Mourning Dove (23 page)

“Sometime this morning.”

“It’s afternoon,”
Margaret said when she looked at her watch, “and they’re not here yet.”

“You know what this
reminds me of, Jordie?” Allen asked.

“Yeah, unfortunately I
do. It’s a pattern I’m all too familiar with.”

Farrell is staring at
Sara and me,
Ron thought to himself
. I wonder how long we can keep this
from him
.

The buzzer sounded in the
front office. “Anyone here?”

“We’re back in Ron’s
office, Cass.” Sara called out.

“You don’t have that
feline from hell with you, do you?”

“Oh Ron, for goodness
sake,” Sara shook her head at him.

“He’s in my car in his
kitty carrier. You’re safe, Ron.” Cass laughed as she maneuvered into the
overcrowded office. “By the way, the police just pulled into the front lot.”

Farrell walked across the
room and whispered to Sara and Ron, “Don’t mention the stone to the locals.
I’ll wait ‘til everyone leaves; then I want to know about this stone your
bookkeeper mentioned.”

Ron didn’t know where
Farrell was coming from. The man wanted Sara; that came out loud and clear. He
had almost all the information they had. What else did he need to find out who
killed their son?

***

Monday morning began with
a hectic pace. Sara dragged her luggage, piled with her laptop and overstuffed
briefcase into the front office of finance.  “Louise, Jonathon’s note calls for
a department meeting at eleven. Is he in yet?”

“No ma’am, he’s AWOL this
morning.”

“That’s clever, Louise,”
Steve said. “Where did you pick that up?”

“Old M*A*S*H reruns,” she
stuck her tongue out at him.

“Okay, children, we have
a lot to do before Jonathon and I leave for Chicago. Louise, did you get the
new numbers from San Francisco?”

“They came in this
morning with a two page narrative from the new comp.”

“I want a copy on my desk
in ten.”

“Already there, are you
going to have time for a dip in the pool?”

“Our flight takes off at
two. I’m afraid it’s too close to get any relaxation out of the exercise.”

“Word has it that our
fitness club manager, Joe Stein, didn’t make it in this morning,” Steve said.
“I guess he’s AWOL, too.” He winked at Louise.

“I wonder if he’s got
that damn flu,” Sara said.

All three of their office
phones rang simultaneously. “How freaky is this?” Louise asked as she reached
for hers.

Sara walked through to her
office leaving her bags in front of her desk to answer her ringing phone. A few
minutes later, she hung up her handset and spun around to her two assistants
walking through her doorway. They both plopped down in the conference chairs
and began to talk at once.

“Time out, Louise you
were through the door first. What’s up?”

“Catherine called to say
Mr. Starr will be a little late. He wants the meeting pushed back to
eleven-thirty.”

“Jonathon was on my
line,” Sara said. “He’s stuck in traffic behind a nasty accident on Broadway.
“Postponing the meeting is obvious.”

“Steve?”

He sat there suddenly
serious, the color gone from his face. “My call was from Florence in reception.
Joe Stein is dead.”

The seatbelt sign blinked
off as the cabin attendant passed by. Sara stared out the window to her right.
The cotton batting cloud cover fit. She was wrapped in shock.

“A penny for your
thoughts,” Jonathon asked.

“I was just thinking
about Joe Stein. He was my daily dose of cheer and now he’s gone.”

“Sara, you can’t cheat
death. When it’s your time, it’s your time.”

“He was so fit, Jonathon.
He worked out at the gym, too. I know he was sixty eight but he looked and
acted so much younger.”

“Look at it this way; he
went fast without warning, a heart attack on the way to doing something he
liked.”

“It still hurts.”

“Focus on our plans for
the week.”

He opened his laptop and
powered it up. She pulled a file from her briefcase and began reading the
latest changes to the conference schedule. Within minutes he was keying in
edits to his speech and she’d read the same paragraph a dozen times without
retaining any of it.

***

At the Marriott in
downtown Chicago, Sara and Jonathon walked through the mammoth lobby, pulling
their luggage behind them, “I’ll meet you in the lobby bar at six,” he said. “I
understand they have a pool here and I know you like to swim. It might be good
for you to get a few laps in.”

“I think I’ll take a nap
first. I’m beat.”

“Swim first, Sara. You’ll
be fresh for this evening’s meeting with the Chicago crew.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Jonathon wrapped his free
arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “Buck up little lady,
everything will work out.”

She could swear he just
kissed the top of her head. She was too exhausted for this.

In the elevator, he
added, “I expect to see a smile on your face when you come back down to the
lobby tonight.” The number increased in red above their heads until it reached
seven and Sara stepped out. “See you at six, Jonathon.”

***

The man watched the Stafford woman’s room from the stairway. She came out with a blue tote slung over her
shoulder, turned toward the elevator, and waited with her eyes closed. When the
elevator car arrived she disappeared inside and he made his move. In her room
he sifted through her luggage; then reached into his jacket pocket and placed a
small black rectangle on the side of her nightstand. He added another at the
back of the lamp on the desk.  Pulling the curtain aside, he placed a wire on
the edge of the window glass overlooking Michigan Avenue and let the curtain
fall back into place.

***

On autopilot, Sara walked
out of the locker room and approached the long rectangular pool; Romanesque in
design with white columns flanking its length, the pool was illuminated with the
late afternoon sun by a wall of windows. She was alone with the scent of
chlorine. If only grief was as easy to cleanse. She’d thought moving out and
getting on with her life would change things but it hadn’t.

The click of a door
opening at the far end of the room announced the fitness club attendant in
hotel uniform with an armful of folded white towels. She felt naked before him
in nothing more than her black one piece. He walked the length of the room and
disappeared through the door to the men’s locker room without acknowledging her
presence.

Dropping her towel on the
first of a row of pool chaises lined up like padded soldiers; she stepped down
into the shallow end of the pool and pushed off from the bottom step.

Lap after lap, she
cleaved the water, touched the concrete, rolled, reversed, pushed off and
cleaved again. At the end of the last lap, she reached out for the wall and
touched flesh. Masculine hands grabbed her waist and Sara rose up sputtering.

“Hey beautiful, don’t
sink now.”

“Matthew? I didn’t expect
you until tomorrow?”

“Does that mean you’re
glad to see me or disappointed I pulled a miracle and arrived at the conference
on time?”

“I’m glad to see you, of
course. I’m sorry about yesterday. We weren’t very cooperative in your
investigation. There were too many people; then the local police complicated
everything by throwing us all out of our own offices. We hadn’t begun to touch
anything but you would think by their attitude we had committed a cardinal
sin.”

“You still think of
Stafford Sound Systems as yours?”

“I’m a legal partner. He
refuses to accept my request to resign.”

“And you still care for
him.”

It was a statement of
fact, not a question. Matthew let go of her waist and she began to tread water.

“Yes and no. He’s still
technically my husband. We’ve got a lot of history together; I’ve told you that
before. The strongest bond between us now is our shared grief.”

“And love?”

“Past love, pain,
parenthood, I’m not
in love
with him anymore. That died almost a year
ago. Or at least, that’s when I first recognized it was missing.” She fell back
into an easy backstroke putting distance between them.

“What about the stone?”

“What stone?”

“Sara, please don’t play
dumb.” He moved to cut the distance between them. “We both know better.”

“It’s a monument and
souvenir from our son. With the break-in, we both felt it was better off
someplace else so we removed it, end of story. I told you yesterday it wasn’t
important to the burglary.”

He watched her in
silence, “Something else happened. What is it?”

She stopped her backward
movement. “There’s been another death.”

“Who?”

“Joe Stein, the fitness
club manager.” She pulled the water behind her with a couple of breaststrokes.

“At Starr Shine?”

“Yes.”

“When.”

“This morning, he was
driving in to work and he had a heart attack. At least, that’s the preliminary
guess. Jonathon was stuck behind the mess on the way in. He recognized Joe’s
car and called the office.”

“I’m sorry, I liked Joe.
I didn’t know he had heart problems.”

“I don’t think he did.”

“Sometimes heart attacks
hit without warning. How are you?”

Sara shrugged her
shoulders then realized he couldn’t see them. “Okay, I guess.”

“I suppose that’s why
you’re here instead of downstairs with the others.”

“Oh my God! What time is
it?” She swiveled around trying to find a clock.

“It’s just past six,” he
said with a smile on his face.

“It’s not funny, Matthew.
I promised Jonathon I’d be down at the lobby bar at six o’clock to meet the
others.”

“Mr. Farrell, you keep
glancing across the room. Are you looking for someone?” The pretty blonde
beside him was barely dressed in an emerald piece of satin and drenched in
cheap fragrance. The overpowering scent had set off a pounding in his head.
She’d been pushing her cleavage into his arm every chance she got, running her
tongue over her upper lip in a calculated maneuver.

From the corner of his
eye, Matthew could see an elevator open across the room. Several people came
out, not Sara. It had been nearly an hour. What was taking her so long? He was
about to slide off his stool and find out when another elevator opened and
there she was, one beautiful lady making a grand entrance. From across the room
she looked toward their group and smiled. He returned it with a wink just
before she ducked her head down. She was wearing something in black showing a
lot of leg and a hint of cleavage. He had the urge to slip off his jacket and
cover her nakedness. Her pace was slow and deliberate stepping down into the
sunken sitting area, weaving her way around clusters of businessmen.

 “Lorna, that’s the
little filly who’s got him nearly hogtied,” he heard Jonathon say from behind
him. One of these days Pierce was going to go too far. When he drank his mouth
deserted his common sense.

Matthew met Sara just out
of hearing range of the others and placed a proprietary kiss on her cheek. “I
was about to start a search and rescue detail.”

“I’m sorry, Matthew. I
put this dress on and then looked in the mirror. When I realized how blatant
the message was, I took it off. Then I thought what the hell and slipped it
back on. I trust you to keep me safe.”

Matthew was stuck on the
image of her taking it off and groaned at her vote of confidence in his ability
to keep
his
hands, as well as the paws of every other male in the
vicinity, off her.

“Sara,” Jonathon called
out, “let me introduce you to the Chicago group. Of course you
know
Matthew Farrell.” He snorted and Matthew started counting to ten.

“Please meet Roger
Bennett from the Chicago R & D unit.”

“Roger, it’s a pleasure,”
she said. “I read your report on the new chip. I’m happy we have your insight.”

“This pretty li’l thing
beside him is Pam Lawson, from finance.”

Matthew could see the
look of disgust flit across Pam Lawson’s face at Pierce’s remark, but Sara
covered the moment with a handshake and a smile. “Pam, I’m glad we’re finally
able to meet. How’s the new staff accountant working out?”

“She’s a little timid,
but she knows her stuff.”

“That was my impression
when I first met her. Give her a chance to settle in.”

Jonathon continued, “Our
host for the conference, Jack Stone the Divisional Manager.”

She beamed a hundred watt
smile with her offering hand. “Jack, at the risk of offending my boss, I want
you to know the Chicago division is the stellar unit at Starr Shine. Please
accept my apologies for my tardiness this evening. I was introducing myself to
the pool and lost track of time.”

“Sara,” Jonathon
continued, “this is the hottest sales director anywhere, Lorna Craemer.”

Sara’s smile never
faltered as she turned toward the barracuda beside him, “Lorna, good hustle
last month on the sales numbers. I’m glad we’ve finally met.” She brushed right
over the snub Lorna’s envy was broadcasting and shook her hand without
blinking.

After the introductions,
Jack added, “Our table is not quite ready. What are you drinking, Sara?”

“Ginger ale and orange
juice, please.”

“You’re going to have
something a little stronger than that.”

“Jack, I fold after the
first glass of alcohol. To prevent myself from being a major embarrassment this
evening, I would like to go soft until the evening is almost over.”

Jonathon added, “Well,
Farrell, I think we found you a drinkin’ buddy to keep up with your liquid
preferences.”

           
Just one
more comment and I’m going to take him into the stairwell and show him how to
bloody well shut his trap
, Matthew thought to himself.

“Sara, use my seat,”
Roger added and vacated the stool beside Pierce.

Matthew leaned back and
watched the cowboy wrap his arm around Sara’s waist. In a flash, her elbow made
a sharp point and he dropped his hand. From this end of the group it looked
like Jonathon Pierce was about to slide off the bar stool. For half a second,
he considered letting him fall flat on his face. He shook his head at something
the green barracuda was whispering in an attempt to draw his attention. He had
no idea what she was babbling about. “Excuse me, Lorna.” He slid off his stool
and skirted around her pocket of perfume. Squeezing in between Sara and Pierce
he whispered a warning not even Sara could hear. Pierce got the message and
staggered off the stool grabbing the bar edge to steady himself.

Sara watched Jonathon’s
attempt to stay upright as he exited the lobby and whispered, “Matthew, what
did you say to him?”

“I told him his fly was
down. I’m going to follow him to the gents and convince him to go upstairs and
sleep it off.”

***

Matthew walked into the
men’s room behind Jonathon, paced the length of the room checking stalls and
then whipped Pierce around to face him. “Just what the hell were you trying to
prove out there? How drunk you can get and still stay on your feet? Or how
obnoxious you can be with a snoot full?”

“Get your paws off me,
Farrell. In case you’ve forgotten, we are both undercover. I was jus’ playing
the part.”

“Bullshit! You smell like
a distillery! Your speech is slurred and your mouth is offensive.”

“Fuck you! Better yet,
fuck her! Tha’s what you’ve been tryin’ to do for the pas’ two weeks. Had any
luck with your assignment?”

“I’m making better
progress than you.”

“I got her in bed, have
you?”

“You drugged her.”

“She looks hot tonight.
Maybe you’ll get lucky.”

Matthew planted a hard
fist in Jonathon’s gut and watched him double over. “There is a time and a
place, Pierce. Go upstairs and sleep it off.
I
have a job to do.”

Matthew shoved the door
out of his way nearly mowing over another man entering the facility.

***

Much later in the
evening, Matthew Farrell was back in the pool room. He knew he’d find her there
again; the woman was part mermaid. She was putting a lot of energy into her
swim. Energy he would like to redirect in his favor. He slid into the deep end
and waited for her return lap. She stopped just short of a collision this time.

“Hi, beautiful, I didn’t
think you had any energy left after we got back from Rush Street. With all that
dancing you should be sound asleep by now.”

“I couldn’t sleep. What’s
your excuse?”

“You aren’t the only one
with gills.” He pulled her in to him and kissed her nose. “It would have been
nice to get in one slow dance with you.”

“Lorna made sure you
didn’t.” Sara pushed away, floating back into the center of the pool.

“Don’t tell me you’re
jealous of the green barracuda.”

“She doesn’t bother me.
I’m better than that.”

“Yes, you are. Come
here.”

“I think I’d be safer
with a shark.”

“Probably, come here anyway.
We need to talk.”

“Is that what you have in
mind?”

“I can multitask,” he
wiggled his eyebrows as he floated in for the move. She was skittish.  Somehow
he’d lost ground. “I want to watch you float; I want to see you trust me.”

He pulled her up against his
body so she could feel his need; then he laid her back against his outstretched
arm. “Close your eyes and float.”

“Why?”

“I thought you trusted
me.”

“I did.”

“That sounds a bit past
tense. Come on; lean back. That’s better. Lift your legs. I’ll hold you up.
Good. Now close your eyes.”

After a few seconds he
reached down and placed a light kiss on her lips. “Sara, are you relaxed?”

“You know I am.”

“Good. I want you more
than a man has a right to, but I’m going to wait. I want your complete trust.
This afternoon I thought I had it. This evening I know I don’t. No, don’t stand
up, just float on my finger tips.”

“Matthew, I can’t think
rationally like this. If we’re going to talk, I have to have my feet grounded.”
She stood and turned toward him.

“What did Ron say on the
phone this evening that took away your trust?”

“Why do you think Ron is
the reason?”

“Because Jonathon was the
only other distraction this evening and my gut says it wasn’t him.”

He watched her eyes from
within the loose circle of his arms, her feet firmly planted on the bottom of
the pool. Her hands were stirring the water between them ready to push him away
at any moment.

“The landlord checked out
the empty unit beside Ron’s office. You know what he found, don’t you,
Matthew?”

“Continue.”

“What aren’t you telling
me?”

“You tell me,” he said.
She pushed away and he followed her back to the deep end of the pool.

“What I can’t figure out
is how you have time to do it all. How do you act as the government expert in
satellite communications preparing to be the keynote speaker at this
conference, track our movements, trash our homes and offices, and romance the
Mourning Dove?”

Sara swam up to him
again, planted both feet onto his chest with the last of her accusation and
shoved off to the other side of the pool. He let her go. Ten feet away she
turned and sluiced the wet from her curls. “That’s the code name you asked me
to leave when I needed you. And, that’s what you’re doing, isn’t it. That’s
your assignment; don’t deny it. Jonathon tried first. Now he’s jealous because
you appear to be succeeding where he failed and he can’t accept defeat. That’s
why he was aloof on the plane. That’s why he was drunk before the evening got
started. You’ve made this some kind of macho competition.”

“Are you finished?”

“I haven’t begun. Why not
just come to Ron and me and ask? Why not just show your IDs, explain the
predicament the government is in and ask for our assistance? No, you all had to
play cloak and dagger games right out of a James Bond movie. What is all this
deception getting you? You want me to trust you, but there is no reciprocal
trust. Just ask me, damn it!” She slammed her fists down through the surface of
the water.

“Ask what?”

“Ask if I found the disk
Carl removed from the chemical lab in Toronto the day he died.”

“I already know the
answer to that question.”

“Because you are the spy
in the vacant office next to Ron’s.”

“No, because I know where
the disk is and you don’t have it.”

“I don’t?”

“How do you know about
the chemical lab?”

“The same way I knew that
you could be trusted only you don’t believe me.”

“Carl told you.”

“That’s hard for you,
isn’t it? You want me to believe you had no hand in the violence that’s
followed my son’s death. Why do you think I don’t have the disk?”

“It can only be in one
place and, for the moment, it’s safe there. If the bad guys knew you didn’t
have the bloody thing they’d eliminate you. My job isn’t to find the disk,
Sara.”

“What is it then?”

“It’s to keep you safe.
As long as the other side thinks you will uncover the disk,”
and the
prototype
, “you’re safe, for now. But, time is running out.”

“That’s what Carl said.”

He rolled his eyes to the
vaulted ceiling and shook his head. The door to the fitness center opened and
he pulled her into his arms. “Pretend you want this,” he whispered before his
kiss. In another moment, the attendant entered the men’s locker room.

He continued quietly,
“The point is the other side is getting desperate. I have a feeling I know who
the leak in the department is so I’m going to ask you not to talk about this to
anyone, not even Jonathon.”

“Why?”

“Because he still thinks
you, or Ron, have the disk.”

“After this afternoon, I
don’t even want to talk to Jonathon about finance. He acted like an ass. He’s
an agent working undercover for the government, too. Isn’t he? God! How do you
guys do this?”

“Until I find the leak,
don’t trust him. Okay?”

“All right.”

“I’m sorry about your
lack of trust in me; I don’t know what to do to change that. I’ll protect you
with my life, Sara. That hasn’t changed.”

“If you know where the
disk is, why can’t we end this?”

“The chase for the disk
will be over soon, I promise.”

“You broke the code,
didn’t you?”

He nodded in response.
“With a bit of patience and a little luck we’ll snare the traitor in the
department and shut down the Nazi alliance with the terrorist cell.” He watched
skepticism drift briefly into her eyes and hated the ground he’d lost.

“Sara, I’m the man who
cares about you; I need your trust.”

He pulled her back in his
arms for another kiss and heard the attendant return to the poolroom. Spinning
her around, he pinned her between the far side of the pool and his body.

There was something
suspicious about that guy.