by Martha Carr
Richard’s smile froze into place and he found it difficult to take a deep breath. He felt the sting of the bamboo whip Robin had once wielded with precision against his back raising large, red welts. It had taken a week before he could sit back against a chair.
“There are still loose ends to take care of but your lack of skills has made it difficult to easily maneuver. We should have had that file back by now, and it’s not. I promise you this,” she said, pointing a short, red nail very close to his face, “If the Circle has gotten back their list…”
“Their list? I thought it belonged to us,” said Richard, before he could catch himself.
“How did you ever get promoted in this organization?” she said, angrily. “The list belongs to the other side but our informants tell us it contains more than just Circle information, which would be valuable enough. Someone has leaked information about our recruits to them. We have enemies among us, you know. Getting that thumb drive would tell us who they are,” she said, looking pointedly at Richard, “as well as break the back of the Circle. Listen to me carefully,” she said, leaning in, “if we miss this opportunity to break into the Circle because of you, I will take care of you personally, again.” She spat the last word out as a sneer.
Robin stepped back and smiled broadly before lumbering through the door and out onto the stage. Richard followed meekly behind her and folded himself into one of the chairs on the stage. He had a smile firmly in place but made a point of not making eye contact with anyone.
Three attempts and he still hadn’t been able to get the file. A Watcher had the file for a moment but before anyone could open it, the McDonough woman had stolen it. That had been the last straw for Richard.
At this point he wasn’t even sure where it was anymore. It had to be quickly travelling back up the ranks of the Circle by now, if it still even existed. Follow Stanley Woermer, Richard thought, wiping away the uncharacteristic sweat that was forming on his brow. He’ll lead me to it.
Chapter Sixteen
“You didn’t mind when I told you about all of this three years ago, Wallis.” It was Julia, slowly walking up behind her in the darkness, moving the straps of her large green Jelly bag further up her shoulder. Bunko was over and everyone was quickly heading home, back to familiar routines.
“What are you talking about?”
“Remember? That time we met at your office and we went for lunch at Appleby’s? I told you about the tea party and what they had offered and you said it sounded nice. Like the old boy network was finally growing up and inviting newcomers. You even congratulated me.”
Wallis had a flicker of a memory about the lunch.
“I know. You weren’t really listening, which is okay,” said Julia, stopping right in front of Wallis. There were tears in her eyes making Wallis regret her words even more. “My life isn’t all that interesting. But I don’t see why you’d suddenly think there was something wrong now just because Roger gets such a nice opportunity. I mean, I know how you feel about the old Richmond crowd, but…”
“It’s not that,” said Wallis, quietly.
“Look, Sam and I will be lucky if we can pay for Roger’s college, and Roger’s a good kid. He deserves to get a chance at whatever he wants to be.”
“That’s kind of my point.”
“And, if taking a little help gets that for him then we’ll swallow our pride and do it.”
Wallis suddenly saw what Julia was getting at and grabbed her hand, squeezing tight. “No, no, Julia. I didn’t mean… Of course I’m happy for any great things that come your way. Roger’s a great kid and you’re doing a great job. You know I wouldn’t judge…”
“Well, I wouldn’t have thought so,” she whimpered.
“No, I wouldn’t,” she said firmly. “But how do you know you’re getting something for nothing? How do you know for sure?”
“We haven’t had to sign anything,” said Julia, “and they gave us a document that says as long as Roger maintains a C average they’ll pay the tuition through high school. We had a lawyer check it out. We’re not liable for anything.” A tear slid down Julia’s cheek.
Wallis hugged Julia close, whispering, “Then why are you so upset?”
“We’re good parents,” said Julia, still in Wallis’ embrace.
Wallis pulled back and looked at Julia’s face.
“I know that. Never doubted it, even for a moment. I am sorry about my tone back there. Chalk it up to my annual outburst. Look, I’ll come to the tea and make nice. Okay?”
Julia smiled, a tear getting caught in her lips. “Okay, but without the lawyerly interrogation. It’s a tea, deal?”
“Yeah, deal.”
Wallis knew Julia wasn’t telling her everything but didn’t know how far in Julia had already gotten herself, or Roger, and couldn’t risk telling Julia anything just yet.
What more is there to know, she thought.
Wallis drove off, turning out of the neighborhood and heading up Ridgefield Drive toward Pump Road. She turned right and drove to the new mall where Pump Road changed names and drove around the almost empty parking lot, curving around to the back near the super-sized Dick’s Sporting Goods store that faced a thinning woods. Richmond had a hard time not developing every square inch of land. Those trees won’t last long either, thought Wallace.
She slowed the car down enough to slip her shoes off and pulled neatly between two parked cars, checking her rear view mirror. No one in sight. She dropped the shoes gently out of the window as small phosphorescent flakes glittered on the bottom of the right shoe. She pulled her feet up off of the floor of the car and carefully rolled up the floor mat, depositing it next to the shoes. The engine churned as she pushed the gas pedal down with her bare foot and headed back toward Pump Road.
Norman was sitting up in bed reading when she got home. He had his half-glasses on and the covers pulled up to his chest, exposing the faded white t-shirt he loved to wear to bed.
“Hello,” he said, putting down the paperback.
“I made a complete ass of myself tonight,” said Wallis, dropping her purse. The folder was sticking out of her open purse. She gently shut the door behind her, placing the prized candle on the tall-boy and peeled off her blouse and skirt, letting them drop to the floor. “Where’s Ned?”
“He fell asleep reading about black holes and what might lie on the other side of them. I tucked him in. What’d you do?” he asked with his usual placid expression firmly in place. “And may I say I have always appreciated your sense of lingerie, dear. Thank you for never giving in to parachute pants.”
“I had a mild outburst during Bunko. Questioned someone’s motives a little too loudly.” Wallis glanced down at the matching pale green lace bra and panties and let out a sigh. She climbed the two steps and got on the bed, resting on her knees.
Norman raised an eyebrow and sat up a little straighter. “That’s not like you. Someone try to take your candle?”
Wallis glanced back at the candle and smiled. “There was a whole candle theme. It’ll come in handy on some stormy night,” she said. “No, I won that fair and square. But Julia Croft mentioned Roger’s getting a free ride to Sutler next year and she used some of the same language as Stanley. I’m afraid I snapped at her just a little.”
“That’s enough to make you an ass? Take longer looks at some of our clients, my love. That doesn’t even qualify as an outburst. More of a brief rude comment.”
“You should have seen Julia’s reaction, then. She was crying on my shoulder.”
“That’s something,” said Norman, “but nothing to do with you. Come here,” he said, holding out his hand across the bed. “This Woermer’s paranoia is spreading to you. Julia could have so many other things going on that are completely unrelated. Take you, for example. Did you snap at her because you were mad at her?”
Wallis let out another sigh and shook her head. “No, but I was good and mad. You’re right though, Stanley Woermer did get to me.” She moved close
r to Norman. “And I think someone followed him. I can’t be sure, but I caught a glimpse of someone in the bookstore and he seemed to leave in a hurry by the back door. Apparently that door was only used to occasionally take out the trash. The lock looked like it might have been taped open, like someone knew we were meeting.”
“What did Stanley say? Did he notice?”
“He had already left, but something or someone startled him on the way out. He said Ray Billings had found some system of promoting certain boys that had a nasty out clause.”
“Ah, a conspiracy.”
“Yeah. Why are those always so hard for any of us to get on board with?” she said, resting back on her heels.
“Because humans by nature are all blabbermouths to some degree. We expect to know about it.”
“Yes, well, that raises another good point. Julia reminded me that she’d asked me about this whole thing three years ago and I had barely blinked. Congratulated her on cracking the system around here. Wouldn’t a really good conspiracy be like a good lie?” she asked, reaching out to pull back the covers next to Norman. “Make it as innocuous as possible? Put it out there in front of everyone?”
“Well, what would be the master plan of this particular conspiracy?”
“I don’t know,” said Wallis, stretching out next to Norman. “But for the second time in a day someone was waiting for me in bushes.”
“Stanley again?” said Norman, sitting up and taking off his glasses. “Come back to finish his story?”
“No, and I’m not sure Stanley knew much more anyway. This one called himself Helmut. He was big into the conspiracies. Hinted at bigger things. Ran off though when Ralph started barking.”
“Were you scared?”
“Not any more than I already was. He seemed to want to help. Of course isn’t that what they teach in serial killer school? Kill them first with kindness?”
“Apparently this Helmut flunked,” said Norman. “What now? There seems to be something going on.”
“Right, but what,” said Wallis. “Helmut wanted my shoes and said people were using them to follow me.”
“Your shoes? Where are they?”
“I dumped them,” said Wallis. “Which means either I dumped credible evidence or got spooked enough to get rid of a good pair of shoes.”
“Was there something on your shoes?”
“Yes, it came from the back door mat. Why would you ask that?” asked Wallis.
“I didn’t think they’d be interested in just the shoes. Maybe I’ll take a look at the mat tomorrow, just to be sure,” he said, his face calm.
“I already dumped the car mat.”
“Good thinking,” said Norman, smiling just a little.
“I got invited to a tea,” said Wallis. “Apparently that’s how they cast out their net for possible recruits. Sorry, ladies only.”
“I have never regretted your gender,” he said, sliding a finger under the silk strap on her shoulder and tracing the outline of the curve of her breast.
“You’re making it difficult to care about telling you what I know,” she said as he rolled toward her, putting a leg between hers and reaching around, unhooking the bra.
“Will it still be going on an hour from now?” he asked, tossing the bra in the direction of the floor behind Wallis as he pulled her up against his chest.
“An hour? You’re very ambitious,” she said.
Later, Norman finally got up and turned off the light, crawling back into the bed, reaching out for her body in the darkness.
“Come here, love of my life,” he whispered, pulling her close again, spooning behind her, their feet entangled. Wallis reached down for the sheets that had been forgotten at the bottom of the bed, pulling them up over their bodies, settling back in against Norman, letting herself fall off to sleep in his arms.
“I love you, Norman,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
The alarm startled her awake at six o’clock. Norman was still asleep, curled up behind her. She gently rubbed his shoulder and leaned over to kiss his forehead.
“Norman, wake up. Morning,” she said, “and thank you.”
He smiled without opening his eyes and reached out his hands, searching for her. He brushed a hand against her belly as she turned and pulled away, feeling for the step with her foot.
“No time for that now, husband of mine. It’s another work day, although the shower’s kind of roomy.” Norman smiled and opened his eyes. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head.
“I love being married to you,” he said, in the middle of a yawn. She smiled as she looked at the slight paunch he had started to develop lately.
“Any chance you and I can grab coffee together this morning, outside of our usual haunts?” asked Wallis.
Norman stopped stretching and looked at Wallis. “Still worried?”
“Yeah,” she said. “But maybe if I can explain it all to you, you can tell me why I shouldn’t be. Maybe Shoney’s? Not too many people there after nine.”
“Okay,” he said, swinging his legs out of bed, “then it’s a date. I’ll warm up the shower.” He ambled toward the bathroom, absently scratching his back, the hair on his head pushed forward, exposing the growing bald spot. Wallis felt a sudden rush of love for him and was grateful that at least everyone in her small nest was safe.
Ned bounded out of the car at school that morning, spotting a cluster of his friends and quickly forgetting even a goodbye for Wallis. She watched him hurrying over to his friends, grateful it was so easy for him to set out without her but feeling a momentary tug. She watched him telling them all something in a rush of words, remembering when he used to talk to her that way, as he gestured with his hands. She smiled as the car behind her honked and she waved in their direction, reluctantly pulling away from the curb.
Norman was already at the Shoney’s settled in a table near the back. None of the nearby tables were filled.
“I requested this particular spot,” he said after the waitress deposited the menus and left to get their coffee. “Although it doesn’t seem upscale enough to hear a good conspiracy.”
“I know you’re smiling on the inside,” said Wallis, sliding over on the padded red leather bench.
“My game plan is to not worry until I officially see reason to worry. So far, I’m good.”
“Okay, well you let me know before we leave if we’ve moved up to an amber alert.”
“Those things don’t mean anything, anyway,” said Norman, “except who’s up or down in the polls.”
Wallis pulled out the manila folder and opened it between them, showing Norman the charts of boys in different age groups.
“Where did these come from?” asked Norman.
“Off a thumb drive that the late Kristen McDonough stole from her Watcher. The drive has music on it, but Stanley said that somehow Ray Billings figured out there was something else there and came up with all of this.”
“Who was Kristen McDonough?”
“She was supposedly a mother in the program. Remember that freak accident a while back where the two semis crushed the minivan? So much for the McDonoughs,” said Wallis, pushing her palms together.
“Ooooooh,” said Norman, wincing. “That has to be a coincidence.”
“Not according to Stanley.”
“What are those numbers under each name?” he asked, pointing to the short series of numbers.
“I don’t know, but they don’t appear to be random. I have no idea. I was just starting to get answers out of Stanley when he got spooked and took off. He said to follow the names I didn’t recognize and see where they all came from. But it appears that it was Kristen McDonough who got everyone so stirred up. Apparently her son, a recruit, had become a public drunk and embarrassment to the system and she didn’t like what was going on. Made a lot of complaints, started talking to her coworker, Ray.”
“And suddenly no more McDonoughs.”
“Right. And then Ray tells everyone he
can get a hold of that he’s found out some key part of the puzzle and to make sure everyone lets me know what’s up if something happens to him…”
“And he apparently commits suicide.”
“Right again and suddenly there are too many coincidences. And Paul Whittaker is a potential recruit in what appears to be a life time commitment that your parents make for you. But for what reason or really to who, I don’t know.”
“Okay, I can’t say I’m panicked, but maybe a wee bit worried,” said Norman, hesitating as the coffee was placed before them.
“We’ll just do the breakfast bar,” said Wallis, as she waited for the waitress to turn and leave.
“You’re hungry again?” said Norman. “Not that I care.”
“No, it just came out. Didn’t want to sound cheap.”
“That’s not like you. You normally don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“You’re right. I’m a little off center at the moment.”
“Apparent suicides can do that. Got anything else, any ideas?”
“I was thinking of asking Ned to look at the drive for me, but I didn’t know if that was really, really stupid.”
“Ned’s probably the smartest computer guy we know and very reluctant to ever share information with adults. He’s perfect for the job,” said Norman. “Maybe you’ll find out more at that tea. Are you going to try and quiz Sharon?”
“Not sure. I thought I might talk to Lilly Billings first and get a look at everything on that disc and then decide.”
“You have an assignment for me?” asked Norman.
“Just the usual support,” she said, sliding the papers back into the folder and putting it back into her purse.
“Yours without asking,” he said, sliding out of his seat, checking his watch.
“I have to get to court. How about if I pay for the coffee?”
“A gentleman as always. I have to run too. Catch up on some things at the office. Walk me to my car?”
