“Yup. A chat. Nothing sworn, no wires, no games. Just talk. Two ol’ buddies.”
“See you in an hour,” Jake said.
They went in two cars, Johnson Black leading in his limo, Madison and Jake following. They called ahead and found Novatny waiting at a pull-in parking strip, accompanied by what looked like an intern or possibly a random teenager. Novatny said, “Park where you are.”
“The signs say that’s illegal,” Jake said; a row of signs warned of heavy fines and immediate towing.
“Joshua here is going to guard the cars. He’ll shoot anybody who objects,” Novatny said. “C’mon, Jake. Two hundred yards.”
They went off together, Jake tapping along with his stick, Madison moving up to Black’s limo for a last-minute conference. Jake said, “So. What do you need?”
“I want to know what the White House is doing,” Novatny said. “If we’re about to have nine million pounds of shit land on our heads.”
“Judging from the television . . .”
Novatny stopped and turned. “Fuck the television, Jake. I want to know if we’re going to get hammered. If I’m on my way to Boise, if Mavis is going to get shuffled off to a basement somewhere.” Mavis Sanders was Novatny’s boss. “If I should quit and get a security job before it’s too late.”
Jake shook his head: “Chuck, I honest to God don’t know. The White House cut me loose a couple of days ago, closed the consulting contract. I may be on my way back, though. Something else came up.”
Novatny was interested. “Having to do with this case?”
“Having to do with something serious. Maybe related, maybe not. I can tell you, just between us ol’ buddies, it’s not this penny-ante shit you’ve been dealing with so far. Lincoln Bowe and Howard Barber.”
Novatny rubbed his forehead. “Not like this penny-ante shit?
“I’m telling you this because we’ve worked together, and I like you, and I like Mavis,” Jake said. “Get yourself braced for something coming from an entirely new direction. Political. You should know about it in twenty-four hours, forty-eight at the outside. I’ll try to get them to bring it directly to you and your office. You’ll be a star for bringing it in. You’ll go in a history book.”
“What do you want? For doing that?”
“Consideration,” Jake said.
“Consideration?”
“Yeah. We want some consideration. If we don’t get it, somebody’s going to shove some consideration up your ass and break it off. With what’s coming, you can look at it two ways—you can decide whether every niggling little procedure’s been followed, or you can go for the substance. If you go for the substance, you’ll be okay. I think. But that’s just me doing the thinking.”
Novatny licked his lower lip. “They’ve got some good hunting out of Boise.”
“Didn’t know you hunted,” Jake said.
“I don’t. That’s what I hear from the guys who’ve been there,” Novatny said. “That’s what they always say. ‘There’s some good hunting out of Boise.’ ”
“Well, that’s one thing.”
Novatny looked up and down the block. Joshua was guarding the cars like a hawk. “I’ll tell you, Jake. I’ve never worried too much about procedure. I’ve always been a substance guy. So’s my whole office.”
“You’re speaking for the office? For Mavis?”
“I am.”
“Substance is good. This new thing that’s coming, it has everybody so scared that we’ve literally been hiding out,” Jake said. “I’m afraid to let Madison out of my sight. I’m afraid somebody’s going to kill her, like those people in Wisconsin.”
“Ah, shit. The new stuff has to do with that?”
“It might. I’m not sure. You’ll know soon enough.”
They finished their walk and Novatny said, “Do what you can, man.” He collected Madison and Black and disappeared into the building, Madison turning to give Jake a finger wave before she went in. Novatny walked beside her, awkwardly straightening and restraightening his tie. If you didn’t know better, Jake thought, you might have thought Novatny was the one being investigated.
Jake got on his cell phone, called Gina in Danzig’s office.
“I need to talk to the man.”
“Things are intense right now,” Gina said. “Let me see if I can find him. I’ll call you back.”
“Tell him it’s critical. He has a real need to know this.”
“I’ll tell him,” she said. Her voice was absolutely neutral.
Fifty-fifty, Jake thought when she’d hung up. Fifty-fifty that they’d call. If they didn’t, he’d really been cut loose.
