HE HADNT SEEN WEATHER IN ALMOST AMONTH; AND when Lucas walked in the door of Andi Manettes house, trailed by Sherrill, the sight of her stopped him cold. She was curled in a living room chair, a physical gesture thathe knew too well. She was a small woman, and often curled in chairs like a cat, her feet pulled up, her nose in a book and when she turned toward him, she smiled reflexively and it was almost like everything was… okay.
Then the smile faded, and Sherrill bumped him from the back. He stepped forward and nothing was okay.
Howve you been? he mumbled.
Well: the firebomb…
Sorry; stupid question. But you know.
I know: Ive been okay. The smile was long gone now, and her face was tense, her voice controlled. But the firebombdo you think it might be the Seed?
Lucas shook his head, found a chair, sat down. Sherrill was wearing a leather jacket, and she pulled it off to reveal a very large cherry-stocked. 357 Magnum in a black leather shoulder rig. She looked like an S-and-M magazines cover girl. Not the Seed, Lucas said. I talked to their head guy, and weve had feelers out everywhere. Its not the Seed.
A crazy man?
Thats the consensus right now.
Unless youve got something going on that we dont know about, Sherrill interjected. Have you had any serious problems with unhappy patients, or relatives of unhappy patients, or maybe state cases from the psycho hospitals… like that?
Weather frowned, thought for a moment, then shook her head: Not that I know of.
Sherrill leaned forward a bit: I only know you a little bit, and I dont want to step on either your feet or Lucass feet. But how about new relationships? Or men who think you might be interested, who you blew off? Theres usually some kind of emotional basis for a nut attack.
Weather was shaking her head: Nothing like that.
Any kids? Lucas asked. Any teenage boys trying to cut your grass for you, water your lawn? Just hanging around?
No… Lucas, Ive been racking my brains trying tothink of anybody who might do this. Any hint. People from back home, people from the hospital, from the university, cops, but… theres nobody. Not to just come walking up some evening and throw a bomb through the window.
Goddamnit, Lucas said.
My best idea was that somebody was trying to get at you through me, Weather said. Remember that newspaper article after the thing with Andi and John Mail? The Pals of Lucas Davenport? Maybe somebody who goes way back read that articlemaybe somebody in prison at the timeand decided to come after me. Thered be no way for an outsider to know that wed broken off the relationship. So… I think you might look at your past, more than mine. That is, if its not just some random crazy man.
How about the landlords? Would they
Oh God, Lucas, no. Theyre the nicest people in the world. I called to tell them about the house, and they were worried aboutme. No. Not them.
All right. Lucas looked at Sherrill: Anything else?
Not if shes sure shes not the target. But Weather, if you think ofanything…
Ill call Lucas the next minute, she said.
So is that it? Andi Manette asked.
Lucas looked at Weather for a long five seconds, then to Manette: Yeah, thats it.
Outside on the sidewalk, with the door closing behind them, Sherrill pulled on her jacket and said, Whew.
What?
She said that thing about breaking off the relationship, and you never even flinched. And she just said it like…
It was done.
Yeah.
I flinched, Lucas said.
God, Sherrill said. Then, after a while, Bad day.
REAL BAD DAY.
That night, a little after ten-thirty, Wilson McDonald was shaking his hand in James T. Bones face, sputtering, Vicechairman. Thats nothing! Nothing! Youre treating me like a piece of shit.
Bone said, Look, Wilsonyoure not gonna get the top spot. Youre just not. I can commit to leaving you as top guy in the mortgage company. I can get you the vice chairmans job with the merged bank. But I cant say whatll happen after the merger.
Not gonna be any fuckin merger, McDonald said. Hed never taken off his coat. He headed for the door, turned when he got there, and said, And youre never gonna run the goddamned bank. Maybe I cant get it myself, but I can fuck you up.
And he was gone.
Kerin Baki said, If they go to ODell, we may have a problem.
Bone shook his head. Not necessarily. ODell needs ten. I cant see more than seven or eight. And frankly, I dont think McDonald can swing votes. Why should people swing on his say-so? Hes gone.
Its not all power and money equations, Baki said. Some of its family and friendship. And all he has to do is swing maybe two votes. ..
I dont think he can do it, Bone said.
Youre underestimating ODell, Baki said.
No. I just know what Im willing to do, and what Im not. If she gets itso be it. But I dont think she will.
REAL BAD DAY.
Susan ODell took a small red diabetic candy from a bowl on her coffee table, unrolled the cellophane with her fingertips, popped the candy in her mouth, and said, Im sure about Anderson, Bunde, Sanderson, Eirich, Sojen, and Goff. If you can give me Spartz, Rondeau, Young, and Brandt, then weve got it: weve got ten.
We can. Wilson talked to his father today, and hes got Rondeaus commitment. Spartz, Young, and Brandt have already committed to whatever Wilson wants to do, Audrey McDonald said. Audrey was sitting on a love seat, herfeet squarely on the floor, her purse squarely on her lap. Her whole body hurt, but nothing had been broken. When Wilson beat you, he did it carefully. Thoroughly, but carefully.
Weve got to be sure, ODell said.
Ill get written commitments if you wish, Audrey said stiffly. She hated ODell, but this was necessary.
Thats absurd, ODell said. Nobody would do that. And its not necessary. NoI want to talk to them. Itll all be very pleasant, but we have to talk.
Ill arrange it, Audrey said. But we do want your commitment in writing. We wont be able to show it to anyone, of course, if you go through with your end… but if you dont do what you say, well.. . hurt you with it.
ODell shook her head. Cant do it.
You can if you want the job, Audrey said. She twisted slightly, trying to ease a cramp in her back. He reallyhadhurt her.
ODell sat silently for a moment. Then: Can I call you tomorrow? First thing?
First thing, Audrey said. Theres not a lot of time left.
