Long After Midnight
Page 23
She shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
His brows lifted. “You must be tired.”
She was tired and lonely and worried. She didn’t want to be in this luxury hotel facing weeks of separation from her son. She wanted to be home with Joshua. “I’ll survive.”
He smiled. “That’s what this is all about.”
“Will Tony be staying here at the hotel too?”
“Yes, it’s more convenient, but don’t expect to see much of him. I guess you’ve caught on to the fact that he disapproves of me.”
“It would be hard to miss.” She sat down on the sofa. “I’m a little surprised he’s helping us.”
“He loved Noah.” He took a chair opposite her. “And he loves seeing me in this position. He knows I’m hating it. He didn’t want Noah to involve me from the beginning. My way of making a living offends him.” He paused. “Which brings up something I have to ask you. Is there anything in your present or past that Ogden can use to hurt you?”
She stiffened. “What?”
“Don’t freeze up on me. I have to know. We all have skeletons in our closets. I just have to make sure that no one’s able to rattle yours. Is there anything I should know?”
No one must ever know.
“No.” She jumped to her feet. “You wait for the bags. I have to go to the bathroom.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Saved by the bell,” Seth said. “Now you don’t have to run away.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to force you to confide your sins. Though I damn well should.” He walked to the door and paused with his hand on the knob. “Just remember that whatever you’ve done, I’ve done worse. Anytime you want to talk to me, I’ll be here.”
She didn’t answer.
He shrugged and let the porter in.
“It’s a bunch of bullshit,” Meryl Kimbro said flatly. She clicked off her tape recorder and rose to her feet. “And believe me, after covering Washington for eighteen years, I’m an expert on bullshit.”
“Wait.” Tony jumped to his feet. “You need to take time to—”
“But what if it isn’t?” Seth asked softly. “What if it’s all true?”
Her glance shifted to him. “No proof. You can’t pin Ogden or Longworth or this Ishmaru. We’d be sued.”
“Then don’t mention them. Go for the story on RU2.”
“And give you free publicity on a drug that’s not been approved by the FDA.”
“It could save a hell of a lot of lives.”
“If your claims are true. There have been four demonstrations this week from anti-genetic-research groups. The paper doesn’t need to take that kind of static because of an untested drug.”
“My claims are true,” Kate said quietly. “I’ll give you documentation.”
“Which I wouldn’t understand.”
“Take it to a scientist who would.”
The reporter hesitated. “Not interested. Bullshit.” She walked out of the hotel room.
“I guess that’s that,” Tony said. “I’ll go down to the next name on the list.”
“No,” Kate said. “Wait.”
“Why?”
“The woman’s a professional. We’ve aroused her curiosity. She won’t be able to walk away from it.”
“She just did.”
“I like her. I think she’s honest. I’ve got a feeling. . . . Give her twenty-four hours before you approach anyone else.”
“I don’t think that—”
“Twenty-four hours.” Seth smiled at Kate. “I have a great respect for instinct.”
Tony shrugged. “You’re the ones on the hot seat.”
Meryl Kimbro called the next afternoon. “Okay, you’ve got me. I want to see the RU2 documentation.”
“What changed your mind?” Kate asked.
“I called Dandridge and checked out your story. By the way, you’re not wanted for murder anymore, but they do want you for questioning.”
Relief poured through Kate.
“A Detective Eblund went to bat for you and knocked the legs from the case. It apparently was pretty damn flimsy anyway.”
Bless Alan. “Nonexistent.”
“And I went to the city morgue and viewed the John Doe they carted from that Georgetown hotel.”
Kate flinched. John Doe. The idea of Noah being treated so impersonally still made her cringe.
“If he’s not Noah Smith, he’s close enough to be a twin. They thought I was crazy when I asked them to run a fingerprint match with the Noah Smith who died in that explosion, but I think they’ll do it. The rest of the story may be bogus, but I’ve got enough to make it worthwhile to go a little further. I’ll pick up the RU2 stuff in forty minutes.”
“No, I’ll go with you when you check it out.”
“You don’t want to let it out of your sight? Okay, no problem.”
Kate turned to Seth after she hung up the phone. “Well, I’m not wanted for murder any longer and she’s going to check out RU2.”
“Then we’ve got her,” Seth said. “I’ll bet we get our story in tomorrow’s paper.” He paused. “And everyone will know exactly where you are. Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“No, but that’s what we’ve got to do.” She made a face. “At least it’s not all bad. I won’t have the police breathing down my neck.”
“Then hang on to your hat. The roller coaster ride’s about to begin.”
They were gone!
Ishmaru wanted to shriek with agony as he walked into the cave. He knelt, pawing desperately through the blackened remnants.
After fifteen minutes he found only one charred pole. After an hour he unearthed a gold lighter. Nothing else.
No sign of the guardians.
He rocked back and forth, his arms wrapped tightly around his body. He waited in terror for them to come.
They were closing in, swooping about him, howling in the darkness.
“Stay back,” he whimpered. “Do you hear me? Stay back.”
He bolted from the cave.
He didn’t stop until he reached the edge of the forest. He sank to the ground beneath an elm tree. Who had done this? Who had robbed him of his strength?
Emily.
Who else but another spirit would know that spirits could weaken him? He had angered her and she had struck back.
Rage tore through him. You’ll suffer, Emily. You’ll suffer for setting them loose.
He looked down at the gold lighter he still clutched in his hand. The metal was damaged and charred, but the initials were clear. Jimenez. The clumsy fool had even left a mark to point the way, but wait. Hadn’t there been signs in the cave of someone else digging, searching? She had used Jimenez as a weapon to inflict this terrible blow. The coward would never have dared do this unless driven.
No matter who the messenger, it was Emily who had done this to him.
The newspaper story was on the front page. It focused almost entirely on RU2, Kate, and the John Doe whose fingerprints had matched those of Noah Smith. No mention of Ogden or any conspiracy.
“Not even an ‘alleged’ reference to Ishmaru,” Kate said.
Seth shrugged. “She’s careful but I’ll bet she keeps digging. And she makes us sound fairly sane and respectable. That’s more than the tabloids will do. Two days from now every rag in the supermarket will have a story about that bogus warrant issued against you and my very disreputable background.”
Kate’s gaze was still on the newspaper. “What do you think? Is it enough?”
Seth shook his head. “We need to stir things up more. Let me think.” He moved over to the window and looked down at the traffic below. “It’s still a risk for you to go out in public. Ogden’s goons probably won’t touch you since you’ve gone public, but that doesn’t mean he won’t stir up those demonstrators.”
“I’ve faced that kind of threat before. I want it over. What do I have to do?”
“He won’t see us.”
“When you come surrounded by newspaper reporters and television crews, he’ll see you. Politicians don’t like to appear evasive in public.”
“You know as well as I do that I won’t be able to persuade him to bow out on that bill.”
“But if you come off sympathetic enough, it may deflate his balloon.”
“And then?”
“Then we pay a visit to Senator Ralph Migellin.”
“Another politician?”
“But Ralph Migellin is that rare breed—an honest and respected politician. He’s also an idealist. If we can pit him against Longworth, it will stall the bill.”
She shook her head. “How do you know so much about the Washington scene?”
“You’d be surprised how useful knowing the players is in my line of work.” He turned to face her. “And Ralph Migellin was never on any payola list I ever saw.” He moved toward the door. “Change clothes. Try to look professional, intelligent, and sexy as hell.”
“You don’t ask much.”
“No, I don’t. You can do it with your hands tied behind your back.” He grinned at her over his shoulder. “But leave off the bondage. S and M isn’t that palatable to Middle America.”
Kate was taken aback when she opened her bedroom door an hour later. Seth was wearing a well-cut brown suit and a silk tie that appeared both discreet and expensive. She had never seen him in anything but jeans or khakis, but he carried the formal clothes with surprising elegance.
“Stop staring.” He grimaced. “I do have my civilized moments.”
“You look very . . . nice.”
“I look like a lawyer. But you can be damn sure the suit isn’t Armani.”
His vehement tone puzzled her. “Armani?”
“Never mind.” His gaze ran over her. “You look good in black, but the suit’s a little too stern. You need to soften it.”
“I’m not trying to win a fashion award,” she said dryly.
“Wear the jacket open so the silk blouse shows.” He was unbuttoning the jacket as he spoke. He fluffed her hair. “There. Perfect.” He saw her face begin to cloud and added, “Relax. If I’m willing to sacrifice myself on the media altar, you shouldn’t mind. Even Marcia Clark cut her hair and bought a new wardrobe for the Simpson trial.” He led the way out of the suite.
“I have no intention of doing either.” But she left the jacket open anyway. “Why are you suddenly so concerned about appearances?”
“Because the media is about to shred us and have us for breakfast. But a picture can sometimes speak more than a story.”
“Our work on RU2 stands alone. It shouldn’t need anyone to—” She stopped. Nothing stood alone in this hype-driven world. Everything was questioned. “Okay, I’ll smile for the camera.”
“You don’t have to smile. After what’s happened to you, no one expects you to be anything but serious. Just show them you’re a human being as well as a scientist. This is your show. I’m just here for backup.” He took her arm. “And stand close to Longworth. He’s a big man and next to him you’ll look fragile as hell. It won’t hurt to have him seen as a bully out to get the courageous little woman.”
“I’ve been fighting that ‘little woman’ image all my life.”
“Do what you like, but we need all the weapons we can get.”
Sure, give her a choice and then tell her she’s going to deep-six the battle if she makes the wrong one. “Are you sure you weren’t in politics yourself?”
“Closest I ever came was bodyguard to a Colombian judge, and that didn’t last long.”
“Did he get killed too?”
“No, he decided to take the bribe the cartel offered him, and I became unnecessary.” He punched the elevator button. “But I kept him alive for eight months before he caved in. Not bad.”
William Longworth was distinctly uncomfortable, Kate noted. He had a smile pasted on his face, but he was very pale and the fingers he was tapping on the desk were trembling slightly.
Strange. From what she had heard about the senator, he was seldom visibly shaken. The reporters surrounding them shouldn’t have upset him; he loved the media.
But this interview had not gone his way, Kate thought with fierce satisfaction. She had been able to give facts, and he had been able to supply only rhetoric.
“If RU2 is the miracle Dr. Denby claims, will you reconsider your support of the bill controlling genetic research?” Meryl asked the senator.
“Certainly not. Genetic research is dangerous. It should be kept in firm, guiding hands. My constituents would never forgive me if I allowed it to go unchecked. If this RU2 is a miracle drug, which I doubt, then it should be controlled and tested until there is no question of its safety.”
“The FDA has the most painstaking testing in the world,” Kate said. “Why not leave it in their hands?”
“Naturally, we’ll rely on their expertise. But the decision should lie with the American people.”
“You mean you,” Kate said. “Congress is notorious for gridlock. Are you going to let thousands of people die while you haggle in committees?”
Longworth cast a sad look at the TV cameraman. “You see? Reckless impatience. The American people deserve more.” He smiled at Kate. “I’m sure you mean well, young lady, but you’re backing the wrong horse. The public regards fooling around with genetics as dangerous and against the will of God.” He stood up and leisurely walked to the window. “See for yourself.”
Kate had no chance. Reporters rushed to the window, knocking her aside. Seth reached out to steady her and then pushed through the mob gathered around the window.
A huge crowd milled in the street below. Kate caught glimpses of the signs they were carrying.
Stop Them
Save Our Babies
We Don’t Want Their UnGodly RU2
Bless You, Senator Longworth
“How did he manage to get a crowd this size on such short notice?” Kate muttered. “We only called him this day.”
“Rent-a-mob?” Seth took her elbow and guided her away from the window. “Come on. We might as well leave. Longworth’s checkmated us. Those reporters are going to focus on the demonstrators.”
“Then all this was for nothing?”
“No, they’ll air some of the interview.” He held open the door for her. “You were great. Kind of reminded me of a machete chopping through a balloon.”
“I thought I had him.” She glanced back at Longworth, who was chatting genially with Meryl Kimbro. As she watched, Longworth raised his gaze and met her own. He smiled triumphantly before returning his attention to the reporter. “I’d like to push the bastard through that window.”
“Too many witnesses.”
“It seems impossible that anyone could be swayed by that bag of wind. He’s . . . he’s . . . some kind of obscene joke.”
“Easy. It’s over. He won the ball game, but you had your innings. Now we go on to the next step.” He opened the door. “Tony’s waiting downstairs in Senator Migellin’s limousine. We’ll go out the back way. The mob may recognize you from Kimbro’s story.”
Tony was standing beside a long black limousine over a block away. He waved frantically when he saw Seth and Kate. “What the devil happened? This demonstration is really going to impress the senator. Why not just burn the American flag?”
“He’s inside?”
Tony nodded.
Seth opened the car door and all three got into the car.
“You’re Kate Denby?” Ralph Migellin smiled. “You’ve caused quite a stir.” His gaze went to the crowd in the next block. “I didn’t bring out that many people at my last rally.”
“Seth Drakin.” Seth shook his hand. “Thanks for coming.”
“It was the only way to meet you unobtrusively. I’m not sure I want to be involved
with this RU2. It could be very detrimental to my career.” He shrugged. “But sometimes a man has no choice. I hope this isn’t one of them.”
“Tony has explained everything to you?” Seth asked.
Migellin nodded. His gaze returned to the crowd. “Would I face that kind of opposition?”
“Yes,” Seth said.
“Well, at least you’re honest.” He turned to Kate. “And would your RU2 be worth it? Is it the miracle you claim?”
“Noah Smith thought it was worth it,” Kate said. “He died for it.”
“I’m asking what you think.”
“Oh yes, it’s a miracle. But I’ve put myself and my family at risk. If something happened to them, I don’t know if I could say it was worth it. I’m not that selfless.”
“But you’re here.”
“Because I was angry and tired of being pushed around. Not because I’m particularly noble.”
“And will this RU2 save as many lives as you claim?”
“Probably more. Our estimates are based on the major diseases. More research will probably provide a bigger picture.”
“I see.” Migellin stared at her for a moment before heaving a resigned sigh. “I’m afraid I believe you. Too bad. I was looking forward to a peaceful campaign year.” He took out a notebook from his pocket, scrawled something, and handed it to Kate. “However, I’m not completely convinced we even have a shot. I’d like you both to meet me at my country place tomorrow afternoon. I have some people I’ll want you to meet.”
“Who?” Seth asked.
“Frank Cooper for one. He’s head of the Gray Panthers. The retired citizens’ lobby is a very powerful influence here in Washington.” He smiled. “And they’re very concerned about their health.”
Kate felt a rush of relief. He was going to help them. “You’ll try to block Longworth’s bill?”
“I didn’t say that. I’ll need support and you’ll have to get it for me. Be there tomorrow. I’ll make a decision then.”