Page 15 of Maddy's Justice

They heard a minor commotion taking place outside Marc’s office door. Something or, more likely someone, had disturbed the normally placid environment.

“That’s gotta be Tony,” Marc said. “I left a message for him to stop by this morning.”

There was a sharp knock on Marc’s door. It opened and Tony Carvelli, a private investigator, stuck his head in, looked at Connie and said, “Good morning, beautiful. Is today my lucky day?”

“Not a chance, Carvelli. What kind of girl do you think I am?” Connie answered.

“Hey,” he continued as he entered and closed the door, “that’s what I’m hoping to find out.”

Tony Carvelli was an ex-cop with Minneapolis. A sharp, streetwise detective who retired from the job and went private. In his early fifties, he still pulled off the bad boy look most women found irresistible. He was also as knowledgeable about the underside of the Twin Cities metro area as anyone could be. It was Tony who had introduced Maddy Rivers to Marc.

He reached across Marc’s desk for a handshake while saying, “I hear congratulations are in order. You finally did it, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess I did,” Marc agreed while Carvelli sat down.

“Walking the gang plank again? The shock is that she said yes,” Carvelli said.

“I know,” Marc agreed. “I figured that would be my out. I expected her to run screaming from the building. Go figure.”

“You two are a riot,” Connie sarcastically said.

“Listen, seriously, you know I love you both and I wish you all the happiness in the world. I mean that,” Carvelli said.

“Thanks, Tony. I appreciate that,” Marc replied.

“And if it doesn’t work out,” he said then pointed at Connie, “I know a great divorce lawyer for Maddy.”

“I’ll do it pro bono,” Connie said.

“Now, I’m really cheered up,” Marc said.

“What do you need me for?” Carvelli asked getting serious and changing the subject.

“Can you put a surveillance team together?” Marc asked.

“Cops or retired?”

“Retired. Your usual cast of reprobates,” Marc said.

“How many?” Carvelli asked.

“What do you think?” Marc asked Connie.

“I think just Stephanie Chapple for now. Maybe the others later,” Connie said.

“What’s going on?” Carvelli asked.

Marc took a couple of minutes to explain the lawsuit. There were six women named as plaintiffs with Stephanie Chapple being number one. He handed Carvelli a piece of paper with Stephanie’s information on it, including her social security number that he was given by Stafford, Hughes.

“I want a net put over her. Where she goes, what she does and, especially, with whom. If she’s making the rounds with a motorcycle gang, we need to know it,” Marc said. He then looked at Connie and added, “This is really a little sleazy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah it is and if we do find out these women are screwing the entire U.S. Navy it might not matter. That still doesn’t give our client the right to do what he did,” Connie said.

“You think she is?” Carvelli asked.

Connie answered, “No. If I know Lori Quinn, she’s already done a good job of vetting them. They’re probably not virginal nuns but they’re not wild party girls, either.

“There’s something else,” Connie said looking at Marc. “Troy McGovern. What do we know about him?”

---