Ren nodded. ‘It sure does.’ She could hear her cell phone vibrate.
She stared into her drink.
‘Where have you gone?’ said Paul.
She turned to him.
‘You look serious,’ he said.
‘Paul, I think you need to go back and work things out with Marianne.’
‘What?’ said Paul.
‘I hope I’m not being too blunt … ’
‘But … I thought …’
‘What did you think?’ said Ren.
‘I … don’t know,’ said Paul. ‘Maybe that you and me could try and … maybe we could work.’
‘You and Marianne still love each other,’ said Ren. ‘It’s obvious.’
Paul stared down at the table.
‘It sounds to me like Marianne only left you as a last resort.’
He looked up. ‘Maybe.’
‘Maybe not,’ said Paul. ‘I … I wasn’t there for her. I can see that now. Or the girls. They are spending more time with me now than they were when I was living with them. They have hours of my time in a row …’
‘And look how happy they are,’ said Ren. ‘At least with that part of it. Go call Marianne. You can work this out.’
‘What about her … new man?’ said Paul.
‘I think her old man is the one she wants,’ said Ren. ‘That old man is her husband. For better or worse …’
Paul said nothing.
‘Men need sex to feel loved,’ said Ren. ‘And a lot of women need to feel loved to have sex. I’m not one of them, but you get the picture. I think you thought I’d solve the sex end of things for you, and maybe Marianne thought her new man would solve the emotional end of things for her. We look elsewhere for the things we’re not getting at home …’
‘I think you’re being harsh on everyone with all that,’ said Paul. ‘I wasn’t just interested in you for sex.’
‘I actually know that,’ said Ren. ‘I don’t think you’re that much of an asshole. But, I also know that you were never really looking at me as a serious contender …’
‘And neither were you looking at me …’
‘That’s probably true,’ said Ren.
‘So,’ said Paul.
‘So,’ said Ren. ‘Without managing to do each other any great harm, we’re not really good for each other, are we? We’re in that strange gray area. But, despite being someone who I think is wonderful, well, I think you’re going to have to be someone else’s wonderful.’
She thought of the inscription on the little blue hardback.
She smiled at Paul Louderback.
54
Colin and Ren stood in the foyer of MeesterBrandt Pharmaceuticals, waiting for the elevator.
‘Do you think that up there in those offices,’ said Ren, ‘they feel any connection with the rest of the world? Or do they just stare at accounts and see massive figures and think “high five” and keep on trucking?’
‘Keep on trucking …’ said Colin.
‘I’d love to just grab one of them and say, “sorry to bother you while you’re counting your profits, but come with me,” and take them to some broken-down home, where a mother, doped up on antipsychotics, is laying on her sofa watching daytime television, while her three children, diagnosed with behavioral disorders to qualify for disability, are crying because they miss their big brother who’s in prison because he’s been doped up too and went crazy and killed someone and he’s fifteen … and say to this pharma guy “You know those amazing drugs you make? Congratulations, you really are changing lives.”’
People had started gathering around the elevator. Colin was frowning at Ren. She stopped talking. The doors opened and they rode to the thirty-fifth floor. Ren took a deep breath as she got off.
Nolan Carr was as close to attractive as he could ever be, and it was money, not taste, that had brought him there. He was well-groomed, he wore the right clothes. His shoes, his watch, his cuff links were high end, but ultimately, he was a plain man with a water-retention problem.
‘Nice to meet you,’ said Ren.
‘Likewise,’ he said, shaking her hand.
Carr shook hands with Colin.
‘Mr Carr,’ said Ren. ‘We’re here because new evidence has emerged that casts doubt on our belief that the deaths of Mark Whaley and Shelby Royce were a murder-suicide.’
‘Oh,’ said Carr, nodding. ‘OK. I had assumed that … what happened was … what happened.’
‘We’re now looking at the possibility of foul play,’ said Colin.
‘I’m not sure how I’m the best person to help you,’ said Carr. ‘I know very little about Mark Whaley’s personal life.’
‘We’re here because we don’t think this concerns Mr Whaley’s personal life,’ said Colin.
‘You think it’s about his professional life?’ said Carr.
‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘You work in a multi-billion dollar industry, and it’s not uncommon in an industry where there’s that much money at stake …’ She paused at his reaction. ‘I’m sorry. Are you surprised by that?’
‘I know you might find this hard to believe,’ said Carr. ‘But MeesterBrandt doesn’t feel that way to me. It feels like a small company to me. I see a company whose staff works very hard to make it a success. I find it hard to see it as part of something sinister.’
Colin leaned forward. ‘Did MeesterBrandt have any significant business deals in progress? Anything that might have impacted on Mark Whaley or on the company?’
‘Mark was our CFO,’ said Carr. ‘It’s a behind-the-scenes job, effectively. He was in charge of the financials, but he wasn’t out there making deals, or … he just wasn’t visible.’
‘What kind of relationship did you have with Mark Whaley?’ said Ren.
‘I spoke to another agent about that during the investigation,’ said Carr.
‘That was more about what you suspected about Mark Whaley’s private life,’ said Ren. ‘I’m interested in whether or not you and Mark Whaley got along.’
‘I was his boss,’ said Carr. ‘That was our relationship. We wouldn’t have socialized outside of work, if that’s what you mean.’
‘Did you know that Mark was planning to take early retirement next year to spend more time with his kids?’
‘No, I did not know that,’ said Carr.
