Shades of Mr. Faulkerson(COMPLETED)

SOF Chapter 33

My internship occupied me pretty much all the time. When I wasn't working I could usually be found in Richard's apartment. It really does have a lot of advantages of living in the middle of the city. But instead of ordering something from the delivery service, I cooked for myself. Or at least tried to.

The first week was weird. Although I didn't have time to think about Richard in the morning. I did miss him in the night. I feel lonely in such a huge penthouse, with only Mrs. Santos coming every Monday and Thursday.

Richard's birthday is in exact three weeks. I thought about his birthday present. But what can you give a man who already has everything he wants? It's impossible to give him something he will like.

And then it hit me. There's one thing he doesn't have. One thing he hasn't seen yet. Someone he had been looking for a long time now. His father.

I looked for documents about his father in his office. Every folder, every drawer...I looked everywhere. Then I saw it: his safe. i didn't know the combination. For the whole second week I thought about combinations, which could open the safe and therefore the way to his father. But no combination I tried was right. In the middle of the second week I gave up and started to search for him on my own. I only knew his name: William Faulkerson. I didn't know his birth date, neither I knew the way he looks. a night filled with Google and callings, I finally had a birth date and even some locations where he had been. At the moment, he was in California. But how am I going to get to California before Richard returns? I couldn't take the bus or the train, it would take too long. And for the plane...Well, I don't have the money. Then I remembered the Black Amex card. For emergencies, he said. This definitely was one.

So, I booked a red eye to California. He has several vineyards in California and he was currently there to pick out some wines. So that's why Richard loves wine so much. It's in his blood I guess. But as soon as I got to the vineyard, his housekeeper told me that he had left two days ago. He was now in a small town in Nevada. At the airport, I booked another flight--this time to Nevada.

I decided to stay in a small motel for the night. the next morning I asked the motel owner if he knew William. I was lucky because he did know him. He directed me to a local diner, in which he has eat his breakfast whenever he is in Nevada. With a smile filled with victory, I walked into the diner. he wasn't there. I didn't see him. I ask the waitress and she said he had left the state yesterday evening to fly back home. As I asked her where "home" was, she shrugged. She didn't know. She said that he lives in Illinois. But she didn't know the city. Crap! I was stuck.

as I left the diner with his picture in my hand, a voice called me.

"Hey! I heard you're looking for William Faulkerson."

I turned around and faced a man with beer in his hands and a leather jacket. A jacket I own myself.

"Yeah. You know where he lives?"

"What will I get from you if I tell ya?"

I shrugged, "What do you want?"

"You're from New York, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"This is a small town, honey. News travel fast." I nodd.

"I'd like to have a bus ticket from Nevada to New York City."

I nodd. "DEAL!" Where does William live?"

"In Chicago. I don't have the address, but I'm sure you'll do fine once you're there."

"How do you know William?"

"We met in High School...." he traveled off. "My bus ticket?"