Part 26 (1/2)
”All I know is that the FBI is after her. I think they can find a law.”
”Jesus. When it rains, it pours.”
”Don't worry about the rain. Just move as fast as you can.”
Norman had to smile. How long did you have to live in a country before you picked up the catchphrases? ”Okay. If Rory agrees, we'll be out long before dark.”
”If she doesn't agree, you leave by yourself, okay? All this s.h.i.+t in Was.h.i.+ngton.”
”Sure. I'll get packing. Buenas.” Qabil said good-bye and Norman turned off the phone. Of course he wouldn't really leave Rory behind. Both or neither of them would go to Was.h.i.+ngton. To be buried. In s.h.i.+t? He wondered what Qabil meant by that.
He'd pack for both of them, though. He set out two bags, small enough for carry-on, on the bed, and neatly stacked warm-weather clothing in each. He a.s.sumed Rory would rather go to Mexico, for the winter, than Canada. Besides, she didn't speak Canadian.
With both of them packed, he carefully lifted out the contents of Rory's bag. Let her check through and make changes.
She should be here by now, he thought. He went to the phone and punched RR, Rory roving.
”Buenas?” No picture, of course.
”Where are you, darling?”
”In a cab. Home in two minutes. Where did you think I'd be?”
”Just making sure.”
”How are you taking it?”
”Um ... not on the phone. Talk to you in two minutes.” He pushed the ”off” b.u.t.ton and rummaged through the drawer under the phone for a joint. It was old and dry. He found a match and lit it. Took one puff and stabbed it out in the sink. Wrong direction. He poured a gla.s.s of port and sipped it, waiting, thinking.
This might not have anything to do with the interview. The FBI might have linked him and Rory to whatever that superweapon was, that may or may not have been an invention of Pepe's.
The doork.n.o.b rattled and Rory knocked. Of course her thumb-print didn't unlock it unless the house was on. He went down the hall and opened the door.Aurora ”What, is the house off?”
Norm held the door open and shut it behind her. ”Yeah. The s.h.i.+t has. .h.i.t.”
She nodded. ”I know. G.o.dd.a.m.n governor on top of everything else. But why the house?”
”The governor?”
”Yeah. Why's the house off?”
”The FBI. What did the governor do?”
Rory rubbed her wet hair with both hands. ”The governor got me fired, you know that? Did he call the FBI?”
”Fired?”
”You didn't know.” Norman opened both hands and made a noise. ”The governor leaned on Mai because of an interview I did this morning. So I'm on sabbatical. What does the FBI have to do with it?”
They were in the breakfast nook. ”Sit down. Let me get you something to drink.”
She sat down. ”Just water. What's the FBI? The a.s.sa.s.sination?”
”Somebody got a.s.sa.s.sinated?”
She kneaded her forehead. ”Of course. Why would you know? The president and all her cabinet, killed in a bomb blast. The vice-president, too.”
”My G.o.d. Bombed! Was it France?”
”No. Grayson Pauling carried a briefcase full of explosive into a cabinet meeting. Suicide-murder.”
”Pauling.”
”He was serious about changing the agenda. Lunatic, martyr, I don't have it sorted out. What about the FBI now?”
He got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. ”Qabil called.”
”Oh, good. That's all we need.”
”No. That's not it. He found out, as a cop, down at the station, he heard the FBI is coming to get you. Take you to Was.h.i.+ngton.”
”Oh, s.h.i.+t.” She took the water but didn't drink. ”They can't do that. I didn't break any law.”
Norm sat across from her with a small gla.s.s of wine. ”I don't know. Maybe we could talk our way out of it. What Qabil said is they think we're agents for France-”
”We've never been to France!”
”Verdad. I think they know that. It's just an excuse.”
”Was it before or after the a.s.sa.s.sination?”
”Just now. I think Qabil a.s.sumed I knew about the president dying.”
She shook her head. ”State of emergency, I guess. But do you really think they can just call us spies and lock us up?”
”I don't know. That's what Qabil thinks. And he's sort of in their line of work.”
”Oh, h.e.l.l. Double h.e.l.l.” She slid the water bottle back and forth in a small arc. ”Is that port you're drinking?”
”Get you some?”
”Ah, no.” She threw out the water and went to the refrigerator and squeezed herself a tumblerful of the plonk. ”So what does your boyfriend recommend that we do?”
”He's not my boyfriend. He's just looking out for us.””I'm sorry.” She sat down and leaned into her hands; her voice was m.u.f.fled. ”It's been such a day.”
”And it's just begun.”
She sipped the wine. ”Qabil said?”
”He said we should disappear. Before night. Stay on local transport so we can pay cash, and make our way to a country that doesn't need a pa.s.sport.”