Flashpoint (20 page)

‘Allegedly, Candy. You have to say “allegedly.”'

‘Well, all right, then, I'll say “allegedly” but I think everybody listening has made up his or her mind because the facts are already in.'

‘I hate to keep saying this, Candy, but to be honest the facts aren't all in. We need to be careful here.'

Candy did not look happy. ‘I take your point, Brooke, but I'm speaking to a greater truth than just the justice system.'

Brooke glanced at Gabrielle. Concern in their eyes. To their credit they were being reasonably honest brokers this morning. The single word that was taped inside their heads was
LAWSUIT
.

Gabrielle, a former runway model, said, ‘The best point you're making, Candy, is that senators are role models whether they want to be or not.'

Enough.

The other channels I checked were more subdued but two of them had adapted the same theme. Robert, it was said, was ‘in hiding.' People ‘close to him' were saying that both he and his family were ‘coming apart.' Someone in his Washington office ‘would not rule out' resignation. This was likely all bullshit. There are always go-to people in Washington who pretend to know everything. The press always goes to them because they can be counted on to give inflammatory statements. By tonight these same people would be talking about Robert's forthcoming sex-change operation and also his forthcoming admission that he'd been selling some of America's most secret information to Venusian agents.

Ben Zuckerman was busy with his electric shaver when I called. I knew this because it was humming away when he clicked on. ‘Lemme turn this damned thing off.'

‘The news gets juicier every couple of hours.'

‘They're killing us. I've got to get him in front of some cameras, Dev, and you've got to help me. When was the last time you talked to him?'

‘Last night.'

‘Well, he called me in the middle of the night. He's back to resigning.'

‘When I heard that on the news this morning I thought it was bullshit.'

‘Just a lucky guess. But if we ever have to go to court a resignation will look like hell. Juries will wonder why somebody as powerful as a United States senator wouldn't stand tall and defend himself. And keep his job.'

‘How did you end the conversation?'

‘I said I wanted him to talk to you about it.'

‘He can be stubborn.'

‘I believe he's innocent, Dev. And I think you do, too. Are you learning anything that might interest Hammell?'

He'd heard about last night and Ruskin being shot at. But he was shocked to hear that Ruskin was in my hotel room with his lover and a bodyguard on the way.

At the mention of his name, Ruskin tried to shout but didn't have the energy so he just said, ‘Who you talking to?'

‘Ben Zuckerman.'

‘He's a jerk-off. What'd he say about me?'

‘That you're a jerk-off.'

‘Tell that putz he's a candy-ass punk.'

‘He says you're a candy-ass punk, Ruskin.'

Sarah had no trouble shouting. ‘Are you all little boys? I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, Dev.'

‘Having a little fun. We need it.' But she was right. How easy and mindless it is sometimes to slip back to fourth grade and the playground. ‘I'm sorry, Sarah.'

‘Thank you.'

‘I'll get out to Robert's as soon as I can, Ben.'

‘I'd really appreciate it. I've got another press conference scheduled at nine. I'm dying out there. I have absolutely nothing to say. All I can do is try and knock down the worst of the rumors. They're all over the place. I'm told one of the radio boys hinted that Robert is planning to flee the country. That'll be on Empire News very soon. They'll be demanding that he turn in his passport.'

‘Where's my food?' Ruskin wanted to know as soon as I'd clicked off.

‘It'll be here very soon.'

‘I don't know why I decided to hook up with you, Conrad.'

I walked over to his bedside. ‘We have a little bit of time to talk. I can't be any help at all unless I know what's going on.'

‘I've been shot and now I'm starving to death. Why should I talk?'

‘Howard, you promised me you'd be cooperative with Dev.'

‘What's he done for me so far?'

‘What I need to know from you, Howard, is who hired you for the job on the senator.'

‘No way, Conrad. Not until I get guaranteed protection and immunity. Then I tell everything.'

He couldn't come right out and help me.

‘If I talk now I have nothing to barter with.'

‘Please tell him, Howard. I'll leave the room if you want me to.'

For once there was no bravado. ‘I can't tell him, Sarah. If I do, I got nothing.'

‘I keep forgetting you're actually a grown man. You keep sounding like a twelve-year-old.'

‘I don't care if I sound like a twelve-year-old. I'm scared.'

His candor startled me; I think it startled Sarah, too.

‘You'll notice there are no tears in my eyes. You destroyed at least four political careers that I know of and probably broke the law a couple dozen times, Howard. But I'm willing to help you get protection if you help the feds – feds we can trust – get the bad guys.'

I couldn't tell if the moan was from physical pain or from knowing that his career was coming to an end. ‘How long before it'll be safe again?'

‘It could be a long time.'

‘How will they protect him?' Sarah asked.

‘I'm not sure. They could relocate him deep cover in Europe. Or they could put him in some witness protection program here. New name, new address, maybe even a little plastic surgery.'

‘Plastic surgery? Are you nuts?'

I couldn't resist. ‘You don't want to look like Justin Bieber?'

Sarah laughed. He sulked and said, ‘Where's my goddamned food?' Interesting that only when he was angry did his voice work full volume.

‘He'll tell you everything, Dev. We both will. I promise you.'

At the knock on the door, I slid over to the table where my Glock lay next to the laptop. Hiding it behind my back, I went to the door.

The cart was piled high with goodies. ‘Morning,' said the smiling, uniformed young woman pushing the feast into the room.

I followed her in. The aromas were seductive. Who wanted sex when actual food was here?

As she went about plucking various shiny food covers off the dishes and setting them on the table, Howie said, ‘I'm glad they sent a pretty one.'

When Sarah realized I was watching her, she just shrugged. Combat fatigue, most likely. She'd heard Howie's moronic man-of-the-world routine so many times it no longer mattered.

After she was gone, Howie shouted, ‘Can I have some food over here? I'm dying of malnutrition!'

She had a winsome smile for me. ‘I really do love him. At least, most of the time.'

‘I heard that!'

She turned and looked at him. ‘I wanted you to.'

She then picked up a plate and started piling goodies on it. I'd been under the impression that she was going to spoon-feed him while he lay in bed. But now he was on his feet and headed with surprising speed and confidence toward the plate she was making for him. He grabbed it from her with his good hand and then dropped into a chair at the table. ‘I need some jelly for the toast. And a fork would come in real handy.'

‘Yessir, Lord and Master.'

‘Aw, shit, I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm being an asshole.'

I was closer. I handed him the fork. He ripped it from my fingers and mumbled something. I preferred to think he was expressing his undying gratitude.

We dined.

He was a noisy bastard but she was apparently used to it. She sat at the table next to him and didn't seem to notice the lip-smacking, mouth-full yakking and belching that went on constantly.

I just kept thinking …
This is the guy who's tormented my party for a decade?

Fifteen minutes after there was no more food – though the front of Ruskin's shirt bore traces of the slaughter – jelly-coffee-egg – there was another knock on the door.

The Glock in my hand, I went there to find Jane standing next to a tall man in a black leather jacket, a blue dress shirt and dark trousers. He was maybe sixty with white hair and cunning blue eyes. The nose suggested he was not unacquainted with trouble.

‘May we come in?' Jane said.

‘Be my guest.'

Jane wore her blue Burberry, beneath which was a navy pencil skirt with a ruffled white blouse. When we got the door closed she made introductions.

From the table, Ruskin said, ‘No offense, sir, but how old are you?'

‘Old enough to do the job.'

‘I have a right to ask that question. It's my ass on the line.'

‘I'm sixty-one.'

Ruskin made a face in Sarah's direction. To Jane he said, ‘No offense, but is this the youngest guy you could get?'

Leo Guild waved him off and stalked back to the door. I wondered if Howie noticed how quickly and deftly Guild moved.

Sarah jumped up and said, ‘No, please wait.' Then, turning on Ruskin: ‘You don't know anything about him, Howard. At least, let's talk to him.'

‘Doesn't matter. Thank you for asking me, Jane. But I'm going to pass on this one.'

‘Hey, Gramps,
you're
not passing,
I'm
passing!'

I wasn't sure Guild heard that one because it came just as he was closing the door behind him. He'd moved damned fast and I didn't blame him.

Jane moved just as fast and it was right to the table and Ruskin. Her face only inches from his, she said, ‘You're a jerk, you know that? A stupid little-boy jerk. Leo Guild is an experienced security man in every respect. Last month the governor's security men hired him to help guard the governor; and whenever anybody important comes to town they always check him out on Google and then hire him. And you treated him like dirt!'

I enjoyed seeing him intimidated. When a man shouts in your face you have the option of shoving him away or even punching him. But when a woman shouts in your face you have to sit there and take it. And it's especially bad when you know you've got it coming.

The problem with Ruskin – no surprise – was that he didn't seem to understand he had it coming. ‘Didn't you see him, Sarah? Did you see how
old
he was?'

‘Did you see how tough he looked, Howard? Did you see how alert he looked? He would have protected us just fine. And you owe him an apology.'

‘Apology? What the hell are you—?'

‘I'm going to see if he's still in the hall,' Jane said.

‘Apology,' Howie said as we waited for Jane to search for Guild. I picked up a piece of toast and jammed it into my mouth. I would have preferred jamming my fist into Howie's face.

A few minutes later Jane reappeared. Behind her came Leo Guild. Tensed up the way he was, he looked ready for payback.

‘I want you to apologize to Leo,' Jane snapped at Ruskin.

‘For what? I had the right to—'

Sarah's words stung with real nastiness. ‘I'm sick of this clown show, Howard. Now apologize.'

‘Forget it,' Guild said, his body angling once again toward the door.

‘Please, Mr Guild,' Sarah said. ‘Please do it for me. I need protection, too. I apologize for both of us. Please stay, for my sake.'

The waif face, the wounded voice – what's a man going to say?

‘Please, Leo,' Jane said quietly.

Guild looked at Jane, then me, then back to Sarah. He did not look at Ruskin.

‘Please,' Sarah said again.

‘All right.' Now he stared right at Ruskin. ‘But if he starts in on me again, I walk. Right out the door. No warning.' He addressed Jane now. ‘That's my condition. He mouths off one more time and that's it.'

‘Can you handle him?' Jane asked Sarah.

‘He's going to handle himself,' Sarah said. ‘Aren't you, Howard?'

‘I'm wounded.' He pointed to his sling as if none of us had any idea of what it was. ‘Somebody shot me last night. And now I'm the bad guy?'

‘Yeah, you're the bad guy. Guild here could crush you with one hand and you're calling him out? Now you apologize to him and start treating him like the professional he is. You told me how afraid you were and how you wanted my help. Well, here's your help and you'd damned well better appreciate it,' I said.

The unthinkable happened. Howie Ruskin blushed. Blushed. Mr Jerk-Off himself knew enough to be embarrassed. And it wasn't just because of me. It was because of what Sarah and Jane and Guild had said, too. His eyes scanned the table as if a supernatural message only he could see had been scribbled across its surface.

‘Shit,' he said, still not looking at us. ‘I'm sorry. I guess I can be sort of an ass sometimes.'

You, Howard? An ass? Aw, c'mon old buddy, that's impossible.

I clapped Guild on the arm and said, ‘I can't say I envy you.'

He laughed. ‘Yeah? Why's that?'

‘Oh, I don't know.'

‘I've dealt with worse. I was a cop, remember. Try getting a three-hundred-and-fifty-pound drunk guy who's also strung out on meth into a car sometime.'

‘I think I'll save that for when I'm reincarnated the next time. Something to look forward to.'

‘I need to get to the office.' Jane drew her Burberry coat tight around her. ‘It's really cold this morning. Brrr.'

‘I'm headed to Robert's. Now's a good time. Most of the press'll be downtown. Ben's got another news conference.'

‘Poor Ben. I don't know how he gets through those things.'

‘I think he secretly likes them. He likes confrontation. Thrives on it.'

‘I do, too. But I've never had to face a mob like the one Ben's dealing with.'