"What did she say to that?"
"She asked me, 'Who the hell gave you this number? It's unlisted. Is this a scam?'"
Mary laughed. "Sounds like my kind of gal. What did you tell her?"
"I told her an acquaintance of hers was worried because she tried to call Abby last night and couldn't get an answer when she knew Abby was home. I spun that out a little; told her the girl walked by her place and saw the lights on, but nobody answered her knock on the door."
"She must have asked you who it was."
"Yes. I told her the person requested anonymity."
"What did she say to that?"
"She was confused, like I said. But she got irritated. Told me she thought I was a crank caller, and not to bother her anymore."
"She sounds okay to me."
"Well, I don't know; I've never talked to her before."
"No?"
"No."
"How did you recognize her voice?"
"From her answering machine. I've called before when I knew she was in class, just to hear her voice."
"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were some pathetic creep."
"Thanks, Mary. I felt like a creep. But I… well, it was the only way I could think of to have a little contact with her."
"I'm sorry, Finn. I know you're not a creep. That whole situation is just so sad. You should make an effort to have a real relationship with her. She's not a child anymore; she could handle it."
"You think so?"
"What's the downside? Rejection?"
"Yes."
"How is that worse than what you have now?"
"Now at least I can hope that someday I'll…"
"You'll what?"
I shook my head, stopping at the exit from the rental car lot and lowering the window. The guard reached in for the contract and checked the license number on the car.
"Thank you, sir. Have a good day, and drive safely." She returned the rental agreement and opened the gate for us.
As I pulled out into traffic, Mary asked, "Have you thought about talking with your ex-wife about this?"
"About establishing a relationship with Abby? You're kidding, right?"
"No. Your marriage crashed and burned, but you share a daughter. You both care about her. Maybe your ex would have some thoughts."
"Or tell me to get lost."
"For a tough guy, you can be pretty timid, Finn. Think about it, anyway. Okay?"
"Okay. Why do you care?"
"Because I can see that you care about Abby. She's a lucky girl to have a father like you, and she doesn't even know it. I'd like to see the two of you make each other happy."
"I'll think about it. Right now, we've got other stuff to deal with. You talked to your friend while I was getting the phone?"
"I did, yes. Lee is in town; the Senate's in recess. All we need is to figure out how to get him alone for a little while."
"He married?"
"Sort of. He and his wife don't spend much time together. She's not here with him, if that's what you're asking."
"So he's a bachelor, for now. Where does he live?"
"He has a house about twenty minutes from here, in a fancy, gated community that the Daileys developed."
"That figures, doesn't it?"
"Yes. His place looks out over a golf course. It's nice and private, not a bad place for us to visit him."
"That sounds too convenient."
"It does. There's a problem, though. He has a mistress here; she has her own condo in the same development."
"Cozy. Where's he spending his evenings? With her? Or at home?"
"Mostly with her. But he's back and forth between his place and hers. He entertains donors and friends at his house and keeps her out of sight in her condo unless he's alone. Then he hangs out at her place."
"So he's never by himself. Is there staff at his house?"
"Not full-time. He does have a part-time maid and butler, a couple that come in when he's entertaining. Husband and wife."
"But they don't live on the premises?"
"That's right."
"Do we know his schedule?"
"He's throwing a cocktail party this evening from five until seven. After that, he'll probably head for the condo."
"Does he drive or walk?"
"He's done both. Depends on how he's feeling, I suppose. There's no pattern."
"I'm guessing we can't get through the gate without being logged in or something, right?"
"Right. The guards have a list. If you're not on the list, they call the owner to get an okay."
"How big's the community? If we slipped in and walked around, would we be noticed?"
"Several villas are rentals, so strangers aren't too remarkable. We can probably get away with a little scouting. We'll just have to figure out how to get in. Shouldn't be too difficult; the security is mostly for show, I gather."
"You said it's gated; is it fenced?"
"There's decorative wrought iron fencing in the places that are visible. A lot of the perimeter is bounded by undeveloped property. There are a few strands of barbed wire through that. No barrier to two people on foot. We'll have to hike anywhere from a few hundred yards to half a mile to reach the fence line, though."
"Sounds like you've done your recon."
"Like I said, Lee was the next one on my list. I was sure he'd do something to blow his cover. So yeah, I scouted his place a few weeks ago."
"Then what's our agenda for the day? We've got several hours to kill."
"We need to go shopping. I don't have anything to wear."
I laughed.
"I'm serious. And you need clothes, too. We can't walk around an upscale golf resort looking like boat bums."
"Yes, ma'am. You have a place in mind?"
"South Beach. We'll park the car and play tourist at the Lincoln Road Mall. We should be able to find what we need there."
"Speaking of what we need, you mentioned drugs."
"All taken care of."
"Somebody's going to meet us?"
"Somebody already did."
"When?"
"At the car rental place. There's a stash in the well with the spare tire."
"How?"
"Friends. But we'll check, just to be sure."
"Okay. You're just full of surprises."
"I'm disappointed that you're surprised; it's what I do. You know that."
"I'm only surprised at the extent of your resources."
"The government's not the only high-stakes player in this game. Just because I'm self-employed doesn't mean I can't run with the big dogs. There's a reason my rates are high; I have lots of overhead."
"Frankie Dailey told me you were the best around, but I thought that was hyperbole."
"I don't know about the best. I only know I've built a solid business by paying attention to the small stuff. That's what trips up the amateurs."
"The devil's in the details," I said. "I almost feel like I'm along for the ride on this one."
"Not at all. Besides, I dragged you into this whole mess when I hitched a ride on Island Girl. So I owe you. Not to mention I've fallen for you, big time."
"Yeah. I know the feeling." But I'm still wondering about how we got here. Way too many coincidences. And they just keep coming.
"Think this'll do?" I asked, as I signaled a turn into a parking garage on 17th Street at Pennsylvania Avenue. That put us a short walk from Lincoln Road Mall.
"Looks good. I want to check that spare tire well, so see if you can find a spot where we won't attract too much attention when I rummage in the trunk."
Turning into the garage and following the ramp up a few levels until the parked cars were sparse, I pulled into a space in an unoccupied row. We got out, and I opened the trunk.
"I'll keep watch. Do what you need to," I said, as Mary began to move our luggage.
32
"You know," Mary said, "this is a pretty place, even though I can't fathom the attraction that golf
holds for some people."
"It is. And I don't get golf, either."
We were sitting on a bench just off the 14th green, looking across the fairway at Senator Lee's house. The bench was on a slight rise in the ground, affording us a good view of the people socializing on Lee's pool deck.
They were about 75 yards away, so we couldn't identify them, but Lee himself was easy enough to pick out. The senator was moving from group to group, chatting, shaking hands, slapping backs, and moving on to someone else.
"Typical politician," Mary said. "Working the crowd. Wonder how punctual they'll be?"
I glanced at my watch. "It's 6:45. A bunch of people have already left. I'm betting this is all business. Nobody will stick around longer than they have to."
"Hope you're right," Mary said. "The mosquitos will find us soon."
The sun was low in the sky behind us; we were sitting in shadow, although the golden light from the beginning of a south Florida sunset bathed Lee's pool deck. The light was fading rapidly, and the crowd was thinning even more quickly. In the gathering dusk, flood lights came on, illuminating the pool deck. The last few people were saying their goodbyes.
"Like a signal, those lights," Mary said.
"Spoils the mood, for sure. They must be on some kind of sensor."
"Or maybe a timer." Mary looked at her watch. "It's seven o'clock, on the nose."
In another ten minutes, Lee was alone except for the man and woman who were picking up the dishes and glassware. Lee walked up to the man and spoke with him for a few seconds. The man nodded and waved the woman over. They talked with Lee for a few minutes and left, going toward a side yard that was mostly paved. There was a nondescript, older-model car parked there. The couple got in it and drove away.
"Game on," Mary said, as we watched Lee go indoors.
While we were walking across the fairway, the floodlights went dark.
"Hope he's not in too big a hurry to get to his honey," I said.
"We'll be okay." Mary took a phone from the pocket of her slacks and made a call. "Keep him on the phone for a couple of minutes," she said. "We're moving in, but we want him to stay inside." She put the phone away.
"Who did you call?"
"Part of the overhead I'm paying for. Someone who's been posing as an anonymous donor to Lee's campaign."
By now, we were working our way through the shrubbery that separated Lee's pool area from the fairway. A wall of French doors opened from a large indoor living area onto the pool deck. We could see Lee standing at a desk, his back to us, a phone pressed to the side of his head.
Ten feet from one of the open doors, Mary stopped in the shadow of a potted palm, her hand on my arm. We watched until he hung up the phone, and then Mary made her move, stepping through the doorway into the living room.
"Excuse me, Senator," she said, pausing inside the door.
Lee whirled to face her, then his face broke into a grin as he ran his eyes up and down her curves. "Yes? I don't… "
"Sorry to intrude, but I seem to have been abandoned. I guess I bored Gerry, or something."
"Gerry?" Lee frowned and shook his head. "I don't think I remember a Gerry, but he's a fool if he left you here with me. Have we met?"
Mary tossed her hair and shot her hip, tilting her head. "No, but I've dreamed of a chance to be alone with you. I think you're the hottest man in the Senate."
Lee smiled. "What's your name, beautiful?" He approached her, his movements as graceful as if he were dancing.
"Mary," she said.
"I'm Jeff, to my friends. Can I offer you a drink, Mary?"
"Later, maybe," she said, stepping in close to him and putting her arms around his neck, tilting her head back, lips parted.
He took the bait. She turned a little, leaning against the desk. Lee turned with her, lifting her so she was sitting on the edge of the desk as he pawed her. She unbuckled his belt and worked his pants down over his ample hips.
He was so excited he never even felt the hypodermic when I stuck it in his ass. His first clue that something was wrong came when she shoved him away and he fell into my arms.
He was woozy and unsteady on his feet as I half-led, half-dragged him to the couch nearby. Mary doused most of the lights and picked up a remote control with the label “Drapes” from his desk.
"Just in case somebody else is out there on the golf course," she said, as she closed the drapes. "Might as well have a little privacy."
"Yeah, baby. Privacy," Lee said, with a goofy grin on his face.
He was so out of it he didn't even seem to notice me. When I handed Mary a pair of surgical gloves, he was still conscious, grinning at her as she pulled them on and wiped the remote control.
"Did I touch anything else?" she asked.
"No."
"Good. Let's pull his pants back up. He's not quite ready yet, anyway."
"Pants," Lee said, as I lifted him so she could square away his clothes.
"There," she said. "All better, now."
"All better," Lee said.
"You comfortable, Senator?"
"Comfortable. I'm Jeff." His head rolled to the side.
"We're going to play a little game, Jeff," Mary said.
"Game…"
"That's right. It's like a guessing game. I'm going to ask you questions, and you're going to give me the answers. If you get the answers wrong, I win, and I get to do anything I want with you. If you win, you get to do whatever you want to me. Sound good?"
"Good." Lee snickered.
"I thought so. But just to make sure we both play fair, my friend Finn's going to keep score, and he'll tell me some of the questions. Okay?"
"Okay, Finn," Lee said, a vacant grin on his face as he looked up at me.
"So, Finn," Mary said. "Give me the first question."
33
It was a little before 10 p.m. when our rental car pulled up to the four-way stop. I was waiting in the undergrowth a few yards from the intersection. One of the roads bordered the south end of the gated community where Lee lived.
Covering our tracks after we finished with Lee, Mary and I split up when we left his villa. She went northwest across the golf course to retrieve the car, while I headed south to our prearranged rendezvous point at the four-way stop. As I got in the front passenger seat, she gave me a smile.
"Hey, sailor. Looking for a good time?"
"Nah," I said. "I'm taken. But a ride would be nice."
"What do you think?" she asked, pulling away from the stop. "Surprised by what we got from Lee?"
"Yes."
After we finished picking Lee's brain, we waited for the second, lethal dose of anesthetic to take effect. We didn't want to leave until we were sure he was dead. While Mary monitored his passing, I cleaned up the evidence of our presence and planted the suicide note she brought. This was our first chance to compare notes on what we learned from the senator.
"Me, too," she said. "I'm still trying to understand how they linked both of us to Kelley's death, and so quickly. That's a little alarming."
"It must have been supposition, based on what they got from Nora," I said. "Either that, or she just flat-out told Lee — or some go-between — that you and I were both there. Maybe they beat it out of her. She seemed to know you were in the neighborhood; remember, she asked if you were with me when I called her before I went to her room."
"I thought you said she asked if you were alone."
"You're right. She did. But that was because she knew we were both in the BVI."
Mary nodded. "That could be. Do you recognize the name Phyllis Greer?"
Lee told us that my boss, Phyllis Greer, was the source of their information about my daughter.
"No, but it has to be the name they had for Nora. She wasn't really named Nora Thomas; the way she told me that was her name when we met in St. Martin gave that away."
"Or it could be her boss, that undersecretary you mentioned. You never had a name for her, right?"
; "Right. I don't even know if it's a her or a him. But somehow that doesn't seem likely."
"Why do you say that?"
"If Lee and company had the undersecretary on the string, why would they have needed to use Nora in St. Thomas? They could have just cut to the chase with my daughter."
Mary rubbed her chin, driving with one hand. "You may have something there. But if Nora, or whatever her name was — if she were working with them, gone rogue, as you put it — why would they have killed her?"
I pondered that for a moment. "Good question. But you were the one who first raised the possibility that she was on their payroll, remember?"
"Yes," Mary said. "I remember. When we were about to eat lunch in St. Thomas, after we killed Kelley and those guys. But we never followed through on that thought."
"No," I said. "We got wrapped up in your fantasy, instead."
"You said it was your fantasy, too, Finn."
"It was; it is. I wasn't blaming you. Just trying to retrace our steps."
I was looking at her as she concentrated on driving. She spared me a glance and said, "Then we got derailed by the text from the kidnappers. And here we are."
"Yes," I said. "Here we are. Nora could have gone rogue, or not. Hard to tell, now. What Kelley did to her was over the top, anyway. I still wonder about it. You're suggesting the undersecretary threw Nora under the bus?"
"I don't know, Finn. Maybe Nora was onto them. If the undersecretary suspended her because she asked about Kelley at your request, and then they tailed her to St. Martin… See what I mean?"
"Yes. You're making her out to be one of the good guys."
"Well, I'm just saying it's possible. Maybe they decided to let Kelley burn her to get your attention, like Kelley said."
I thought about that for a few seconds and shook my head. "What a mess. But with people like that, it's tough to understand their motives. Maybe Kelley had his own reasons for wanting Nora out of the picture."
"Nora's an enigma," Mary said.
"Maybe. After what Lee said, I think she was one of them. They probably had Kelley waste her to cover their tracks. Too many signs point to her being corrupt."
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