by Stuart Woods
“What sort of job did the crime-scene guys do on Annette’s apartment?”
“We didn’t get lucky there. He seems to have wiped everything down, and get this: they found an empty chemical douche in her kitchen garbage can. He probably flushed out her vagina, too.”
Dino frowned. “If he’s that careful, he’s going to be hard to nail. Do we know of any other women he’s been out with?”
“No, but I’d like to tail him and see who we can turn up. Any chance of a wiretap?”
“You can talk to the DA, but I doubt it. And we’re short of manpower. We couldn’t manage a proper tail team right now, unless we suspected he was about to hurt somebody again.”
“I’ve checked back on unsolved murders of women with theatrical backgrounds. There are two that might be a fit, but we’ve no evidence to connect him with them.”
“It’s all too nebulous,” Dino said.
“I have an idea about how to make it less nebulous,” she said, “but you’re not going to like it.”
“Why am I not going to like it?”
“Because it involves Rosie and me getting to know Mr. Abney.”
“Wait a minute, you’re not talking about-”
“Of course not. Neither of us is going to sleep with him and certainly not a threesome. You don’t think I’m crazy, do you?”
“Not entirely. What do you have in mind?”
“I thought we’d give Abney a choice, see which of us he likes. If he bites, the other can run the tail, if you’ll give us one more team.”
Dino thought about it. It was a bold move, he had to admit. “You’re never to be alone with him,” he said. “Never.”
“I had a thought about that, too. We’ll wire an apartment and take him there. He’ll always be on camera, and there’ll be a team next door, watching. We won’t be alone that way, and we’ll have a record of what happens.”
“Where would you do this?”
“I’ve got a girlfriend who’s going to Europe for three weeks. She has a nice place, and I think she’ll let us use it. It has a romantic look to it-soft furniture, lots of pillows.”
“If you can set it up properly, I’ll give you two teams,” Dino said.
Viv rewarded him with a broad smile.
Shelley Bach cut a swath through the new Ralph Lauren women’s store, across the street from the old Rhinelander mansion, which now housed the men’s store. Lauren’s designs fit her beautifully, and there was a new line just in. She picked half a dozen things and ordered them delivered to the Carlyle. The sales assistants couldn’t do enough for her.
Dink Brennan put on a suit, left the hotel, and took a cab the few blocks to his father’s office. He had thought of calling first, but he didn’t think he could pull this off on the phone. What he was going to do now needed to be done face-to-face.
He hadn’t been to his father’s offices for a couple of years, and the firm had moved to a new building on East Sixty-seventh Street since then. He found the name in the building’s directory and took the elevator to the top floor.
He was impressed with the decor in the new place-cool and modern, obviously designed by a top architect. He walked to the reception desk.
“Good morning. May I help you?” the young woman said.
“Yes, I’d like to see Marshall Brennan. My name is Dink Brennan.”
“Is he expecting you?”
“No, I thought I’d surprise him.”
“Surprise him?”
“I’m his son.”
The woman made the call, then hung up. “Someone will be right with you,” she said.
Dink took a seat, but only a moment passed before his father’s secretary appeared in the reception room. He stood up. “Hello, Anne,” he said. “Long time.”
She shook his hand. “You’re looking very well, Dink,” she said.
“I hope Dad will think so, too. Will he see me?”
“Of course. Follow me.”
Dink followed her down the long hall and into the lion’s den.
41
Marshall Brennan stood up as his son walked into his office, and Dink thought his face registered surprise.
Marshall came around the desk with his hand out. “Hello, Dink,” he said.
“Hello, Dad,” Dink replied, shaking his hand warmly. “It’s good to see you.” He followed his father to the sofa, and they both sat down.
“They told me at the farm that you had… checked yourself out.”
Dink smiled. “I thought I’d save them the paperwork. And by the way, thank you for the handsome briefcase. I’ll try and put it to good use.”
“I hope you will.”
“Dad, I have some things to say to you, and I hope you’ll hear me out before you start asking questions.”
“I do have a way of interrupting, don’t I?”
“Sometimes. First of all, I want to apologize for the way I’ve behaved for the past couple of years. I did some stupid things: I was smoking a lot of grass, gambling, and then I started selling the stuff. That’s over now. I was never addicted to anything, thank God. During my stay at the farm I had time to do a lot of thinking, and I want to get my life back on track.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Marshall said, warily.
“I’m going back to Yale in the fall and finish my degree, and I should be able to graduate with my class next year.”
“You were a good student once,” Marshall said.
“And I will be again. I’m thinking about law school.”
Marshall nodded. “You might make a good lawyer.”
“We’ll see. I have to tell you about some recent events, too. You’ll remember Parker Mosely and my former girlfriend Carson Cullers.”
“Of course.”
“They’re both in rehab now, and it’s where they belong. Something went really wrong with Parker. He went to Carson and told her that I wanted her to meet Herb Fisher, then claim he tried to rape her and ruin his career. I want you to know that I knew nothing about all this until Herb came to see me at the farm. I’m sure he still thinks I was involved, but honestly, I wasn’t. Parker and Carson are lucky they aren’t in jail, and they could have dragged me down with them.”
Marshall said nothing.
“In any case, once they’re out of rehab they can resume their lives, and I hope it won’t be their old ones.”
“I hope so, too.”
“As you know, I now have access to my trust, so I won’t be needing financial help from you. You’ve done more than enough for me. I went online and looked at the statements, and I see that you’ve trebled the principal with your investing skills, and I’m grateful to you for that.”
“I would suggest that you continue to let me invest the bulk of your funds,” Marshall said.
“Thank you, I’d like that.”
“I’ll have Anne get the paperwork done for your new account.”
“Thank you.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’ve got a room at the Lowell, on East Sixty-third. I haven’t thought beyond that.”
Marshall went to his desk and wrote down something, then took a key from a drawer and returned to the sofa. “The firm has a couple of apartments that we use to house out-of-town clients once in a while. If you like, you’re welcome to stay in one until you go back to Yale.” He handed Dink the address and key.
Dink accepted both. “Thank you, Dad, that’s very kind of you. I’ll move in tomorrow.”
“The house in East Hampton is still there, too. I don’t get out there as much as I used to, but the staff is still there. They’d be glad to see you whenever you like.”
“Thank you again, Dad. I’d enjoy that.”
“Have you spoken to Herb Fisher?”
“Not since he came to the farm. He was, understandably, angry.”
“You might go and see him,” Marshall said. “I think Herb is someone you’d profit from knowing, and anyway, you’ll need a lawyer.”
“I
called his office, but he’s away this week.”
“Oh, that’s right, he went up to Mike Freeman’s new training facility.”
“Mike Freeman?”
“I’m sorry, he’s the CEO of a firm called Strategic Services. They’ve opened a new school for security people.”
“I’ll call him next week,” Dink said, then he got to his feet. “Thank you for seeing me, Dad. I’ll try to do a better job of living up to your expectations.”
Marshall, uncharacteristically, hugged his son. “Just live up to your own expectations, son.”
Dink signed the documents for his new investment account, said goodbye to Anne, and left.
ANNE CAME into Marshall’s office. “You seem to have a new son,” she said.
“It appears I do,” Marshall replied. “I hope it lasts.”
42
Herbie came out of a class on defense strategy and ran, head-on, into Mike Freeman.
“Hi there, Mike. I didn’t know you were coming up.”
“I’m giving some prospective clients a tour. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Very much.”
“Well, cut your next class and come with me,” Mike said, “and you’ll learn a lot more. I’m giving these folks an overview of what we do.”
Herbie followed Mike and his party of half a dozen into a conference room, where they all sat down and Mike switched on a projector. “Gentlemen, this young man in camouflage is Herb Fisher, the corporate counsel for our new division, Strategic Defense.” Everybody waved, and Herbie waved back.
“Now, I’m going to give you an overview of our operations as a company, so you can see the breadth and depth of what we offer.” He put a chart on the screen. “As you can see, we have a number of subsidiaries: vehicle armoring, communication electronics, security and surveillance systems, computer security and software, and our latest subsidiary, Strategic Defense, which is devoted to the training of security personnel. As you have seen around our new site, we offer a number of kinds of training: personal defense, client defense, firearms, high-performance driving, client relations, emergency medical treatment, and penetration and rescue-more about which later.
“All of you use some of these services now, albeit with our competitors, but I want to show you what full-service security looks like.” He switched to a schematic of an office building. “Let’s say you’re planning a new company headquarters or a large branch, and you’re constructing your own building. Our services begin at the design stage. Our architects help yours lay out your floor space in such a way as to make it difficult to penetrate and easy to defend. Our electrical engineers help design a wiring loom for the building that incorporates wiring for the security system and an abundance of high-definition color cameras and recording systems. We place check-in and check-out areas in the street lobby and on each floor, and each of these desks is able to communicate instantly with your security personnel.
“Those personnel would be trained by us, of course, and we would train your employees to work seamlessly with them to protect your premises, your personnel, and your intellectual property. We divide your parking garage into public and corporate areas and screen every vehicle and driver entering either area.
“Executive personnel would be able to arrive and depart from a secure area, since walking from a car to a building is a vulnerable time. The local police would be invited to cooperate with your on-site security personnel. You’ll get along better with them in an emergency if they know your people and their practices ahead of an emergency.
“By the time your new offices open we would have brought your security officers to this facility and trained them in a standardized program, so that if they are transferred from one office to another anywhere in the world, their training and operation will be consistent.
“For your highest-level personnel, we will design protective transportation for their use, ranging from a lightly armored SUV to a vehicle very nearly presidential in its strength, and your drivers will be trained in the appropriate vehicles. We will also offer security planning and equipment for top management residences and vacation homes.
“Our flight services division will consult with your people on the selection and purchase of the best aircraft for your needs, whether it be short-hop visits to branches and plants, or ocean-spanning flights to international venues. We can build a hangar for you and establish your corporate flight department for the piloting and maintenance of your aircraft and to oversee the training, both initial and recurrent, for your pilots and airframe, engine, and avionics technicians.
“Our international department can smooth the way for important executives who are relocating, helping them to find suitable, secure housing and schools, as well as furnishing personal protection for the whole family.
“In locations where kidnapping is practiced by local criminals or terrorist groups, we can send in specialists in penetration and recovery, and when that is not possible, we send personnel to negotiate the freedom of personnel being held. Our insurance associate, Steele, offers insurance packages for personnel sent abroad, which can include kidnapping insurance, making large sums immediately available for negotiation and recovery.
“We are pleased to offer services that none of us has even thought of yet-invented or improvised, as the situation calls for. All our personnel are thoroughly trained for the environment in which they work, at home or abroad. We draw people from the armed services, particularly Special Forces and Navy SEAL veterans, as well as from the FBI, the treasury department, the CIA and NSA, and from police departments in many countries. They are trained to always operate legally in any setting, especially with regard to local weapons laws.
“Finally, when we have designed a top-to-bottom security plan for your company, we will make a comprehensive presentation to your board of directors, demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of each part of our plan.”
Mike then took questions for nearly an hour, then invited the group to lunch in the company mess. Herbie excused himself to take a phone call on his cell.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Cookie.”
“What’s up?”
“You had a call from Dink Brennan a few minutes ago.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m not. He asked for an appointment to come and see you when you get back.”
Herbie thought about that for a moment. “Make the appointment,” he said, “and make it early.”
“All right. When are you coming back?”
“I’ll be there Monday morning, first thing.”
“Then that’s when I’ll make the appointment for Dink.”
“Good. Let’s see if he can get up that early. Anything else?”
“I think I’m going to need some help around here,” she said.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Herbie said. “I don’t want you spread too thin.”
“There’s a woman I know who works here in Accounting that I think would be very good for the things we do. Her name is RoseAnn Faber.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Herbie said. “See ya.” He hung up and called Bill Eggers.
“Having fun at camp, Herbert?”
“I’m having a lot more than fun, Bill. I just watched Mike Freeman give a presentation to prospective clients that taught me more about Strategic Services than I thought I’d ever know. I think you would enjoy watching, next time he gives it.”
“I’ll figure that out,” Eggers said. “What’s up?”
“I need another secretary,” Herbie said. “Cookie is beginning to drown in the work.”
“That’s not an unreasonable request, given the work you’ve created for yourself. I’ll speak to Personnel.”
“Speak to Accounting, instead,” Herbie said. “There’s a woman working in that department named RoseAnn Faber. Cookie knows her and thinks she’d be good in the job. Then Accounting can speak to Personnel about replacing her.”
“I’ll look into it,” Egger
s said. “Are you ever coming back to work here?”
“I never stopped, but I’ll be in my actual office Monday morning.”
“See you then.” Eggers hung up, and Herbie went to lunch.
43
Stone woke from a deep sleep with somebody shaking him. “What?” he said.
Marla laughed. “You were having a nightmare,” she said, “and talking in your sleep.”
“I remember,” Stone said. “I dreamed you were a Republican.”
She laughed. “I am a Republican,” she said. “Didn’t you know?”
“Apparently not, I let you in the house.”
“I take it you’re a Democrat?”
“I’m a Yellow Dog Democrat.”
“What’s that?”
“That’s a Democrat who would vote for a Yellow Dog before he would vote for a Republican.”
She laughed again. “Well, I’m not that dyed-in-the-wool a Republican. I just grew up in a Republican family.”
“You poor girl.” He rolled over and pulled her to him. “I think we have to begin your reeducation now.”
She kissed him. “You mean we’re going to have Democrat sex?”
“Democrat- ic sex,” Stone said. “Don’t insult it by mispronouncing the name. That’s the first step in your reeducation.”
“What’s the second step?”
He kissed her. “That’s step two.”
“I can’t wait for step three.”
He gently pinched a nipple.
“I think you’ve just found the start button,” she said. “Can we skip to the final step?”
He rolled on top of her.
Half an hour later, they lay, panting and sweating, holding hands. “Does that complete my reeducation?” she asked.
“That’s only the first lesson,” Stone said. “We have a lot to work through yet.”
“Such as?”
“You’ll see, lesson by lesson.”
“I guess it’s good that I seem to have relocated to your house. It saves all those trips through the garden and in the back door.”
“It is good, isn’t it? Even difficult situations can have their bright side.” He rolled over and kissed her. “Where’s that start button again?”