Jennifer Government Part 21

"Aren't you going to ask me how I know this?"

"How do"

"It's a funny story," Calvin said. "At Nike, I ran into this Georgia Saints-Nike. Nice woman. She told me all about working with you and John in your halcyon advertising days at Maher. At first I had trouble picturing you in a power skirt and heels, but now I think about it"

"I have someone on hold," she said. "Does this story have a point?"

"You lied to me. You said you never worked with him."

"I said I never worked for Nike."

"That's sneaky, Jen. Very sneaky. What happened? John stole a juicy account from you? Pinched your a.s.s at the office Christmas party?"

"I really hope you found some time to work on the case in between snooping into my past."

"I'm starting to wonder if there's any difference."

"Look," she said. "I'm Government. He's a criminal. Does it matter if I used to know him?" In the living room, she heard the TV go on. "Kate!" she called. "Too loud!"

"If you've got a prior interest in John Nike, you're not helping the Government by keeping it a secret. He could use that in his defense."

"Calvin, please." Her phone beeped, reminding her about the call on hold. "n.o.body else knows what John is capable of. I'm the best best person to track him down. Because I used to work with him, I can't be on this case? No. That's stupid." person to track him down. Because I used to work with him, I can't be on this case? No. That's stupid."

"Jen"

Her phone beeped again. "Hang on, I've got someone on the other line." She put Calvin on hold, yelled, "Kate, turn the TV down!" and switched calls. "You still there?"

"h.e.l.lo? Is...is that Jennifer Government?"

Jennifer blinked. This wasn't her guy on hold: it was a new call. "Who is this?"

"It's Buy Mitsui. You interviewed me on Tuesday?"

"Oh. Buy, sure. Look, can I call you back? I'm kind of"

"I have a question."

"Is it quick?"

"I think so. I have a...a Colt pistol, and I can't get it to fire. There's...some kind of lock, I guess."

"There's a safety just in front of the trigger," she said. "Have you loaded the magazine?"

"Yes, I put some bullets in."

"If the magazine's not full, you have to chamber the first round. Did you do that?"

"Oh," he said, and laughed. "No. Thank you."

"No problem." She was reaching for the b.u.t.ton to cut him off when she realized what he was saying. "Wait a minute. What's this for?"

"Um...I'd rather not say."

"Please. Say."

"Well," Buy said. "Okay. I'm going to kill myself."

"Bad day at the stock exchange?" He was silent, and Jennifer regretted the words. "Buy, I'm sorry. Give me one second. Okay?"

"Okay."

She clicked her phone. "Any ideas?"

"You could try sending the vibrations in Morse code," the Communications Center guy said. "Does your operative know Morse?"

She laughed before she could stop herself.

"Is that a no?"

"Thanks for your help." She killed the call. "Calvin, I'm coming in tomorrow. See you at the office."

"Jen! No!"

"Buy?"

"I'm here."

"Where do you live?"

"That'sreally not necessary." He sounded embarra.s.sed. "Please"

"This is about the girl. Hayley. Right? Tell me where you live."

He told her. Jennifer took her finger off the V key to write down the address.

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Iokay. Okay."

"Do you have wine?"

"Wine? Yes."

"Good," she said, and hung up. She looked at her computer screen, at the collection of technology that left her unable to speak to Billy NRA. Then she turned it off.

Kate was watching a television show about giant pandas. Jennifer squatted down in front of her. She looked up.

"That last baby-sitter, she was nice, wasn't she?"

"No! You said we'd go to the dog shelter!"

"Kate, I'm really sorry." She sat down and put her arms around her. Kate was upset and resistant; it was like hugging a cat. "I know I said we could go today. But we can go tomorrow, and that's still earlier than the weekend, right?" Kate didn't respond. "Honey, I'm sorry. But sometimes you have to be brave and put your own needs on hold, to help someone else. Do you understand?"

"I don't want you to go!"

"I know you don't, sweetie. Look, you're the most important person in the world to me. I've told you it's important for me to go. But if you really don't want me to, I'll stay. Okay? What do you say?"

"Stay!"

"Kate!" she said, exasperated. "I have to go!"

"I don't want you to!"

"You didn't mind me going out when you had those new videos to watch! You hardly noticed I was gone!"

"I did did notice!" notice!"

"All right!" she shouted. "All right, all right! I'm a terrible mother! I've ruined your life! I'm sorry, but I have to go have to go!" She ground the heel of her hand into her forehead. When she removed it, Kate was looking at her. "What?"

"You're not a terrible mother, Mommy."

"You..." she said. "Well, that's nice of you to say."

"Are you sure we can go to the dog shelter tomorrow?"

"Yes," Jennifer said. "Honey, I promise. I'll pick you up from school and we'll go straight there. We'll pick out the perfect dog."

"Okay," Kate said. "And...soon you won't be so busy, right? When you've caught the bad guys."

"That'sthat's right. I wish I could spend all my time with you. I love you, Kate. Mommy is just under a lot of pressure right now."

Kate nodded. "She was nice. The last baby-sitter."

"Good girl." Jennifer kissed her. She felt proud and tired.

40 Acculturation

The easier your job, the more you got paid. John had suspected this for many years, but here was the proof: pulling down five hundred bucks an hour to sit in the afternoon sun on top of an L.A. office tower. He was wearing a suit and shades, reclining on a deck chair while a light breeze blew in from the bay. John thought he might have found the perfect job.

"Hey," he said to the foreman. "I've got an inventory sheet. None of this stuff had better go missing."

The foreman looked at him. He was not so relaxed: he was getting paid much less than John and doing much harder work. "Nothing's going to go missing."

"It better not." He closed his eyes, enjoying the sun. He was building a nice tan out here.

"Nothing's going missing," the foreman repeated. He hesitated. "I don't know your business, butyou want these things pointing north, right?"

"So?"

"Well, north is downtown. You're going to end up with a bunch of missiles pointing at other office towers. If you're worried about security"

"You're right," John said. "You don't know my business."

After a while, the foreman went away. John folded his hands on his chest and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he thought, he would bring a couple of beers.

His new t.i.tle was US Alliance Liaison. He didn't know exactly what that meant; it was something to do with making sure Nike was doing its part for the team and the team was doing its part for Nike. Last night he'd met Liaisons from General Motors, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson. It was amazing to think they were all on the same side. What they could do with all those marketing budgets working together!

He and Gregory met in a bar on Sunset every night, or almost every night. When Gregory didn't show, John downed scotches and picked up women. But mostly Gregory showed. John was into his third drink and eyeing a girl with curly brown hair when Gregory sat down. "John."

"Hey, buddy."

"You get the installation done?"

John drained his gla.s.s. "Half of it. We're putting the rest in tomorrow."

"Get someone else to do it. You're going to London."

"What's there?"

"Our interests. You'll get more information when you arrive."

"All right," John said, but he was annoyed. London would not be eighty degrees with a light breeze; London would not provide opportunities to network with the type of people he wanted to meet.

"You'll be working with the Sh.e.l.l Liaison. You do what he tells you. Understood?"

"We're taking orders from Sh.e.l.l now?"

"It's called teamwork."

"O-kay," John said.

"I have to go. Collect your ticket from the office and call me from London." He studied John. "Also, it may be a good idea for you to keep a low profile. I'm told the Government is looking for you. The little matter of fourteen dead teenagers."

"Hey," John said. "You know I only ordered ten."

"You can explain that to the Government," Gregory said, looking at his watch, "if they ever catch up with you."

"It's not the whole Government," he said, disgusted. "It's just Jennifer. The b.i.t.c.h never quits."