Authors: Fern Michaels
Home Free (19 page)
“How do you know that, Maggie?” Yoko asked.
“I just know. My gut instinct. We have to find someone with the initials JJ in government, then put the squeeze on him. Adam Daniels is just there to field inquiries. He has no control at all. A shill, for want of a better word.”
“But you're guessing,” Yoko persisted.
“Yes, but I'm never wrong when it comes to stuff like this. Maybe Abner can find out. Ted can only do so much, whereas Abner can tread where angels fear to tread.”
Maggie stirred, woke confused for a moment as to where she was. She blinked at the sparkling Christmas tree and knew she'd had a meaningful dream. JJ. “Okay, I get it,” she mumbled to herself as she set about locking up and turning off the tree lights before she made her way to the second floor and bed.
Chapter 18
I
t was just a few minutes shy of five o'clock when Maggie wrapped herself in her winter coat and trudged three doors down the street to Nikki Quinn's house. Just as she reached the stoop, the outside light came on, and Jack Emery walked through the door. He didn't appear surprised to see her heading to his house at such an early hour.
t was just a few minutes shy of five o'clock when Maggie wrapped herself in her winter coat and trudged three doors down the street to Nikki Quinn's house. Just as she reached the stoop, the outside light came on, and Jack Emery walked through the door. He didn't appear surprised to see her heading to his house at such an early hour.
“Hi.”
“Hi, yourself. Is Nikki up and dressed?”
“She is. She's still upstairs. Here, I'll open the door for you. Court is in session today because the heat was off for the last two days, and the judges don't want to lose too much time trying to play catch-up. Happens two or three times every winter. Coffee's ready. You know where everything is. Everything okay?”
“Probably, but not sure. You doing okay with Harry's training?”
Jack laughed. “We're getting there. See ya.”
Maggie entered the house, stood at the foot of the stairs, and shouted up to Nikki. “I need to talk to you. I'll be in the kitchen.”
Five minutes later, Nikki was in the kitchen, pouring coffee for herself. “Kind of early for a visit, not that you aren't welcome. What's up?”
“Something. Maybe nothing. I put my tree up last night. Well, that's not true. My neighbor Drew down the street set it up for me, but I did decorate it. It's beautiful. Is your tree up yet?”
“Jack set it up over the weekend, but we haven't decorated it yet. Myra never used to put ours up till around the fifteenth of December. Now, if you don't put it up after Thanksgiving, there are no trees to be had. Traditions change over the years. Still, we get to enjoy it longer, I guess. Why am I babbling like this, Maggie?”
Maggie shrugged and related her encounter with Gus Sullivan. “I overreacted. At least I think I did. I knew he was talking about you and the others, even though he said he wasn't. I went into protective mode. But that isn't why I'm here.
“I usually do my best thinking in the shower. I don't know why that is. It just is. I should clarify that in the summer I do my best thinking in the shower, because I can stand in there for an hour. In the winter, I'm in and out of the shower in ten minutes, so I dream about my problems and usually come up with a solution to them. It's winter now.”
Nikki sipped at her coffee. “Uh-huh.”
“I had this dream last night.” Maggie went on to relate the dream in detail. “You guys need to ask Abner Tookus to figure it out or run one of his many programs to find out who JJ is. I know it sounds kind of like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There are probably thousands of politicians, aides, staff, and the like who have the initials JJ. But if anyone can find it, Abner can. As you know, I can't ask him. You said he took the assignment, right?”
“He did, and Isabelle is in charge. She and Abner hit it off. They even had dinner one night and lunch yesterday. This is just a wild guess on my part, but remembering how you said Abner worked at the speed of light, it's surprising he hasn't wrapped it up. We all think it's because of Isabelle. You aren't upset over that, are you?”
“Heck no. You know what? They are a perfect match. I can see them as a couple. That's really great. Abner is not . . . He's not a geek. Well, he was back in the day, with the long hair, baggy clothes, the glasses, etcetera. That was just a front. He thought that's the way a geek was supposed to look. I don't have the words to tell you how smart that man is. Plus, he's one of the nicest guys to walk the planet. If anyone can find JJ, it will be Abner.”
“I liked him. I had a bet with Kathryn that he wouldn't take the job. Kathryn didn't want to take the bet until Isabelle stepped forward. Then it was a whole new ball game. It only took him a day and a half to get back to us. The plan is to meet out at the farm when he submits his report. I'll pass this on to Isabelle as soon as I get to the office. Now, about Gus. Do you want some advice, or are you comfortable winging it?”
“Talk to me.”
“Well, your Christmas tree
is
up and decorated. Don't you want to show it off? Of course you do, so why don't you invite Gus to dinner? You said he's allowed to leave the hospital if he has somewhere to go. Give him somewhere to go. In fact, send the
Post
car for him. No point in having a perk like that car if you don't abuse it once in awhile. That's another way of saying Annie will approve. So what if he brings his nurse or aide, or whatever he calls the people who surround him? Let them watch television or eat in the kitchen, and you two eat in the dining room. Be sure to use scented candles and a pretty tablecloth. That's how I hooked Jack.
is
up and decorated. Don't you want to show it off? Of course you do, so why don't you invite Gus to dinner? You said he's allowed to leave the hospital if he has somewhere to go. Give him somewhere to go. In fact, send the
Post
car for him. No point in having a perk like that car if you don't abuse it once in awhile. That's another way of saying Annie will approve. So what if he brings his nurse or aide, or whatever he calls the people who surround him? Let them watch television or eat in the kitchen, and you two eat in the dining room. Be sure to use scented candles and a pretty tablecloth. That's how I hooked Jack.
“Be up front. It's pretty much all a matter of public record, anyway. The world knows the
Post
came down on the side of the vigilantes. You don't have to protect us anymore, Maggie. And you
are
one of us. Tell him right up front. Then I would show him that gold shield. It's when you try to hide stuff that problems surface. So, how many messages and texts did Gus leave?”
Post
came down on the side of the vigilantes. You don't have to protect us anymore, Maggie. And you
are
one of us. Tell him right up front. Then I would show him that gold shield. It's when you try to hide stuff that problems surface. So, how many messages and texts did Gus leave?”
Maggie grinned. “Twenty-one.”
Nikki laughed. “Then I would say you have that boy hooked. Don't call him, though. Send him a text. I like seeing the words as opposed to hearing them. I suspect Gus is the same. Just a gut feeling, Maggie.”
“Okay. Hey, thanks for talking to me. I didn't mean to intrude this early in the day. Talk soon, okay?”
Maggie trudged home just as the dark turned to light. She stood on her little porch and looked across the street as lights started to peek out of the windows. The barren tree branches shivered in the wind just the way she was shivering. She scooted through the door, ran to the kitchen, made coffee, then headed for the stairs and her room, where she dressed for the day. Downstairs again in her kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee. She sat at the table and realized again how alone she was. That was when she finally realized it was Saturday, and she didn't have to go to the paper. Here she was, dressed for the day with nowhere to go. “Crap,” she said succinctly.
As she sipped her coffee, Maggie pondered Nikki's advice. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, she thought as she sent a text message to Gus Sullivan, inviting him to dinner. When she was finished, she went back upstairs to change her clothes again. Back in the kitchen, she rummaged in the freezer for meat and frozen vegetables, which she dumped into a Crock-Pot. She threw in some herbs, some salt and pepper, a little canned beef broth. An hour before serving time, she'd toss in some wine and hope for the best. She had frozen dinner rolls, packaged greens for a salad, and a Boston cream pie she only had to thaw out.
With nothing else on her agenda, Maggie called for a cab and was told one would arrive in seven minutes. She dressed once again for the weather and walked out to her porch. She was sure Yoko could use her help at the nursery, and it was better to be busy than to sit around the house moping. In the cab, she sent a text to her driver to put him on alert to pick up Gus at Walter Reed if he accepted her invitation.
As Maggie climbed out of the cab at Yoko's nursery, she was shocked to see Fergus Duffy. He greeted her with a hug. “I'm just helping out. Annie said Yoko could use all the help that's available. Yoko put me in charge. Do you believe that? Having said that, I need to assign your work. How do you feel about making red velvet bows?”
Maggie shrugged. “I love red bows. There is something special about a big red bow. Anticipation, excitement, a sense of mystery, not to mention cheerful.”
Fergus smiled as he showed her the box of red velvet ribbon and a gizmo to wrap the ribbon around and through. The end result was a beautiful handmade-looking bow.
Maggie screwed up her first, second, and third bows and was starting over just as Isabelle Flanders rolled over in bed and debated if she should answer the phone or not. With a nudge from Abner Tookus, she clicked on the phone and listened to Nikki's greeting, which was, “Sorry to call you so early, Isabelle, but I just spoke with Maggie, and we need you to get a message . . . well, it's more like a request, to Abner Tookus, and if he accepts, Abner is to tack it on to his bill.”
She explained Maggie's dream and wound down by saying, “So, we know that two initials are like finding leaves in the wind, but Maggie said Abner has special software that should work. How soon do you think you can pass this on to Abner?”
Isabelle giggled. “How about right now?”
Nikki looked down at her watch. She wiggled her eyebrows for her own benefit. “Oh,” was all she could think of to say. A grin stretched from ear to ear when she heard Isabelle giggle. In all the years she'd known Isabelle, she'd never heard her giggle. Not ever. “Well, I'll hang up now. When you have time, give me a call and let me know what . . . what Abner's decision is.” She broke the connection before Isabelle could respond.
“Way to go, Isabelle,” Nikki chortled to herself as she shuffled papers on her desk. She wondered if the other Sisters knew about Isabelle's new relationship. Well, Isabelle's love life was none of her business. Or was it? She hoped that Abner Tookus knew how lucky he was. If he didn't, the Sisters would make him aware of it lickety-split. “Damn,” she said happily. Who knew?
While Nikki hustled over to the courthouse for an early morning hearing on a motion, Isabelle relayed Nikki's request to Abner, who groaned. Isabelle laughed as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. A long arm snaked out and drew her back under the covers. “This is where we pretend we're kids again in the orphanage, and we're waking up Christmas morning to this glorious Christmas tree whose lights I leave on twenty-four/seven. We have to imagine, for the moment, that there are hundreds of presents nestled underneath, with both our names on them. All of them are from Santa because we were both good all year. Close your eyes, and when you open them, squeal with pleasure. Can you do that, Isabelle?” Abner whispered.
“I can,” Isabelle said softly. When she opened her eyes, tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she still managed to squeal, a high-pitched keening sound that Abner echoed. She looked at Abner through her tears and saw that his eyes were just as wet as her own. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. She hoped she would forever remember this moment. Abner squeezed her hand. She squeezed his back. The moment was preserved. Forever and ever plus one more day.
The dogs barked on cue. Abner groaned again and got up. He threw on some clothes and his heavy jacket. By the time he got to the elevator, the dogs were waiting with their leashes. In spite of himself, he laughed. He couldn't ever remember a time when he felt this good, so at peace with himself and his life.
Isabelle heard the elevator thirty-five minutes later, just as she flipped the last of the pancakes. “Just keep them warm till I brush my teeth,” Abner said, loping off to the bathroom.
They ate in happy silence, silly smiles on their faces.
“You'll do it, right?” Isabelle said.
“Of course. It shouldn't take long. I want to go over the final report on the other stuff, and then you can take it out to Ms. de Silva. What time is your morning meeting over?”
“Depends on the client. Some of them like to chat it up, you know, be reassured that the plans will be exact. Some of them don't understand Murphy's Law and inspections. To be safe, I'd say noon. I'll come back here. By the way, why do you keep calling Annie âMs. de Silva'? She likes to be called Annie.”
“She never told me to call her Annie, and she is my employer and as such deserves my respect. To be totally honest, I am worried about what Maggie might have said to you all.”
Isabelle looked Abner in the eye and said, “Maggie never ever said a negative word about you. In fact, we never even knew your name until a month or so ago. Maggie holds you in the highest regard. She was very hard on herself where you were and are concerned.”
Abner seemed content with Isabelle's explanation. “You go ahead and take the bathroom. I'm going to feed your latest request into the computers. I can shower and shave later. I'll clean up, too.”
“Don't forget to add water to the tree stand,” Isabelle called over her shoulder.
“Yes, âMom.'” A moment later, Abner was off his stool and barreling down the hall to his workstation, where he typed furiously for several minutes, sat back, then typed some more. Two hours, tops, and he should have every JJ in the District of Columbia plus fifty miles around.
Abner pressed another button on a different computer and waited for the printer to activate. He watched, a smile of satisfaction on his face, as page after page flew out of the printer. Within minutes he knew he had more than a ream of paper. Translated, five-hundred-plus pages of background material on the four subjects he'd been hired to vet.
Now all he had to do was make sense of it all. He looked up at one of the many clocks that adorned his walls. He had plenty of time. He was, after all, a computer whiz, wasn't he?
As he was stapling and sifting through the stack of papers, Isabelle appeared in the doorway. “I watered the tree. If I'm going to be late, I'll call you, okay?” She wanted to go over to the stool where Abner was sitting and kiss him, but she held back. At that moment, he was in another world, a world that didn't include her. She forced cheerfulness into her voice and said, “Bye.”
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