by Judith Lucci
"Now I know why he's coming. Can't say I wouldn't be doing the same if you were my granddaughter. What kind of info do you think he has?"
"No telling. Adam's great at bending political arms. You know, Jack, I meant to tell you earlier this morning. Granddad saw the Raccines at the Washington Club recently. The Governor was meeting with some people from HealthTrust and frankly, my grandfather was eavesdropping. Anyway," Alex shrugged her shoulders and continued, "he heard CCMC come up in conversation and he listened even more carefully. Later he and my grandmother went over and invited the Raccines to dinner the next day."
"And, then what?"
"The Raccines accepted and Adam tried to pigeonhole the Governor into talking about his dinner meeting. They had a lively meeting about the perils of Obamacare that almost lead to a brawl. According to my grandmother, neither the Raccines nor Adam got anywhere with their banter. The Governor just said that HealthTrust was buying up several smaller hospitals in Louisiana and that they'd approached CCMC and we weren't interested. That's common knowledge."
"Yeah, I guess it is. Anything else?"
"No, not really. Said Raccine seemed uncomfortable with the conversation and he'd felt he was preoccupied earlier this week. My grandfather was appalled when I told him about the Governor threatening to close CCMC. Said it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. He swears that something's rotten with Raccine. Granddad is also pissed because Raccine is going soft on parole at the federal and state level." Alex finished.
"I think your grandfather's a wise man. I'm looking forward to meeting him and hearing what he's got. You and Robert get some sleep. We've got a big night ahead of us. I'll see you at five with your grandfather in tow. Go to bed and rest."
"You do the same, Captain." Alex yawned. “Granddad seems to think someone is blackmailing Raccine."
"Could be,” Jack rubbed his forehead. "Certainly not out of the question.”
"I'm turning in as soon as I call Grand. See you soon," Alex said as she disconnected the phone.
Alex dialed her grandmother at Wyndley. She could picture her grandmother sitting in her checkered green chair in the great room at the family farm watching her prized horses in the pasture through the huge double window wall that lined the back of the house. Her grandmother answered immediately.
"Alex, what in the hell's going on? Your grandfather's been trying to reach you since dawn. Where are you?"
Alex recognized the fear and strain in her grandmother's voice and immediately felt guilty for all the grief and anxiety she had caused her aging grandparents. The fact that Grand had cursed was indicative of her stress. Kathryn believed that points could be made without using profanity, reserving its use for only the most serious and dire occasions.
"I'm fine. I'm in a safe place with Robert. Captain Francoise of the NOPD is watching us."
Kathryn Lee wasn't placated. "Why can't you stay at home?" Not waiting for an answer, she continued, "Your grandfather received some sort of priority call at three this morning from his Congressional aide who'd been checking up on the Raccines since yesterday afternoon. I don't know what's going on, but your grandfather left here in a big hurry. Tried to charter a flight to New Orleans, but a commercial jet was faster. What's happening? I'm worried to death about you both."
Alex had never heard her stoic grandmother sound so worried. "There was an attempt on the Governor's life last night, and you know about this conspiracy against CCMC. To be honest, I don't know what's happening. I only know that someone wants to put Robert and CCMC out of business, and Granddad thinks that Governor Raccine's somehow involved. Anyway, I'm fine, Robert's fine, and if you really love me, you'll let me hang up and go to bed. I haven't slept much lately, and I'm taking Granddad to the Endymion Extravaganza tonight," Alex finished brightly.
"How's George Raccine?"
"He's fine and resting comfortably. Promise I'll call you late this afternoon after Granddad gets here and I get up."
"Okay. You win. You're the only person I know as stubborn as your grandfather. I know you're holding back on me, but I also know that’s all I am going to get." Kathryn Lee sighed heavily and said, "Call me later. I love you."
Once again, Alex felt a pang of guilt for upsetting the people she loved most in the world. She responded, "Love you too, Grand. I'll call you later. Bye."
Alex took several moments to work through her guilt and then consoled herself, firm in the belief there was nothing else that she could tell her. Grand knew the gist of the matter.
Alex looked at Robert sleeping, and on impulse, kissed him on his forehead. She could've sworn he smiled, but she was so tired she wasn't sure. She covered him with a quilt, and decided to sleep in the bedroom with the lime green shag carpeting. Alex set the antique alarm clock for four-thirty p.m. so she could get up, shower, and wait for her gown and her grandfather. Her lingering thoughts as she fell asleep were whether Yvonne Le'Fleur would include a hair dryer and a curling iron with her gown. And to think she had planned to have her hair done in an updo for tonight.
***
Alex woke, disoriented, and startled to see Robert at her bedside. Then she recognized the lime green carpeting and remembered that they were in the safe house.
Alex, still groggy from sleep, said, "What time is it? Has Francoise gotten here?" She nearly jumped from the bed to see the clock.
"It's four. We should start getting dressed." Robert continued, "Rest a little while longer and I'll jump in our vintage shower."
Alex smiled at Robert. "I think I'd better make some coffee and bagels. It's going to be a long evening."
While Robert showered, Alex went to the kitchenette and made fresh coffee. She found sugar and cream in the cupboard and heated bagels in the oven. As she was sitting down to eat, there was a loud pounding at the door. Alex peered through the keyhole and saw Francoise and her grandfather, their hands full of packages and bundles. She opened the door with a big smile.
"Granddad, why are you here? You didn't need to come. Anyway, I'm glad to see you." Alex hugged her grandfather and felt secure in his welcoming arms.
"I'm going to be your date to the ball. The good Captain here got me a tailor-made tux and you and I are going partying with NOPDs finest... and probably some crooks and murderers. God knows, there are plenty of them in New Orleans."
Alex kissed her grandfather and hugged Francoise. They settled down in the living room for coffee and bagels, a poor substitute for hors d'oeuvres.
"Sorry the appetizers are so bad. The Captain didn't provide us with room service or gourmet treats,” Alex said as she gave Jack a sideways grin.
"I promised you a safe house, not a five-star resort. Your grandfather needs to talk with you and Robert, Alex. Where's Robert anyway?" Francoise was looking around the flat.
"He's in the shower for heaven's sake, Jack. Where the hell do you think he is?
"Tell him to hurry up. Where's the bathroom?" Alex nodded her head toward the hallway.
As Francoise headed toward the bathroom to get Robert, Adam looked around and said, “This place looks like shit. How’d they manage to find a place this bad?”
Before Alex could respond, Jack returned.
Robert was cleaner, but embarrassed as he felt he'd been caught in a love nest with the Congressman's granddaughter.
Adam stood and offered Robert his hand. "It's been a long time. Kathryn sends her best. Said I was to give you a kiss for her, but if you don't mind, I'll pass."
"I'd prefer to forego the kiss, too. It’s good to see you too, Congressman. Perhaps I'll get to Virginia soon and she can give me one personally."
Francoise cleared his throat and looked around impatiently. "Okay, okay, enough. Your grandfather has some information about Raccine."
Adam glared at Captain Francoise and said, "First of all, every bit of information I have, for the most part, is unsubstantiated rumor. Whatever I say here now is completely off the record." The Congressman gave all of them a hard, penetrati
ng look. It was his serious and “don’t push your luck” look that Alex remembered from her childhood.
"Anyway, the Governor appears to have some dirty linen. I had my aide up all night doing some investigating and initially, he turned up nothing. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, he called and told me that Raccine recently had a million dollar campaign debt mysteriously paid off by a hospital holding group. He traced the known members of the group, and found some had significant, actually huge holdings in international health care conglomerates in Central and South America as well as the United States. Plush hospitals where the rich go for plastic surgery and hip replacements and such, you know, hospitals like we’re gonna need after Obamacare is phased in."
Congressman Lee continued, "Anyway, the plan and mission of HealthTrust is to buy up large, prestigious hospitals in the U.S. so they can, in essence, control all hospital and health care services in the U.S. That would give them the ability to reduce costs through economies of scale and let them deliver efficient health care while they wipe out any competition.”
Alex was dying to speak, but held back and waited for her grandfather to finish. She noticed that Robert looked pensive and Francoise's face was impassive as he continued to listen.
"There's also a rumor from one of the Louisiana Senators that Raccine had been in cahoots with the mob and had pushed legalized gambling here in Louisiana in return for some sort of favor. I literally had to beat this information out of a colleague at four this morning."
Congressman Lee turned his face toward Robert, "Do you want to say something? I know your families go back a long way?"
Robert shook his head.
"Well," Lee continued, "the only other bit of information I have is that Raccine was involved in some sort of politically damaging scandal in Central America a few years back. No one knows the particulars, at least no one's telling. Apparently, he used some international connections to shut the incident up. His enemies now want him to pay up or else."
"Are you suggesting these attacks are all connected to this international holding group?" Alex asked incredulously.
"I am not suggesting anything, Alex. I'm presenting information that's been given me. There are two critical pieces here."
Alex interrupted her grandfather. "What you are saying is that HealthTrust wants complete control of the healthcare system in the U.S. That is unthinkable!”
"Jack, what do you make of all of this?" Robert asked cautiously.
Jack shook his head as he said, "You ain't going to like it, but I think Raccine's dirty and I think he promised CCMC as payback. I think the Congressman is correct and there are many healthcare facilities and hospitals being pushed and bullied by these people."
Robert replied in a low, barely audible voice. "It's just hard for me to believe. George is like my father and I can't believe he'd stoop to this."
Alex reached out to touch Robert’s hand as a gesture of comfort but she was still preoccupied with what a complete monopoly would mean for healthcare in America. “If these people are successful, they would be able to control everything about acute care... who is admitted, who gets surgery, who gets paid... everything... the whole nine yards. They could control physician salaries, payers, and insurance companies. It’s just unthinkable!”
Congressman Lee interrupted, “More importantly, Alex, they would control the largest financial sector in the U.S. Can you imagine the devastation that would cause for all of us? Can you imagine the decision-making power they would have? Who lives, who doesn’t, and that is just the beginning!”
As the realization dawned on the group, they all sat and stared at each other mutely before the Congressman added, “This is massive... I am contacting the FBI.”
The group sat staring at one another for what seemed like an eternity.
Francoise broke the long silence. "Okay folks, look lively, the carriage for the Endymion Extravaganza leaves in forty-five minutes. I certainly wouldn't want to miss the Tableaux. The Extravaganza's theme is Saga of the Sea. Tonight I think we'll see the sea monster."
"Or monsters," the Congressmen added.
Chapter 24
Alex retreated to the bathroom to dress, while Robert, Adam, and Francoise changed in the bedrooms.
As they left the safe house, Adam Lee held Alex back for a moment. "Alex darling, slip this into your evening bag. Hope you don't need it, but it's better to be safe than sorry. It won’t kill quickly, but it sure will slow ‘em down."
Adam slipped her his wife’s antique pearl-handled derringer. "Remember how to use it?"
"Of course. I still target practice. How did you manage to smuggle this aboard a commercial flight?" Alex smiled and tucked it into her evening purse. It was a perfect fit.
"Didn't. Had it sent FedEx. It was waiting for me at the airport."
"Thanks for thinking of it, Granddad."
The traffic going down Poydras was maddening. It took over an hour to make the normally fifteen minute trip to the Super Dome. As they approached the Dome, Alex was struck by its magnificence and also taken back to the tragedy that had occurred at the Dome in post Katrina New Orleans.
Outside the Super Dome, hundreds of Endymion Krewe members and guests were milling around and watching the crowd. The limo stopped at the Extravaganza entrance and Alex craned her neck, frantically searching for Mitch, or the ponytailed stranger.
Her heart sunk when she realized how difficult it was going to be to find anyone. Of course, she reasoned with herself, it'll be equally difficult for them to find us.
"I've never been to the Endymion Extravaganza," said Robert. "Most of the balls are much smaller. I went to Comus several weeks ago and there were only five hundred people."
"Are you a member of this group?" Adam asked of Robert.
"No, I'm a member of Comus and Rex, old-line New Orleans krewes. Endymion's a newer krewe and almost anyone can be a member." As Robert realized how stuck up he sounded, he started to apologize.
Francoise spoke up. "Forget it, Robert. After tonight, you may never want to go to a ball again. This is going to be tough. You all keep your eyes peeled for our friends. I know they're here. We've about a dozen NOPD undercover officers with us, and Super Dome security is cooperating completely. They have descriptions of the ponytail and Mitch. We're hooked up with headpieces for sound, so if anybody spots anything, we'll know immediately.”
"How'd you manage such cooperation?" Alex said.
"The attack on Raccine helped me get additional help from the NOPD, and your grandfather made a few select phone calls. Surveillance is in good shape."
Adam, Alex, Robert, and Jack made their way through the glittering array of sequined ball gowns, masked figures, and tuxedoed men to their table. They seated themselves as a waiter approached them with a bottle of Virginia Chardonnay.
"This is for Miss Alexandra Destephano," he said. He placed the bottle on the table and left.
"It's from Mitch. He must be here," Alex looked around frantically. Her grandfather stared at her.
Robert broke the uncomfortable silence by proposing a toast, and the group drank accordingly.
Alex looked up and saw Donald Montgomery headed their way. Oh my God, she thought. Could this day get any better? Before she could warn anyone, he was at their table.
"What a surprise to see the three of you together. Something special going on?" Don glanced around suspiciously. “Oh, are you two dating? How sweet,” he smirked as he looked from Alex to Robert.
"Hi, Don. No. We're just waiting for the Tableaux to begin. Would you like to join us?" Alex asked.
"No. I'm with friends. Just stopped by to say hello. I thought something might be happening since you were all together." He looked back and forth between them.
Alex said, "I don't believe you've met my grandfather, Congressman Lee from Virginia. He loves New Orleans and wanted to be a part of the festivities tonight." Alex turned to Mr. Lee. "This is Don Montgomery, CEO at CCMC."
The Congressma
n and Don shook hands and were exchanging pleasantries when a thunderous roar arose. The King and Queen of Endymion were entering. Their costumes were resplendent and glittered in the low lights. The couple glistened and sparkled like characters from a fantasy world.
"Got to go. Nice meeting you, Congressman." Don smiled briefly before he disappeared into the crowd.
Alex's eyes followed Don back to his table. She paled as she saw Montgomery sit down at a large table directly across from Jonathan Mercier.
Alex leaned toward Francoise and said, "OMG, look who Don's with. I can't believe it. He hates Mardi Gras. Think it means anything?"
Francoise shrugged his shoulders. "Could, although I think Montgomery's too stupid to be a part of a plot against his own hospital. Course, Mercier's another question. He could be using Don. What do you think, Robert?" Jack looked at Bonnet.
"I'm no good judging people. I thought George Raccine was spun gold until two hours ago. All I know is Mercier hates me and is out to get me." Robert looked so despondent that Alex squeezed his hand.
She said softly, "It's all speculation. It could simply be that Don's entertaining his newest board member."
Robert's expression was bitter, sarcastic. "Yeah, sure. Raccine's a crook, and Mercier's part of the conspiracy. We just don't know Montgomery's part."
Robert was interrupted by the roll of drums as the orchestra began playing the soundtrack for the ball.
Alex watched, enthralled as the curtains opened to reveal a beautiful underwater, ocean scene. The backdrop of teal water, pink coral, and hundreds of sparkling starfish provided an awesome sight. On the left stage was a horrific swamp creature, fifteen feet tall, covered with green seaweed. The monster's face was covered with Spanish moss. Red fluid oozed down his face as his eyes feasted on a dead dolphin at his feet.
