The Eighteenth Green

by Webb Hubbell

  “What does Maggie have to do with it?” I asked warily.

  “She told me your time at Pawleys had done wonders for you.” With that she said, “Make your calls, and come to dinner. We can talk some more later.”

  I phoned Carol as soon as she closed the door. This time she answered after the second ring.

  “I was beginning to believe I’d never hear from you. I admit I was mad and hurt, but why didn’t you return my calls? When Rachel died, I thought you might want my company.”

  “You had every right to be mad and hurt. I misled you, and I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted.” That was quick. “Where have you been? Maggie wouldn’t tell me a thing.”

  “After the funeral I decided to spend some time at the beach to clear my head. Just got back yesterday.”

  “Okay, fair enough. But you’re back now, so when am I going to see you? Why don’t you come to my place tonight? They say makeup sex is the best.”

  I paused. Both her cajoling tone and quick acceptance of my apology were out of character. I wondered what, or who, was behind the change.

  “I’d love to see you, but I can’t. I’m knee deep in representing a new client.”

  “Surely you’re not working all night. Come on over. I’ll ask Mattie to make you something special.” Her voice was warm and inviting—so was her offer. I took a deep breath.

  “I’m tempted, but we’re getting ready to fight the federal government.”

  “Now you’re hurting my feelings. You can’t be that busy. What are you not telling me? Is there someone else?”

  I had been fairly direct. The Carol I knew would have thrown me out on my ear by now. It was time to end the dance.

  “Okay, here it is. Ben Jennings has asked Micki and me to represent Rachel Goodman’s estate. It will be public information by Monday, if not sooner. We are filing objections to the government’s seizure of her assets. Those assets won’t mean much to the government, but they mean a lot to her father and mother. The time to object is about to run out.”

  There was a long pause on the other end. “I…I thought that since Rachel was dead, the case was over. Now you’re representing the estate?”

  “Yes, Rachel’s father is the executor of the estate, and he and his wife are the prime beneficiaries.”

  “Are you insane?” Her voice was suddenly shrill. “Jack, listen to me. Everyone might understand you meeting with her as a favor to an old friend. But suing the government on her behalf? You’ll lose every client you have! Lucy won’t let Red have anything to do with you. Please come over and let me talk some sense into you,” she begged.

  I almost said, “I’ve already done that.” Instead I tried to correct her assumption, “I’m not suing the government. They seized her assets, and I’m simply objecting to the seizure.”

  “Well, don’t they have that right? She was a spy, she stole military secrets. Isn’t that grounds for seizure?”

  “It would be if she were guilty, but she wasn’t.” I was emphatic.

  “Of course she was guilty. Why else did she commit suicide?” Carol asked.

  Sadly, most people who’d thought about Rachel’s death were of the same opinion as Carol. The only way to change that opinion was to prove her innocence.

  “Why else indeed?”

  I could almost hear her silence. Finally she asked, “Is there nothing I can say or do to talk you out of this death wish?”

  “No, there isn’t,” I replied.

  “This will be the end of us. You know that, don’t you?”

  I gave it one more shot, couldn’t help myself. “It doesn’t have to be. When this is…”

  “No, Jack,” she interrupted. “You are making the choice now.”

  She was right, and at this moment it hurt. Part of me wanted to try to put our relationship back together. But the fact was that no matter how good we were together, our respective careers made us a bad fit. She had used me to further her career, and I was using her to reach her client.

  “Carol, you’re right. I have made a choice, and I can’t take it back. We were very happy, and I wanted it to work, but it didn’t. I’m …” I heard a loud click. If you can slam down a cell phone, she certainly had.

  55

  GREAT. I’d just given up any chance with one of the classiest women I’d ever met. How would I feel in a couple of months when we lost in court? My thoughts drifted to our first meeting at Red’s, her swimming pool on the Eastern Shore, and the two weeks we spent in St. Lucia right after the Hopper case. I was an idiot.

  But after a few laps in the pool of self-doubt, I toweled off and called Red.

  “Jack Patterson. I wondered when you’d get bored with the beach and come back to work. Were you enchanted by a blond mermaid?” he kidded.

  “Nope, a redhead,” I bantered back.

  “Really—I can’t wait to hear more, but I’m sure she’s not why you called. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, Red, I need you to give a message to your fiancée.”

  “Be careful now, Jack. You know better than anyone that Lucy doesn’t take kindly to directions from anyone, including me. But go ahead.”

  “Lucy did us both a favor when she took me to task for representing Rachel. It was the correct reaction. Micki and I now represent her estate. We’ll file papers in court Monday objecting to the government’s seizure of Rachel’s assets.”

  “Good Lord, man! The woman is dead, the case is over. Are you nuts? You know Lucy will have to give you what for—she has no choice.”

  “No, I’m not nuts, at least I don’t think so. And Lucy might want to hold her cards until the game is over. Red, tell her to play it cool. The same goes for you and the Lobos. I’ll call Gina and explain. I promise that when the smoke clears you’ll understand why silence is the right course.”

  Red didn’t appreciate my subtlety, so I gave him the basic outline of our plan, asking him to keep the information confidential: that we would object to the seizure, that the government would have to prove that Rachel was guilty in order to retain the assets, and that we would fight those efforts.

  “You mean you think you can prove Rachel was framed and murdered,” he stated flatly. Red never minced words.

  “Exactly,” I responded.

  “And if you fall on your ass?”

  “Well, as Carol implied a little while ago, I may need to find a new career.”

  “And if you’re successful, you’re likely to get shot or worse.” He wasn’t laughing.

  “I like to think there are other options.” I sure didn’t like the word ‘worse.’

  “Okay, Jack, I’ll warn Lucy. You’ve always been one independent cuss, and so far you’ve had your way. But this time, take my advice: go back to your red-haired mermaid and let Rachel go. Do you realize what you’re up against?”

  “The same federal government I’ve been fighting most of my adult life,” I answered.

  “The federal government doesn’t frame and murder analysts. They may fire them on occasion, or send them to prison if they screw up too bad. But if you’re right, she stepped on the powerful toes of someone who won’t hesitate to prevent whatever she discovered from seeing the light of day. You be careful, my friend.”

  I remained in the armchair for some time. The conversation with Carol had taken a lot out of me, and Red’s warnings had made an impression. If I was right, someone had known where Rachel was being held and was able to break into the military brig and murder her without being discovered. Surely that person or persons could easily find his way into our little enclave in the Maryland countryside. It was time to talk to Clovis and Martin.

  I walked into the big family room where everybody was eating fried chicken and biscuits with cream gravy, perfect comfort food. I filled a plate and motioned for Clovis, Martin, and Big Mike to join me.

  “This is your bailiwick, but my conversation with Red has got me a little spooked. Someone must have infiltrated the military complex wher
e Rachel was being held. If they could do that, getting into this place would be a piece of cake. Any thoughts?”

  Clovis smiled, “Martin and I are way ahead of you, as is Stella. For the last few days we’ve been building an electronic fence she designed. Neither of us have seen a system quite like it.”

  “Let’s discuss this with everyone,” I said.

  We joined the others just as Maggie was bringing in a large platter of brownies. One thing was certain: whatever else happened, we would never starve. Martin and Stella described the electronic fence and how it worked.

  “My compliments, Stella. If your system is as good as we all hope, I want to introduce you to my client, Red Shaw. He’s just the man to help you patent and market it.”

  She shrugged off both the compliment and my offer. “Well, part of my work at IBM was developing security systems for military bases. Both the technology and my expertise have evolved since then, so it’s better than good. It’s not perfect, no system is, but it’s better than you might expect. And, thanks, but I’m not sure I want to get involved with another of your clients. I’ll stick with my gym.”

  I noticed that Mike had sort of halfway raised his hand.

  “Mike, we’re not in school. You don’t have to raise your hand. What’s on your mind?”

  “Well, if you think someone might try to breach this place, I’d ask Master Sergeant Hattoy what he thinks. I bet he’s already spotted holes.”

  We all turned to Brian.

  He looked uncomfortable, but spoke right up. “Well, first it would be fairly easy to find this location. Haven’t you told people that Ms. Lawrence will be in court Monday? If it were me, I’d wait until she arrived at the courtroom and attach an electronic tracking device to her car. Once the group’s location is known, I’d set up surveillance. Within a matter of days, I’d know exactly when the caterer arrives and leaves every day. Then it’s only a matter of how to hitch a ride or substitute caterers with a team of my own men. I can think of better methods, but that’s the first one that came to me.”

  No one said a word. Brian had just breached our security in a matter of seconds.

  Clovis broke the silence. “Well, young man, since you figured out how to get past our preparations, maybe you can come up with a plan to prevent it from happening. How about first thing tomorrow morning? Jack, okay if we borrow your paralegal tomorrow?”

  I smiled, “He’s all yours. Brian and Mike, my thanks to both of you. You were right to speak up; please don’t hesitate. One more question, Brian—how easy is it to secure a tracking device to a car or van?”

  “Pretty damn easy, and you would have no idea it was there.”

  Maybe Rachel’s killers had made a mistake. It was unlikely, but worth checking.

  56

  IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY, and I felt pretty sure the next few days wouldn’t be any easier. We all needed a good night’s rest. I caught up with Larry and Micki as they rose to leave.

  “Larry, I’m afraid you’ll be bored for the next few days while we get this train out of the station, but I meant what I said a while ago: Speak up if you have a question or an idea. To some extent you’re an outsider; you may see things the rest of us don’t,” I said.

  Micki frowned, but Larry smiled easily and said, “Maggie has asked me to give her my thoughts on the new conference and retreat center. She wants the entire complex to blend in with the natural surroundings. I’ve already started making sketches, so I won’t be bored. If you don’t mind, I’d like to sit in on the security meeting tomorrow. I think I might be able to contribute a thing or two.”

  “I’m sure Clovis will appreciate your input. You should know that this crew gets up early. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stella has them tossing tires at sunrise.”

  I found Maggie sorting out cups and glasses, and offered to help.

  “Thanks, I’m just tidying up for tomorrow. Won’t take long.”

  “Okay, but a penny for your thoughts,” I replied, taking a full tray from her hands.

  “I miss my husband. Martin suggested this would be a good time for Walter to travel, so he’s off on one of his ‘listening tours,’ checking in with his top agents and other insurance executives. Walter has his suspicions, but if he thought we could be in any real danger, he would never have left me here. It’s scary, Jack. We don’t know what kind of risk we face or even who the enemy is.”

  “Oh, Maggie, I’m so sorry. This isn’t fair to you or anyone else. Maybe we should just call it quits, walk away this time,” I said, meaning every word.

  “No, no—that wouldn’t be right either. We can’t abandon… look, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a crybaby.” She resumed her no-nonsense face and said, “Now bring that tray into the kitchen and help me with these dishes.”

  When the last of the dishes were put away, she asked, “You have time for a nightcap?”

  “With you, always,” I answered. I poured her a single malt and myself a port, and we sat down on the sofa.

  “Were you able to reach Carol? How did it go?” She couldn’t relax about Carol, even in conversation.

  “Not well. I’m using her in the same way she inadvertently used me. Carol and I were good together, but in the end, it just didn’t work. She loves her work, and I love my independence. Neither of us showed any willingness to compromise, end of story.” Apparently, I couldn’t relax either.

  “Oh, Jack—the right woman is just around the corner. What about the woman at Pawleys.”

  “What do you mean? What woman?” I feigned surprise.

  “I haven’t seen you in such a good mood for a long time. Everyone’s noticed. You’ve paid attention; you’re polite and inclusive. Take tonight. You made everyone feel they’re part of a team. I know you—there had to be a woman.”

  I didn’t want to discuss Jo. I’d promised not to contact her for a year, and it didn’t feel right to talk about her. But at least I’d sought change, or should I say, change had found me.

  “How about you? This complex is a very large project to take on, not to mention building a new home. I thought you and Walter wanted to travel more. When will you find the time?” I asked.

  “Well, I hope Brian will work out so I can spend less time at the office.” She averted her eyes.

  “And I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I got in your way, right? But damn, Maggie. I know I’m supposed to seek change, but losing you might be more change than I can handle. We need to find a way to work this out.”

  “Jack, you know I won’t leave you. Forgive me, but you’d be lost, even with Brian. And I wouldn’t be happy either. So for now, let’s agree to find ways for me to spend less time in the office, less time on your routine antitrust business, and a lot less time involved in dangerous, off-the-wall cases. Maybe you should think about that, too.”

  She was right. An antitrust lawyer is supposed to get his kicks from reading economic analyses, not from dodging bullets. And she was also right that having no idea what to expect or who the bad guys were made it even worse.

  “Maggie, I’ll take however much of your time and attention you can give. You and Walter are my best friends. If my work impinges on that friendship, then work has to go. It’s that simple.”

  We both wiped away a few tears, and before long Maggie said she was ready for bed. It had been an exhausting day, but I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a little while.

  I sank into one of the big arm chairs in the big family room. The springs were loose and the fabric was worn, but it was still comfortable. The room was totally silent, and my mind wandered to my first encounter with Maggie. She was employed as a part-time receptionist at my old law firm. I had no idea that she even existed until she volunteered to help organize documents for my first trial. We worked so well together she became my paralegal, then my partner in our own law firm, always my best friend.

  It wasn’t long before she married my good friend and golfing buddy Walter Matthews. Our working arrangement had served us wel
l so far, but it was time for it to evolve into something new or we ran the risk of losing it altogether.

  It seemed that so much had changed, or was about to change, so quickly. A new house—Beth seemed determined to make that a reality. A new paralegal—Brian was bright, and so far had proved himself competent. Carol—I wondered if she was alone tonight or had sought solace with Eric Hartman. My grandmother would have said it didn’t do to think about.

  Had I really changed so much in three weeks that people noticed? Had I changed so much before? Had the beach made the difference, or had it been the time spent with Jo?

  It didn’t matter. Jo was out of my life for the moment, and for the time being I needed to focus all my attention on Rachel. If my suspicions were correct, it shouldn’t take long. I turned out the lights and walked toward my bedroom. There was no redhead waiting under the sheets, so I took a couple of Advil and went to sleep.

  SUNDAY

  57

  I WOKE TO THE SOUNDS of Stella putting Brian, Big Mike, Martin, and a few of Martin’s men through their paces outside my window. I threw on my sweats, not to join them, but to get a cup of coffee and watch from the porch. Clovis and Larry were already there, giving the guys various words of encouragement and grief. The men looked exhausted: Drill Sergeant Stella was clearly in her element.

  “Why aren’t you out there, Larry?” I asked, gesturing toward the workout.

  He laughed, “I couldn’t leave poor Clovis all alone. Micki, Beth, and Maggie are on a walk.”

  “How are the ribs?” I asked Clovis.

  “Well, I can still feel them, that’s for sure. But I’m moving better every day—Stella never cuts me an inch of slack. How about you? Still on that beach high?”

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’d rather be at the beach, but it’s time to get to work. The sooner we do our jobs, the sooner we can get back to normal,” I answered.