to Chuck; I’ll try to get with Noodles.”

  “Okay.”

  It was a little past seven in the evening. Mother would call Muddy, now they really needed to talk.

  No answer on Mudd’s cell and the room phone just kept ringing. Mother thought he had headed to his room for quick pre-dinner rest. He went directly to Muddy’s suite and knocked.

  After banging on the door 10-12 times he concluded, Muddy couldn’t be sleeping. Not through all the knocking. Mother went to the front desk for a key.

  The new girl, Cassandra was working the front desk.

  “Hi, can I get a pass key to Mr. Mudd’s suite, please.”

  “One moment sir and I’ll get one for you.”

  Mother, took the key and headed to Muddy’s suite. He entered and found it empty. It looked as if the maid had just been there. Muddy hadn’t been there. He called Solly.

  “Hey Solly, have you seen Mudd?”

  “Not since last night. I was off the clock until three this afternoon.”

  “Thanks. Do you know if Gerald is still here?”

  “I don’t think so. He hasn’t called for a dinner reservation. If he were here he would have done so by now. Is there a problem?”

  “I don’t know. I may be blowing in the wind. Mudd could be anywhere. Let me check the studio.”

  “Okay, let me know if I can help,” Sol
ly said, with concern in his voice.

  Mother headed to the studio. The door was ajar. Something was up! The door is always closed and locked. He got on his cell and called Solly back. He was there in less than a minute.

  He explained to Solly and told him. “I didn’t want to enter alone.”

  “Good move, let’s enter with care. You go first.”

  “Thanks, Solly I knew you would be a big help.”

  “Okay, just a little joke, let me go first.”

  They slowly entered the studio. Solly checked to the left and Mother looked to the right. All seemed quiet. As they got further in, a few things seemed out of place. The drums in the far-right corner were not in their proper setting and Solly said there were papers scattered on the floor near the recording desk. Everything else seemed normal.

  “Thanks, Solly.”

  Mother, decided to make a careful check. After picking up the dozen or so papers from the floor he realized they belonged to Muddy. It seemed he was working on the last track they had written. Something about a flam on the snare drum he thought should be there, just before the chorus came in. He loves to flam it up! The acoustic drums in the corner had been used but moved around by a non-musical person. The snare was on the wrong side and the sizzle cymbal was behind the seat. Muddy, wouldn’t leave the drums disheveled. Something happened here in the studio and not too long ago.

  Mother, went back to his office. Calling the police at this point would do nothing but scare the folks who live at Chateau 54 and there wasn’t enough evidence to prove a crime had been committed.

  Mother, called James. The phone rang several times before he answered. “Hello, is that you, Mother?”

  “Yes. There seems to be a slight problem here.”

  “What is it?”

  “Mudd seems to be missing although it’s still too early to call the police. Have you talked to Chuck?”

  “No, his secretary said he was at a rehearsal in a small off-Broadway theatre and has shut off his cell.”

  “Does he normally shut the phone off?”

  “Yes, usually,” James responded, “He should have returned my call. The message said it was urgent.”

  “As I said, Muddy is missing. He was beat when we returned this afternoon but apparently never made it to his suite.”

  “I guess we have to sit on our hands for a while and hope for the best.” Mother, could feel tension in James voice.

  “I’ll call you later.”

  Who would know anything about the Muddman? Mother, decided to take a walk around the property and check with the people who were working around the chateau. The front desk would be the first stop.

  “Hey Cassandra, have you seen Mr. Mudd since I talked to you last?”

  “No sir, things have been unusually quiet for this time of the evening. Maybe the rain is keeping everybody in their suites.”

  “Could be.” Mother, left the front desk area, went for an umbrella and headed outside. The rain was not too heavy but steady. He walked up and down the parking area and then decided to check the back of the building. By this time his Italian shoes were getting soaked. As he rounded the far corner he noticed a man standing near the air conditioner units.

  “Hello!” Mother, yelled.

  The person didn’t answer. As he looked at Mother he started to run. Quickly picking up speed. Whoever it was headed into the wooded area, located in the left rear of the building. Mother decided not to follow as the departing individual had too much of a lead. After all, what would he do if he were to catch him?

  Back inside Mother found Solly. He told him about the man who ran into the woods.

  Solly, had no idea, but Mother could hear concern in his voice. He headed back to his office. Checked if James had called, there was no message. He grabbed a piece of paper and started to write a list of happenings from the past few days. Mother had 10 incidents listed and Mudd’s name appeared in seven of them.

  Why is Muddy’s, name connected with seven of the incidents? Mother needed to call Noodles. It was 8:35 in Vegas. Somewhere on his desk was Noodles private number. He found it and called. One ring-e-dingie, two ring-e…cut it out he told himself, this is serious. Noodles phone went to his answering machine.

  “Noodles, this is Mother, The Muddman is missing…I need whatever scuttlebutt you can come up with…Mudd said he had called you earlier, please get back ASAP, thanks.”

  Now, Mother would have to wait.

  Eleven — The Aftermath

  We’re now all caught up and, in the present, lets continue the story. Solly had come to the rescue. He carried the Muddman on his shoulder, threw him in the car and back to the Chateau 54. He had contacted his boss and asked him to check out the building where Mudd was being held but it had been emptied.

  Karry Kennels called back early in the morning. They explained Jewel worked for them a short time. She had taken one of their trucks on the day in question. Apparently, she was following him.

  Mother went to see how Mudd was feeling. Solly wanted to see Mother as well. He made Solly, his first stop. He knocked.

  “Come in.”

  “Wow, some excitement after I dropped off Muddy’s pills. How did you know where he was?”

  “I followed you. Then I waited for someone to pick-up the pills. When I saw Jewel, I realized she was the one. She was acting strange when she was at Chateau 54 a couple of days ago. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

  “You should have told me what you were doing. Maybe I could have helped.”

  “Thanks, Mother, but they had guns. You’re not up for that are you?”

  “No, you did the right thing; what did you want to see me about?”

  “Close the door, sit down,” Solly said. “I’m working for you as a maitre’ d, but in actuality I’m a special agent for the FBI. I retired over 15 years ago, but every once in a while, I get called back into duty. This time my age worked well; I fit in here perfectly. I’ve been keeping an eye on Mr. Lundgren, the gentleman in Suite 48. He is under protection by the FBI. The bureau asked me to work here because I knew you from the old neighborhood. I hope my work has been satisfactory.”

  Mother, was shocked, an FBI agent on the premises. “You’ve done a great job, Solly!”

  Solly continued, “As you know from the meetings with your friends in Atlantic City, things are not as they seem. I heard Vince was missing. We’re helping with the problem while we continue with Lundgren. I can’t fill you in on all that’s going on at the moment but trust me, there are many wheels in motion. Please don’t mention I’m with the FBI to anyone. I still need my cover. I wanted you to know should you need my help.

  “We believe Mudd was the unfortunate victim of a twisted, scorned woman, Jewel McGrath. However, we have not come to any conclusion about McGrath as she does not show up in any of our files. There is, however, someone at Chateau 54, either living or working here, involved with her. Whoever it is took advantage of Jewel’s mental instability and used her to try and get information from Mudd. He was after all at the dumpsite on the same day you and your friends were. Maybe someone has information connecting him.

  “Ron and Rudy Brown, the two goons she hired, are twins. They’re working for the same people we have under surveillance. However, there is something going on we hadn’t figured. The grandson, Sean Michael Malloy, of the man who was in charge of the incident at the dumpsite has found information he believes will help him find a stash of diamonds missing for 50 plus years. The FBI heard the story years ago but after doing a diligent investigation found nothing to substantiate the story. Sean is searching for the package and believes he has found a trail. We picked up this information while we were listening in on people involved in the drug related case. At this point the package, if still intact, is worth upwards of $125 million.

  “We’re getting close to solving the drug case which has nothing to do with, Lundgren. We are still giving him 24/7 protection. If you
could keep the place running in a close to normal fashion we would appreciate it.”

  “Has this anything to do with the dumpsite?” Mother asked.

  “In a manner of speaking it does, you and your friends have been cleared of any wrong doings but you are all still involved because of the dump. The organization looking for the package will use anything and anyone to get it.”

  “This sounds dangerous to me.”

  “It is! If everything goes according to plan all will be cleared up in a week, on the outside, 10 days.”

  “The hardest thing will be asking you to bring my lunch to the studio.”

  After laughing heartily for an extended period of time Solly explained. “We need to continue as normally as we can. I have no problem getting lunch or anything else for you.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “I know you will, Mother”

  “Solly, how can you be with the FBI? I thought you spent some time in jail before you were cleared of any wrong doing.”

  “I was a mole for the FBI.”

  “In jail?

  “Yes, the worst two years of my life.”

  This was more information then, Mother, needed. He headed to see Muddy.

  He knocked on his door. “Is anyone in there?”

  “Can’t I even go to the bathroom without someone annoying me?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know.”

  “Come in and close the door behind you,” uttered a nasty voice.

  Muddy sounds a bit on the upset side of life, Mother, thought. “I’m in.”

  “Have you heard what happened to me?” Mudd asked.

  “Jewel gave you a hard time.”

  “She did. I thought I was a goner - until Solly came to the rescue. I could kiss the man,”

  “Sorry we didn’t see this coming. Jewel was employed by Karry Kennels. She worked for them only two weeks before she tried to make a love toy out of you. They told me she had taken one of their trucks on the day you went to pick up your drumsticks. She followed you but was unable to do anything. You, however, became aware someone was trailing you. Sorry I doubted you. By the way what happened to Jewel, do you know?”

  “No, Mother I heard a couple of shots just as Solly grabbed me and hustled me out the door. But I’m not sure what the outcome was.”