Crown Jewel

by Fern Michaels

Ricky backed off and wagged a finger under her nose. “None of that. We have work to do. When I get back, remind me to call Angie Garrison.”

  “And who might Angie Garrison be?” Roxy asked, glaring at him.

  “Angie Garrison is a screenwriter. I called her a while back in the middle of the night. She actually took my call. She’s a great lady. You’re going to love her when you meet her. I told her Philly’s story; she knows mine. I told her everything I knew but the outcome. I know it now. All she has to do is fill in the blanks. If I can’t get a studio interested in the project, I’ll produce it myself. I think Sandusky can pull it off. My tribute to my brother.”

  “See, that’s why I love you,” Roxy said. “People will get hurt, you know that, don’t you?”

  “Me, you, my boys, your daughter, we can handle it. Mrs. Farquar and her new family will handle it. I think she might fight me to put up the money if it comes down to my producing the movie. Maybe we can be partners. Mr. Adam V. Nolan is the one who will be hurt. He deserves whatever comes his way. Yes, his family will suffer for fifteen minutes, then they’ll get on with their lives the way we all had to get on with ours. The way Mrs. Farquar had to get on with her life. I’m going to play the part of Philly. I know each and every member of the cast. I’m going to do it, Roxy. I swear to God, I’m going to do it!”

  “I’ll be right there with you, Ricky. Every step of the way.”

  “We make a good team, don’t we?” Ricky said, his eyes sparkling.

  “The best.”

  Ricky was halfway to the guesthouse in search of Gracie when she walked out of the garage. “Hey, Mr. Lam, what are you doing up so early?”

  “I’m looking for you. I have another assignment. Are you up for it?”

  Gracie clapped her hands. “I’m up for it. By the way, Max called again. I’ll be going to Carnival. I’m buying my own ticket, though.”

  “Gracie, I’m buying you a first-class ticket for this job you are about to undertake. Now, sit down and let me fill you in.”

  Gracie listened raptly. “Sure, I can find them if they’re still alive. I even know how to get their phone numbers. There’s more, right?”

  “Oh yeah! A lot more. I want you to call every gossip columnist you know. I want you to tell them all I am coming out of retirement to produce a movie, starring myself as my brother. You know what to say. I want you to call Variety and every other paper you can think of so it gets picked up and printed as soon as possible. I want things like, NEWS FLASH, THIS JUST IN! I know who I want in the film with me, and I’ll be making my calls in a few minutes. You’re going to be my press agent from here on in, so give everyone your phone number. The script is finished except for the names. I’ll give you Angie Garrison’s phone number before I leave. If it gets dicey, you know, those Washingtonians coming after you, have them call me. You really can handle this, can’t you, Gracie?”

  “You bet.” Confidence rang in Gracie’s voice.

  “Okay, when I get to the airport, I’ll buy your ticket and have them send it on to you. Unless you want one of those electronic ones.”

  “Nope. I like to hold something in my hand. Thanks, Mr. Lam. Gee, this is exciting. Can I go to the premiere of the movie?”

  “Front-row seat, Gracie. Your brother and sister, too.”

  Gracie high-fived him before she sprinted off to the guesthouse to get to work.

  Ricky looked upward. “I’m doing it, Philly. I’m going to make it right. It might not be the best plan in the world, but it’s the only way I know how to do it. The end will justify the means.”

  It was after noon when Ricky made his last phone call. He leaned back in the kitchen chair and smiled at Roxy. “Okay, here’s where we stand right now, this very minute. Mrs. Farquar is going to wing it. She realizes she won’t have a chance for any kind of private conversation with the vice president. When his press secretary called her, she said that the vice president would have to return to Washington right after the service. Her new family is attending the service with her, which I think is very nice. She said that Philly and Lee Ann’s youngest daughter looks exactly like the vice president’s daughter.

  “Angie promised to have the script faxed here no later than two o’clock. She’s hand-delivering it to the studio for me. The studio said they would have a decision for me on it by the end of the week. They only agreed to my timetable because Sandusky told them I was prepared to produce it myself. I got a top-notch director who’s willing to work on the project, got verbal okays on the actors, who will have to clear things with their agents. It’s going to work. I can feel it. Gracie is putting the word out there. Everything is in place. All we need are the college buddies. If things go according to schedule, we should be able to start filming the first day of the new year. The Crown Jewel will be up and running, and we’ll be on easy street, timewise. I can’t believe it’s all falling into place.

  “There is one thing bothering me, though.”

  Roxy pretended horror. “What could possibly be bothering you? Everything is working out perfectly. Whatever it is, you’re probably imagining it,” Roxy said soothingly.

  “No, I’m not imagining this. I think we should suggest to Mrs. Farquar that she take her new family and go off somewhere for a vacation.” Ricky looked down at his watch. “We have time, we can make the reservations, and they can be on their way by nightfall. I say we send them to Aruba or Antigua. For as long as it takes to get all of this under control. The stakes are really high, Roxy, and I think we both know how things work in Washington. Mrs. Farquar is no match for those people. Give me your honest opinion.”

  “Look!” Roxy said, pointing at the television. The one o’clock news was just beginning. The lead story was Armand Farquar’s memorial service. “Look at his face! Oh my God! She must have said something. Did you see his expression, Ricky? Did you!” Roxy all but screamed.

  The phone was in Ricky’s hand before the scene switched to a five-car pileup on I-5. Lorraine Farquar answered the phone herself on the first ring. “Oh, Mr. Lam, I was just talking about you to my granddaughters. I said only nice things.”

  “Mrs. Farquar, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I’m assuming your whole family is there with you, am I right? Good. I just saw the film clip of your husband’s memorial service this morning. What exactly did you say to the vice president, Mrs. Farquar?”

  The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly turned jittery. “The vice president said my husband was a fine man and would be sorely missed. Then he said he regretted that we had never met over the years. I said, ‘Oh, we met, Mr. Vice President, and I’m sorry you don’t remember me.’ I said, ‘My name at the time was Laney Woodworth.’ At that point one of his aides or his agents moved him forward. The line was very long. I guess I wasn’t supposed to say that, is that what you’re implying? It’s too bad. I had to say it. I couldn’t hold it in one more second.”

  “The people in Washington don’t play by the rules most people play by, Mrs. Farquar. I’m going to make some plane reservations right now for you and your family. You’re going to go to Antigua and stay at my resort. My son will take care of you and your family. Carnival will be starting soon. Don’t pack anything. I want you simply to walk out of the house and have your driver take you to the airport. Don’t tell him or your other servants where you’re going. Simply say they’ll see you when they see you, that kind of thing. The same goes for your family. I want you just to walk away. Can you do that?”

  “I…I…yes, yes, I can do that. A man in his position wouldn’t…would he…?”

  “The long and short answer is, yes. Now. I want you to leave now. Will your chauffeur keep quiet?”

  “Of course. He’s been with us since he was a young man. He was devoted to my husband. You’re beginning to frighten me, Mr. Lam.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. Leave now and keep checking at the Continental counter for your tickets. I’ll call you later.”

  Ricky repeated Lorraine
Farquar’s explanation of her meeting with the vice president.

  “Oh, Lord, she really told him her name was Laney Woodworth? Tell me you’re being an alarmist, Ricky.”

  “I am not being an alarmist. We have a bit of an edge at the moment. They don’t know about me. Yet. There’s a lot at stake here, and people tend to panic when the stakes are high. They go to extraordinary lengths to cover up things that could derail their ambitions. Accidents happen. Unexplained accidents. Grief-stricken widow isn’t watching what she’s doing and slips and falls to her death. Things like that happen all the time. Don’t you read, Roxy?” Ricky asked sharply.

  Roxy stared at the man she’d fallen in love with. Ricky wasn’t one to panic or become melodramatic even though he was an actor. She forgave him his sharp tone. “It’s just that this is like something out of a spy novel.” The sunflower on the front of her muumuu heaved with the weight of her mighty sigh. “All right, all right, I believe you. I’ll make the reservations. Coach versus first-class so as not to draw attention to them, right?”

  Ricky nodded.

  “Check on Gracie while I do it. I still have a credit card under Roxanne Nelson. I’ll charge it on that.”

  Ricky nodded again as he ran across the yard to the guesthouse. He banged on the door. The dogs came running, barking shrilly as though to say invader, invader! “You got anything yet, Gracie?” he bellowed to be heard over the barking dogs.

  “Give me twenty more minutes, and I’ll be over. I just need to double-check a few things.”

  “Make it quick, Gracie. We’re going to have to head out for the airport soon.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Are you making more coffee?” Roxy asked, when Ricky entered the kitchen and went straight to the coffeepot. “Who’s going to drink it? We have to leave soon.”

  “Gracie. That girl drinks more coffee than I do. How did you do?”

  “I got all of them on a three o’clock flight. By the time they wait in all the lines, check in, buy a few things, have a drink, it will be time to board.” Her voice turned shy when she said, “Ricky, do you think this dress is okay to travel in?”

  “Absolutely. It’s as pretty as you are. I scared you, didn’t I?”

  “A little. I go to the movies, and I read books and newspapers, but the movies and books are fiction. We’re talking about…”

  “The second highest office in the land. Think about the lengths you’d go to protect Reba. I know that I am capable of killing for my sons. That knowledge scares the goddamn hell out of me. We’re the normal ones. People like us don’t throw babies in Dumpsters and close the lid so they’ll suffocate. People who do things like that wouldn’t think twice about harming or scaring an old lady. When Mrs. Farquar gets to the resort, our people and the locals will take care of her. From that point on, we let it play out.” Ricky looked up at the clock.

  The screen door banged. “Are you making coffee again?” Gracie didn’t bother waiting for a reply. “Here’s what I got. I didn’t have time to print stuff out. I can do that later and fax it to you at the Crown Jewel. It’ll be there before you. Can you read my writing?”

  Ricky peered over her shoulder. He nodded.

  “Good. There were three of them, four counting the VP. The VP met all of them in college. He roomed all four years with a guy named Buck Grisham. His real name is Thaddeus. They were thick as the proverbial thieves. Real hell-raisers. Name it and they did it. Buck is a nuclear engineer with NASA. They are still best friends to this day. Leon Franks is a lawyer, are you ready for this, in the Justice Department. Neil Carpenter owns a twenty-four-man accounting firm right here in L.A. Excellent reputation. We’re talking really big bucks here. Once a year they all get together and party hearty. I got all this from the alumni newsletter. Every year they hold it in a different place. This year, in September, it’s going to be held in Washington, D.C.”

  “Good going, Gracie. Listen, I need you to do something else for me. I want you to call Max and tell him Mrs. Farquar and a party of four will be arriving this evening. Roxy will fill you in on their ETA. Tell him to have hotel security guard them twenty-four/seven. You can give him all the details. Tell him no interviews and no comments to anyone. Tell him to hire more security if he needs to. Then I want you to call Tyler and tell him we’re on our way, and he should head for Antigua to help his brother.” He ripped the yellow sheet of paper from the legal pad. “I’m going to copy this. Roxy, fill her in on the times and what we accomplished this morning. I’ll be right back. Damn, there’s the car service.”

  Roxy talked as she pressed the code to the electronic gates. She was breathless when Ricky galloped into the kitchen.

  “Drink the coffee, Gracie, and clean the pot. Pull out the plug. We have a ninety-minute layover in St. Louis. I’ll call you from there.” Ricky stopped long enough to hug her and whisper in her ear. “If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like you.”

  “I had one dad, but if I could have two, I’d pick you, too,” Gracie said, her face pink with pleasure. “Hey, the pups are up and toddling around.”

  Ricky laughed all the way to the foyer where he grabbed his and Roxy’s bags.

  Gracie poured herself a cup of coffee and dutifully rinsed the pot. Now she could get down to business. First things first. She dialed the number of the resort in Antigua, announced herself, and asked for Max Lam, saying it was urgent. She all but swooned when she heard Max’s voice.

  “Max, this is Gracie. Your father asked me to call and give you a message. He and Roxy just left for the airport. Listen carefully, okay? Things are happening here that really aren’t too good. This is what your dad wants you to do….”

  “Okay, I can handle that. I don’t know where I’m going to find more security, though, with Carnival coming up. All the agencies are booked. Don’t worry, I’ll figure out something.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I have to call Tyler to tell him to head in your direction. I’ll do that as soon as I hang up. Listen, I can send Wally if you need him. I know a couple of bouncers who work at clubs in town. You’ll have to pay their expenses, but I guess you know that.”

  “I’ll keep it in mind, Gracie. I’m glad Tyler’s coming over. He’s enough to scare anyone. What about you? You’re the one making all the calls and stirring this all to a boil. What if they go after you?”

  She was wondering the same thing but didn’t say so. “I’m a journalist. I can’t be forced to divulge my sources. This isn’t some third world country. I can take care of myself. Are you worrying about me, Max?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I’m worrying. This whole thing is playing out like one of my father’s movies. I’m…I’m looking forward to seeing you, Gracie.”

  “That’s the nicest thing you ever said to me, Max. I’m actually looking forward to seeing you, too. Guess what? Your dad is getting me a first-class ticket for all the work I did for him. It’s fair. Listen, if I marry you, can I stop working and live in the lap of luxury the way you do?” The silence on the other end of the phone caused a frown to build on Gracie’s face.

  “Yeah. I plan to keep you barefoot and pregnant.” Gracie slammed down the phone so hard it bounced off the counter. Instead of picking it up, she stuck her head under the cold water faucet. When she came up for air, she muttered, “Wiseass!”

  17

  Gracie paced Ricky’s kitchen, his words ringing in her ears. She could feel her insides start to crumble. She’d been hard as nails for so long. It was almost a relief to let her guard down and just be Gracie Lick. Who was Gracie Lick? Did she even know?

  She was an overachiever. Brash and ballsy. An in-your-face reporter. Petite in stature, she used her mouth to get what she needed. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn’t. When it didn’t, she fell back to regroup and plan strategy. Most times, strategy worked.

  Gracie Lick, family matriarch. She knew how to cook hamburger and weenies a hundred different ways to stretch the family budget. She knew how to shop at thr
ift stores for her little family. She was protective of all those she held dear. She knew how to be humble and grateful at the same time. Someday, she was going to make some man a wonderful wife. But first she was going to finish school and maybe think about going for her master’s. Education was important, and if she had to scrub floors or wait tables, she would do it to make sure her sister got a college education.

  More than anything she wanted a real family, her own children, babies to nurture and love. She wanted a husband who loved her above all else, one who would bring her soup when she was sick, even if it was the canned kind that he just heated up. A husband who would take time out of his own busy day to call and say hello and ask how her day was going. A husband who would hold her hand when they took a walk after dinner. A husband who would clean up after their dog and not make a big deal over it.

  Would Max Lam make a good husband? She thought so. They were like oil and water, and that was her fault. Well, mostly her fault. Maybe he felt as insecure in relationships as she did. Or maybe she felt inferior, and he felt superior. Or, maybe he thought of her as superior, and he felt inferior.

  Gracie realized she was still pacing. She always paced when she was agitated. She sat down and looked around. She was there for a reason. She had a job to do. Why was she thinking about Max Lam? Because I’m wondering how I measure up where he’s concerned. She looked down at her cutoff shorts and Keds sneakers. She wasn’t a fashion model, that was for sure.

  Sighing, Gracie sat back down and focused on the task at hand. How best to do this? Her brow furrowed in thought. Should she go straight for the jugular or beat around the bush? The jugular, she decided. She scribbled frantically, little squiggles that only she could decipher. She read what she’d written over and over until the words slid from her lips without sounding rehearsed.

  Whom to call first? The VP’s best friend or the lesser friends. Who would be the easiest to reach? The rocket jockey at NASA might be twiddling his thumbs. Hell, why mess around. Why not make the first call to the VP himself? Why not indeed.