Before Mark could get over his shock at seeing the other man flash a genuine smile, a woman strode past, giving Mark a wide berth and avoiding eye contact. She carried a white paper bag in one hand and a drink holder in the other. The two soft drinks sloshed as she set it down along with the bag. “There’s extra ketchup, mustard and salt.”
“Great. I appreciate it.” Jim dug into his pocket and handed the woman some cash. “That should cover it.”
Mark was torn between wanting to look at the woman—the first he had seen in months, or the bag, whose scent told him what it contained. The woman ignored him and left the room. That left him no choice, but it didn’t make it any easier. He swallowed hard and studied the floor. It was the safest choice.
At the crinkle of paper, Mark raised his head. Jim dug into the bag and pulled out two large sandwiches. He pushed one in front of Mark. “I think it has the works.”
Mark recoiled. What was the guy up to?
Jim frowned as he began unwrapping his own sandwich. “It’s okay. You can have it.”
The smell filled the air, and he hoped he wasn’t drooling, but he didn’t touch the food—not even when a container of fries joined the burger on the table in front of him. For all he knew, it was poisoned. More likely, it was a trick and the second he put it to his mouth, Jim would order him to drop it.
Mark remembered a dog he’d had as a kid that would sit with a treat balanced on its nose, waiting eagerly for permission to flip the morsel up and snatch it out of the air. Mark now knew how that dog had felt. It made him ashamed of teaching his pet that ‘trick’. Now it seemed cruel. He studied his shackled hands clasped in his lap. Even if he dared to eat the burger, he couldn’t reach it anyway. There wasn’t enough slack in the chains.
“Eat the damn burger.” Jim set his own lunch down, and wiped his hands on a napkin. “I’m trying to do something nice here.”
Mark darted a look at him. “Why?” His voice was hoarse from disuse, and he cleared his throat. There had to be an ulterior motive. Jim’s face hardened and Mark raised his chin a notch. This was the man he knew. He could handle this.
For a long moment, their eyes clashed and Mark felt a thrill of triumph when Jim looked away first and shook his head. “Fine, eat it or not. I don’t care.” Jim took a bite of his burger and Mark turned his head, the sight of the food making him light-headed.
The thrill of winning died in the next few minutes as he remained at the table, hearing the crunch of the lettuce, smelling the charcoal-grilled meat and the aroma of French fries. What had he won? Nothing. Mark took a deep breath. “I...uh...I’m sorry. I just...I don’t know what you want from me.”
Jim sighed and dropped the fry he held. “I just thought it would be something special for your birthday. We’re not heartless here.”
Shocked, Mark stared at Jim. “It’s my birthday?” It was September eighth? He had been here only ten months?
He was thirty-six years old. Were his parents thinking of him today? Or did they think him a terrorist? Last year, he had spent the day at a Cub’s game. The sun had been hot, the beer cold, and the home team even won the game. He closed his eyes, picturing the deep green ivy covered walls, the emerald diamond and the flags on the center-field scoreboard blowing straight out. Towering above the team flags had been the American flag. He opened his eyes and blinked hard.
“You didn’t know?”
Mark shook his head. How could he have known? It wasn’t like he had a calendar tacked to the wall of his cell.
“Well...shit. Yes, it’s your birthday.” Jim waved to the food in front of Mark. “ So eat up. It’s not poisoned.”
“I can’t...sir.”
“Why the hell not?” The irritation was back in his voice and he gave Mark a sharp look.
Mark bit back a sarcastic reply. This was probably just another way to torment him. He lifted his hands as far as they would go. If he stretched, he could just touch the edge of the sandwich.
Jim’s face flushed. “Oh.” He called a guard over and instructed him to detach the shackles from the waist chain.
The other man’s embarrassment surprised him, but he didn’t dwell on it. He allowed himself to breathe in the scent of the burger, letting it fill his nose and make his mouth water. Then he took a bite, closing his eyes and savoring the taste and texture. The sauce mixed with the crisp lettuce and tomato and complemented the hot and juicy burger. Pure heaven.
He washed it down with an ice cold soft drink. It made him think of all the times he had eaten this exact same meal. Usually he was with a friend for lunch or late in the evening after a long photo shoot. It was normal. Ordinary. So ordinary, it made his throat tighten and he had to take another long gulp of the soft drink to get the food down. What he missed most was normal life.
Half-way through the meal, it hit him that when he finished eating, he would go back to his cell. Back to his surreal life in a nine-by-six room with white cinder block walls. This meal— this taste of his usual life—it was just a brief interlude. Nothing more. His hands shook and his stomach churned. No longer hungry, Mark set the half-eaten sandwich down.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Jim balled up his wrapper and stuffed it in the bag. He tried to quell his anger. Jim probably hadn’t meant to be cruel, but that only made it harder. Mark took a deep breath. “I liked it fine, sir.” For the first time, he lied to the other man. “Thank you. I appreciate the meal.” He touched his stomach. “I’m full, that’s all.” A wave of nausea ripped through him and he prayed he would make it back to his cell before the food came back up.
Eleven
Jim drummed his fingers on the armrest of the cab as it inched through Chicago’s morning rush hour. His superiors had denied his official travel request, stating that they felt Officer Daly’s report was sufficient and that nothing more could be gained from that line of inquiry. Undeterred, he’d put in for some personal time and paid for the trip himself. So, he was here unofficially. That might be better anyway. If he didn’t find anything useful, he wouldn’t have to admit it to Bill.
Almost an hour later, Jim tossed his bag on the bed in his room. He thought about following it down and taking a quick nap, but it was already after ten. He had a lot of ground to cover before his return flight tomorrow evening. First on his agenda was finding Detective Jessica Bishop. According to his notes, she worked out of the fifth precinct. Jim changed from his rumpled traveling clothes and put on a crisp white shirt, blue tie and black pants. Just because it was technically vacation didn’t mean he couldn’t look official.
Jim paused outside the police station, double checking the precinct number. Satisfied he was at the right one, he pushed through the doors and strode up to the desk sergeant. “I’m looking for Detective Jessica Bishop. Can you direct me to her office please?”
“Who are you?” The man squinted up from his paperwork.
This was the tricky part. Bishop didn’t know him. This wasn’t official business so Jim couldn’t declare that he was with the CIA. He didn’t want to lie, either. He settled for a half-truth. “I’m Jim Sheridan. Detective Bishop and I have a mutual friend, so I thought while I was in town on business, I’d come by and introduce myself.” He pulled out his wallet and showed his driver’s license.
The sergeant raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged. “Whatever.” He waved a hand towards the right. “Her office is third door on the left. But she ain’t there now.” With that, he went back to whatever he was doing with the papers.
Jim braced his hands on the desk and leaned towards the sergeant’s face. “Any idea when she might return, or where she might be? I promised I’d meet her when I was in town.”
The man sighed and rolled his eyes. “Look, I ain’t her secretary. You might find her in the file room. It’s back that-away.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder.
“Thanks. You’ve been so much help.” Jim headed in the direction the man had indicated and peered in three offices, inquiring in each if
anyone had seen Jessica Bishop. No one had any idea and he was beginning to wish he had called first. He’d thought about it, but didn’t want to give up the advantage of surprise. He had found that it was easier to read a person that way. A door marked FILE ROOM was ajar, and he pushed it open and stepped in.
“You the one looking for me?”
Jim turned towards the voice behind him. She was taller than he expected, only a few inches shorter than his five-foot ten. He had seen a standard file photo of her, but in person, even with her hair in a tight bun, she was striking. She watched him warily.
“Detective Jessica Bishop?”
She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. “And you are?”
Jim stuck his hand out. “Jim Sheridan.”
For a long moment, she studied him before she shook his hand. Her grip was strong and her eyes hard. “What can I do for you?”
Jim looked over her shoulder to the busy station. “I know this is unexpected. I flew out on the chance I could talk to you when I should have made an appointment, but do you have some time? I’d like to talk to you. Somewhere quiet, if possible. It’s about a mutual acquaintance.”
“Who is it?” Jessica glanced away, and he saw her reluctance and irritation. She held a stack of files and her eyes went from the clock then down to the files in her hand as though weighing in her mind if she had time to waste talking to him
“I see I’ve caught you at a bad time, but I promise you’ll be interested in who this acquaintance is.” He paused a beat letting her realize the importance of his next words. “I’d rather wait to disclose who it is until we can go somewhere else to discuss it.”
She raised her head, her expression wavering between annoyance and curiosity. “Look, I don’t know you from Adam, so why should I go anywhere with you?”
He stepped closer and said in a low voice, “I saw Mark Taylor the other day. I’d like to ask you some questions.”
She lost her grip on the folders, but juggled them quickly and looked like she was going to ask him something, but changed her mind. Hope had sparked in her eyes for an instant before she masked it with a shrug. “Okay. Let me get my purse out of my office.”
As she entered an office, she glanced over her shoulder. “Are you hungry? We can get some lunch.”
“That sounds great.” Jim realized that he was starving, his stomach reminding him that the granola bar he’d eaten on the way to the airport this morning was a distant memory. He waited outside the detective’s office. Purse in hand, the woman started for the door, stopped, turned back, and pulled a large white envelope from a desk drawer. Tucking it firmly under an arm, she breezed past him.
She drove, not saying much beyond asking him what kind of food he wanted. He shrugged and told her to pick the place. His hopes of putting her at ease turned to regret when she pulled up in front of a grungy hot dog stand. Jim hid a grimace. Maybe she was trying to give him food poisoning. He ordered a hot dog with the works along with fries, and Jessica ordered the same. He followed her to one of the picnic tables sitting on the hot pavement. Jim bit into the hot dog, and then grinned. “This is good.”
Jessica nodded, her mouth full. After taking a sip of her drink, she said, “Yeah, it’s one of my favorite spots.” She glanced around. “It doesn’t look like much, but what it lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in flavor.” A few wisps of her hair had escaped confinement and the gold strands fluttered as she tilted her face to the sun, eyes closed. “Besides, sometimes I just need to get outside for a bit.”
They ate, occasionally making awkward small talk. It was odd having lunch with a complete stranger, and he knew she felt more than a little uncomfortable. At least the food was good even if it was greasy as hell. He chuckled. That was why it was so good. If he ate like this too often, he’d get soft, and what kind of image would that project? He vowed to run an extra five miles to make up for the greasy meal.
The last time he had indulged in fast food had been with Taylor. Jim picked up the last bite of his hot dog, scooping up some errant pickle relish and replacing it on the end of the dog before polishing it off. That meal hadn’t ended as well. The guy had puked upon returning to his cell. The hot dog churned in Jim’s stomach at the thought. Taylor had been nearly catatonic for three days.
Jim took a sip of his soda, then used the straw to loosen the ice. There was always the worry about crossing the fine line between breaking the man’s defenses or just breaking the man. If he pushed too hard, he risked pushing Mark Taylor into insanity. Not hard enough, and they wouldn’t get any information. He glanced at Jessica and held up his cup. “I’m thinking of getting a refill, you want one?”
She swirled the cup, as though weighing it. “No thanks. I’m good.” Her eyes rose to his face, studying him. “For someone who flew out...from where ever the hell you came from, you sure don’t have much to say.”
He hoped the heat disguised the flush he felt creeping up his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t have news, but it wasn’t good news. “Sorry.”
Jim swiped his finger through the ring of condensation his drink had left on the picnic table. Jessica finished her hot dog, but picked at her fries. The silence of the meal was awkward, but small talk would have made it worse.
He tapped his fingers on the table and tilted his head to work a kink out of his neck. The sun beat down on the pavement creating shimmering waves of heat. His prediction that it wouldn’t be hot in Chicago in September had been a faulty one, but that was par for the course lately. He sighed. It hadn’t occurred to him that Taylor would have no idea it was his birthday. He hadn’t meant to cause pain, but he’d seen it flash across the other man’s face when he’d learned the date.
Jim ate his last fry and gathered his wrappers, tossing them on the tray. Jessica finished eating, and now sat staring across the parking lot, her drink straw in her mouth as she sipped.
“You done with that?” Jim indicated her meal and she nodded. He took the tray and tossed all the garbage in the trash can next to the building. When he turned back to the table, he found Jessica watching him, her expression intense. He had been right. She had questions and the grace period was over.
“So, where is he? Where are you guys torturing him?”
Jim paused and tried to hide his surprise before resuming his seat at the table. He had to admire her directness. Maybe he’d been too quick to criticize Officer Daly’s interview. “Excuse me? Who said anything about torture?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure you’ll deny it, but I know who you are. I’ve been around long enough to know a Fed of some sort. If you were FBI, you’d identify yourself as such. That leaves CIA or DOD."
The lady was smart, he had to grant her that. Jim shrugged, but didn’t admit to who he worked for. “He’s in a brig in South Carolina.” He narrowed his eyes. “But nobody is torturing anyone.”
She snorted and shook her head, her face twisted into a smirk. “He’s innocent, you know.” Jessica’s chin went up, challenging him to contradict her.
Anger burned in her eyes and he let her statement hang there for a long moment before crossing his arms on the table and leaning towards her. “What makes you say that?”
He’d found that the best way to get answers was just allow the other person to talk. If pointed in the right direction, they often spilled more information than they intended.
“Because I have evidence that what he said about the pictures is true.”
That was the last thing Jim expected her to claim, and he cocked his head. “You’re serious?”
Jessica slid the envelope in front of him. “Look for yourself.”
Jim glanced at her before pulling two pictures out of the envelope. He tried to control his expression, but shock pulsed through him as Taylor’s image stared back at him. He recalled that interrogation. They had only done that particular position one time. “Where’d you get these?” Damn it. There must be a leak on his team. It had to be a still from the video because there were no o
ther cameras in the room. This was highly classified material. If these stills ever found their way to the press, heads would roll. Whoever had sent them either had top clearance or knew someone who did. Jim clenched his jaw to keep from spewing his anger at Jessica.
“I got it from one of Mark’s cameras. His belongings were tossed out of his loft when he was evicted.” She emphasize the last word, her tone accusing.
“I just happened to be passing by and grabbed what I could. The rest is all gone.” Jessica took the picture of Taylor seated in the rowing position and looked at it for several seconds, her face awash in disgust. “Is this how you get people to confess? If I did something like that, I’d be brought up on charges.” She slapped the picture on the table in front of him.
“I follow the guidelines set for me.” He shook his head and tried to repress the urge to walk away. The last thing he needed was condemnation. “You know, we get blamed when something happens, for not knowing, yet when we try to do our best to gather important information, we’re labeled barbarians.” Jim stabbed his finger down on the picture. “This isn’t some goddamn game we’re playing, Bishop.” He waved a hand towards the tall buildings a few blocks over. “This city could be next for all we know. And maybe your boyfriend has information that could prevent innocent people from being killed.”
“So the ends justify the means?” Her voice was incredulous.
“Damn straight. It’s justified when it decreases the harmful impact on citizens.”
She flushed and he bit back a smirk. She wasn’t dealing with some Neanderthal government flunky. If she wanted to throw that threadbare expression at him, he could quote Machiavelli right back at her.
Jessica put both hands flat on the table and leaned towards him. “That’s...bull—” She broke off as a couple of customers passed on their way to the order window. When she tried again, her voice was quieter, but just as angry. “That’s bullshit and you know it. What kind of information are you going to get from someone who’s in so much pain he’d name his own mother as a terrorist if it meant that the torture would end?”
Mark Taylor Omnibus (The Mark Taylor Series) Page 23
