Hush

by Jess Wygle

  My face was only inches from his and my clenched hands held fistfuls of his shirt. Red wrapped his hands around my wrists, but didn’t fight me. He knew better. He knew it was a fight he didn’t want to be a part of. The tension surging between us was palpable. “I won’t be able to forget you said that,” I managed to whisper through clenched teeth.

  I had to force myself to look him in the eye. He was my oldest friend and colleague. Despite that, I wanted nothing more than to bloody my knuckles on his jaw. The first punch was such a tease. Finding my cooler side, I slowly released my hold on him and stepped back. Red kept his eye on me as he straightened himself, afraid I may have another go at him.

  “I’m going to call Erin,” I mumbled after I caught my breath. “Get on the phone with the cabs. Find my wife.”

  2006 - Olivia

  I smiled when I so easily spotted Callem in the busy airport terminal. He pushed through the crowd to meet me. “Olivia, great to see you,” Callem beamed at me. We awkwardly shook hands. He leaned his chest in towards me, as if he were intending to hug before settling with a cordial hand shake.

  “It’s so good to see you, too,” I responded. He looked dapper in his suit, no doubt custom made, and it was hard for me to think of him as ‘hired help’.

  “How was your flight?” he asked as we headed for baggage claim.

  “It was fine. My ears popped on the descent, though and they’ve never hurt so badly before,” I exclaimed dramatically. “I felt like someone was shoving a pick in my ears or something. It’s never been that bad on a flight before.”

  “Have you ever flown private?”

  I shook my head. “No. Just commercial.”

  “Private’s where it’s at. Next time you travel, call me and we’ll just get you a flight on one of my jets. You’ll never want to step foot on another commercial plane after that.”

  I smirked. “I see what you did there. Great product placement for Tate Enterprises.”

  He chuckled, “You caught that, did you? I guess I’ve got to work on my delivery a little bit.”

  After Callem helped me collect my suitcase, he led the way to his car. I was not at all surprised to find a sleek and shiny black Lincoln waiting for us. “So what’s this conference for?”

  “It’s the Society of Surgical Oncology’s annual cancer symposium. There will be some innovative medical equipment on display. There are a few presentations I’m interested in. One in particular about multidisciplinary cancer care teams. We’re looking to expand our practice so Dr. Sladek is hoping to get some take-away from that presentation. There are a few others, one on melanoma, one on hepatobiliary malignancy, and a few medical professionals I’m interested in meeting.”

  “Have you ever been to one of these things?” Callem asked.

  “Nothing on this scale. This is an international meeting of some of the most renowned cancer specialists. It’s targeted specifically for my field. This should be well worth my while.”

  Once we got in the car, I was distracted from our small talk by the city. This was my first time in Chicago and I could see why it was so intoxicating. The urban jungle stretched before me as far as the eye could see. Everything moved so quickly around me, not completely unlike L.A. It was almost like a dance, cars moving this way and that, people ducking and dodging in an un-choreographed waltz. You could hear shouts of an impromptu aria from one Chicagoan to another coupled with the honking horns of the brass band cabbies, giving the city its own elevator music.

  “I hope I’m not pulling you away from anything important,” I said to Callem. “You could have had one of your other guys drive me around.”

  “The only thing you pulled me away from is desk work,” Callem replied. “Really, I prefer to be out and about. I’m not good in an office. It’s my pleasure.”

  Just like the night he picked me up for my date with Damien, I had difficulty interpreting that statement. It’s my pleasure. Did he say it because he was working or because he meant it? I couldn’t tell. I guess it was one of those things that deserved ambiguity. Best leave it to my own personal interpretation. Sometimes it’s safer that way.

  “How often do you come out here?” I asked him.

  I could see his wide shoulders shrug from the front seat. His eyes were now on me through the rear-view mirror. “I try to hit each site a couple of times a year. It’s not hard to run the locations without me, but I like to check in on things every once in a while. I keep in touch with my GMs through conferencing so unless something big comes up, I primarily work out of LA.”

  “But you do a lot of traveling, for your clients?”

  “Yeah. Most of our clients only use our services for a few days at a time. It’s rare our services are needed for an extended period of time, but it happens. I’ve had guys on personal security duty for actors and production companies during filming of movies, which sometimes can take a month or more. I personally stick to the quicker jobs, give the hard work to my lackeys,” he chuckled.

  “Delegation,” I added. “A good tool to use when in a managerial position.” Listening to myself, I grumbled at the cheesiness of my nervous words. “I have to commend you, though. You’re the head honcho and you’re out here working with your employees. You don’t see that very often. It must really give you a lot of respect for the job and adds a level of perspective to your decision-making.”

  “Yeah, I guess you could say it does,” Callem said. “And like I said, I don’t do well stuck in a room all day. I think I’ll always be doing this because it’s who I am. It’s why I’ve got this company in the first place.”

  “How often do you have instances, like where you have to, uh, I mean occurrence of…” I couldn’t put what I wanted to ask into words.

  “How often do I have to man-handle someone?”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, that’s what I was trying to say.”

  “It happens more than you’d think,” Callem responded in a flat tone. “I get reports from those kinds of incidents from the other sites. Those types of situations don’t always involve the police, but if they do, I have to have record of it and have to have all my ducks in a row. That’s something I keep a close eye on. I like to avoid lawsuits if at all possible.”

  I nodded. “I can imagine. Have you ever been sued?”

  “Yes, twice, but I won both times,” he said, matter-of-factly. “It helps to have a good lawyer, too.” His wide smile reflected to me in the narrow mirror. “I’ve had multiple suits out against one of my workers or my company, but only the two have gone to court. Normally, these people try to sue because they felt they were assaulted, but a personal security professional isn’t a civilian when they’re on the job. There are different laws that govern us, which is why we all have to be licensed. It’s a slippery slope that normally always slides away from us.”

  We arrived at the hotel. Callem brought my suitcase inside and waited for me to get checked in before escorting me up to my room. “Do you do this for everyone?” I asked, when the elevator doors closed. “I’m not used to this kind of treatment.”

  “Absolutely. We’re in the business of five-star care at Tate Enterprises.” I had to look at him to find out if he was being serious or not. I knew he wasn’t when I saw a wide tacky grin on his face.

  I smiled in reply. “It’s very hospitable of you.”

  “So has your agenda for tomorrow changed at all? Everything still the same?” He whipped out his phone and pulled up his calendar.

  “Yes, nothing’s changed.”

  “Okay, it’ll take us about a half hour to get to the conference from here so I’ll be here at 7:30 to pick you up, does that sound good?” He stuffed his phone back in his pocket as the elevator stopped and the doors parted.

  “That will be fine, thank you.”

  “Great. Well, have a pleasant evening, Doctor, and please feel free to call me if you need anything.”

  I smiled, holding the door to my room open. “Thank you, Mr. Tate. I hope you have a good n
ight, too. See you in the morning.”

  He nodded before turning down the corridor. I closed the door behind me, locking the deadbolt and chain. Even though I was used to being alone, looking around the glorious hotel room, I hadn’t felt that alone in quite a while. Maybe I was just anxious or wound-up from my trip. Something made me want to chase Callem down and ask him for some company.

  “No, that’s unprofessional,” I said to the empty room as I threw my suitcase onto the foot of the bed. “Just put your nose in your laptop and distract your night away. It’ll be morning before you know it.”

  And I did just that.

  2006 - Callem

  I arrived at the door promptly at 7:30. I only had to knock once when the door swung open. Olivia stood before me in a form-fitting coral pencil skirt, chunky black pumps, and a see-through white blouse with clunky gold buttons down the front. I had to fight every urge to give her a once over as she smiled widely at me. “Good morning,” I said with a smile of my own, forcing myself to keep my eyes on hers.

  “Good morning. You weren’t lying when you said 7:30, were you?” she asked jokingly. “Come on in. I only need one more second and I’ll be ready to go.”

  “Not a problem. Take your time,” I said, stepping one step into the room. Her perfume clung to the air in the small space, being challenged by the harsh aroma of coffee. She moved quickly into the bathroom as I stood awkwardly by the door. Her suitcase hung open on the stand next to the TV. Her bed as neatly made as if she hadn’t slept in it at all.

  She emerged from the bathroom sticking some stud diamonds into her lobes. He hair was pinned back tightly in the front, but hung loosely in the back, falling over her shoulders delicately. In all my years of working with high society women, I knew dress styles, hair styles, even make-up styles and what each of them meant. From Olivia, I saw a girl desperately trying to be seen as a woman. I was glad she had failed at covering it up.

  “Alright, I think I’m ready,” she announced, grabbing her designer bag. With her back turned, I was able to admire her sleek curves and long tanned legs, affirming Red’s prediction of this job being a bad idea.

  I opened the door for her. “After you.” I waved her through.

  “How was your night?” she asked, as we made our way to the elevator.

  “It was just fine, thank you. How was yours? Did you sleep well?”

  “You know, when I walked into the bathroom last night,” Olivia started as we stepped into the elevator. “I found some ear plugs in with the shampoo and soap and all that. I thought it was odd, but then when I turned the TV off later in the night and was lying down to fall asleep, I realized what they were for. It’s really noisy outside.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Downtown especially. I usually stay at a hotel in East Lake View and it’s the same thing there. I’m sure if you lived here, you’d get used to it, but it’s probably a bit different from your quiet little neighborhood.”

  “It sure is. You don’t appreciate something like silence until you don’t have any.”

  The valet held the door open for Olivia and me. I stepped past her once we were out on the street and pulled the car door open for her.

  “So do you stay at the same place each time you’re here?” Olivia asked from the back seat, as I cut a gap into the busy morning traffic.

  “Yeah. It’s an older hotel, a Days Inn, but I’m a creature of habit. I always find I’m going back there. Plus it’s really close to my office. It’s just convenient for me to stay there. They know me there. It may be a little older, but it’s very well maintained and respectable. The people there are great ,too. It’s like a home away from home.”

  “You probably have one of those everywhere you go, right?”

  I nodded. “I do. It’s just easier that way. Then I don’t have to call all over town looking for a room. I’ve actually got an old family apartment in New York City. My grandparents used to live there when my dad was younger. They left it to him when they passed and he left it to me when he passed.”

  Olivia gushed. “Oh, New York. I’ve never been, but I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  I smiled. “It’s probably one of my favorite places to go. It’s the best in the fall.”

  I pulled up outside the Feinberg Pavilion of Northwestern University. “Do you know where you’re going from here or would you like me to escort you in?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.

  “No, it looks like they’ve got signs all over. I think I should be okay. If I’m not, I probably shouldn’t be attending this conference,” Olivia said, staring out the window.

  I hurried out of the driver’s seat, getting to her door before she could open it. “You have my number. Just give me about twenty minutes heads up before you want me to come get you and I’ll meet you right back in this spot,” I explained, as I helped her out of the back seat. I could see the anxiety in her eyes, like a scared puppy stepping into a vet’s office.

  “That sounds great. It probably won’t be until late afternoon. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not in the least. That’s what I’m here for.” I smiled. “Good luck today,” I added before she headed off.

  I pulled out my cell phone as I sunk back into the driver’s seat. “Alec, it’s Callem Tate.” I said when one of the workers answered at the Chicago office. “I’m in town and I plan on stopping by today. When will Todd be in? Alright. I’ll be there in about forty-five minutes. Don’t warn him.”

  2013 - Callem

  “Okay, looks like she took a cab downtown to the Omni,” Red said, bursting into my office. “She left here a couple of hours ago. I called the front desk and they don’t have an Olivia checked in. No Dr. Reinbeck or Mrs. Tate either. She used her card there, but put a DNC on her room with an alias. We can do one of two things. We can go down there on third shift and rough up the concierge until they give up her room or we can ask the boys to hack their system and get the info for us.”

  I sat back, pleased with the information he’d presented me, but unsure how to proceed. “As freaked out as she is, I don’t see her going to the police or a lawyer. Legally, she can’t turn me in for anything as my wife and I honestly don’t think she’ll involve the police. She’s probably worried about getting herself in trouble by doing so. Let’s give it a day, see what she does. I feel better knowing where she is, you know, that she didn’t skip town. She won’t leave Erin, and I’m sure she’s probably already called her.”

  “Let’s just hope she didn’t tell Erin anything,” Red added.

  “If I don’t hear from Liv or see her tomorrow, we’ll go pay Erin a visit, see if we can shake anything out of her easily. If not, we’ll revisit the plan.”

  I had to be careful about this. I couldn’t let things lead down the wrong path, though I didn’t see Olivia going that far. She was stronger than that. She was a fighter. Though I would normally be nervous about that, the fact was comforting.

  “So what do you need me to do tonight?” Red asked.

  I rubbed my forehead. I still hadn’t looked at him since our little tiff. I hadn’t lied when I said I wouldn’t forget what he’d said. It was on the forefront of my mind, stuck there like a fly trapped in a web, squirming to get free. “Can we get a tap on the phone in her room?”

  I heard Red suck in a deep breath. “I couldn’t do this without knowing what room number she was in. And even then, it could be tricky. Those phones are on their own internal system. It’s possible, but would take some time.”

  “What about a call log? She doesn’t have her cell so anyone she wants to call, she’ll have to call from there. If we can’t hear what she’s saying, can we at least know who she’s calling?”

  “That’s going to be easier, but still will take a bit of time. Let me see if I can at least get into their internal system and start going through their guests. Maybe I will be able to narrow her down that way and then get to work on her phone.” Red swept out of the room as quickly as he had come.

 
; I was in for a long night.

  2006 - Olivia

  I tried to engage myself in the conversation around me, but my eyes were on the doors. I felt so out of place, I just wanted to flee, but I couldn’t just yet, not without my chariot. I was chatting with Dr. Stephanie Quint, who I had met before at Berkeley and, coincidentally, we bumped into each other at the day’s first seminar. She was kind enough to introduce me to a few of her colleagues.

  My anxiety kicked in something fierce.

  I had called Callem nearly half an hour ago and he still wasn’t here. I needed an escape. I avoided their eyes; Dr. Gary Bayliss, a younger surgeon with a faint Australian accent, who worked at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Dr. Albert Frese, a seasoned anesthesiologist from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Dr. Karen Podell, the oldest of the group, an orthopedic surgeon from right here in Chicago, and Dr. Quint. I read so much in their down-nosed expressions as they practically demanded my résumé in the most courteous, yet slightly condescending way.

  Finally, my lungs expelled the thick, murky air of discomfort in a long exhale as Callem appeared at the door. “My ride is here,” I announced, stepping my foot into a conversation I hadn’t really been a part of. “It was wonderful meeting you all. I hope to see you again tomorrow.”

  “Yes, Dr. Reinbeck. Good to meet you too.” Dr. Bayliss took my clammy hand in his. I shook the rest of their hands before I shuffled away.

  I smiled widely at Callem. “Dr. Reinbeck, my apologies for the delay,” Callem started. “I hope you had a good day.” He held the door open for me.

  I was starting to dislike his formalities. I’d have to address that. “No need to apologize. And thank you, yes, I did have a nice day,” I explained.