it. And Melvin had been investing more in the legitimate businesses for the last three years. They’re still a small percentage, but they’re growing.”
“Assuming that Bright is impeached or resigns and is no longer a threat,” Fred said, “you will still be vulnerable politically if there is a perception that your wealth is at risk. If this becomes a substantial financial reversal, your influence will suffer.”
“I’ll make sure no one perceives that.”
Now I was glad there were no mirrors in the room. I’d make sure there never were. It would be too distracting to have to look myself in the eye.
Fred heaved himself up and headed for his own duchy. I strolled out to Pamela. “This will be tricky. I want to meet with Clinton Grainger. Can you try to arrange that?”
She smiled at the challenge. “Of course, dear. I’ll see what I can do.”
“You can let him pick the location, if that will help. And schedule Fred to be in on it. And one more thing. There’s a person named Wilcox with the state police. I want to meet with him. And get me Stan Morton.”
“He’s called twice. And so have most of his peers.”
“Hire a receptionist with a real mean voice.”
Then I called my dear wife. “I have one more call to make, and I’ll be done.”
“It’s complete chaos here,” she said. She sounded like it, too.
“The cavalry is on the way.”
“A troop of horses is all I need.”
Maybe she was joking, or maybe she was past joking. I kept it brief with Stan.
“Do you need anything from me?” I asked him.
“An interview would be nice. You’re starting to become the reclusive young Jason Boyer. I’m keeping the heat on Bright, but I have to cover the other angles.”
“Okay, probably tomorrow. I’m moving to a new house today.”
“Haven’t you been watching? Everybody in the state knows it.”
Poor Katie. “No, and I haven’t looked at the paper, either.”
“Well, it’s gone national. Harry Bright’s the front page in the Times and the Globe.”
“Thanks. Do whatever you have to. If you want to be fair, you can say a couple nasty things about me.”
“Tell me a couple that no one else knows.”
“Talk to you later, Stan.”
23
I took a taxi to Eric’s building to get my car. On the drive home I listened to the radio and I started to realize how high on the Richter scale our little scandal was registering. The embattled governor would be giving another press conference, and there were reports that state offices were being sealed by investigators to prevent destruction of documents. I called Pamela.
“Find out what’s happening at Melvin’s estate.”
“There are quite a few police officers there.” She already knew, of course. “They expect to be there through the day.”
I don’t care about the news, usually. It’s insipid and frivolous, politics and shootings, all crime all the time. Now that Bright-gate had hit the big time, it had all the elements that I found so tiresome- murder, sleazy public officials, and big money. Even melodrama: the mysterious and handsome young billionaire.
I had my own street ahead of me. A policeman signaled me a block from the house, before I even reached the circus.
“Mr. Boyer? Just stay to the left and they’ll let you through.”
The circus wasn’t too big, just two television trucks, a few cars, and a dozen people, half with cameras and half with hairdos. I glided up, then through, just quick enough. All they’d have for the midday news was my back bumper.
In front of the house were three large moving trucks and another dozen people, but these were usefully employed. Furniture and boxes were pouring out of every door.
Katie was in the front hall. I wondered if she’d collapse in my arms or order me to grab the next load. I’ll never know; she hesitated just long enough for me to lift her off her feet, my left arm behind her back and my right beneath her legs. I swung her a full circle around.
Just at that moment, a big chair from the bedroom was walking past. “You, set it there,” I said and the chair dropped to the floor. I gave Katie a big kiss and plopped her into it.
And now that I had established who was in charge, I put my knee onto the carpet and looked her straight in the eye.
“I’m here.”
“I see,” she said, then she giggled. “It’s a good thing.”
“It is.” We both took a deep breath. “Is all this going okay?”
“Yes.” She stood. “Go ahead,” she said, and the chair started moving again. “But it’s not easy.”
“Have you seen the news?”
“Not yet. Only a little.”
“Don’t think about it,” I said. “What can I do?”
“Well… just stand here and yell at everybody. I’ve got to go upstairs.”
“Why?”
“To yell at everybody up there.”
That’s what she thrived on, but the stress was showing.
“Where’s Francine?”
“In the kitchen, yelling at everybody.”
“How long until they’re done here?”
“We’re almost done. We’re leaving all the furniture here that we won’t use in the new house.”
“Then come with me.”
We walked through the house. I stopped at the kitchen.
“Francine,” I said. “I’m taking Katie out back. You’ll have to do her yelling for her.”
Francine frowned, of which she makes an art. “What do you mean, you’re taking her out back? Hasn’t anyone told you that you’re moving today? You can’t just leave.”
“Yell at everybody else,” I said. “Not at me.”
I led Katie out the back door to a bench in the rose garden. “Now sit.”
She sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
We sat together, suddenly at peace. The turmoil in the house was left behind. “It’s really going fine,” she said, and then she remembered I was there. “How was your morning?”
“I think everything’s under control. I talked with two men from the FBI.”
“What did they say?”
“You don’t need to worry about it. They’re our friends.”
She didn’t want to worry about it anyway. “We really are almost ready to pull out. It was all such a hurry.”
“If they missed anything, we can get it later. We should go on to the new house.”
“Are all those people still out in the street?”
“Yes. I guess it’ll be a parade. They’ll follow us.”
“I wish they would leave us alone.” But she was proud of me, and that was worth all the troubles. “You’re doing what you have to do. But I hope it won’t always be like this.”
“I guess there’s nothing else happening in the world.” I wanted to get Katie away from the chaos, and I didn’t want our arrival at our new house to be in the center of a media riot. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I’ll tell Eric. He’s in your office.”
Eric. I had an idea.
