THE CONTROLLER-Obsession

by Jerry Bruce

  Richard had barely finished his drink and walked back to the bar when he heard the familiar “Hail to the Chief.” He had decided not to answer the Controller’s calls, not to make a feeble attempt to persuade him that the kidnapping was real, but more for reasons closer to home—he didn’t want any one-on-one contact that could give the Controller the opportunity to get inside his head.

  Richard left the phone where it was while he made himself another scotch. Finally the ringing stopped as Richard went back to the balcony, sat down on one of the chaise lounges, and enjoyed his drink while relaxing under the warm sun. It would be several hours before Richard would see the flashing message light on the cell phone.

  * * *

  Ralph Blocker had decided that he owed it to Richard to learn as much as he could about this new terrorist organization and upon his return back to BNN headquarters he set about the task of getting to the bottom of the story. Blocker was convinced that the W.O.N. was not going to accede to any demands; the only way Richard was going to survive was if his whereabouts could be determined and a rescue mission undertaken. With that in mind, Blocker started itemizing each and every minute task that came into his head. He had already obtained permission from his boss to utilize any or all of the resources within BNN. Fortunately his boss knew that if anyone could milk this story for all its worth it was Blocker. Getting the exclusive rights to the story was a bit of genius on Blocker’s part and now they had to remain a constant presence in the public’s face. If, in the process, they could locate Sinclair and aide in his rescue, so much the better. A coup like that would be worth any expenditure the BNN could possibly make.

  Ralph had to find one person in Sinclair’s inner circle that he could warm up to and hopefully gain confidence. Looking back over all his notes, some going back to Richard’s first presidential campaign, the one pattern that stood out was his constant closeness to two individuals—Adam Broderick and Christine Morrison. Blocker was nobody’s fool; he knew he didn’t stand a prayer of getting on the good side of Broderick. He was too protective of Sinclair and kept outsiders at more than arms length. No, he decided to concentrate his efforts on Morrison. She was the one he had direct contact with in the past. She was the one feeding him the exclusive stories that Richard had promised. Besides, he always felt, even though he had no specific reason to do so, that there was something more than a business relationship between Morrison and Sinclair. Sure, he had heard all the rumors about Morrison rebuffing the advances of other members of the media pool, which led to stories of her being gay. Ralph laughed that off and decided long ago that the men involved had to come up with a reason why they were being rejected, and the gay explanation soothed their aching egos.

  Having decided upon Christine Morrison as his subject, Ralph had to come up with a plan to gain her trust. First he had to convince her that he had no romantic interest in her. Then he would have to make her believe that he could be of use in finding Richard. That alone could sway the vote because if she had the kind of feelings for Richard that he thought she was harboring, she would accept any help that could save him. He made a note to himself to contact Christine first thing in the morning.

  * * *

  Blocker had decided to work from home since he wasn’t feeling well. When he got out of bed and stood up suddenly, his head began to spin and he felt himself losing his balance so he immediately fell back onto the bed. After a few minutes he tried again, this time with better results. Making his way to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, he thought that he was just suffering from exhaustion, and in his weakened state, maybe coming down with a cold. Shrugging it off, Blocker went to the front door of his apartment, peeked through the peephole to make sure nobody was in the hallway, opened the door, and grabbed the morning paper. He did this routinely and the excitement over whether or not someone would see him in the hallway in his skivvies gave him a shot of adrenaline to start his day. He had only been caught once this year, by the elderly woman across the hall. Ralph was convinced that she purposely laid in wait for his daily ritual in the hope of catching him. “If that makes her day, so be it,” he said to himself.

  Ralph was a creature of habit. He would carefully unfold the paper and remove the sports section. By the time he read the first page, the coffee would be brewed and he would pour himself a cup. He could usually finish the sports news about the time his coffee was cool enough to drink. He would polish off the first cup, pour a second, and then continue reading the newspaper. He was almost finished with the local news when a small column consisting of only a few sentences caught his eye.

  “Woman claims to have seen Richard Sinclair. A maid at the Cheshire Arms apartments in Manhattan claims to have seen Richard Sinclair in the building where she is employed. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she saw Sinclair the same afternoon of the announcement of his kidnapping and on one other prior occasion. The woman, known to be an alcoholic, is considered to be an unreliable source.”

  Blocker voiced his thought, “I wonder how many other crackpots are going to claim to have seen Sinclair?”

  * * *

  “Hello, Miss Morrison, this is Ralph Blocker with BNN. I wonder if I might have a few minutes of your time. I’m following up on the abduction of Richard Sinclair and wanted to touch bases with you.”

  “Yes, Ralph, it’s good to hear from you again. We haven’t been in as much contact since President Sinclair left the White House.”

  “Very true, Miss Morrison.”

  “Please, Ralph, call me Christine, we’ve known each other far too long to go on formalities.”

  “Thanks, Christine. I appreciate you taking my call under the circumstances. I was hoping we could get together and discuss this situation.”

  “Well, I don’t know what, if any, help I could be. I’m not privy to any insider information. In fact, from the sound of your report, you seem to have more of an inside track than I do.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short. You may know some things and not even realize it. If nothing else, you could get a free lunch out of it if you agree to meet with me.”

  “As nice as that sounds, I’m afraid that it would just be a waste of time for us both.”

  “What if I were to tell you that I am using everything in my power, and the resources of the BNN, to locate Sinclair?”

  “Then I would say that we do indeed need to talk.”

  “Good. Would you like to meet somewhere near your office?”

  “No, I’m not going to be here much more than another hour or so. It would probably be better to meet somewhere closer to where I live. Are you anywhere near Manhattan?”

  “In fact, my apartment is in Manhattan. I decided to work from home today instead of going to the office. I take it you live in Manhattan as well?”

  “Yes, I’m in the Cheshire Arms.”

  The words “Cheshire Arms” hit Blocker like a shot between the eyes. To say that a maid seeing Richard Sinclair at the Cheshire, and Sinclair’s press secretary living at the Cheshire is a coincidence would be a stretch. There had to be some truth to the maid’s story beyond the hallucinations of an alcoholic stupor. Blocker decided to try to locate the maid and she what further information she could furnish. He didn’t have enough time before meeting Christine to snoop around the Cheshire Arms. Besides, there was too much of a possibility of him running into Christine. He would have to go there when he knew she was not in the building.

  Blocker cut out the short column regarding the maid’s sighting and placed it in a folder he had started labeled “Sinclair Abduction.” This, the smallest piece of paper, could end up being the biggest in impact if his gut feelings meant anything. Blocker closed the folder and returned it to his desk drawer then proceeded to his bathroom to get dressed for his meeting with Christine.

  * * *

  Richard had read the same newspaper as Blocker but one difference stood out—he didn’t see the article about the maid. He never gave it a second thought when he passed the m
aid in the hallway and greeted her with a “good afternoon,” as he was on his way to the drug store to buy some painkillers. He had a headache when he woke up and it didn’t go away on its own accord so he decided to help it along. He wasn’t used to being a fugitive, a man trying to hide his existence. He was used to being in the public eye, surrounded by crowds most of his waking hours. It was unnatural for him to be deceptive, skulking around in the shadows. He was unprepared for this new role and was finding it hard to cope with his newfound predicament. While Richard was unaware of the article, that didn’t mean it slipped past the eyes of other interested parties.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “Well, well, well, isn’t this interesting. I saw through your little ploy right from the start Richard, but I never anticipated that I would be able to find you simply by reading the newspaper. Very stupid of you to allow yourself to be seen—very dangerous—one might even say deadly.” There was no one in the dimly lit room to hear the comments coming from the darkest corner of the room. Nor could anyone hear the sadistic laugh.

  * * *

  “So, Ralph, how can I help you?”

  The weather was perfect for dining al fresco, which is why Christine chose the little Italian café down the street from her apartment. Christine had become a regular and developed a rapport with the Italian family that owned and ran the café. She was always assured the pick of the tables and always given a complimentary cannoli dessert. She liked this café for its European sidewalk ambiance. Inside was far too noisy to be able to carry on a conversation, which would have defeated the purpose of her lunch with Blocker, so she chose a table at the corner of the patio that was more private than the rest. She didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes and appreciated that Blocker was on time. After a greeting handshake, they made themselves comfortable and ordered two glasses of Chianti. They didn’t say much to each other while looking over their menus except for Christine’s comments about her favorites. Blocker decided to go with her recommendation and try the ciopinno. After placing their orders, Blocker got directly to the point.

  “I was hoping that you could give me some more information about the Sinclair abduction.”

  “I don’t know that I have anything new to give you. I think you are aware of everything that I am party to.”

  “Listen Christine, I’m not out to hurt Richard, quite the contrary in fact. I want to help him. I believe that this whole story about his abduction is just that—a story. I believe that you, Adam Broderick, and Richard dreamed this whole scenario up; why I don’t know, but I’m willing to bet that it has something to do with a certain adversary of Richard’s. I’m also willing to bet that you know exactly to what I’m referring. Any comment?”

  “Suppose you tell me a little bit more of what you know? Maybe then I’ll see my way clear to comment.”

  Blocker didn’t want to alienate Christine so he continued the conversation with a slight smile on his face. “Don’t be coy, Christine. Richard slipped up. I know where he is hiding. I can safely say that if I know, it is almost a certainty that his nemesis also knows.” Blocker’s tone wasn’t aggressive or confrontational, but in fact was sounding sympathetic.

  “So tell me, Ralph. Just where do you think he is?”

  “Okay, I’ll play your silly game. He is staying at the Cheshire Arms apartments. And my guess would be he is staying in your apartment.” Blocker stressed the “your” heavily. “Right now you are wondering how I could possibly know this. Well, it’s like this. Your ‘guy’ was seen by a maid that works in the building. She was positive that it was Richard Sinclair that she saw. The day she saw him just happened to be the day he was reported as abducted.”

  “How did you find out about this alleged sighting?”

  “You really should spend more time reading the daily periodicals. I believe it was Harry Truman who once said that ninety percent, or some such number, of the nations secrets could be read about in the newspaper. If you were to stay on top of the printed media you would have seen the same little article I did. The question before us now is who else may have seen that little write-up?”

  “I would like to verify that such an article was written before I talk with you any further.”

  “I though you might say that.” Blocker reached into his shirt pocket and unfolded a piece of letter size paper—a copy of the article which he made before filing away the original was centered on the page. “This is yours to do with as you please.”

  Blocker gave Christine a few seconds to read and digest the column then continued to press the issue. He leaned over the table as if getting closer to her would be more convincing. He spoke quietly and sincerely.

  “Listen, Christine, if I’m right and Richard’s enemy saw this, then Richard is in grave danger. And if he is in your apartment, you are also in danger. Let me help. I’m the one who gave Richard all the information on this guy in the first place. I’m on your side.”

  “Before I tell you what I know, you have to give me your assurance that none of it will be made public, otherwise it’s no deal. Everything has to be off the record.”

  “Contrary to what you may think, I have principles and I do believe that human life is more important than a story. If it was anyone else besides Richard Sinclair, I might feel differently, but in this case you have my word on it.”

  “You remember the guy you fingered for Richard?”

  “Yeah, his name is Wilkins.”

  “Was his name.” Christine dragged out the “was.”

  “What are you saying? Is Wilkins dead? How?”

  “Wilkins was captured and taken to a safe house for questioning by a special task force. He was being pumped for information. Information that would confirm that he was the man we were looking for, since there was a small shred of doubt. However, before the truth could be determined, something happened.”

  “Like what?”

  “Do you remember a news item about an explosion in the woods upstate?”

  “Yeah, I seem to recall something about the explosion of a truck transporting propane gas, or something like that.”

  “That was just a cover story. The explosion was caused by a bomb, a sizable one, which was dropped from a helicopter onto the safe house. Wilkins and the task force members were all killed.”

  “Whew.” Blocker drew it out with an audible exhale. “I see where you’re going with this. But if Wilkins was killed, presumably by the guy we were trying to find, then who was Wilkins?”

  “That’s not important now. What is important though is that this maniac is possibly aware of Richard’s real location. Are you willing to help me put him somewhere safe?”

  “Of course. Do you have any ideas, Christine?”

  “This is so sudden, I haven’t had a chance to think about it.”

  “Does anyone know about my involvement in this?”

  “No, Ralph, just me, Adam and Richard.”

  “I’m assuming that I can trust you and Adam, Richard seems to have placed his wellbeing in your hands, so I guess I can risk doing the same. Tell you what, let’s get Richard over to my place. I’m about a mile from your apartment, but in NYC that’s as good as a thousand anywhere else. We can decide if, where, and when to move him after that. Are you okay with that?”

  “Yes. Besides, what choice do I have?”

  “Good. Let’s go now; time is of the essence. After we get Richard situated, we need to see about you. You can’t very well stay in that apartment. Is there someplace where you can go?”

  “Yeah, I have someplace safe that no one knows about.” The face of Christine’s mother flashed into her mind so vividly she thought she could reach out and touch her. No one, except Richard, knew about Christine’s mother even being alive let alone where she lived. Since she had been remarried and widowed since Christine was an adult, her name wasn’t Morrison any longer. No one could make the connection to Christine. The best part was that she lived within a couple hours drive of Manhattan. Christine would st
ill be able to see Richard.

  “Is there a place where I can park that will shield Richard from being seen when we take him out?”

  “There is an empty parking space in the underground garage. You follow me and if you’re quick you can get in before the security gate closes. I’ll lead you to the parking space.”

  “We’re so close to your apartment, why didn’t you just walk over here?”

  “I drove from my office straight here.”

  “So you haven’t been home since early this morning?”

  “That’s right. You don’t think that something may have already happened, do you?”

  Ralph could hear and feel the terror in Christine’s voice. He stood, pulled out his wallet and threw three twenty dollar bills onto the table. “I hope not.”

  * * *

  Richard was startled when Christine threw open the bathroom door. He had just finished taking a shower and was toweling off when she barged in, out of breath. Without saying a word she rushed over and hugged him so tight he thought she was going to squeeze him to death.

  “What’s gotten into you? Why are you so out of breath?”

  She released her grip as Blocker’s voice could be heard coming toward the bathroom. “Is he in there?”

  Richard quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and started for the doorway just as Blocker appeared.

  “What in the name of heaven is going on? Will somebody please tell me why Ralph Blocker is in my bathroom?”

  “Here, read this Richard.” Christine handed the article to him as she took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She was starting to regain her composure now that she knew Richard was unharmed.

  Richard took a few seconds to read the news article. “Well, this explains your behavior but that still doesn’t tell me why Ralph is here.”

  “Ralph is the one who discovered this article in the paper. He brought it to my attention a little while ago and we rushed over here to make sure you were okay.”