by David Lender
“You think it helps that she’s with Blum?”
“I can’t see how it would.” Madsen remembered he was already slated to meet with Blum on Monday afternoon, after Madsen testified. That is, if the girl, and now Blum, got that far. Madsen wanted the answer to be something else. He liked Blum. Madsen had met him when he bought Rafer Technologies, a medical stent business, from him five years ago. After Milner dropped dead of a heart attack, Richard was smart about winding Milner’s $7 billion empire down, selling off the pieces systematically in well-conceived auctions. And Richard was a straight-up, no-nonsense guy to deal with. Which was why Madsen had continued to work with him after Richard joined Bof A.
“I think it could help that they’re together,” Stiles said.
“How?”
“Well, for example, you could call Richard and ask him if the girl’s with him.”
“Dumb idea. We know she’s with him.”
“She was.”
“Okay, maybe she is maybe she isn’t. But if she is, what does calling Richard do but alert her to the fact we know where she is and spook her into running again? I’d rather she thought we aren’t onto her.”
“But Blum probably doesn’t know who she is. If he did, do you think he’d be helping her? She’s still wanted by the police.”
Madsen was thinking, Why bother with all this? The contractor would just blow the girl away and take the data. And now, probably blow away Blum, too. Realizing it made Madsen feel like a scumbag. Fuck, what a mess.
Madsen said, “Just talk to the team about how we get the data from the girl once we find her.”
Stiles put down the phone, his head buzzing. What the hell was going on? He’d orchestrated a multi-team, multi-state manhunt for the girl and she turns up—or seems to turn up—right under their noses. She’s probably with a man Madsen would call in a heartbeat if he wanted to get his daughter Yankee tickets.
As CFO, Stiles always had Madsen’s itinerary when he was on the road, so he knew that Madsen was scheduled to meet with Blum on Monday afternoon. It wasn’t like Madsen calling him up on his cell on a Sunday would arouse suspicion. The Madsen Stiles knew would call Blum and arrange for a brunch, or at least coffee, just to look him in the eye and see what was up. Maybe Blum would mention he’s traveling with a new lady.
It didn’t make sense. Just like it didn’t make sense that the PI who’d been on the train to Washington mentioned some scarfaced, shaved-headed guy who got on the train in Philly looking for the girl. Where did he come from? Did Madsen have a separate operation running? Stiles didn’t like being talked to by Madsen like he was a third-year accounting manager back at Braxton Pharma. They’d been together a long time, and the way Madsen was acting wasn’t consistent with the man he knew. Or with the relationship the two of them had. It was the first time in as long as he could remember that Madsen seemed to be holding out on him.
Madsen tried calling Xavier again.
“Allo.”
The guy wasn’t much for words. Madsen said, “I’ve been trying to reach you. The contractor has been unsuccessful, and I need someone else put on it.”
Madsen heard Xavier clear his throat, as much emotion as he’d ever heard out of him. He said, “A problem?”
What else did he think? Two days and his best man can’t deliver. The skinflint little girl with the big tits is still walking around with his data in her pocket. But Madsen held it in, said, “You could say that. It looks like the girl has seen the contractor twice. I need a fresh face she won’t recognize to make sure the deal gets done.”
Xavier didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, “I am surprised. You want the existing contractor off the assignment?”
“No, it can’t hurt to have him out there trying to find the girl. I just don’t want him running into your new man. Understand?”
Another pause. “Understood.”
“Good. The girl and the man she’s traveling with are staying at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC. The guy’s name is Richard Blum. Got that?”
“Yes.”
“Have your new man get it over with, fast.”
Dani phoned Mom from the Willard. Before the phone connected she let her mind drift out to the house on Twin Lakes. At this time of year—pre-Memorial Day—on a Sunday morning, there would be no boats on the lake. She remembered canoeing with Dad, smelling the pine trees, the musty scent of the canvas of her lifejacket. Not a good time for fishing, but great for just relaxing, feeling the flex of her shoulder muscles as she pulled her paddle through the water. She’d canoed with Gabe the same way, guiding the canoe from the rear as Dad had done with her, hearing little but the swoosh of their paddles, the birds on the shore and the breeze in the pines.
“Hello,” Mom said.
With Twin Lakes filling her other senses, hearing Mom’s voice made her ache. “Hi, Mom.”
“Dani, you’re giving me heart failure.”
“Sorry I haven’t called sooner. And sorry to have been so abrupt last time. But I’m making progress, and I’m fine. You guys okay?”
“Yes. Hang on, Gabe is right here.”
A moment later Gabe said, “Hi, Mom.” Nonchalant. Like he was too cool to miss his mother, even after a day and a half.
Dani felt her throat thicken. Nine-year-olds. “Hi, honey. I miss you.” With every cell in my body.
No immediate response.
Dani said, “You having fun?”
“Yeah, but the TV’s busted.”
“ ‘Yes,’ and ‘broken.’ You aren’t giving Nanny a hard time, are you?”
She heard him sigh. “No.”
“I’ll be back in a day or two. Then we’ll do something fun, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Can you put Nanny back on? I love you, Gabe. Miss you.”
After a moment, Mom said, “What’s happening?”
“I was on television this morning. Face the Press. I debated the CEO of Pharma about vaccines. A man named Grover Madsen. I did pretty well. You would have been proud of me.”
Mom didn’t say anything.
Dani said, “And a man who’s part of our Vaccine Choice group, who used to work for a drug company, is helping me figure out a computer file that may help explain what’s going on. The man who was murdered in my office handed it to me just before he was shot. He worked for Grover Madsen’s company. I think all of this may tie back to Madsen.”
Mom still didn’t respond. It usually meant she was stewing, ready to unload.
Dani said, “I think I may have something to go to the police with soon.”
All Mom said was, “Are you sure you’re safe?”
Dani wanted to tell her she was now traveling with a man who was helping her, then decided it was a bad idea. “I think so,” she said, feeling a twist in her gut that told her it was a lie.
“You know what I think about this. Can I reach you on this number?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re staying where?”
“A hotel, for now. I’m okay. Really.”
“I love you.”
“I love you,” Dani said, wishing she could hug her. She hung up with the sense that something was off. She’d been waiting for Mom to unleash; it wasn’t like her to let Dani off so easily. Then she realized what was equally odd: if no barrage from Mom, where was the advice she normally dispensed? Today Dani had secretly wanted to hear it, to be able to sift through the pieces to select the nuggets Mom always served up. Yes, something was off. She felt that twist in her gut again.
Cindy hung up with Dani, her mind preoccupied. She glanced at Gabe, engrossed in drawing at the kitchen table. Jack was playing his guitar in the living room. She walked onto the porch, leaned her forearms on the weathered oak of the railing and inhaled, taking in the lake. The aroma of cooking bacon upwind mingled with the scent of the pines. Her blood was pumping, hard. She felt it in her temples while her heart knocked in her chest, as it had been since Dani said the name.
&nbs
p; Grover Madsen. A name she hadn’t heard in years, even though she’d followed the progression of his career. He was in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, she taking bioethics courses as part of her nursing degree when they’d met. She reflected on him: a driven man with ambition to put his stamp on the world, who pursued everything in his life with the same fervor and passion with which he pursued her. If in fact he was the man after Dani, she was in horrible danger.
She could hear Jack continuing to play his guitar, turned to see Gabe still at the kitchen table. Whom to call? Whom could she trust to watch them? Because she needed to take a trip, to see Madsen, to learn if it was really him after Dani, and if so, to stop him. She was certain that even after all these years that he couldn’t look her in the eye and lie about it.
She walked back into the kitchen to call her sister, Brenda.
Madsen dialed the contractor. He decided he’d better make sure that Xavier’s new guy and the contractor didn’t run into each other and screw up the job.
“Anything?” Madsen said when the contractor picked up.
“Not yet, but I’m working it. They’re at one of four hotels.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The guy she was with on the train was well-dressed, and carrying an Hermes briefcase and roller suitcase. That’s high-end stuff. Not a guy who’d stay at any Days Inn or Embassy Suites.”
Madsen went cold. “So where are you thinking?”
“The Willard, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton or the Plaza.”
Damn. The guy was smart. So, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to have the contractor bump into Xavier’s new man. The important thing was to get the data, and he didn’t care how that happened. Still, maybe give the new guy a clear shot first. Madsen said, “We’re thinking the Ritz-Carlton.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Our men on the ground found a couple of people who rented cars in Wilmington and were headed for Washington. Only one of them had a reservation at a Washington hotel. The Ritz-Carlton.”
“What’s the guy’s name?”
“Richard Blum.”
“I’m on it.”
“One more thing. There’s a big rally on the National Mall starting in about a half an hour. It’s anti-vaccine, so we think the girl might be attending. It’s a long shot, but it might be worth checking out.”
“I’ll go there after I try the hotel.” The contractor hung up.
Madsen smiled as he put down the cell phone. It wouldn’t take the contractor long to figure out that Blum wasn’t staying at the Ritz-Carlton. After that he probably would head out to the rally. If Xavier’s new guy missed the girl at The Willard, the contractor might get lucky at the rally.
Stark had just hung up with the client when his cell phone rang.
“Xavier, my man,” Stark said.
“Allo.” He paused. “Are you having difficulties with your client?”
What? Stark took a moment. He hadn’t been expecting the question. “No, it’s going fine. Just taking longer than expected.”
“Just checking.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because he has requested an additional asset.”
Fuck. Stark decided there was no sense pretending he knew what was going on. “In DC?”
“In DC. For the girl and the man she is now traveling with.”
“Washington’s a big city. Maybe he figures two guys can find her faster than one.”
“Perhaps,” Xavier said, and hung up.
Just what I needed. Xavier, his best meal ticket and now the client’s screwing that up. This assignment was turning out to be more than just a pain in the ass. It was turning out to be bad for business. And now some new asset on the deal. He needed to find this girl, put an end to this shit. He grabbed the chair next to the desk and flung it against the wall.
Madsen’s cell phone rang again while he was trying to find the Yankee game on the DC cable. They had it buried someplace deep in their programming where you needed to be a Republican to find it. He looked at the caller ID. Home. Oh boy. He picked it up.
“Hello, dear,” Regina said.
“Hi, honey. I’m still busy down here.” Like it mattered if he said that. She didn’t give a shit what he was doing. She was calling because she needed something. Madsen took a breath, forced himself to let it go.
“Oh, I’m sure. I just needed you for a moment, dear. Can you call Lauren? She’s asking me questions about the wedding again.”
“Of course. I’ll handle it.”
Madsen tried to remember what it was that possessed him to marry this knucklehead. Even when she was 27, she wasn’t that sexy. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have a woman he really loved, who supported him, at least understood him, as his partner. Before calling Lauren he poured himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t get to talk to her that often these days, and it was like a tonic for him, particularly after speaking with Regina. Something to live for, after chewing on wallpaper paste.
“Hello, Daddy!”
“Hello, little girl. Your mother says you need some advice.” Madsen hoped it wasn’t something simple this time. He needed to feel her presence, and he knew the longer he spoke with her, the easier it would be for him to sense his memories. At Yankee Stadium. Jeter signing an autograph in the tunnel toward the dugout. Torre smiling at her and tweaking her nose.
“Oh, Daddy, it isn’t that important. I didn’t think Mother was going to bother you about it. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Well, I’m sure it is, but you have me anyhow.”
“It’s just that we have five bridesmaids and one of them is dropping out. She says she’s sick, but I don’t know. And we have five men, the best man and the ushers. So I either need to find a new bridesmaid, or get rid of an usher.”
Madsen couldn’t believe it. Regina called him over this? And she couldn’t handle it? “What do you want to do?”
“I love the wedding as it is. But that means I need to find a new bridesmaid. Not that easy on short notice, plus we’ll need to have a dress made for the new bridesmaid.”
A thousand bucks a pop for the dresses. For Lauren, who cared? “Is that all?”
Lauren sighed. “Not really. It’s probably why Mother called you. Jeffrey and I had a fight. A big one. No offense, Daddy, but men are children. All I did was suggest that one solution was to lose an usher. Jeffrey went ballistic, shouting that they were his best friends, on and on. He hasn’t spoken to me in twenty-four hours.” She laughed, but he could hear from the pitch of it that she was upset. “Honestly.”
“Do you want me to talk to Jeffrey?”
“God, no!”
“Help you find another bridesmaid?” He was wondering how he could do it.
“It would help, but I can sort—”
“You got it, little girl. You have more friends than you’re thinking of. Maybe I can find someone to fit this girl’s dress.”
Lauren chuckled. “Not likely. She’s a size 16 with a 40 D chest.”
Yikes. To do that he’d need to find a small cow that could stand upright in pink chiffon.
Dani awoke in bed next to Richard. After she’d hung up the phone with Mom, they’d kissed and then moved from the sofa into the bedroom, where their desire had been sated. She now took in the room: the sun streaming in and forming a quadrangle on the parquet floor, oriental rug and the bed. Not over-thetop opulent, but definitely not a Marriott. Richard still slept. His body was half exposed, the body of a halfback. She’d never slept with a halfback, but she imagined that was the training regimen that would produce a chiseled body like Richard’s. He was the only man she’d been with, other than James, in five years.
She pulled the sheet down, enjoying the cool of the airconditioning on her breasts.
Richard’s eyes were open now, admiring her body. She reveled in it.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.” She kissed him. “I like the
way you look at me.”
He grinned, smitten.
She rolled toward him and propped her head on her elbow. “That was an unexpected pleasure.”
“I don’t know why you wouldn’t have expected it.”
“Is that something I can look forward to in the future?”
“I wondered about that earlier. I think there’s an old adage about life-threatening situations creating intense but unsustainable emotional bonds.”
“Ports in a storm?”
“Something like that.”
He looked at her for a moment, pondering. “I asked you on the train if your divorce was recent. You said it was a long time ago. Yet you still don’t seem settled. You mentioned an ex-boyfriend.”
Dani sighed. “My son was a year old when my ex decided all he wanted was to make the majors. He bounced around in the Colorado Rockies’ single-A farm system. He’s a decent shortstop but he hits 220 in a good year. He’s still never sent his first child support check and I haven’t heard from him in six years.”
He laughed. “My wife—ex-wife—did something similar, only she bats around 350 and hits for power. One day she woke up and quit dabbling with her magazine startup, cut her hair, lost ten pounds, got a new wardrobe and a new attitude. Or, rather, her old attitude, the one she had when I first met her, swearing she’d be the youngest woman Managing Director ever on Wall Street. She rejoined Morgan Stanley, where she’d worked before I met her. Some of my friends on the Street tell me they call her the Dragon Lady.”
Dani mouthed the word, “Ouch.”
“Actually it kind of helped the first time I heard it.” Richard shifted his weight. “And I’ve gotten used to the idea. You move on. Today is just a bad day.” Dani agreed. Richard said, “You seem to have survived your own experience. But it can’t have been easy, being a single mom.”