Chapter 26
Bill was worried about Paula. He had left her in a very difficult situation. It was all over the news that Blanche had died, and he wondered how she was going to explain what happened. He doubted she would tell the truth as that would compromise the witness. Not only would Frank Hill’s goons be looking for him and Roxanne but so would every law enforcement agency in New York, not to mention the FBI. Bill jumped when his cell phone rang.
“Paula?” he said.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Thank God! Are you okay? I’ve been so worried about you.”
“Yes, I’m fine. It was a little sticky here, but I managed to get myself unglued.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m at the airport. Where are you?”
“I don’t want to say over the telephone. I’ll just meet you tonight where we discussed earlier. You can fill me in on what happened.”
“Okay.”
“God, I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
“I better get off the line. Be careful.”
“I will. See you soon.”
Bill flipped his cell phone closed and looked at Roxanne. She smiled at him but he could see the worry in her expression. He had decided to drive to New York as he didn’t want to hang around the airport waiting for a flight. They had parked Roxanne’s car in a public garage and rented a car to take them to Washington so it would be more difficult for anyone to spot them. Still, Bill was uneasy. He knew that Frank Hill would be doing everything in his power to find them and that one careless move could be fatal. At 8:15 they checked into the Watergate Hotel.
When they got into their room, Bill called the front desk and asked if Paula Sands had checked in. They said she had and connected him. They talked and Paula said she would be right up. As she left her room, she spotted a man at a drinking fountain. When she walked by, he started after her and followed her into the elevator. Instead of pushing the button for the floor Bill was on, she pushed the button for the lobby.
Once downstairs she walked into the bar and took a seat. The man who had been following her took a seat at a table a few feet away. A bartender came by and she ordered a drink. She wondered how she was going to lose the guy. As she was pondering the situation, she spotted two more suspicious men, one near the elevator and another at the front desk. They were standing around, looking, and waiting. She got on her cell phone and called Bill.
“I’m afraid I’ve led them to you.”
“Oh, shit. Where are you?”
“In the lobby at the bar. You better find another place to hide out. Don’t tell me where it is. I don’t want to know. Just get out of here fast before they find out what room you’re in.”
“Damn it. Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll hang around here for a while, then go back to my room. Call me if you need me to do anything. I’m sorry we can’t be together.”
“Me too. Be careful.”
Bill looked at Roxanne and said, “We’ve got to get out of here fast.” Roxanne threw her clothes back in her suitcase and Bill picked it up. He opened the door slowly and peered out. The coast appeared clear so they walked quickly to the stairs. As they were halfway into the stairwell the elevator bell rang and the door opened. Two men jumped out and saw the door to the stairwell closing. They came after them.
Bill and Roxanne descended the stairs quickly. They could hear their pursuers just one flight behind them. Bill wondered if there would be more men at the bottom of the staircase. He elected to exit the stairwell on the second floor and go through the mall to avoid them. When they broke out into the mall they began running to an escalator going down to the street, but when they started to descend they saw two more men at the bottom of the escalator.
“Damn,” Bill screamed, taking Roxanne’s hand. “This way.”
They ran down another corridor as four men gave chase. Luckily they reached another elevator bank and the door to one was just closing. They slipped inside. The elevator went down and the four pursuers ran to the stairs. Bill and Roxanne quickly exited the elevator and ran to a door leading to the street. As they went outside the four men came bounding out of the stairwell. They reached the door just as Bill and Roxanne were getting into a cab. By the time the four men had hailed their own taxi, Bill and Roxanne were gone.
Bill looked at Roxanne. She was as pale as skim milk and shaking. He said, “Are you all right?”
She forced a smile and replied, “I guess. I’ve never been chased before. It’s kind of scary. Do you think they would hurt me if they found me?”
Bill nodded. “I’m afraid they’d kill you if they had the chance. That’s why we can’t let them find you.”
“What’s going to happen now? Why are we in Washington?”
“We’ve got a meeting tomorrow with Senator Goss. If he likes you as a witness, then he’ll convince the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee to convene a meeting of the committee to consider starting an investigation of MidSouth Bank.”
“Where are going to stay tonight?” Roxanne asked.
“I know a place in Georgetown that is out of the way and should be safe. I’ll call Senator Goss in the morning and switch our meeting place since we don’t want to go back to the Watergate.”
“I’m so scared, Bill. What if they find us?”
“They won’t, I promise. But just in case I don’t plan to go to sleep tonight.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I’ll be sleeping either.”
They checked into a bed-and-breakfast in Georgetown and settled in for the night. Bill wondered how Paula was doing. He wanted to call her but was afraid a cell phone transmission might give away his position. Instead he sat in an overstuffed chair next to a window where he wondered if they’d be found
Plastic Gods, A Rich Coleman Novel Vol 2 Page 44
