Long After Midnight

by Iris Johansen

  She ran out of the cabin and down the steps. Forget it. It didn’t make her accomplishment any less important because she couldn’t share it.

  But she could. She could share it with Joshua and Phyliss and Seth. She didn’t need Noah.

  She set off for the station at a brisk run.

  * * *

  NINE

  * * *

  Come out of there, Noah,” Seth called as he threw open the door of the lab. “It’s time you got off your butt and helped me.”

  Kate looked up from the centrifuge in alarm. “Is something wrong?”

  “Hi, Kate. No, nothing’s wrong. I just need to talk to Noah.”

  “I’m busy, Seth,” Noah said. “We’re getting close to—”

  “On the deck,” Seth interrupted. “Now.” He turned and left the lab.

  Noah shrugged at Kate. “Sorry, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  “Okay, what’s the matter?” Noah asked as he came out on the deck.

  Seth scowled. “You need to spend some time with Joshua.”

  “Is that what this is all about? That’s your job.”

  “And I’m doing it. Since you pulled Kate back into the lab with you, he spends most of his time with me.” He was silent a moment before he muttered, “It’s not good for him, dammit.”

  “Why not?”

  “He . . . likes me. For God’s sake, he’s beginning to think I’m some kind of role model.”

  Noah started to laugh.

  “It’s not funny.”

  “I’m sure Kate would agree with you.”

  “You’re damn right she would. Kate knows what’s best for Joshua. So do something about it. Distract him, take him for walks, tell him no one in his right mind would want to be like me.”

  “Do you think it would do any good?”

  “I don’t know,” he said gloomily. “Maybe not. I’m too damn charismatic.”

  Noah struggled to smother a smile. “I realize that’s always been a problem for you.”

  Seth grimaced. “I tell you, we’ve got a situation here. The kid’s just lost his father. He’s vulnerable. He doesn’t need to attach himself to someone who’s going to walk away from him. You handle it.”

  “What makes you think I won’t walk away from him when this is over?”

  “You couldn’t desert a charging rhinoceros if you thought it needed you. You’re sickeningly upright and responsible these days.”

  “I resent that. Though you’ve been remarkably steadfast yourself for the past few weeks.”

  “Short-term. Always short-term.”

  “That’s what I thought when I took over J. and S. You find it sneaks up on you.” Noah smiled. “By God, I think I may have found a way to rope you in, Seth.”

  “No way. Next you’ll have me dressed in an Armani suit and carrying a briefcase like Tony. Hell, maybe we’ll join the same racquet club.”

  “Tony would not be amused.”

  Seth grinned mischievously. “Then it would almost be worth it.” His smile faded. “Sure, I like the kid, but not enough to stick around and play doting uncle. Besides, when this is over, Kate will hand me the pink slip and wave good-bye.”

  Noah shook his head. “She likes you, Seth.”

  “As long as I protect her son. When I’m no use to her, she’ll find me an ‘inconvenience.’ My God, you should know that better than me. She’s even more responsible than you are, Noah.”

  “I don’t find you an inconvenience.”

  “Yes, you do. Why else would you try to change me to fit into your mold?”

  “It could be because you’re my best friend and I’d like to see you more than once or twice a year.”

  Seth glanced away quickly. “Then accept me the way I am.”

  “I would if I thought you were content with your life.”

  “Look, I’m no whiz kid who’s going to invent something that’s going to rock the world. Just leave me to do what I do best.”

  “And what is that?” Noah studied him. “You know damn well you could be anything you want to be.”

  “And I want to be what I am. Drop it, Noah.”

  “Okay . . . for now.”

  “God, you’re stubborn. You’ve been at me for fifteen years. When are you going to give up?”

  “When I have you in the racquet club.” He smiled. “And I won’t even make you wear an Armani suit.”

  “It would come.” He made a face. “Kate would make it one of her top priorities.”

  Noah went still. “What does Kate have to do with this?”

  “Come on, I’ve known you too long. I’ve watched you with Kate. There’s something there, something good.”

  Noah was silent. “Possibly. We’ll have to see.”

  “You’re getting as cautious as Tony,” Seth said in disgust. “What more do you want? You and Kate could be Siamese twins. You’re both disgustingly dedicated, boringly loyal, abysmally solid people. You fit like the proverbial glove.”

  “We’re not that much alike.”

  Seth snorted.

  “My business, Seth.” Then Noah quietly repeated Seth’s words: “Drop it.”

  Seth shrugged. “It’s my business too if I’m looking after your future stepson.”

  “Jesus, we’re not even talking about—” Noah shrugged. “There’s no use talking to you, is there?”

  “Will you come over to the station tomorrow and take Joshua out?”

  Noah frowned. “Can it wait? In a few days we’ll be finished. We’re within a hairsbreadth of getting the combination right.”

  “No, it can’t wait. I’ve waited too long already. One day off won’t hurt you. Let Kate take over.”

  “You’re overreacting.”

  “The hell I am. If you don’t forget about RU2 for one day, I’ll come back here and pull you out by the scruff of your neck. Get your nose out of those test tubes and help me.”

  “Okay. Okay. It’s not that I mind spending time with Joshua. It’s no chore.”

  Seth forced a smile. “And I know you’ll find it nearly impossible to find anything negative to say about me, but try to disillusion him a bit.” He turned and ran down the stairs and jumped into his jeep. “I’ve got to get back. Eight tomorrow morning.”

  Noah watched him until he disappeared from view. It was clear Seth was writhing beneath the bit. Or maybe it wasn’t clear at all. Maybe Peter Pan was having growing pains. At any rate, he was unsettled, and any instability that was even remotely connected with RU2 was dangerous.

  Jesus, couldn’t he think of anything but how it affected RU2? he thought wearily. Seth was no threat; he was the one person Noah could trust in this world.

  But he still had to consider all the ramifications of RU2. Too many people had died. RU2 had to come first. It had to be protected.

  But was he protecting it? he wondered suddenly. Had he done enough?

  He moved toward the telephone and punched in Tony’s number in Washington.

  “I need you to do something for me,” he said when Tony answered.

  “Hello to you too,” Tony said sourly. “I am doing something for you. I’ve been sneaking around dealing with politicians and lobbyists. I deserve a medal for wading through all this crap.”

  “May I remind you that most politicians are also lawyers.”

  “No, you may not. I’m not in the mood.”

  “What’s happening with Longworth?”

  “Nothing. Or as much nothing as possible with that windbag.”

  “Any more demonstrations?”

  “One yesterday at the FDA. I was going to call you to tell you about it. It was smaller than the last one, but they hauled in a couple celebrities to spearhead it. How close are you to finishing?”

  “I don’t know. Soon.”

  “It better be damn soon. I’m sick of this business. Why don’t you send Seth here and let me out? I’m not doing anything but watching and waiting.”

  “I need Seth where he is. You’ll have t
o bite the bullet.” He smiled as he heard Tony’s groan of frustration. “But I’ll give you something else to do to keep you from overdosing on all the bullshit.”

  “Anything.”

  “You may not be as enthusiastic when I tell you what it is.”

  “Time for bed, Joshua,” Phyliss said, then frowned at Seth. “Put away that guitar. You know he was supposed to be in bed an hour ago.”

  “Sorry.” Seth meekly set the guitar on the platform. “Time got away from us.”

  “Fifteen more minutes, Grandma? I’ve already got my pajamas on,” Joshua pled. “And I’ve almost got that chord down.”

  “It will still be there tomorrow.”

  “You never can tell,” Seth murmured. “Haven’t you ever heard of the lost chord?”

  “I’ve heard of procrastination.” She jerked her thumb toward the door. “Bed.”

  “I’ve still got to say good night to Mom.” Joshua cast a last longing look at the guitar before getting to his feet. “I’ll go get my binoculars.”

  “Remember to wash your face and brush your teeth.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He disappeared into the house.

  Phyliss lingered, her gaze on Seth. “You okay?”

  “Sure.” He took up the guitar again and struck a chord. “Why shouldn’t I be? A little restless maybe.”

  “You didn’t look restless when I came out here. You looked . . .” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Melancholy.”

  Christ, she was sharp. “Melancholy?” He pretended to think about it. “Oh, I like that. It sounds damn sensitive. I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of that before.”

  “You are sensitive.”

  “Really? Would you like to know how many men I’ve killed, Phyliss?”

  “No, but if you were as tough as you’d like me to think, I don’t believe you’d remember the body count.”

  “I probably don’t.” He struck another chord. “But I’m good at estimating.”

  “Stop evading and tell me what’s wrong.”

  She had cut through his evasions like a bulldozer. Kate did the same thing. The two women were alike in many ways. “How do I know? You tell me. You seem to be able to read my mind.”

  “No, I can’t read your mind. You’re too good at closing people out. But you do let out little snippets every now and then.” She frowned. “Did you find out something when you were at the cabin? Are we still safe here?”

  “As far as I know. I don’t like the length of time it’s taking them to complete the work on RU2. It’s always better to keep on the move when someone like Ishmaru is after you.” He shrugged. “But that’s Noah’s decision. He’s the sheriff. I’m just the hired gun in town.”

  “And that’s the way you like it?”

  “Sure.”

  “I think you’re lying to me. I don’t see you as a hired gun.”

  “No?” He cast her a glance. “You think I resent Noah?” He shook his head. “He’s the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. We have our differences, but I love the bastard.”

  “Then why are you—”

  “I’ve got them.” Joshua came out on the deck, waving the binoculars.

  “Good.” Seth stood up and propped the guitar against the rail. “Come on.” He strolled around the corner to the north railing. “We’ll just be a minute, Phyliss.”

  “You’re never ‘just a minute.’ If you haven’t got Joshua inside and in bed in ten minutes, I’m coming back out to get you.” She went into the house.

  Seth grimaced. “Tough.”

  Joshua nodded with a conspiratorial smile. “Yep.” He dropped down on the deck and crossed his legs tailor fashion. “But we’ve got ten minutes.” He leaned against the wall. “Listen. Is that an owl?”

  “Yes. He’s in that sycamore tree. Third branch from the bottom.”

  “I can’t see him.” Joshua lifted the binoculars. “There he is. I see his orange eyes. It’s dark. How did you see him without the binoculars?”

  “Practice. Sometimes creatures more unfriendly than owls perch in trees.”

  “Like snakes? I read about anacondas. They live in South America. Did you ever wrestle with an anaconda, Seth?”

  “Do you think I’m stupid? Why would anyone want to wrestle with an anaconda?”

  “Well, they wrestle alligators down in Florida. My dad told me so.”

  The last sentence came easily, Seth noticed. Maybe some of the pain was dulling. God, he hoped so.

  “Well, I bet your dad wasn’t dumb enough to wrestle alligators. He sounds like a pretty cool dude.”

  “He was.” A silence fell between them. “You were talking about men hiding in trees, weren’t you?”

  He should probably deny it. You didn’t talk to kids about death and violence. Noah would deny it.

  He wasn’t Noah. He had promised Joshua honesty. “Yes.”

  “Snipers?”

  “Sometimes. But that’s during wars. There aren’t any snipers here.”

  “I know that.” Another silence. “What are we going to do tomorrow?”

  “I’m going to be busy, but Noah’s coming over. I think he wants to take you fishing.”

  Joshua frowned. “What are you going to be doing?”

  “I have some telephone calls to make.”

  “Couldn’t you do that at night?”

  “No.” He looked straight ahead. “You don’t need me. You and Noah get along fine.”

  “Yeah.” Joshua was silent a moment. “Maybe you could make your calls in the morning and we could all go in the afternoon.”

  “I think you’d better go without me. I may get tied up.”

  “Okay.” Another silence. “Does he really want to go with me?”

  “Sure. Why shouldn’t he?”

  “It’s just . . . he always seems busy.”

  “So is your mom. But she likes to spend time with you. Or maybe you think she’s faking it.”

  “Mom doesn’t fake anything,” Joshua said fiercely. “She never lies.”

  “Okay. Okay. I’m just trying to point out that you’re a pretty awesome kid.”

  Joshua suddenly grinned. “I know that.”

  “And you’ll like getting to know Noah better. He’s pretty awesome too.”

  “Not as awesome as you.”

  Oh shit. “Sure he is. Just in a different way.” He paused. “A better way.”

  Joshua shook his head.

  He’d done his best. He’d just have to leave it to Noah. “Our ten minutes is almost up. You’d better say good night to your mom.”

  Joshua stood up and raised the binoculars. “The candle’s lit. But I don’t see her. She must be working again tonight.”

  “But she lit the candle. And she’ll know you saw it and said good night.”

  “Yeah. The flame is pretty, it’s not flickering at all tonight. It’s real steady and strong.”

  Like Kate, Seth thought. Steady and strong and burning bright.

  “Say good night, Joshua.”

  “G’night, Mom. Sleep tight.”

  Seth’s gaze traveled to the cabin and the candle he could only barely discern without binoculars.

  Strong and bold and burning bright . . .

  “Good night, Kate,” Seth said softly.

  “Have a good evening, Mr. Blount.” The security man at the parking garage smiled ingratiatingly. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Jim.” As Blount moved down the aisle of cars to his reserved space, he felt a tiny burst of pleasure at Jim’s servile tone. It didn’t have the element of fear his father’s presence evoked, but it was still satisfactory. The people here at Ogden Pharmaceuticals knew he had the power to hire and fire, to destroy at will. His father had not held as much power at the same age. He had been a stupid punk running numbers in the slums of Chicago.

  And soon Blount would hold more power than his father had ever dreamed.

  He unlocked his Lexus and got into the driver’s seat. He had chosen th
e car with great care. Nothing flashy or too expensive like his father’s Rolls. Boasting substance and sleek good looks, it was the car of a young man on his way up in the legitimate business world. Not that there was much legitimate about Ogden, but perception was everything, Blount had found. Perception and the ability to outthink the fools who—

  “Don’t move.”

  Blount froze, his gaze flying to the rearview mirror.

  Ishmaru.

  He stifled the panic that jolted through him and smiled at the slimy little bastard who had risen from the floor and was now sitting in the backseat. “This isn’t necessary. Why didn’t you call me? I could have met you for a drink.”

  “You sent me on a wild-goose chase.”

  “What do you mean? I gave you all the information I had about Lynski. I told you it was a dead end.”

  “It was a dead end because you sealed Lynski’s cellular phone records.”

  “The cellular company proved intractable. We’re still working on it.”

  “I think you have the records. I think you know where Lynski is right now.”

  “And not tell you and Ogden?”

  “Where is he?”

  “Really, Ishmaru, that would be very foolish of me. I know how badly you want—” He inhaled sharply as he felt the blade of a knife dig painfully into his nape. “Don’t be hasty. I was going to tell you eventually. I was waiting for the right time. Lynski’s using a digital phone now. We can’t listen in on digital, and I haven’t been able to gain access to his new phone records yet. We don’t want just him. We want Smith and the woman. If you blunder right now, you’ll mess up everything.”

  “I won’t blunder. He’ll tell me what you want to know. Where is he?”

  Blount broke into a sweat. If he told him, Ishmaru might think his usefulness over and cut his throat. If he didn’t, the crazy dick might still do it. “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe waiting isn’t the way to go. But there’s always a chance that Smith and Dr. Denby have split up. If they have, you’ll need my help to locate the woman.” He could feel the blood dripping down his neck, and he added quickly, “I’m working on a few leads now that look promising. Naturally, I’ll be at your disposal. After all, we’re on the same team.”

  “Where is Lynski?”