The Face of Deception (9 page)

Trust building would be a slow process with someone as wary as Eve. She was smart and some-where along the way she would find out that there was more danger to her and her family than an act of vandalism.
Scratch trust.
Then find a way to overcome her resistance and catapult her into his camp.
He leaned back in his chair and began to go over the possibilities.
Hi. Margaret stuck her head into the lab. The decorators in charge of warming up the lab are here. Can you vacate the place for an hour and let them do their thing?
Eve frowned. I told you it wasnt necessary.
The lab isnt perfect, therefore its necessary. I dont do my job halfway.
Only an hour?
I told them you didnt want to be bothered and theyd lose the sale if they took longer. And you do have to eat. She checked her watch. Its almost seven. How about having soup and a sandwich with me while we wait?
Just a minute. She carefully moved the board with Mandys bones to the bottom drawer of the desk. Tell them not to touch the desk or theyll lose more than a sale. Ill murder them.
Right. Margaret turned and disappeared.
Eve took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. A break would probably be good. She had made only a little progress in several hours and her frustration was growing. But a little progress was better than none. Shed tackle the work again after eating.
She encountered six men and two women in the hallway, bearing accent pillows, chairs, and carpets, and had to press back against the wall to avoid the stampede.
This way. Margaret took her arm, maneuvered her around two men carrying a rolled carpet, and led her toward the kitchen. Its not as massive an under-taking as it looks. One hour, I promise.
Im not timing you. A few minutes either way isnt going to matter.
Not going too well? Margaret asked sympa-thetically. Too bad. They entered the kitchen and Margaret gestured to the two places set at the kitchen table. I made tomato soup and cheese sandwiches. Is that okay?
Fine. Eve sat down, picked up her napkin, and spread it on her lap. Im not that hungry.
Im starved, but Im on a diet and trying to be good. She sat down opposite Eve and looked at her accusingly. Youve obviously never been on a diet in your life.
Eve smiled. Sorry.
You should be. She reached for the TV remote on the counter. Mind if I turn on the set? The Presi-dents having a press conference. John has me tape and listen to all of them and report to him if theres any-thing interesting.
I dont mind. She began to eat. If you dont mind my not paying any attention to it. Politics isnt my cup of tea.
Nor mine. But John is fairly obsessed with it.
I heard about the fund-raisers. Do you think he wants to go into politics himself ?
She shook her head. He couldnt stand the bull-shit. She watched the TV for a moment. Chadbournes damn good. Hes practically oozing warmth. Did you know theyre calling him the most charis-matic president since Reagan?
No. Its a big job and charisma doesnt get the work done.
But it can get you elected. She nodded at the TV. Look at him. Everyone says he might carry Con-gress this time.
Eve looked. Ben Chadbourne was a big man in his late forties with a handsome face and gray eyes that sparkled with life and humor. He answered one of the reporters questions with a good-natured jab. The room erupted into laughter.
Impressive, Margaret said. And Lisa Chadbournes not chopped liver. Did you see her suit? Valentino, I bet.
I wouldnt know.
Or care. Margaret grimaced. Well, I care. She always attends every press conference, and the only kick I get from watching them is seeing what she wears. Someday Im going to be skinny enough to wear suits like that.
Shes very attractive, Eve agreed. And shes doing wonderful work raising money for abused children.
Is she? Margarets tone was absent. That suits got to be Valentino.
Eve smiled with amusement. She would never have dreamed a dynamo like Margaret would be so interested in clothes.
The suit in question was precisely cut to enhance Lisa Chadbournes slim, athletic body. The soft beige color made her olive skin and sleek dark brown hair gleam in contrast. The Presidents wife was smiling at him from the sidelines, and she appeared both proud and loving. Very nice.
Do you think shes had a face-lift? Shes sup-posed to be forty-five but she doesnt look a day over thirty.
Maybe. Eve finished her soup. Or maybe shes just aging well.
I should be so lucky. I saw two new lines in my forehead this week. I stay out of the sun. I use mois-turizer. I do everything right and Im still going downhill. Margaret flicked off the television set. Looking at her depresses me. Chadbournes just saying the same old things. Lower taxes. More jobs. Aid to children.
Nothing wrong with that.
Tell that to John. Hell, Chadbourne says and does everything right and his wife smiles sweetly, has as many charities as Evita Peron, and bakes her own cookies. Its not going to be easy for Johns party to oust an administration that everyones calling the second Camelot.
Unless he could find a way to smear the other party. The more Eve thought about it, the more likely that explanation seemed, and she didnt like it one bit. Where is Logan?
Hes been in the study all afternoon making phone calls. Margaret stood up. Coffee?
No, I had some in the lab an hour ago.
Well, evidently I did something right by pro-viding the coffeemaker.
You did a great job. I have everything I need.
Lucky woman. She poured coffee into her own cup. Not many people can say that. Most of us arent as fortunate. We have to compromise and She looked up, stricken. God, Im sorry. I didnt mean that you
Forget it. She stood up. Now I believe I have about twenty minutes more until your decorators finish with my lab. I think Ill go to my room and make a few phone calls too.
Have I chased you off ?
Dont be ridiculous. Im not that sensitive.
Margarets gaze raked her face. I think you are. But you handle it damn well. She paused and then added awkwardly, I admire you. In your place, I dont think I could She shrugged. Anyway, I didnt mean to hurt you.
You didnt hurt me, Eve said gently. Truly. I do have phone calls to make.
Then go make them. Ill finish my coffee and then go nag those decorators and get them out of your way.
Thank you. Eve left the kitchen and strode quickly to her room. What she had told Margaret had been partly true. Time had formed scars on the wounds and, in many ways, she was lucky. She had a worthwhile profession, a parent she loved, and good friends.
And shed better check in with one of those friends, see if Joe had dug up anything more on Logan. She didnt like how the situation was shaping up, she thought grimly.
No, shed call Mom first.
It took six rings before Sandra picked up, but when she did she was laughing. Hello.
I guess I dont have to ask if youre okay, Eve said. Whats so funny?
Ron just spilled paint on his She broke off, giggling. Youd have to be here.
Youre painting?
I told you I wanted to paint your lab. Ron of-fered to help me.
What color? Eve asked warily.
Blue and white. Its going to look like sky and clouds. Were trying one of those new finishes that you do with garbage bags.
Garbage bags?
I saw it on TV. The receiver was suddenly cov-ered. Dont do that, Ron. Youre messing up the clouds. The corners have to be done differently. She came back on the line. How are you?
Fine. Ive been working on
Thats nice. She was laughing again. No cherubs, Ron. Eve would have a cow.
Cherubs?
I promise, just clouds.
Good God, cherubs, clouds. Youre busy. Ill call you again in a few days.
Im glad youre having a good time. Getting away is good for you.
And it was obviously not causing her mother any problem. No more trouble?
Trouble? Oh, you mean the break-in. Not a bit. Joe dropped by after work with Chinese food but left right after Ron got here. It turns out they know each other. I guess its not so strange, Ron being in the D.A.s office and JoeRon, you need more white in that blue paint. Eve, I have to go. Hes going to ruin my clouds.
We wouldnt want that. Good-bye, Mom. Take care of yourself.
You too.
Eve was smiling as she hung up. Sandra sounded younger than she had ever heard her, and everything was Ron and how everything and everyone related to Ron. Nothing wrong with being young. Kids grew up quick in the slums and maybe Sandra would be able to snatch some of that childhood magic now.
Why did that thought make Eve feel a thousand years old?
Because she was stupid and selfish and maybe a little envious.
Joe.
She reached for the telephone again and then stopped.
Logan had known she had gone to the cemetery.
She didnt like the idea of that electronic beehive in the carriage house.
She was being paranoid. Video cameras didnt necessarily equate to bugged telephones.
But they might. Ever since shed arrived there shed had the vague sensation of being caught in a web.
So she was paranoid.
She stood up, dug her digital out of her shoulder bag, and punched in Joes number.
I was just going to call you. How are things going?
Theyre not going. Im treading water. He wants to involve me more than Im comfortable with. I need to know what Im looking at. Did you dig up anything?
Maybe. But its pretty weird.
Whats not weird about all this?
It seems hes lately acquired an obsession about John F.Kennedy.
Kennedy, she repeated, startled.
Yeah. And Logans a Republican, so that by it-self is already weird. He paid a visit to the Kennedy Library. He ordered copies of the Warren Commis-sion Report on Kennedys assassination. He went to the book depository in Dallas and then to Bethesda. Joe paused. He even talked to Oliver Stone about the research he did for his movie JFK. All done very ca-sual and quiet. No urgency. Youd never even make the connection between his actions unless you were looking for a pattern, like I was.
Kennedy. It was bizarre. That cant have any-thing to do with why Im here. Is there anything else?
Not so far. You asked for out of the ordinary.
Well, you certainly gave it to me.
Ill keep looking. He changed the subject. I ran into your moms current flame tonight. Rons a nice guy.
She thinks so. Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me.
I dont think Im going to have to do much more of it. Ron seemed pretty protective himself.
I havent met him yet. Moms afraid Ill scare him off.
You might.
What do you mean? You know I want whatevers best for Mom.
Yep, and youll kick ass until you get it for her.
Am I that bad?
Joes voice softened. No, youre that good. Look, Ive got to go. Diane wants to catch a nine oclock movie. Ill call you when I know anything more.
Thanks, Joe.
Forget it. I probably didnt help you much.
He probably hadnt, Eve thought as she hung up. Logans interest in JFK might be just coincidence. What possible connection could there be between the ex-president and her present situation?
Coincidence? She doubted if anything Logan did was coincidental. He was too sharp, too much in con-trol. His search for information about Kennedy was too recent not to be suspicious, and if hed tried to keep his interest in Kennedy under wraps, it was for a reason.
What reason? It couldnt be of
She stiffened with shock.
Oh, my God.
SEVEN
The library was unoccupied when she entered a few minutes later.
She slammed the door closed, flicked on the light, and strode toward the desk. She opened the right-hand drawer. Just papers and telephone books. She slammed it shut and opened the left-hand drawer.
Books. She pulled them out and set them on the desk.
The Warren Commission Report was on top. Be-neath it was the Crenshaw book on the Kennedy au-topsy and then a well-thumbed book titled The Kennedy Conspiracy: Questions and Answers.
May I help you? Logan stood in the doorway.
Are you crazy, Logan? She glared at him. Ken-nedy? Youve got to be out of your mind.
He crossed the room and sat down at the desk. You appear to be a little upset.
Why should I be upset? Just because youve brought me here on the wildest goose chase ever con-ceived by man. Kennedy? she repeated. What the hell kind of crackpot are you?
Why dont you sit down and take a deep breath. He smiled. You scare me when you loom over me like that.
Bullshit. This isnt funny, Logan.
His smile vanished. No, its not funny. I was hoping it wouldnt come to this. I tried to be so careful. I take it you didnt just decide to ransack my office out of curiosity. Joe Quinn?
Yes.
I heard he was very smart. He shook his head. But youre the one who sicced him on me. Why couldnt you have just left it alone?
You expected me to wander around in the dark?
He was silent a moment. No, I guess I didnt expect it. But I hoped. I wanted you to go into this unprejudiced.
Id be unprejudiced no matter what I suspected. You have to be when you do my kind of work. But I cant believe you want me to help you dig up Kennedy.
No manual labor is required. I just need you to verify
And get shot in the process. For Gods sake, Kennedy is buried at Arlington Cemetery.
Is he?
She went still. What the devil are you saying?
Sit down.
I dont want to sit down. I want you to talk to me.
Okay. He paused. What if it isnt Kennedy buried at Arlington?
Heaven help me, not another conspiracy theory?
Conspiracy? Yes, I guess that about covers it. But with a slight twist. What if it were one of Kennedys doubles who was shot in Dallas? What if Kennedy died before the Dallas trip?
She stared at him in disbelief. Kennedys doubles?
Most public figures have doubles to protect both their lives and their privacy. Its estimated Saddam Hussein has at least six.
Hes a dictator of a third-world country. No one could get away with that here.
Not without help.
Whose help? she asked sarcastically. Little John-John? Maybe brother Bobby? Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Youre nuts. Its the most outrageous thing Ive ever heard. Who the hell are you accusing?
Im not accusing anyone. Im just looking at possibilities. Ive no idea how the man died. He had all kinds of health problems that werent public knowledge. His death could have been by natural causes.
Could? My God, are you suggesting the cause might not have been natural?
Youre not listening. Dammit, I dont know. The only thing I do know is that a deception that exten-sive would have involved more than one person.
A White House conspiracy. A cover-up. She smiled mockingly. And isnt it convenient for you that Kennedy was a Democrat? You can paint the op-position as a bunch of unscrupulous connivers not worthy of winning the election this year. What a co-incidence that a massive smear like this might trans-late to a victory for your party.