Jernigan returned with the top of a paper box holding two cups of coffee and three cups of cocoa. He gave the children the cocoa and then offered Lisolette a cup of coffee. “You’ll have to take it black; they’re out of cream and sugar.”
He sipped at his coffee for a minute in silence, then said: “I suppose we should consider getting the children to bed. I can get someone to drive you to a hotel. Or maybe you’ve got relations in town or friends. Want me to try them?”
“Harry.” She hesitated. “I have no relations in town and I guess I’m not the type to make many friends. I have no one close to me, I haven’t had for years.” She looked up at him. “Please don’t feel sorry for me; that’s not why I said that.”
He shrugged. “I know that. Frankly, if you could stand a mob of kids and in-laws, I’d be delighted to put you up at my place. I’ve told Mamie so much about you that she’s been dying to meet you anyway.”
“Why, thank you, Harry,” Lisolette said, smug with genuine pleasure.
“I know we really should do something about the children but . .
.”
She hesitated, then continued in a quieter voice: “I think I would like to stay here a little while longer, at least until everyone is down from the Promenade Room.” She glanced over at the chairs with the three children in them, all of whom had gone to sleep in the middle of drinking their cocoa. “There’s no real hurry.”
Jernigan suddenly remembered. “You were dining Up there tonight with Mr. Claiborne, weren’t you?”
She nodded. “I’ve looked all over down here for him and I haven’t seen him. I asked Mr. Garfunkel and he thinks that Harlee may still be up there-or possibly on the elevator.” She shook her head sadly.
“He’s such a fine man; I just hope he’s all right.”
“The fire is pretty bad up there,” Jernigan said slowly.
“It’s just one floor beneath the Promenade Room and they’re having trouble getting to it.”
“They’ll find a way,” Lisolette said firmly. “They will; I know they will.”
“Miss Mueller.” Jernigan toyed with his cup, hating himself,for what he was going to say and knowing that if he didn’t say it, the day might come when he would hate himself even more. “Mr. Claiborne had credit difficulties with the management here. Rosie did some investigating-all right, call it snooping-and Harlee might be a nice guy but he’s not, you know, on the up and up.”
“He’s what they call a con man,” Lisolette said quietly.
“I’ve known that for almost two weeks now. I know it and it hasn’t made that much difference to me.” She laughed quietly. “I suppose that makes me a foolish old woman.”
Jernigan suddenly reached out and took her hand. “I don’t think it does Miss Mueller. I think all it means is that you like him a lot.”
“Thank you,” Lisolette said, squeezing his hand very tightly.
“Thank you so very, very much.”
CHAPTER 59
His worries about what might have happened to Chief Karl Fuchs had preyed on Infantino long enough. His first stop was at the emergency first-aid station that had been set up on the eighteenth floor near the stairwell. It was here that Infantino discovered Mark Fuchs, his clothing ripped and torn from the explosion itself and from subsequent burial beneath the resulting debris. Fuchs had been dazed and semiconscious for half an hour and was just now coming out of it.
Except for second-degree burns and severe lacerations about the face and shoulders, his chief injuries stemmed from shock.
Infantino found him sitting on the edge of a cot, staring into space.
He took one look and turned to the rescue man in charge. “Why the hell hasn’t this man been evacuated?”
“Chief, we don’t have that many men to help the injured down the stairs. And except for a few burns, he’s in far better shape than the rest of them. Besides, he refuses to go.”
Infantino turned back to Fuchs. “Mark, you’re as bad as your old man-stubborn as they come. Look, you want to go downstairs by yourself?
Do I have to order you down?”
Fuchs’s face was without emotion. “What happened to Dave? They won’t tell me.”
“Dave?”
“Lencho. He was just ahead of me hen the blast occurred. He probably touched it off when he opened the storeroom door.”
Infantino stalled, trying to figure out Fuchs’s state of mind and how much bad news he could stand. “How’d you survive?”
“An overhead beam fell over me and the rest of the debris piled on top of it. You didn’t answer my question.”
Infantino felt uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Mark. He was right in front of the blast.”
“Bad?”
“He’s dead. It killed him instantly.”
For a moment the younger man seemed on the verge of tears and then, with obvious effort, controlled himself.
“That’s too bad.” Softly, with pity: “He was a lousy fireman.”
“We’d better get you to the hospital for a checkup,” Infantino said.
Fuchs didn’t move. “They told me the old man was nosing around on sixteen after the blast.”
If he told him why, Infantino thought, young Fuchs might never leave.
“That’s his privilege,” he said gently.
“Theoretically I’m in charge but I’m not about to put a bridle on an old war horse.” He tried to change the subject. “Look, you’re in no shape to be hanging around up here. Get down to the first-aid station below and if they want to send you to the hospital, go. It’ll probably only be for a short while. Besides, it’s free.”
Fuchs’s eyes.were chilly and old. “Quit bullshitting me, Chief.
The old man came looking for me, didn’t he? And nobody’s seen him since, have they?” His voice trailed off.
“It was a dumb thing for him to dole And you’re waiting for them to bring him here, right?”
Infantino asked.
“You’ve got it.” Defensively he added: “He’s my father.”
He was wasting precious time, Infantino thought. He’d wanted to avoid talking about it altogether and if he had, to break it to young Fuchs gently. But there wasn’t going to be time for that.
“Okay, Mark,” he said coldly. “You’re right, the chief came up looking for you. He pulled rank on Miller and got on the floor.
There’s been no word from him since, and if he started with a full bottle for his respirator the air in it must be gone by now. There’s a rescue squad looking for him; I came up to help-there’s not much else I can do until the new equipment arrives from Southport. One way or the other, I’ll find your father. We had our difficulties but besides being my superior, he was also my friend. I’ll make a point of getting word to you just as soon as I find out anything, regardless of what it is.
If it’s good news you’ll be among the first to know. If it’s bad I’ll let you know just as soon.”
He stood up from the box he had been sitting on. His voice was now icy. “You’re cluttering up the rescue station here, Fuchs.
They’ve got men more seriously hurt than you to worry about. Go downstairs and let the doctors look you over-that’s an order.”
He turned to go and Fuchs suddenly said, “Chief Infantino.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t try being a nice guy. Just be professional. It’s easier on the rest of us that way.”
