The Three Business Card

9:15 am. Bank of T_______ , Eastside Branch

The woman on the counter examined the customer's ID and, after a glance at the man in front of him, handed him back the withdrawal slip. "Please sign at the bottom checkmark here." The man obliged and signed the slip with an obscure signature similar to his presented ID. After the man handed back the slip to her, she politely asked, "would you like 500 or thousands Mr. Henry De La Vega?" referring to the denomination.

"Thousand, of course," he replied. He was dressed impeccably, with dark glasses on, and by the way, he carried himself, one can assume he is a CEO of a big corporation.

After the transaction, Henry De La Vega carried the money he withdrew from the bank in his briefcase. He had good reasons to put his best foot forward as he was in talks with a partner to buy three businesses they could run. In a city where setting up companies takes a long time, buying one offers a faster way of setting up one's business in a shorter amount of time. Inside the office of a local attorney, he signed together with a partner the deed of sale for the three companies and paid them in cash without any hesitation on his part.

The businesses that he bought were particularly cheap since they were on the brink of collapse. Triple O Marketing and J Brothers and Sons Marketing were appliance stores that cater to loaning excessively overpriced home appliances to poor households. The two almost went bankrupt when unpaid loans piled up due to the recent recession. While the Pink and Purple Place Company were, as one can guess is a high-class brothel for the upscale market, they cater to all types of fetishes, whether young boys, older people, crossdressers, S &M and the whole gamut of man's extreme fantasies. That business had a hard time hurdling the legal process due to its business nature, and Henry saw that perfect opportunity to buy-in. When the sale was given the signal, Henry made Purple and Pink Place Company his office oversee his entire operation.

His partner, a man that goes by the name of Silayman, just sent a female emissary to do his tasks for him. The truth is, Henry De La Vega had not seen his face or his whereabouts, and he made his presence either by phone call, email and or through text messaging. The emissary goes back to Silayman when there's a need to sign any document. The businesses had a slow start, and they hired many people to manage and or change the bad eggs inside. The three companies' changed their tactical operation, but the result was dramatic in as little as three to four weeks. In that short span of time, the losses have begun to narrow. Silayman was able to breathe calmly as per his text messages, stating the obvious that the storm was finally over and he is expecting the business to pick up.

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One morning Henry received a package from Silayman's emissary. As soon as he accepted them and placed them on his table, he received a phone call.

"Keep it," Silayman said to Henry over the phone. "You might need it to represent... for our company, of course."

Henry De la Vega opened the three boxes Silayman had given to him as a present, and they contained gold-trimmed business cards of the three companies he co-owned. His name was elaborately written in gold. Henry De La Vega- Owner, Pink and Purple Place Company with the address and the number to call. He opened the other two boxes, and it also contained his name, the company name, and its corresponding addresses. He admitted it was the coolest thing he held in his hand that bore any semblance of dignity.

"Thank you. How about your name? Why is it not written here?" Henry asked as he flipped the back of the card to check it.

"Hmmm….that would be stating the obvious. I want my anonymity safe with me. Some people work best behind the curtain. Include me on that."

"But that's not fair?" Henry interjected.

"Who is fair on this earth nowadays? People lie, cheat, kill, and who knows what. People do evil things like they're popping a bag of popcorn. But that's getting too far on your assertion. Fair to me is just another word that has no value. Unless I can put a price tag on it, can I ask you a favor?"

Henry cleared his throat. "Yes, of course."

Henry could hear him breathe.

"I am particular that you put copies of that business card with you."

Amused, "Is that it?" Henry asked.

Silayman was silent on the other end. Then he answered, "Yes, I value how you carry that business card with dignity. It suited you."

Henry looked around. Maybe he is just somewhere looking at him on CCTV. But the room has none. He looked outside the window to check for anyone. But the parking lot outside was empty at the moment. People trickle inside in the afternoon. Henry flexed the business card in his hand. It has the consistency of a deck of gambling cards.

"Sure, that would be easy," he replied.

The call ended.

Henry clicked the end button on his cellphone and began to wonder who Silayman really is. There's no way a man will entrust that much money on a joint business that could either go sideways or down without a hands-on approach. What does he think he is doing? Who is he? Henry dialed a number. A man with a deep husky voice answered.

"Mike? Remember me?"

"Is this Anton Dee?"

Henry sighed, "That man is dead already…."

"But... who I am talking to... now?" he wondered.

"The name is Henry De La Vega. Could you get familiar with it? The old name is dead, and I got all my records there cleared already."

Henry tapped the table with his business card.

"Ok, Henry. I wrote down your name in my notebook. What can I do for you?"

Henry sat back on his table and adjusted the gas lift on his executive chair.

"I have a job."

Mike took a second before he responded. But he is the gullible type, and with his gambling addiction, the man is always in need.

"If the price is right, I might consider."

"That can be arranged," Henry focused on the job he had in mind.

"What is the job?" Mike asked, interested.

"Can you snoop on someone? The name is Silayman. The devil is in the details. I want everything; photos, background, birth certificate, and everything in between. "

"Hmmm….no last name?"

Henry shuffled the business card in his hand.

"Fill the blank. I'm sure there's someone inside who knew him to fart once. This city can smell rotten parts, and you are one of the authorized persons with file access to the criminal records. For sure, you can find something."

"That's 150 K...maybe more. It depends on the complexity. I have people to pay too."

Henry flicked the business cards as it glides in the farthest corner of the room.

"Do it!"