It was Thursday morning. With Carmella identified as the culprit behind the spyware and Simon's murder, the case for us was pretty much closed. It was time to see if we could get paid for our efforts. They had produced results. No matter how haphazardly they were achieved. With Mrs. Crowley's help, Rogue had put together very official looking invoices. She had divided the expenses between Martin, Bernard, and the FBI. The FBI got the lion's share of the costs. After all, we had helped them nip in the bud a foray into cybercrime by the Mexican Mafia and had identified a killer on top of that. For Martin and Bernard, we had merely identified the person behind the software tampering at their companies.

I called Martin and Bernard to see if either one was free to see us. Martin was tied up with a major government audit. Bernard said we could come right over. I then called Agent Lee and asked him to meet us at Advanced Comms. I had a feeling we might need him, if not we would, like all good government contractors, take him to lunch before giving him our bill. Rogue gathered up the invoices and we went to Bernard's office to present our findings and his bill.

Bernard welcomed us and we all took our seats in his office.

"Well, it has been a rough several weeks, but we can finally put this all to bed," I said and let out a small sigh.

"It certainly has been. What have you got for me?" he asked innocently.

"I'm sorry Bernard, but it appears Carmella was behind everything," I said with genuine regret.

"How can that be?" he asked.

I began to explain everything that had transpired from the beginning. Pretty much everything I just recounted here; so, you know it takes a while. Near the end of my explanation he got a phone call.

"Bernard Johnson here," he answered his phone. "Oh, hey Cuddles, I can't really talk right now ... That's right ... Uh-huh."

I turned to Rogue as Bernard was talking. His sappy tone on the phone reminded me of his behavior in Disneyland and what Jean had said in Mendocino.

Okay, I'll see you when I get home," he finished the call and turned to us. "Sorry about that."

"Was that Carmella?" I asked casually. He didn't have to answer. The panicked look on his face told me everything. I knew Bernard well enough to know he was deciding if he could lie his way out of this. He knew me well enough to know that he couldn't.

Turning to Rogue, I said, "Rogue, Agent Lee should be right out front. Can you go get him and tell him we have something for him?"

Turning back to Bernard I said, "I truly am sorry Bernard."

"I knew you would be our undoing Chuck. I tried to tell her. I tried to get you away from here from the start."

Agent Lee came in and arrested Bernard for aiding a fugitive.

"I called Detective Visconti and asked him to meet me at Mr. Johnson's house to arrest Carmella for Ortiz's murder," Agent Lee said as he slapped on the cuffs.

"I want to go along. I want to see the look on Visconti's face when he realizes that was the house I was trying to break into when he arrested me. And now I can tell him the real reason why."

"You have a strange way of getting your kicks," Agent Lee said shaking his head.

"You know what Paul Revere said."

"The British are coming?"

"No. Paul Revere and the Raiders, kicks just keep getting harder to find."

#End Chapter Twenty-eight