by Alex Barclay
No. Way.
‘Two weeks?’ said Dr Lone. He smiled.
‘Yes, that would be great.’ Who said that?
‘Two weeks it is,’ said Dr Lone. ‘Can you please call Betty to confirm? She’s my right-hand woman.’
‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘And … will it be for a whole hour?’
Dr Lone nodded. ‘Your boss has sanctioned that.’
Ren jogged down the stairs and out to her Jeep. She pulled out her phone when she got there. She texted Ben Rader.
Am in twn. Hav 2 go 2 my place 2 pck up clothes … 5 mins of ur time?
Ben texted right back:
U bet.
Who needs therapy?
25
Ren pulled out her cell phone and texted Matt.
Saw shrink: priestly (not Jason). Next contestant to the stage to perform! Or not …
Matt: There has to be a next! Hang in there!
Ren: Not teetering on cliff edge just yet …
Matt: It’s not the teetering. It’s the jumping off drunk and nekkid for fun
Ren didn’t reply. She leaned her head against the window and stared out at the snow.
Matt, you’re like a dark cloud of doom.
Ren got back to the office at six. Gary had forwarded her the email with Mark Whaley’s calendar. She opened it and started to go through it.
She called Gary. ‘Did Nolan Carr mention someone called Hillier?’
‘Yes,’ said Gary. ‘It’s not a person. It’s MeesterBrandt’s Contract Research Organization – the company that takes care of their clinical trials.’
‘MeesterBrandt don’t do that themselves?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Gary.
‘So, it’s pharma-ed out …’ said Ren.
Silence.
I deserve silence.
‘So, Hillier’s in Boston?’ said Ren.
‘Yes,’ said Gary.
‘So it would be standard practice for the CFO of a pharma company to visit with their Contract Research Organization …’
‘Yes,’ said Gary.
‘It’s here in his calendar that Mark Whaley had two appointments: Thursday afternoon/Friday morning. He stayed at The Lowry Hotel …’
‘And in terms of recent hotel stays – is that it?’ said Gary.
‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘I’ll get in touch with The Lowry, see if there’s anything there …’
‘What are you thinking?’ said Gary.
‘Hotel room precedent,’ said Ren. ‘And I’m thinking affair. Was he meeting a lady friend? A man friend? A paid-for friend? A Fisherman’s Friend? I could go on all day.’
‘Hold up,’ said Gary. ‘Where are you right now?’
‘In the office. Why?’
‘Can you hear that?’ said Gary.
‘What?’ said Ren.
‘Crying,’ said Gary.
‘No,’ said Ren. ‘Oh, I do … it’s coming from reception.’
‘Meet you there.’
Erica Whaley was standing in reception with Leo in her arms, her hand pressing his head to her shoulder. They were both crying. Bob Gage was standing beside her, a bewildered look on his face.
‘What’s wrong?’ said Ren, rushing to Erica. ‘What happened?’
‘Mark’s gone,’ said Erica. ‘He’s … he went for a walk after lunch, he didn’t come back, I figured he just lost track of time. So I came here for Leo’s interview with Agent Ross, and I just … I really thought Mark would be here by the time it was over, but he’s not. He’s not, and I don’t know where he is. His car keys and his cell phone were at the hotel. I … I … I don’t know where he is.’
‘OK, there’s no need to panic,’ said Ren. ‘Why don’t we take you somewhere quiet, you can sit down, we can put on some cartoons for Leo, get you a glass of water …’
Paul Louderback appeared as Erica was heaving for breath, struggling to calm herself down.
Now, what the hell is going on?
Ren turned around to the grim faces of Bob Gage, Gary Dettling and Paul Louderback.
Ren followed Erica down the hallway. Leo was staring at her from over his mother’s shoulder.
I have a bad feeling about your daddy.
Ren turned on the television in the break room for Leo. She tried to talk to Erica, but she had descended into a disturbing silence. Ren asked her if Leo had seemed OK after his interview with Sylvie Ross, but Erica didn’t seem to hear. After ten minutes, a Sheriff’s Office detective came in to relieve Ren.
Ren walked into Bob Gage’s full-to-capacity office.
‘We got a match on the blood on the headboard,’ said Gary. ‘Blood is Laurie Whaley’s, prints are Shelby Royce’s …’
‘What the …?’ said Ren.
Sylvie Ross appeared in the doorway.
‘I think I know why Mark Whaley disappeared,’ she said.
Everyone turned to her. ‘Leo said he saw Shelby Royce’s privates.’
‘What – he walked in on her in the bathroom?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Sylvie, ‘he saw her in his parents’ room.’
‘Was she alone?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Sylvie. ‘He said that his daddy was there.’
26
Mark Whaley’s three-year-old son had walked in on him with a naked sixteen-year-old girl. Mark Whaley, poignant victim of a family tragedy, had just lost his victim status.
‘No wonder he ran,’ said Bob.
‘What – the hell – exactly happened in that room?’ said Ren.
Colin spoke in a flat tone: ‘Mark Whaley made a move on the sitter, the sitter went nuts, his kids woke up in the commotion, they walked in, Whaley warned everyone to shut their mouths. The little girl – the daughter – ran for the phone by the bed, Whaley pushed her away, she cracked her head on the headboard, maybe she was knocked out. Sitter went to help her, or whatever. Whaley hooked the little guy up with the DVD player and put him to bed. He took both girls away, threatened that he’d kill them if they didn’t keep quiet. Maybe now he’s gone to wherever they are to finish them off.’
‘A tidy theory,’ said Cliff.
And one in which – not once – did he mention the girls’ names.
‘I don’t think that’s a forty-minute-window theory,’ said Ren. ‘But …’
Cliff nodded. ‘All that would take a lot of time. And where would he have taken them? He didn’t use his car. Maybe when Laurie Whaley struck her head, he was able to carry her out easily, then he threatened Shelby Royce and forced her to go with them? But, where?’
‘Well,’ said Ren, ‘there was enough time for him to make a move on Shelby Royce, assault her, I don’t know, and go back down to his wife, giving Shelby Royce enough time to take Laurie. Like, her message to Mark Whaley is, “How would you feel if someone did something to your little girl?”’
‘If he had assaulted her,’ said Gary, ‘wouldn’t she have screamed the walls down? There was obviously a struggle. Would he have risked leaving her there in the room with his kids if he had just done something to her? And would you even do something to a sitter right there in the room?’
‘Look, none of it really makes sense.’ Ren let out a breath.
‘OK everyone,’ said Gary, ‘we’ll keep a lid on this for now. We’ll get officers all over town looking for him. He can’t have made it too far without his car. If anyone asks, we’re obviously still looking for the girls. The high school kids are holding a vigil tonight. It would make sense that we’re out there to ask questions. Ren, could you go speak with Whaley’s wife now? Then take her back to their hotel – that’s where he’ll show if he shows at all.’
Erica Whaley was sitting in the break room with Leo on her knee.
‘Hey, there,’ said Ren. ‘How are you holding up?’
Erica shook her head. ‘I’m … I’m not.’
‘A team of officers are setting out now to look for your husband,’ said Ren.
‘He could have just gone to get some air, he probably needed
some time to think,’ said Erica. ‘He’s worried sick.’
Ren spoke gently. ‘Erica, I know Mark didn’t want Leo to be interviewed again. Did he talk any more to you about that since you left here?’
‘Just what he had said to you already,’ said Erica. ‘That he was worried it would upset Leo.’
Ren nodded. ‘Did he mention any other concerns?’ said Ren.
‘No – it was all about Laurie, and getting her home safe, and, just everything you would expect under the circumstances. Nothing else. Nothing any different to how we’ve been feeling since all this happened.’
‘Do you know did he speak with anyone before he left?’ said Ren.
‘Yes,’ said Erica. ‘Jonathan.’
‘Do you know what they spoke about?’ said Ren.
‘Jonathan called him just to check in … I called Jonathan just before the interview to see did he know anything or had Mark said anything. But he said no.’
‘You’re very close to Jonathan,’ said Ren.
Erica nodded. ‘He’s like family. He supported Mark through all his problems, through rehab, everything. Jonathan founded MeesterBrandt, but basically, he and Mark were partners, he consulted with him on pretty much everything.’
‘Where is the Brandt?’ said Ren.
‘That was Jonathan’s wife. She passed five years ago. But she never took an active part in the company.’
‘Is there any tension between Mark and Jonathan?’ said Ren.
‘My goodness, no,’ said Erica. ‘They’re best friends.’
‘Did you get the sense there is any work-related stress for Mark?’ said Ren.
‘He loves his job,’ said Erica. ‘He’s been very busy. Maybe that was stressing him out. He was talking about taking early retirement next year, but he said that was so he could spend more time with me and the kids.’
‘Was Jonathan or anyone in the company aware that he was planning to do that?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Erica. ‘I don’t think so. He told me not to say anything to anyone.’
‘Do you think work would have had a problem with it?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Erica. ‘Of course, it would create the problem of having to find his replacement, but they’ve always been supportive of Mark and any personal decisions he makes.’
‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘Why don’t we think about where Mark could have gone? Is there anywhere you can think of? Do you think he might drink again under this kind of pressure?’
‘No,’ said Erica. ‘I really don’t think he would.’
‘Is he a spiritual man?’ said Ren. ‘Would he maybe look for a church, for example?’
‘I didn’t think of that,’ said Erica. ‘I don’t know is the answer. He doesn’t go to church, but he believes in something up there. He believes that something or someone is working for us all up there.’ She paused. ‘But he probably doesn’t believe that any more.’
27
Erica’s cell phone rang and she grabbed for it. ‘Oh,’ she said when she saw the name. ‘It’s not him.’ She held the phone to her ear. ‘Jonathan, hi,’ said Erica. ‘Really? OK. OK. Thanks for coming. I’m here, yes.’ She held her hand over the phone. ‘Ren – Jonathan is outside. Can he come through?’
‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘I can meet him in reception.’
‘Thank you.’
Jonathan Meester was dressed in casual clothes, and even though they had tiny logos, Ren still recognized four different designer brands.
He held out his hand and shook hers. ‘You must be Agent Bryce, thank you for this.’
Ren nodded.
‘Erica called me earlier wondering if I had heard anything from Mark, and I told her, yes, we had spoken around one o’clock, but she said he’d gone missing not long after that.’
‘Was there anything he said that caused you concern?’ said Ren.
‘I know that he was afraid that you were targeting him as a suspect—’ said Jonathan.
‘We weren’t targeting him,’ said Ren. ‘We were simply trying to clear up the inconsistencies in his statements.’
Jonathan ran his hands through his hair. ‘He was in a panic that you’d focus on him to the detriment of finding the real person – or people – responsible.’
Ren let this go. ‘Were you aware of any changes in his behavior over the past few months?’ said Ren.
‘He was a little quiet,’ said Jonathan. ‘At one point I thought maybe it was some kind of mild depression, but then I just thought it was work. I’ve been there. We all put in a lot of hours.’
‘And there’s nothing else you can think of?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Jonathan. ‘Nothing.’
Ren nodded. ‘I’ll bring you through to Erica and Leo, and then we can all go back to the hotel.’
‘And pray that Mark will be there,’ said Jonathan.
It might just be too late for that.
Ren left the Whaleys’ hotel room after midnight and went to The Firelight Inn. It was always especially quiet, even when it was full.
It’s good to be as home as I can be.
She walked into the shared kitchen. ‘Stop! Thief!’ she said.
Paul Louderback stood up from the refrigerator. ‘Foiled again,’ he said.
‘I know that there’s nothing in that student/snowboarder refrigerator that could possibly belong to you,’ said Ren.
‘Force of habit.’
‘It’s one a.m. Do you know where your missing guilty-looking father is?’ said Ren.
‘Gone never to return,’ said Paul, closing the refrigerator door.
‘Swinging from a tree somewhere …’ said Ren.
‘What did he do?’ said Paul. ‘What did that man do?’
‘Fooled everyone, by the looks of it,’ said Ren. ‘I’ve just come from their hotel. Grim.’
‘Anything?’ said Paul.
‘No,’ said Ren.
A text came in on Ren’s phone. She glanced down. It was from Ben: I feel used. :-D
‘Was that Gary?’ said Paul.
‘No,’ said Ren.
Something hovered in the silence between them, an understanding – or a lack thereof.
And you’ve probably just gotten off the phone to your wife.
‘Come into the living room,’ said Paul.
‘I think it may be time to admit defeat,’ said Ren.
‘Sleep?’ said Paul. ‘No.’
Ren smiled. ‘I know. But I don’t think I’m getting the same buzz off my sleep deprivation …’
‘Well, I’m sure I won’t be far behind you.’
The wrong image flashed into Ren’s head.
A newspaper was open on the kitchen table. Ren twisted it toward her. ‘Were you reading this?’
‘Yes.’
Ren read out the headline, ‘“Bad Shepard: The Fall of a Congressman”.’ The article opened with ‘Shepard Collier was not watching over his flock at night. Nor was he under a haystack fast asleep. Looks like he was wide awake – just not to the Big Bad Wolf that was about to come knocking at his door.’
‘I was surprised by him, to be honest,’ said Paul. ‘I see him about the place in D.C. Seems like one of the good guys. I wouldn’t have put him in the fall-from-grace category. You struggle up the mountain, but the way back down is like an elevator with a slashed cable.’
‘A hooker in a hotel room,’ said Ren. ‘Not the most original of bow-outs.’
‘No,’ said Paul.
Ren scanned through the article. There was a photo of Shep Collier at a charity auction with his wife. Beside it was a full-length photo of the underage hooker in question. The caption read: ‘Tina Bowers in a photo taken outside her parents’ home when the news broke of her relationship with Congressman Shep Collier’.
‘Ah, yes,’ said Ren, ‘the off-duty hooker/stripper/exotic dancer look: makeup free, dressed in track pants, a sweatshirt, a baseball cap and Uggs. Stylist’s brief: vulnerable, girl-next-door.’
The second photo
undid all the good work of the stylist: it was Tina Bowers’ professional shot. The girl had worked hard with what God had given her: a light-handed measure of prettiness. Everything that drew the eye was fake: tits, lips, eyelashes, and nails.
You go, girl. Make things bigger and longer. That’s your job.
‘I’ve done with it,’ said Paul. ‘Take it.’
‘No, I need sleep,’ said Ren, still scanning the article.
‘Go,’ said Paul, folding up the newspaper and handing it to her. ‘Sleep.’
‘OK, goodnight,’ said Ren.
They hugged.
That was too good. Run, run for the hills.
Ren sat on her bed and started to read the article. It seemed that Shep Collier’s first brush with negative press was when he caused a racism scandal after being caught on video backstage at a fundraiser: his daughter had tried to hand him her adopted African-American son before he was to go on stage to have his photograph taken, and he had shaken his head and refused to take him.
Holy shit.
Yet, in a side bar to the article was the heading:
Constituent Breaks Silence on Collier Racism Claim
Ren skipped to the quote from a woman called Diana Moore. ‘I am an African-American woman, representing one of the most under-privileged African-American communities in the state of Mississippi, and I am coming forward today because I believe in Congressman Shepard Collier. I should not be speaking up about this, because of a confidentiality agreement that has been in place for over thirty years. But that doesn’t bother me. I want everyone to know that Congressman Collier funds the nursing home of which I am director, with proceeds from his own private business interests. His generosity has changed lives. I had a hard time believing that Congressman Collier would be involved in a scandal such as the one that has cost him his position. But what I can address are the rumors that he is a racist. They are false, and they are malicious. Congressman Collier has only ever been kind and generous to everyone in our community. And every member of his family is the same. I know for a fact that the reason he did not take his grandson in his arms at his fundraiser that time was that he was suffering from a virus. Unbeknownst to his family, he had been briefly hospitalized that morning. The fact that he never chose to dignify these rumors with a response goes to show what an honorable man Congressman Collier is.’