Mercy (20 page)

“Levi’s? Is that proper attire when you want to intimidate someone?”

“It isn’t what you wear that counts. It’s all in the attitude. When can you be ready to leave?”

“Give me ten minutes.”

She stacked the dishes in the sink and then hurried upstairs to change her shirt to a less revealing one while Theo collected his papers.

As he was backing the car out of the drive, he said, “First stop is Second and Victor. I know it’s in St. Claire, but you’ll have to give me exact directions.”

“It’s easy. It’s right behind McDonald’s.”

“Good. I can get some fries to hold me over until lunch.”

“Your blood must be as thick as Crisco.”

“No, it isn’t. I’ve got low cholesterol and lots of the good stuff.”

Michelle directed him through the streets of St. Claire.

“Turn left here,” she instructed. “Why are we going to Second and Victor?”

“Fencing. Ah, there it is.” He pulled into the lot adjacent to the St. Claire Fencing Company, parked the car but left the motor running, and got out. “I already called the order in, so this won’t take long. I just need to pay.” He hit the power lock and then shut the door.

She waited with the air conditioner running full speed. It was hot and muggy outside, and the weatherman had predicted an eighty percent chance for an afternoon thundershower. She lifted her hair and fanned her neck. She still hadn’t readjusted to the humidity in Bowen. Or the pace of life. She was used to running, and now she was going to have to learn how to slow down again.

It took ten minutes for Theo to complete the transaction. Michelle was dying to know why he wanted to buy a fence, but she wasn’t going to ask any more questions. If he wanted her to know, he’d tell her in his own good time.

She lasted until Theo had parked the car in front of the St. Claire Bank and Trust, which was exactly three blocks away from the fencing company.

“Did you buy a fence?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What kind did you get?”

He was going through the stack of papers in the files he had tucked in the console between them. “Wrought iron,” he said. He pulled out two official-looking documents, then got out of the car and came around to open her door for her.

“That’s awfully expensive.”

“It was worth the price.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And why did you buy it?”

“Call it a consolation prize,” he said, “because I’m not going to get a bigger gun.”

He knew she didn’t understand. She’d already gone to the car when little John Patrick had told him about his birthday.

“There are fencing companies back in Boston.”

“Yes, there are.”

It suddenly dawned on her. “Does this have anything to do with Lois?”

“Lois who?”

She gave up. “You’re not going to tell me?”

“That’s right. I’m the strong, silent type.”

“I hate the strong, silent types. They’re all type A personalities. Heart attacks waiting to happen.”

He pulled the door open. “Sweetheart, don’t you ever think about anything but medicine?”

If he only knew. Since she’d met him, the only thing she’d been able to think about was going to bed with him. But she wasn’t going to admit it. “Sure I do,” she said. “Want to know what I’m thinking right now?”

“Are you getting cranky again?”

She laughed. “When was I cranky?”

Theo motioned to the guard, then stepped back so Michelle could go inside first. He knew his weapon would set the alarm off. He flashed his government ID at the elderly man and waited for him to hit the release button. The gun was concealed in an ankle strap he’d had sent to him with the papers.

The guard waved Theo inside. “How can I help you, Officer?”

Theo didn’t correct the misassumption. “I have an appointment with the president of the bank. Could you direct me to his office?”

The guard nodded enthusiastically. “Sure I can. Mr. Wallbash is in the back. You can see him sitting behind his desk on the other side of the glass wall.”

“Thank you.”

Theo caught up with Michelle, pointed to a chair in the lobby outside of the president’s office, and said, “Maybe you should wait here. I may have to use a dirty word in there.”

“What would that word be?”

He leaned down close to her ear and whispered,
“Audit.”

“Excuse me, ma’am. Aren’t you Big Daddy Jake’s girl?” The guard was hurrying toward Michelle.

She whispered, “Good luck,” to Theo and then turned to the old man. “Yes, I am,” she said.

“Then you’re the doctor, aren’t you?”

He introduced himself and shook her hand. “I heard about what happened down at your clinic. My wife, Alice, and I were just saying how nice it was going to be to have Jake’s girl looking out for us. We both need a good doctor. Alice has trouble with her bunions and her corns. She can’t put on her Sunday shoes ’cause it hurts so much, and I’ve got to do something about my bursitis. Some days I can’t raise my right arm at all. When do you think you’ll be seeing patients?”

“Hopefully, in a couple of weeks.”

“We can wait until then,” he said. “We’ve put up with our aches and pains this long. This part-time job of mine helps me keep my mind off my ailments,” he added. “I fill in for the regular guard two days a week. I guess you could say I keep banker’s hours.” He laughed at his own joke and then said, “Will you look at that? Mr. Wallbash looks like he’s gonna have himself a heart attack. His face is as red as a chili pepper, and he’s sweating like a pig. He sure doesn’t like what the officer is telling him.”

Michelle agreed. Wallbash did look ill. He shuffled through the papers Theo had placed on his desk, then looked up long enough to glare at Theo.

She couldn’t see Theo’s face because his back was to her, but whatever he was saying as he leaned over the desk was having quite an impact on Wallbash. The president put both hands up as though he were being robbed and nodded vigorously.

She thought she knew why. Theo must have used the magic word.

He wasn’t inside the president’s office all that long, and he didn’t shake the man’s hand when he was leaving. Wallbash was busy mopping the sweat from his brow. Theo paused in the doorway, and whatever he said in parting made the color drain from Wallbash’s face.

Theo’s expression was ferocious as he crossed the lobby to her. He noticed her watching him, winked, then grabbed hold of her hand, nodded to the guard, and kept right on going, dragging her along in his wake.

She waited until they were in the car to find out what had happened. “Well?”

“Wallbash isn’t happy, but he’ll cooperate. He damn well better,” he added in a voice that made her take notice.

“Now what?”

“One more stop and then we can eat lunch. Tell me how to get to the sugar mill.”

She gave him directions and then asked him to tell her what he’d done. “Wallbash looked like he was going to have a tantrum.”

“The Carson brothers have done their banking at the St. Claire Bank and Trust since the company began. They’re one of the bank’s largest depositors, and that ought to tell you something about the sweet deal those sons of bitches have going. Wallbash and Gary Carson are friends. According to Wallbash, he’s a real nice guy.”

“What about his brother?”

“Jim Carson’s a hothead. I think Wallbash is a little afraid of him. Jim’s the one who went to the hospital to fire Daryl. They play it that way on purpose because it gets them what they want.”

“Like good cop, bad cop?”

“More like bad and worse. You know, I’ll take a hothead over a sneaky little weasel manipulator any day of the week. If I’m lucky today, both brothers will be at the mill and I’ll get to watch them do their routine.”

“But what was the purpose of visiting the bank?”

“I froze their accounts.”

She burst into laughter. “That can’t be legal.”

“Sure it is,” he countered. “Wallbash has the papers, all signed and legal. He has to cooperate, or I’ll nail his . . .”

He stopped himself in time. She ended the sentence for him. “His backside to the wall?”

“Yeah.”

“Why do you keep looking at your watch?”

“Timing is everything,” he said. “My appointment with Gary Carson is at twelve-thirty.”

“You made an appointment?”

“Sure.”

“Did you tell him what you wanted to see him about?”

“And ruin the surprise? Of course I didn’t tell him the truth. I told his secretary I wanted to do some business with the mill.”

“Turn left at the next corner,” she instructed. “And follow this road for a couple of miles. The mill’s out in the country,” she added. “So Carson thinks he’s getting a new account.”

“That’s right.”

“Wallbash will probably call him and tell him about your visit.”

“He’ll call him at exactly one o’clock and not a minute before, or I’ll have auditors tearing that bank apart before he can blink. He’ll wait.”

“Would you really do that?”

He didn’t answer her. She studied his profile for several minutes and then said, “When you want something, you don’t let anything get in your way, do you?”

“That’s right, I don’t. You might want to keep that in mind.”

“You always win?”

He looked at her. “What do you think?”

It was subtle, the way he had changed the subject. They both knew they were talking about getting his way with her now. Then she remembered what he had said to her before he’d even unpacked the night before. He wouldn’t have to go to her bed. She would come to him. When hell freezes over, she thought. She turned to look out her window. Then another thought occurred to her, and she said, “What about payroll? If you froze their accounts, how will the men get paid?”

“The court will appoint someone to write the checks.”

“What if the brothers shut down the mill out of spite?”

“They’re making too much money to shut down, and besides, I’m not going to let them.”

“You can do that?”

“Sure I can. If they don’t cooperate, when I’m finished with them, the employees will own the company.”

Theo could see the mill in the distance. There were smokestacks jutting out of round silos nestled in between two huge concrete-block buildings. All were connected.

The closer he got, the bleaker the place looked. It had a dirty gray façade and dirty windows, but it didn’t look as if it was in bad shape. He parked in the gravel lot, got out, and looked around.

“Mr. Buchanan?”

He turned at the sound of the voice. “Connelly?”

A tall, thin man wearing a business suit approached the car. “Yes, sir.”

“Everything in order?”

Connelly lifted his briefcase. “Yes, sir, it is. I just got word. He’s filed.”

Theo leaned into the open car door and said to Michelle, “Do you mind waiting here?”

“Okay,” she answered, “but if I hear gunshots, I’m going to come running.”

He turned to Connelly, introduced him to Michelle, and then said, “When I come out, you go in. I want you to wait outside the door.”

Theo left the motor running. Removing her seat belt, Michelle pushed the seat back and turned on the radio. Willie Nelson was singing. She took it as a good omen. Maybe Theo wouldn’t run into any trouble after all.

Three songs and nine commercials later, Theo came outside. He was smiling as Connelly passed him on his way inside. Theo double-timed it to the car, slid into the seat, and put the car in drive before he shut his door. She barely had time to click her seat belt closed before he was speeding down the drive.

“Are we making a fast getaway?”

“I’m hungry.”

“But you’re watching the rearview mirror,” she remarked as she turned in her seat to look out the back window.

“Just being cautious. Never know who might have a shotgun under his desk.”

“It went that well?”

“Actually, it did go well. Gary Carson’s a real nice guy. Couldn’t have been more understanding and pleasant. Wants to do the right thing. I can’t tell you how many times he said that. Of course, he qualified it with the veiled threat that he’d have to close the mill because, and I quote, ‘We’re just scraping by.’”

“And how did you respond?”

He flashed her a grin. “I laughed.”

“So you were tactful.”

He laughed. “Sure.”

“You’re really getting a kick out of this, aren’t you?”

He seemed surprised by the question and then said, “Yes, I am. It feels good helping Daryl. Feels real good.”

“Because you can see the difference you’re making.”

“Yes. Of course, this case is easy. I should have it settled before the weekend.”

“You really think you can get the problem fixed in a couple of days?”

“Yes, I do. Unless the brothers have some cash stashed away I don’t know about and think they can hold out. But even then, it won’t matter. They’ve broken so many laws, I could put both of them behind bars. OSHA would have a field day in that plant.”