Episode Eight: By Any Means Necessary

Place: Atlanta, Georgia

Location: Katherine Van Dermeer's Apartment

Time: August 28th 22 Days to Equinox

 Vincent Thys stood on the front porch of the light sage green duplex. He rang the doorbell of Katherine Van Dermeer's home. There was no answer. He saw that her cherry-red SUV was parked in the driveway. 

 "She's not going to come to the door, young man."

 Vincent turned sharply and looked over at the elderly woman who lived in the other apartment. There was a banister and railing that separated them. The elderly woman's front porch was a jungle of potted plants and vines, she peered at Thys through the growth of vegetation. 

 "So, I gather."

 "You've been here before haven't you?"

 "Yes, I have," Thys answered.

 "From Europe aren't you? Where from? Germany?" The woman asked her face showing obvious suspicion.

 "No madam," Thys replied. "I am from Geneva."

 Katherine Van Dermeer's wood-stained oak door opened, and she stood stiffly in the doorway, one hand on the door handle and the other clenched in a tight fist. "I thought I made myself clear – If you do not leave right now I am calling the police!"

 "Ms. Van Dermeer, will you please hear me out!" Thys pleaded with her.

 Katherine's blue eyes turned dark. "Whatever you're peddling I do not want any part of it!" She made ready to slam her door when Vincent put his foot in the door and stepped up and spoke so low that only Katherine could hear him. 

 "Check your bank account. I am on a very tight schedule and grow tired of your outrage! You are in trouble, and I am here to help you!" He thrust his card at her. "Take it and call me when you are ready to speak – make it soon!"

 Katherine took the card and watched him as he turned on his heel and marched back to his rental car. She looked down at the card and turned it over in her fingers. Expensive. She looked over at her neighbor, who was watching the man get into his car. He slowly backed out of the driveway and onto the street and drove off. She went back into her house and closed and locked the door. She leaned against the closed door. "In trouble, damn straight about that!" 

 She dropped his card in the small basket by the door next to her car keys. "Check your bank account?" Katherine felt her head begin to ache. She had exactly $452.73 in her checking account she had just checked it that morning. She had bought a few groceries and was putting them away when she heard the doorbell. She went to her cellphone, opened the bank application, and typed in her password. When it loaded she looked at the amount in disbelief! She laughed then clamped her free hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that broke from her lips, $500,452.73! How? She pressed the statement button and scrolled through. In red were the last four bills she had paid and in black was a transfer wire from Credit Suisse for $500,000.00. As she stared at the sum, the phone vibrated indicating a text had come. She closed her bank app and pressed the text icon.

"Thank you for your payment of $38,126.20. Your educational loan is paid in full. An email has been sent with an invoice of payment."

 Another vibration buzzed in her hand as another text came. She tapped the message icon and this time it was from the title loan department. "Thank you for your payment in the amount of 1,500.00. Your loan is paid in full. Your title will be mailed to the address we have on file. You should receive your car title in 8 to 10 business days." Another buzz, this time a text message from the cable company, another buzz from the Internet service provider, all of them with messages similar to the title loan company, "Paid in full." Every bill she had was paid off!

 Another text buzzed in. Katherine saw it was private and blocked, but she thumbed it open anyway. "Are you ready to talk to me now, Ms. Van Dermeer?"

 Vincent was in his rental car parked in front of a Starbucks coffee shop. The text app chimed softly on his cell phone. He picked it up and thumbed the text app open. "Don't you know you're not supposed to text and drive? All right! Yes. I will speak to you. I will be at the Summerfield Library at 10 am tomorrow. I'll speak to you there."

 Vincent smiled, a defiant and headstrong woman! A good sign! He texted back to Katherine, "I will see you at 10 am."

 Vincent sighed in relief. Finally, the Potential was going to hear him out. His phone buzzed and he hesitated to pick it up, fearing Katherine had changed her mind. But he picked up the phone and thumbed the text app. It was a message from the Dominus. "Success?"

 Vincent scoffed lightly and texted back, "Ms. Van Dermeer has agreed to meet me tomorrow at 10 am."

  "Excellent." Came the reply.

 Vincent started up his rental car and drove around the town until he spotted a restaurant that looked promising. He had not had much luck with American fast food, so he found what looked like a hometown independent restaurant. It was called "The Country Cottage" and had several cars and trucks parked out front. He decided to try it. He walked in with door chimes clanging his arrival. A middle-aged woman greeted him, "Well, hello there! Come on in. You by your lonesome, honey, or you expect a young lady?"

 Vincent smiled into her hazel eyes and the woman blushed. "All by my lonesome."

 "Maybe you'd like to sit at the bar then," the waitress suggested, "My name is Faye and I'll be your waitress tonight."

 "Thank you, Faye," he said softly. "What is the house special tonight? I am from out of town and want to try the local fare."

 Faye nodded understandingly. As Vincent took a seat on one of the stools, Faye placed a set of utensils wrapped tightly in a large paper napkin and a drinking straw on Vincent's left side. She handed him a plastic-covered menu. "You take a look and see if anything strikes your fancy. I'll be right back." 

 A man sitting several stools down from him was just finishing off a piece of layer cake and pointed his fork down at his empty dinner plate, "The chicken-fried steak with everything that comes with it, was mighty good."

 Vincent looked at the menu and found the description. He nodded back down at the man. "I think I will try it, thank you."

 The man nodded back and touched the brim of his baseball cap. "I'm gone, Faye! See you later!" 

 "Bye honey," Faye called out from the cash register, "Be careful out on the road!"

 "Yup!" The man called back and went out the door, the chimes clanging. They clanged again as another man walked in and joined a woman at a booth. Vincent studied them for a moment then glanced down at the menu again. Faye returned to Vincent, "So, you want to try the chicken fried steak?"

 "I will, with everything!" Vincent declared.