Then my phone rang, it was my office, there was no one in my office aside from Hellen, she normally spoke to me via the car’s speakers, or just the phone's speaker. Ok I would play along. I answered the phone “This is Duncan.”

Hellen replied “Boss the is A.I Hellen”

“Go on,” I said in a conversational tone.

“And due to the clandestine conversation you had with Mr. Mercer, and what you have told me before about him, my heuristics have calculated it would be statistically advantageous to you for me to monitor the area for activities that one may deem suspicious. “

“That is fascinating,” I told Hellen in the same conversational tone.

“I have observed a police patrol unit circling around the block.

“Ma’am, I appreciate the information but that hardly counts as any sort of evidence.” I hoped Hellen would catch the innuendo.

“Boss, the police patrol unit has the wrong alphanumeric sequencing for its unit number. Further the police radio frequencies indicate that there are no police patrol units within three blocks of your position.”

“Thank you Ma’am I will take this information under advisement, and will contact you shortly.”

I looked at Mercer, and said “we’ve got company, how do you want to play it?”

Just then the “police patrol unit” stopped in front of Mercer’s car “play dumb, but be ready to move… to your car. We might get something from these mooks.”

A few moments before the “cops” approached our table, our food arrived including a milk stout beer. I mentally slunk knowing what might happen to it in the next few minutes. I smiled saccharinely at the nearest “officer”. “How may we help you?” I asked the too professional looking mook, taking a bite from my burger… It was an exceptional burger. The other two “cops” stood nearby.

He glared at me then spoke to my companion “Mr. Mercer, we would like you to come with us for questioning about the disappearance of one of your employees.” He placed his hand on his pistol to really punctuate the request, also confirming what Mercer had said. Interesting, Mercer had hinted that he hadn’t reported the guy missing.

Mercer remained just as serious as the “cop” “Yes sir, no problem just name your prescante, and I will meet you there, or I can follow you there right now.”