A Package For Trouble 
 
Author: Eileen Thomson


E-mail: indigotoast@yahoo.com
 
Rating: PG

Summary: Continuing to follow Trouble.

Author's Notes: Thanks to ionicsoup for the map of Pittsburgh. If
I have gone up one way streets, please excuse my bad sense of
direction. Thanks as always to Suzanne and Linda, Their good grace
keeps me writing, when I know full well that they will have to sit
down and red ink it all over for me. You guys are great.


--+--


It's 8.30 in the morning and Nick is finishing some work before
taking his new `baby' out. He is in the Serendipity Club, hoping to
see Judge Tilson before she starts her day. This one day is his, no
phone calls, no need to attend court, and no need to do anything for
others. He breathes a big sigh of relief when the last word is on
the page.

"Finished," he sighs contentedly.

Judge Tilson `Alpha' comes into the Club. "Ah... Nick, I was so
hoping to meet up with you. We have a serious problem. Judge
Goldstein has just phoned me and asked me to mediate a delicate
dilemma he has. There is a package that he would like back."

"A package he would like back," Nick repeats. "What is that supposed
to mean?"

"Don't ask Nick, not here, just be a darling and agree that you will
see that it is returned."

"Information would be good," Nick says. Just enough to let me know
what I'm doing. Enough that I know where to start, and how much
trouble I will be in if it all goes pear shaped." he states
sarcastically.

"Judge Goldstein was presiding over a case last week and a Mafia hit-
man was put in jail. His son decided that he needed to punish the
Judge, so he stole something from him. His father has contacted the
Judge and made a deal with him from jail. His son has been ordered
to return to the judge his `property'. He has only until lunch time
to comply. I would like you to fetch it for me. Could you do that?"

"Seems easy. Give me details," laughs Nick, "It makes me think that
Judges are not the omnipotent beings they think they are!"

"Come over here and I will give tell you all you need to know. It
must be kept to yourself or the package could be severely damaged."
She waits till they are out of earshot and quietly gives Nick the
inside information. "I am sending Amanda with you to make sure you
don't get into trouble."

"AH.. Judge, don't do that. I will be fine on my own." Nick is very
nervous of Amanda since he brought her into the Club. "If the son
has been told to return the package, he will not cause any bother.
Things will be fine. I won't do anything to make him nervous."

-*-

Amanda comes out of the Courthouse and looks up the street. Nick has
said to meet him there. She looks towards the Bridge of Sighs and
she sees him. Her heart pounds in her chest. She can't believe she
is looking at Nick Fallin.

Nick paces up and down, waiting for Amanda to appear. Like a caged
lion he stalks the street, back and forth, as if he is on the prowl
for something. He is wearing black cowboy boots with a heavy silver
chain around the ankle and round the instep, jeans torn at the knee
and a dark blue casual shirt. A paler blue sweater is tied round his
waist and he has on a black leather jacket. His hair is mussed and
curly. He looks as if he has raw sex caged up inside him and it's
trying to escape.

Amanda is used to seeing Nick Fallin `the lawyer' and is surprised
that the man she is looking at is so much different from him. This
is Nick Fallin the party animal, the one everyone falls for.

She watches a party of women, returning after lunch go towards the
court. They look at him over their shoulder, and she hears one
whisper. "Orgasmic!"

"Nick, Nick. Are you ready?"

"Come on, Amanda. Come look at my baby!" Nick shouts excitedly. He
throws his arms wide, and Amanda's eyes are directed towards `the
bike'. "It's a Custom Harley Davidson Beach Cruiser!" He points at
it with apparent glee. "It is Ferrari black, glass front fender, 5
gallon stretch tanks with flush mount/pop up caps. I…" he pauses and
gathers he's talking way over Amanda's head. "Information
overload... huh? But she is beautiful. Say she's beautiful!"

SEXY, is the only description that Amanda can think of that even
goes half way to describe the bike, but she is not going to tell
Nick that. "I'm not going on a motorbike," shouts Amanda.

"It will get us in and out of traffic much easier, and the idiot we
are dealing with thinks he is crime genius. So wait for some kind of
theatrics from him. Listen to this... `Go at 10am to the Sheraton
Hotel in Station Square. A message will be left for you at the
desk.' Judge Tilson thinks he will keep us running about until
almost the cut off time. So it's best to be mobile and be able to
get through traffic."

"What are we looking for, Nick?" Amanda is worried. The Judge would
not tell her anything and it has her rattled.

"Just be with me on this, don't ask questions. Then if things go
bad, you can deny any wrong-doing."

"I would rather not go into things blind," Amanda says warily.

"Well, that is the way the Club works. There is nothing to be done
about the rules. Here. Put the helmet on. We have twenty minutes to
get to the Sheraton, and I prefer to be early. Then `the game is
afoot' as Sherlock Holmes would say." He makes the talk light-
hearted, but Nick looks very worried.

Amanda sits on the back of the bike. She is much higher than Nick
and can see over his shoulder. She feels the thrum of the engine
pulse through her body and she shivers with delight. She
thoughtfully concedes to the fact that there is some merit in
traveling this way. The feeling of power is intoxicating. She leans
forward, tucks her knees over his hips and rests her body along the
line of his.

-*-

The journey to the Sheraton is a short one. Amanda gets off the bike
and enters the hotel. She is out in no time at all but looks worried.

"What is it?" asks Nick.

Wordlessly she hands him the note and the two Polaroid photos. The
first is a picture of them both at the Bridge of Sighs. The next, is
one of them coming over Smithfield Street Bridge.

"This is not good. I don't like the idea of them being so close, and
us not seeing anything ."
-*-


Nick reads the note out loud. "Point State Park. 10.30 am. The
Fountain. Let's go, but try to keep a look out for anyone taking
photographs."

"Nick, Point State Park will be full of tourists. Everyone will be
taking photographs!"

"We will have to leave the bikes and walk into the park. He is not
given us much time." Nick is worried.

In the park Nick catches sight of his probation officer Fred De
Sica. It is here Nick used to come to meet one of his suppliers, and
he would rather avoid any awkward questions. "He can't see me here!"
He turns and takes hold of Amanda, putting her between himself and
De Sica. He puts his hand at the back of her neck and his arm round
her waist and kisses her fully of the lips. He feels the warm glow
of desire course through him as he recalls briefly the last kisses
they shared.

Amanda pushes him away. She is furious. "I'm not Melissa," she cries
pointing her finger at him. "Don't do that."

Nick smiles his Mona Lisa smile and steps back from her. He leans
into her and puts his lips next to her ear. "When I kiss you I think
of a pool of light. A beautiful woman wearing hold up stockings,
stiletto heels, her long legs wrapped round me… and great sex. I'm
not sorry that Melissa is not in there some where, and if that makes
me bad, well then, I'm bad."

At the far end of the park, a man gives a tour party information
about the Fountain "This is the tallest fountain in the world. It
sprays 6,000 gallons of water per minute up to 150 feet in the air."
The man pauses as he passes Nick and Amanda and hands them the new
note and two more photos. One is of Nick sitting outside the
Sheraton Hotel, straddling his bike. The other is of them coming
down Carson Street
.
Amanda looks at the photo of Nick He is staring into the camera and
has his thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets, his helmet rests on the
handle bars. Amanda thinks, `sex on wheels' and slips it into her
purse. Unless anyone asks for it, she intends to keep that one for
herself.

-*-
Nick peers at the new note.11am New Alcoa Buildings. Go to side
facing the river.

"We're off across the river." Nick is livid. "How did we not see
this?" he fumed. "They must have been right there beside us. He is
trying to rattle us. We must be on our guard. His father has given
him instructions, but there is no guarantee that he will do as he is
told."

At the New Alcoa Buildings they dismount and a boy on a cycle comes
up and gives them a new note, and again, two more pictures. Nick is
shaking with temper. One is of them kissing in the park and the
other is of them getting on the bike to come across the river.

Amanda looks at Nick. "This is scaring me Nick, and I think you
should tell me what it is we are looking for."

"Isaac Goldstein aged four, was taken from his home at 8am this
morning. The bodyguard who gave chase used to be a cop He recognized
the kidnapper as Jason, the son of the Mafia hit man Judge Goldstein
has just sent to prison. The Judge phoned his father in jail and the
deal was made to get the boy back. The price is information and the
promise not to prosecute the son. He has until noon. Then the FBI
will be brought in and all Hell will break loose. We have to get the
boy back. Questions about the time delay will not put the Judge in a
good light."

-*-


11.45 Andy Warhol Museum.

"We are off to the north side. Call Judge Tilson and let her know
where we are going. This has to be where we will find Isaac. Jason
is out of time now."

At the Museum, Nick dives off the bike and throws down his
helmet. "Let's split up. We have to find him here."

Amanda soon hears Nick shout, "I have him! Phone the Judge for pick
up."

Nick kneels in front of the little boy. He is sitting in under the
painting, `Electric Chair.'

" Isaac." He speaks softly. He does not want to frighten the
boy. "I have come to take you back to your Daddy." Isaac has his
hands over his face and is turned to the wall. He moves his hands
and looks down through his fingers. Nick sees that he has two
photographs sitting on his lap. He takes them from Isaac and looks
at himself and Amanda.

"The man said you would take me home," Isaac whispers hopefully.

"I will."

Amanda turns to go back into the museum to let Nick know that the
Judge is almost there and her breath is taken by a picture so
beautiful it stops her heart.

Nick is standing outside the building holding the little boy in his
arms. Isaac is wrapped in Nick's sweater, his little arms curled
trustingly round Nick's neck. The young lawyer has his hand
protectively on the little boy's head and is murmuring something in
his ear. He looks, for all the world like a modern day Saint
Christopher.

The End