Myron brushed past him. 'In a minute.'
When he reached Victoria Wilson, she made herself very clear: 'Do not talk to the cops,' she said. 'In fact, go to Win's and stay put.'
'I'm not crazy about taking orders,' Myron said.
'Sorry if I'm bruising your male ego,' she said in a tone that made it clear she was anything but. 'But I know what I'm doing.'
'Have the police found the finger?'
Victoria Wilson crossed her arms. 'Yes.'
'And?'
'And nothing.'
Myron looked at Bucky. Bucky looked away. He turned his attention back to Victoria Wilson. 'They didn't ask you about it?'
'They asked. We refused to answer.'
'But the finger could exonerate her.'
Victoria Wilson sighed and turned away. 'Go home, Myron. I'll call you if anything new turns up.'
Chapter 33
It was time to face Win.
Myron rehearsed several possible approaches in the car. None felt right, but that really did not matter much.
Win was his friend. When the time came, Myron would deliver the message and Win would adhere to it or not.
The trickier question was, of course, should the message be delivered at all? Myron knew that repression was unhealthy and all that but did anybody really want to risk unbottling Win's suppressed rage?
The cell phone rang. Myron picked it up. It was Tad Crispin.
'I need your help,' Tad said.
'What's up?'
'The media keep hounding me for a comment. I'm not sure what to say.'
'Nothing,' Myron told him. 'Say nothing.'
'Yeah, okay, but it's not that easy. Leamer Sheltonhe's the Commissioner of the USGA called me twice.
He wants to have a big trophy ceremony tomorrow. Name me U. S. Open champion. l'm not sure what to do.'
Smart kid, Myron thought. He knows that if this is handled poorly, it could seriously wound him. 'Tad?'
'Yes?'
'Are you hiring me?' Business was still business.
Agenting was not charity work.
'Yeah, Myron, you're hired.'
'Okay then, listen up. There'll be details to work out first. Percentages, that kinda thing. Most of it is fairly standard.' Kidnapping, limb-severing, murder nothing stopped the almighty agent from trying to tum a buck.
'In the meantime, say nothing. I'll have a car come by to pick you up in a couple of hours. The driver will call up to your room before he gets there. Go straight to the car and say nothing. No matter what the press yells at you, keep silent. Do not smile or wave. Look grim. A man has just been murdered. The driver will bring you to Win's estate. We'll discuss strategy then.'
'Thanks, Myron.'
'No, Tad, thank you.'
Profiting from a murder. Myron had never felt so much like a real agent in all his life.
The media had set up camp outside Win's estate.
'I've hired extra guards for the evening,' Win explained, empty brandy snifter in hand. 'If anybody approaches the gate, they've been instructed to shoot to kill.'
'I appreciate that.'
Win gave a quick head bow. He poured some Grand Marnier into the snifter. Myron grabbed a Yoo-Hoo from the fridge. The two men sat.
'Jessica called,' Win said.
'Here'?'
'Yes.'
'Why didn't she call me on the cellular?'
'She wanted to speak with me,' Win said.
'Oh.' Myron shook his Yoo-Hoo, just like the side of the can said. SHAKE! IT'S GREAT! Life is poetry. 'What about?' '
'She was worried about you,' Win said.
'For one thing, Jessica claimed that you left a cryptic message on the answering machine.'
'Did she tell you what I said?'
'No. Just that your voice sounded strained.'
'I told her that I loved her. That I'd always love her.'
Win took a sip and nodded as though that explained everything. '
'What?'
'Nothing,' Win said.
'No, tell me. What?'
Win put down the snifter and steepled his fingers.
'Who were you trying to convince'?' he asked. 'Her or you?'
'What the hell does that mean?'
Bouncing the fingers now instead of steepling. ' 'Nothing.'
'You know how much I love Jessica.'
'Indeed I do,' Win said.
.'You know what I've gone through to get her back.'
' Indeed I do.'
'I still don't get it,' Myron said. 'That's why Jess called you? Because my voice sounded strained?'
'Not entirely, no. She'd heard about Jack Coldren's murder. Naturally, she was upset. She asked me to watch your back.' `
'What did you tell her?'
'No.'
Silence.
Win lifted the snifter in the air. He swirled aroimd the liquid and inhaled deeply. 'So what did you wish to discuss with me?'
'I met your mother today.'
Win took a slow sip. He let the liquid roll over his tongue, his eyes studying the bottom of the glass. After he swallowed, he said, 'Pretend I just gasped in surprise.'
'She wanted me to give you a message.'
A small smile came to Win's lips. 'I assume that dear ma-ma told you what happened.'
'Yes.'
A bigger smile now. 'So now you know it all, eh, Myron?'
'No.'
'Oh come, come, don't make it so easy. Give me some of that pop psychology you're so fond of expounding.
An eight-year-old boy witnessing his grunting mother on all fours with another man surely that scarred me emotionally. Can we not trace back everything I've become to that one dastardly moment? Isn't this episode the reason why I treat women the way I do, why I build an emotional fortress around myself, why I choose fists where others choose words? Come now, Myron. You must have considered all this. Tell me all. I am sure it will all be oh- so-insightful.'
Myron waited a beat- 'I'm not here to analyze you, Win.'
