Part 24 (1/2)
”It pains me to hear him say some of the things he says. I want you to understand that. I do not endorse his view of the world.”
”What exactly do you mean, Mr. Hill?”
Hill hesitated. ”Bob has certain opinions about minorities and women that simply aren't acceptable.”
Angela nodded. Here was secondhand confirmation of the memo she'd found in Booker's office.
”Please communicate that to Mr. Lawrence when you talk to him next.”
Her eyes narrowed. ”Of course you'll know when that is, Mr. Hill, because if I don't tell you, you'll fire me. Remember?”
Hill held up his hands. ”Don't blame me for that. That's Dudley making me say those things. I know how valuable an employee you are. I've checked. In fact, if I were chairman, I could see an expanded role for you here at Sumter Bank.”
The tables were turning everywhere. Now she had the power. But that could change quickly, Tucker had warned her. It all hinged on Jake Lawrence. ”I appreciate that.”
Hill exhaled heavily, as if he'd been holding his breath for a long time, as if it had been a terrible gamble for him to meet her this way, but now he was glad that he had. ”I still think it would be a good idea for you to let me know when you're meeting with Lawrence. If you don't, Dudley will become suspicious. And he is still chairman. He could fire us both. We wouldn't want that.”
”No, we wouldn't,” she agreed.
Hill opened his arms wide. ”There's so much we could do together, Ms. Day. I want to have that chance.”
She gazed at him in disbelief. Suddenly everyone wanted to be her partner.
Angela checked her watch: 6:45. Kate Charboneau was supposed to have been here at six. As a rule, Kate was fifteen minutes late, and this was unusual-even for her. Angela motioned to the bartender and nodded down at her gla.s.s. The antic.i.p.ation was too much. She needed another Chardonnay crutch.
A few minutes later Kate appeared, blonde hair streaming behind her as she trotted through the restaurant. ”What a day,” she said excitedly, placing her briefcase down on a stool and giving Angela a hug.
Kate was so thrilled she was shaking. That had to be a good sign. ”What happened?”Angela asked.
”Sorry I'm late, but it was a great day for our team.”
”What do you mean? Come on, tell me.”
Kate ran her fingers through her hair, then signaled to the bartender that she wanted a gla.s.s of wine, too. ”I just wish they could all be like this. Then I might even be able to enjoy the law.”
”Kate!”
”We batted a thousand today, Angela. Three for three, and it all happened over the last few hours. I met with Danny Ford and his lawyer at four o'clock and Danny couldn't stop talking. His attorney kept trying to interrupt him, you know, kept trying to get him to shut up. But Danny wouldn't stop. He admitted he hadn't laid eyes on you in person before the first day of the divorce proceedings. He admitted that the whole thing about you having s.e.x with him was a lie. Basically, he admitted he'd perjured himself.”
”Chuck Reese?” Angela asked, excitement rus.h.i.+ng through her. ”Did he pay Danny cash to provide the testimony?”
”Danny wouldn't admit to that. He wouldn't go that far. He said he owed Sam's father a favor and testifying to an affair with you was how he was paying the favor off. It doesn't really matter. The important thing is that he's willing to admit to the judge that he lied. Believe me, judges do not take kindly to that.”
”What else happened?”
”I spoke to the woman who had the affair with Sam. She's more resolved than ever to go forward, and-this is why I was so late-the judge in the custody case called me back just as I was leaving my office to come over here. He's willing to hear about these new developments. As I told you before, he doesn't really have to. He could refuse to hear anything. But he was open to discussing these new details. In effect, he's willing to reopen the case.” Kate picked up the winegla.s.s the bartender had just delivered and took a healthy swallow. ”Nothing is ever for certain in the law, but things could be a lot worse. I know I shouldn't say this, but I think there's a good chance that at some point in the future you will be seeing a great deal more of Hunter. We've still got a few mountains to climb, and the other side will try to break our momentum when they hear about it, but, all in all, it's d.a.m.n good news.”
Angela clasped her hands together and brought them to her forehead. Unbelievable.
”Angela,” Kate said.
”Yes?”
”What's going on here?”
”What do you mean?”
”Why am I suddenly on such a hot streak? Why are people tripping all over themselves to be so accommodating? I'm not naive enough to think that it was something momentous I said in court six years ago that has people feeling guilty all of a sudden.”
The answer to Kate's question was simple. Jake Lawrence and his people had been hard at work over the last several days, influencing those who needed to be influenced. The real question for her centered around Jake's willingness to provide all of that influence. Angela still wasn't satisfied with Jake's answer that he was simply repaying her for her agreement to help him acquire Proxmire, but what was she going to do? Turn him down and lose the chance to get Hunter back? Not in a million years.
”Angela,” Kate prompted when Angela hadn't responded.
”How should I know?”
Kate stared at Angela for several moments without saying anything. ”Uh-huh.”
”How's my big boy?” Chuck Reese stepped into Rosemary's ma.s.sive second-floor playroom. It contained just about any toy a six-year-old could want.
”Hey, Pops.”
”You sound a little down. Everything okay?” he asked, easing himself onto a chair that was at least three times too small for him.
”Yeah, sure,” Hunter answered, tinkering with a slot car.
”Come clean, son. Tell me what's bugging you.”
”Nothing.” But then his tears began to flow, and he rushed into his grandfather's arms. ”I miss my mom.”
Chuck Reese wrapped his arms around the boy and hugged him tightly. ”Don't worry,” he said quietly. ”Everything will be all right. I know it's hard, but I'm going to take care of your mom. Don't you worry. I promise you, I will take care of her.”
CHAPTER TWELVE.
Everything about Walter Fogel reminded Angela of Sally's older brother Richard. He was slim, six feet tall, and had tight curly black hair, mahogany skin, a broad face, and large brown eyes. The extensive curriculum vitae Jake Lawrence had provided in the package identified Fogel's age as forty-eight, but he seemed ten years younger. He was cool, almost detached, but she had already noticed flashes of the requisite charisma too. He could turn it on when he wanted to.
”Thank you for seeing me so quickly, Mr. Fogel,” Angela began, taking a seat at the head of the Proxmire boardroom's table. They were the only ones at a table that could easily accommodate thirty people, and her voice echoed slightly in the big room. ”I appreciate your cooperation.”
”It's my duty as CEO to investigate all serious inquiries.”
Angela had placed a call to Fogel's office Tuesday afternoon, requesting this meeting. He had responded through his executive a.s.sistant the next morning. Yesterday morning. Wednesday. Now it was early Thursday afternoon. She had driven up from Richmond this morning with Tucker, who was waiting in the parking lot.
”I need to emphasize the wordserious ,” said Fogel. ”If this turns out to be an unchartered fis.h.i.+ng expedition, Ms. Day, I will call your superior, whoever that may be, and let him know what you're doing.”
”I a.s.sure you that this inquiry is quite serious, Mr. Fogel.”
”You can call me Walter.”