Of course he was listening. Did Tom think he was nuts? Whoever was out there was moving stuff around. Would he get to the pile of junk in front of Josh? How much time would he spend in the cellar? Wasn’t he taking a chance with agents upstairs? Or was Tom right, and he’d killed them all?
In his cocoon of darkness, Josh strained to hear every little sound. The man was cursing. He sounded angry. It sounded like he was kicking stuff out of the way. Josh could hear things toppling over, perhaps blocking the man’s path. The noise was as loud as thunder to Josh’s ears. Someone from upstairs should have heard what was going on. They should have come down to investigate. For sure they were dead. He wondered if, when he went upstairs, whether he would see the same bloodbath he’d seen the day of the shooting.
A door slammed shut. Josh remained quiet. “Tom, are you there?”
“Right here, buddy. He’s gone. Who was it? Could you tell by the way he walked? From the sounds he made? He was swearing up a storm. Did his words ring any bells?”
“I can’t be sure. What should I do, Tom? I thought I’d be safe here.”
“I thought you would, too. I really think this is the safest place to be right now. I don’t think he’s going to come back down here. The thing is, Josh, I don’t know how long he’s been here.”
“Do you know what time it is, Tom?”
“Probably midafternoon. If he stays through the night, he’ll need lights or at least a flashlight. You can get around in the dark, so that gives you an edge.”
“Some edge. If it’s the guy with the gun, he’ll shoot me dead. You won’t be able to help me, Tom.”
“That’s why you have to be careful. Now, here’s the game plan. You stalk him instead of the other way around. First chance you get, bop him over the head and run like hell. You can do that, Josh. Remember, this is your turf, not his.”
“You were the sprinter. I was the hurdler. Remember?”
“So, after you bop him, you jump over him and bop him again. What’s so hard about that?”
Josh sighed. “Bullets from automatic weapons fly all over the place. It would be just my luck that one would find me in midhurdle. Come up with a better idea. Otherwise, I am staying right here until someone finds me, or I die from lack of food and water.”
“I don’t like the way that sounds.”
Josh pressed his face into the soft down of Mr. Dickey’s sleeping bag. “I don’t much like it either.”
Chapter 14
Pete Kelly paced the confines of the walled garden like a caged animal, the huge shepherd dogging his every step. Lily watched man and dog while sitting at the table under the colorful umbrella. From time to time she sipped at a frosty cola.
“You sure about this reporter, Lily?”
“No, Pete, I’m not sure. All I can tell you is she’s always in the alumni news. Since you said you never read the newsletters, and I just started reading them a year ago, it’s all I can tell you. She graduated a year ahead of us. She works for the San Francisco Chronicle, and she’s won all kinds of awards for her reporting, including two Pulitzers. The newsletters played her up big. She got more press than either of us, and look who you turned out to be. That’s it! Now you know as much as I know. She sounded eager when I spoke with her, and she said she’d be here at four o’clock. It’s only ten minutes to four. Fortunately for both of us, she also recognized our names since we’re also alumni and made the newsletter from time to time. She did like the sound of the word ‘Pulitzer.’ Maybe three is her magic number. How it will play out is anyone’s guess.
“Another thing, Pete, reporters have sources they’ll go to jail to protect. She didn’t get where she is without knowing a few people she can trust. Reporters can go where others fear to tread. We’re both batting zero right now, so we have nothing to lose by telling her our story. If you want to change your mind, tell me now, and I’ll call her back.”
“No, no. Maybe we should have called someone like that guy in Washington who writes all those books.”
Lily looked properly appalled. “Are you turning this into a guy/girl thing? A guy can do the story better, is that what you’re saying?”
Pete stared at the love of his life, who was huffing and puffing with indignation at his words. He backpedaled immediately. “I just meant he’s an investigative reporter with years of experience under his belt. And he knows how it all works. Look how long he kept the Deep Throat secret. See, what I’m saying is we need someone like him. We really don’t know much about what’s-her-name.”
“What’s-her-name, by the way, is Tessie Dancer, and she has excellent credentials. And I’m positive that she can keep a secret, too. You aren’t a closet chauvinist, are you?”
She sure as hell was making him sound like one. “Good God, no! I’ve always been a champion of women’s rights.”
“Harrumph,” was Lily’s response.
A heartbeat later, the harrumph changed to a strangled sounding, “Oh, my God!” when the sliding door leading to the garden blew open and a two-hundred-pound hurricane blasted through the open doorway followed by Zolly with a gun in his hand.
The hurricane whirled around, and said, “For heaven’s sake, put that silly thing away before I squash you like a bug. And as for you,” the hurricane said, pointing a long, red-tipped finger at Winston, “one more peep out of you, and you’re going to the pound. You can lick my hand now.”
Winston whined but obeyed the order.
“Now that we have that all straightened out, I’m Tessie Dancer, and you must be Pete Kelly. I had a crush on you my senior year, but you couldn’t see me for dirt.”
Taken aback, Pete struggled for words. “I… I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t know. Not to worry, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere. And, you, lovely lady, must be Lily Madison. I buy your kid clothes for my friends’ kids. Great quality. My friends say they wash and wear beautifully. You two,” she said, jerking her head in Pete’s direction, “are you an item? Is that what this scoop is all about?”
Lily found her tongue. “Not exactly. It’s a long story. However, we want your word that you won’t print anything until we give you the word to do it. Or, if you think that is beyond something you’re comfortable with, you’ll keep your source confidential.”
Tessie jerked at the leopard-skin leggings she was wearing—complete with matching top—as she eyed Zolly. She nodded to Lily that she agreed to the terms. As she advanced on Zolly, both Lily and Pete sucked in their breath. Winston whined again.
“I told you to put that silly thing away. I meant it. This is also a private meeting, and I do not recall hearing that you were invited. Now, if you want to get together later, I might be able to accommodate you. I am an expert in everything I do, and that”—she lowered her voice to a whisper—“includes sex. I even have a pole for dancing in my bedroom. Now, scoot. That means leave, skedaddle, take off, or, in plain English, get the hell out of here.”
Zolly backed toward the door, his face nine shades of red. To Tessie’s delight, he jammed the gun into his pants.
“I hope you have the safety on. Okay, kiddies, let’s sit down right here at the table and talk. I’d like a double scotch on the rocks and maybe some munchies. I tape everything so there is no misunderstanding later. You okay with that?” Both Pete and Lily nodded.
Lily called room service and placed the order before she took her seat at the table. A devil perched itself on her shoulder. “Miss Dancer, my friend Pete isn’t sure you’re the one for this job. I, on the other hand, insisted you are. He wanted someone like that guy in Washington who writes all those books and stirs stuff up. He can’t understand why, if you’re as good as I said you were, you aren’t in New York or Washington or maybe Chicago.”
Tessie crossed one very plump knee over the other and eyeballed Pete. “When I told that wuss with the gun that I was an expert in everything I do, I meant it. You take Mr. W, your pick there in Washington, he writes books. I don’t write books.
Not because I can’t but because I don’t want to. I have had offers to go to his paper, the Gray Lady, and just about every other paper in this country. I choose to stay here because of my elderly parents, whom I support. I already have two Pulitzers to my name. I have sources Mr. W can only dream about. He likes to see himself on TV. I do not, for obvious reasons. My bottom line is I am only as good as the story that’s given to me.
“I’ve read all the stuff written about you, Mr. Kelly, and you’re boring as hell. Ditto for you, Miss Madison. Just so you know, I do not do human interest, so you better have something with some grit to tell me, or I’m out of here. So, start sucking up right now.”
Pete eyed the reporter’s flaming red hair, sparkling green eyes, and contagious smile. He thought she was pretty, and for some strange reason he believed everything she was saying. He risked a glance at Lily, who was obviously enjoying the reporter’s performance.
He was about to sit down when Zolly tapped at the door with a tray in his hands. Pete set it in the middle of the table and watched the reporter go at it as he and Lily started to talk.
An hour later, the peanut and chip bowls were both empty, and Tessie Dancer was on her second double scotch when Pete finally wound down.
“And I thought you two were boring. Okay, what do you want me to do?”
“Find out from those sources of yours what the hell is going on. Why is there a lid on this shooting? Where did those orders come from? Where’s the kid they have in custody and where the hell is my son? I want to know who owns that goddamn sperm bank and fertility clinic and the academy as well. They buried it so deep no one can find true ownership. We can’t do anything until we have that information.”
“Hold on there. You don’t know for sure that the other boy is your son.”
“The hell I don’t. I know it. I know it, okay? If you don’t believe me, this is not going to work. He’s in danger, and we have to find him. I don’t have time for bullshit, so are you in or out?”
Tessie toyed with the glass in her hand. “I’m in. Is everything you two have told me the gospel as far as you know it?” Both Pete and Lily nodded. “You didn’t leave anything out?” Both Pete and Lily shook their heads. “Okay, I’m going to need at least twelve hours to try to get some answers. When I’m on a story I never sleep. So that means I might show up here at three in the morning, and I don’t want that clown out there with the gun getting in my way. We straight on that?”
“We’re straight on that. We’re going to take a drive up to the academy. There was something about Agent Robbins that didn’t sit well with me. I want to nose around on my own, so we’re going to wait till it’s dark. You’re welcome to come if you want to.”
“No. I have too much to do. Give me your cell phone number and make sure you answer when I call. Do not, I repeat, do not, ever, as in ever, put me on hold.”
“I will never put you on hold, Miss Dancer,” Pete said solemnly.
“Okay. Call me Tessie, and you’re Pete and Lily. What’s that gorilla’s name out front?”
“Zolly.”
“And the dog?”
“Winston.”
“I think I can remember all that,” Tessie said as she turned off the recorder. “By the way, are either of you artistically inclined? What that means is, can either one of you draw a rough sketch of that guy at the library, the one you think is after your son?”
“I only design clothes, but I can take a stab at it. Let me get some paper,” Lily said.
Tessie zeroed in on Pete. “Go ahead, ask me. I can tell you’re dying to ask me something, so go for it.”
“Are you always so blunt? Do you read minds or something?” Pete asked.
“Yes and no. You gonna make me beg you to ask the question?”
“No. Are you as good as you say you are?”
“Better. I was being modest.”
Pete let loose with a laugh. He decided he liked this brash woman with the fiery red hair. He decided to play with her a bit. “How is it you’re not married, Tessie?”
“I’m too much woman for any man. Men don’t know what to do with me. I’m not hiding my light under a basket so some guy can feel he’s superior to me. You certainly waited long enough to latch on to Lily there. If this mess hadn’t surfaced, would you be a confirmed bachelor?”
Pete wished he’d never asked the question. “I think I would have found her one way or the other. One of these days the right guy will come along. You really got a pole for dancing in your bedroom?”
“Yep. And, I know how to use it.”
Pete decided there was no comeback to that, so he clamped his lips shut.
Lily handed over a sheet of paper. Pete looked at it. He nodded. “I think his eyes were set farther apart. His chin was a little more square, but it’s close enough.”
“Doesn’t look like anyone I know,” Tessie said, pocketing the picture. “I’ll be in touch.”
Lily and Pete looked at one another. Tessie looked at them both. “Trust me.”
Lily sighed. Pete sighed. Tessie laughed.
Outside, Tessie winked at Zolly, who kept his distance as she sashayed her way to a sleek, candy-apple red Ford Taurus. “See ya, big guy.” In the blink of an eye, she went from zero to ninety.
Chapter 15
Lily looked at her watch. It was five thirty. “I thought that went rather well. Do you agree?” She hated that her voice sounded so anxious.
“If she can deliver what she promised, yeah. Either she’s full of herself and believes her own press, or she’s as good as she says she is. I can tell by your expression it’s the latter with you.” Pete grinned.
Lily laughed. “Once in a while you meet someone who falls into the category of ‘I-cando-this-better-than-anyone-else,’ and can actually deliver the goods. The only part I’m not real happy with is the fact that she doesn’t sleep and conducts meetings in the middle of the night.”
“That’s pretty much the story of my life. You’ll get used to it. It’s like a thread on a sweater that’s unraveling. You have to keep at it until there’s a resolution. All things considered, I think it’s a good thing. I’m going to call Agent Robbins and bust his chops.” At Lily’s startled look, Pete said, “It’s something to do. I’m not good at this waiting around stuff. All he can do is blow me off.”
“Why waste your time? He pretty much ran us off when we were at the academy. He’s not going to give up anything. Now, there’s someone who is full of himself.”
“We won’t know if we don’t try. People like Robbins hate people like me. He thinks of me as a pain in the ass. He gets off on pulling rank. I’m just going to jerk his chain a little. Sometimes when people get angry or annoyed, they let something slip.”
“The guy’s a skunk, Pete. I don’t see him giving up a thing. If anything, he’s the one who will be jerking your chain,” Lily said as she played tug-of-war with Winston over a plush toy.
Pete shrugged as he scrolled through the numbers on his cell phone until he found the one he wanted. He pressed SEND, then waited. “Just listen,” he whispered.
“Agent Robbins, Pete Kelly. I was wondering if you wanted to go on the record as to our meeting at the library yesterday. I’m about to give an interview to a reporter at the Chronicle named Tessie Dancer. I, of course, can repeat our exchange, but I think it will have more credibility if you speak with her yourself. I don’t want the article to appear biased in any way.” Then Pete listened, his jaw dropping.
“What do you mean you’re in St. Louis and you and your men were reassigned to White Plains, New York? Of course I understand English. What task force? Jesus, I thought you were an FBI agent. Are you telling me some guy waltzed into that academy and sent you packing? Yeah, yeah, I guess you are telling me that. Did you even check his credentials other than to eyeball them? Yeah, yeah, I do think you’re stupid. I’m talking about a phone call. Guess you didn’t do that, huh, Robbins? So, can I quote you for the Chronicle? I’ll just sit here and wai
t for your return phone call. If you don’t call me back in ten minutes, I’m going to tell Dancer to put her own spin on the article, then I’m going up to that academy with a whole boatload of police, and I don’t give two shits if the FBI is in charge or not. You were snookered, Mr. FBI Agent,” Pete snarled.
Pete looked at the phone and snapped it shut. “He hung up on me. We need to call Tessie and head back up to that academy right now. A few hours ago some guy, probably the shooter in disguise, just waltzed in there and booted Robbins and his guys out. What does that tell you?”
“The shooter is in charge and he’s looking for the boy and he thinks he’s at the school and that Agent Robbins is stupid. Okay, let’s go. We can call Tessie on the way. You have to admire the guy’s boldness. Like you said, he snookered a seasoned agent. What are we going to do when we get there?”
“Bluff our way in the way that guy did. Hell, I don’t know, Lily.
“Zolly!” Pete bellowed.
“Yeah, boss, what’s up?”
“Get your boys together, we’re going up to the academy again. Don’t argue with me. We’re going now. Like this instant.”
“I need ten minutes, boss. You want firepower, I need ten minutes.”
“You have nine minutes left. Move, Zolly.” The big man was out the door before Pete finished speaking. A second later Pete’s cell phone was back in his hand.
A second after that, Tessie identified herself, then listened to Pete’s monologue. “Can you hold on until I make a few calls to see if Agent Robbins was relieved of duty? I’ll get back to you in a few minutes. Sit tight, Pete.”
Tessie was as good as her word, she was back on the phone in seven minutes. “No task force is in place. Agent Robbins is still the agent in charge. The only problem is that Agent Robbins is in St. Louis on a layover to White Plains that was not authorized. He’s waiting for the first available flight back to San Francisco. The guards patrolling the grounds are rent-a-cops hired by the Bureau. You have maybe, maybe, Pete, a four-to five-hour window. Call me if you need bail.”
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