Gingerbread—Christ, that's a dumb name—what will he learn by following him?'
'I said he may be low-scale with only a relay telephone number to call periodically that wouldn't tell us anything. On the other hand, he may not be. If he's upscale he could lead us to others.'
'For God's sake, Mitch, drug him and find out!'
'You're not following me, Evan. A relay phone is called periodically … at specific times. If the schedule's broken, we send Grinell the wrong message.'
'You're all convoluted fruitcakes,' said a weakened, exasperated Kendrick.
'It's not much of a living, either… I'll have a couple of Shore Patrols placed at your door. Try to get some rest.'
'What about you? I know you said you couldn't fly out here and now I understand why, but you're still at the office, aren't you?'
'Yes, I'm waiting to hear from Gingerbread. I can work faster from here.'
'You don't want to talk about yesterday morning—about your meeting with the top dog from that Inver Brass?'
'Perhaps tomorrow. It's no longer urgent. Without him there is no Inver Brass.'
'Without him?'
'He killed himself… Merry Christmas, Congressman.'
Khalehla Rashad dropped the packages in her arms and screamed. 'What happened?' she cried, rushing to the bed.
'Medicare's a bunch of bullshit,' replied Evan.
'That's not funny!… The SPs at your door and the way they looked at my ID downstairs when I said I was coming to see you—what happened?'
He told her, omitting the parts about the replaced stitches and the blood in the hallway. 'Mitch agrees with what I did.'
‘I’ll have his head!' yelled Khalehla. 'He should have called me!'
'Then you wouldn't look as lovely as you do. The shadows around your eyes are only half black. You slept.'
'Twelve hours,' she admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed. That sweet, pudgy nurse? I can't believe it!'
'I could have used some of your black belt, first class, training. I don't make a point of fighting very often, and hardly ever with women—except hookers who overcharge.'
'Remind me never to let you pay… Oh, God, Evan, I knew I should have insisted on a larger room with two beds and stayed with you!'
'Don't carry this protective routine too far, kid. I am the man, remember?'
'And you remember that if we're ever mugged, let me make the moves, all right?'
'There goeth all my masculine pride… Be my guest, just feed me bonbons and champagne while you beat the hell out of the bastards.'
'Only a man could even joke like that,' said Rashad, bending down and kissing him. 'I love you so, that's my problem.'
'Not mine.' They kissed again and quite naturally the telephone rang. 'Don't yell!' he insisted. 'It's probably Mitch.' It was.
'Breakthrough!' exclaimed the director of Special Projects from Langley, Virginia. 'Has Evan told you? About Grinell?'
'No, nothing.'
'Put him on, he can explain things to you—’
'Why didn't you call me last night—this morning?'
'Put him on!'
'Yes, sir.'
