Whitewash (33 page)

EchoEnergy

William Sidel had almost escaped his office for a late round of golf when Van Dorn, his head of security, called. He was tempted to have his secretary tell the man he was already gone, but this was what he had hung around for, anxious and curious. He waved his secretary to take off for the day. It was after five.

“Hey, Van.” Sidel used it like a nickname only because he could never remember the guy’s first name.

“We’ve had an accident. A worker in one of the tanks.”

That’s what he liked about Van Dorn, quick and to the point.

Sidel was alone in his office. He allowed a smile, but kept his voice concerned. “What are you talking about? What kind of accident?”

Finally Dr. Galloway wouldn’t be interfering. This close to the vote and to the energy summit, it was better this way. They couldn’t take any chances.

“I’ve gone ahead and called the county sheriff’s department.”

Sidel’s smile disappeared and he gripped the phone. “I’m not sure I understand,” he said when he wanted to yell,
What the fuck did you do?
“I thought you said it was an accident?”

“Just following procedure, sir.”

“Of course,” Sidel said. He’d fire the bastard next week. “I have a previous engagement,” Sidel continued, glad the golf clubs were already in his Beemer. “I trust you to handle things. Make sure I get a report in the morning.”

“Yes, sir.”

Sidel had barely hung up the phone when it started ringing again. He was going to ignore it then noticed it was his direct line.

“Sidel.”

“We’ve got a problem.”

“I just heard. I’m letting Van Dorn talk to the deputies. He called them, let him deal with them.”

“We have a bigger problem than that.”

“What are you talking about?” Sidel stood at his wall of glass, looking down as if he might be able to see what was going on.

“It’s the wrong scientist.”

“How is that possible?”

“Copello was jealous of Galloway. Maybe she thought she’d get a heads-up on what was going on.”

“I thought scientists weren’t supposed to get jealous.” Sidel delivered the dig and let it hang there a second or two before he added, “It wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. Was Galloway even there?”

“Yes, her security key card shows her entering and leaving the building through the rear door that goes directly to the outside.”

Sidel hated silence in conversation, but this time he needed to shut up and wield it to his advantage.

“I’ll take care of this.”

“No,” Sidel cut the caller off. “You had your chance. Now we’ll play it my way.”

He slammed the phone back on its cradle and yanked open his desk drawer. Under a spilled bag of peppermint candies he found his little black book. It was an insurance policy he added to on a regular basis, but used only in extreme circumstances. The pages were filled with private phone numbers and coded names so that only he knew who they belonged to. He easily found the first of the numbers he needed under LCS and punched it.

“Hello?”

“Lyle, it’s William Sidel.”

“Mr. Sidel, what can I do for you?”

“A couple of your deputies are on their way out here.”

“I heard about that. Sounds like a god-awful accident.”

“I wish it were an accident, Lyle, but it looks like you’ll need to call out the boys from the State Patrol. One of my scientists just killed her coworker.”

Tallahassee, Florida

Sabrina must have relied on instinct. It was the only explanation since she certainly didn’t remember the drive from EchoEnergy to her condo.

She parked the rental car in the garage, and once inside the condo, locked all the doors and pulled every blind and curtain. Several times she picked up the phone, pacing from room to room. She didn’t know who to call.
The lab? The police? Daniel? Her father?

Her mind was stuck in a loop, replaying Anna’s body plunging into the flushing tank. Each time the arms flayed a little bit more, the white coat floating, soaring like a parachute that didn’t open in time. Poor Anna.

She had to tell someone. She picked up the phone. The panic twisted a tight knot inside her chest. She had to sit down. She thought she might be having a heart attack. No, it was probably shock. She tried to concentrate on breathing. That the breaths came in gasps only panicked her more. There had been nothing in her life until now to prepare her for this.

The pain continued, a dull ache. Sabrina slipped from the chair to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and closing her eyes. She knew too well that there were moments you remember all your life, moments that change things forever, that change you. Her mother’s car accident had been one of those moments. At the time, Sabrina didn’t think anything could hurt as bad. For days afterward her entire body had felt bruised and battered so much so that it physically hurt to get out of bed. The pain was replaced by a numbness, not much better but easier to ignore.

This pain, this panic felt like only the beginning and that made it almost more unbearable. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, staring at the wall, concentrating only on breathing. The room grew dim, but none of her timers had switched any lights on yet.

There was a knock on the window. Sabrina jerked up as if it had been a gunshot. Then frantically she scooted herself into a corner between the chair and a wall. How had he been able to find her so quickly? This time there would be no alarms, no escape. Her eyes darted around her in search of a weapon, but everything looked blurred. She hardly recognized the room.

She heard it again, a faint tap on glass, not a knock. At a window, not a door. Like he was teasing her in her own home—no, not her home. Chicago was home. This place was supposed to be temporary.

“Sabrina, dear,” came a whisper accompanied by another tap. At first she thought she was hearing things.
Her mother’s voice? Was she that far gone? Had she gone over the edge just like her father? Did it run in the family?

“Dear, are you in there?”

It was Miss Sadie. She could see the woman’s small silhouette at the patio door, the last of the sunset pasting her shadow to the vertical blinds.

Sabrina used the wall to steady herself as she stood up. She felt a bit wobbly like she had had a couple glasses of wine. She was in shock, she kept telling herself. Funny how she could know and still not control it. Her chest still ached, that knot still tight and pressing against her lungs. She wanted to tell Miss Sadie to go away, that her hot toddy remedy wouldn’t soothe this over. She’d need more than a couple bags of frozen vegetables. This wasn’t a bruise that would go away in a few days. And yet Sabrina rushed to the patio, relieved to have someone.

Sabrina pulled the door open without pulling back the blinds. The hot humid air slapped her in the face. Before she could say a word, Miss Sadie’s long, thin fingers wrapped around her wrist.

“Come on over to visit with Lizzie and me for a spell,” she said, giving Sabrina’s arm a tug.

Sabrina wanted to laugh. “A visit?” Even her voice sounded on the edge of hysteria.

“Come with me,” Miss Sadie insisted, her voice as calm and soothing as ever. But then one look into the old woman’s eyes and Sabrina realized that Miss Sadie already knew, just like last night.

Tallahassee, Florida

Sabrina must have relied on instinct. It was the only explanation since she certainly didn’t remember the drive from EchoEnergy to her condo.

She parked the rental car in the garage, and once inside the condo, locked all the doors and pulled every blind and curtain. Several times she picked up the phone, pacing from room to room. She didn’t know who to call.
The lab? The police? Daniel? Her father?

Her mind was stuck in a loop, replaying Anna’s body plunging into the flushing tank. Each time the arms flayed a little bit more, the white coat floating, soaring like a parachute that didn’t open in time. Poor Anna.

She had to tell someone. She picked up the phone. The panic twisted a tight knot inside her chest. She had to sit down. She thought she might be having a heart attack. No, it was probably shock. She tried to concentrate on breathing. That the breaths came in gasps only panicked her more. There had been nothing in her life until now to prepare her for this.

The pain continued, a dull ache. Sabrina slipped from the chair to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and closing her eyes. She knew too well that there were moments you remember all your life, moments that change things forever, that change you. Her mother’s car accident had been one of those moments. At the time, Sabrina didn’t think anything could hurt as bad. For days afterward her entire body had felt bruised and battered so much so that it physically hurt to get out of bed. The pain was replaced by a numbness, not much better but easier to ignore.

This pain, this panic felt like only the beginning and that made it almost more unbearable. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, staring at the wall, concentrating only on breathing. The room grew dim, but none of her timers had switched any lights on yet.

There was a knock on the window. Sabrina jerked up as if it had been a gunshot. Then frantically she scooted herself into a corner between the chair and a wall. How had he been able to find her so quickly? This time there would be no alarms, no escape. Her eyes darted around her in search of a weapon, but everything looked blurred. She hardly recognized the room.

She heard it again, a faint tap on glass, not a knock. At a window, not a door. Like he was teasing her in her own home—no, not her home. Chicago was home. This place was supposed to be temporary.

“Sabrina, dear,” came a whisper accompanied by another tap. At first she thought she was hearing things.
Her mother’s voice? Was she that far gone? Had she gone over the edge just like her father? Did it run in the family?

“Dear, are you in there?”

It was Miss Sadie. She could see the woman’s small silhouette at the patio door, the last of the sunset pasting her shadow to the vertical blinds.

Sabrina used the wall to steady herself as she stood up. She felt a bit wobbly like she had had a couple glasses of wine. She was in shock, she kept telling herself. Funny how she could know and still not control it. Her chest still ached, that knot still tight and pressing against her lungs. She wanted to tell Miss Sadie to go away, that her hot toddy remedy wouldn’t soothe this over. She’d need more than a couple bags of frozen vegetables. This wasn’t a bruise that would go away in a few days. And yet Sabrina rushed to the patio, relieved to have someone.

Sabrina pulled the door open without pulling back the blinds. The hot humid air slapped her in the face. Before she could say a word, Miss Sadie’s long, thin fingers wrapped around her wrist.

“Come on over to visit with Lizzie and me for a spell,” she said, giving Sabrina’s arm a tug.

Sabrina wanted to laugh. “A visit?” Even her voice sounded on the edge of hysteria.

“Come with me,” Miss Sadie insisted, her voice as calm and soothing as ever. But then one look into the old woman’s eyes and Sabrina realized that Miss Sadie already knew, just like last night.

Washington, D.C.

Lindy called before Jason left his office. She wanted to meet. Said they needed to talk. He suggested Wally’s, thinking everyone went to Wally’s. If someone noticed them together it’d be difficult to know whether it was planned or a coincidence. But as he walked through the door and saw her wave with an enthusiastic smile, he wanted to kick himself. Hell, what if she thought he was being romantic, suggesting the place where they’d first met?

That wasn’t the worst of it. Lindy had chosen the exact booth where Jason and Senator Malone had exchanged what Jason classified as a hot game of mental foreplay. He was almost embarrassed that the memory triggered more of an immediate physical reaction than the memory of sex with Lindy.

She had a huge margarita in front of her, half of it already gone. He slid into the booth opposite, not even settling into the corner when she said, “What? Not even a peck on the cheek?”

He stared at her. He hadn’t even considered it. He’d always thought signs of affection like that were signs of possession. He wanted to say,
It was only one night.
Before he defended himself she let loose with another smile.

“I’m kidding,” she said. “Really. You can unclench your jaw.”

He attempted a smile, but he didn’t think it was funny. He felt that he’d been summoned and he didn’t like it. He wondered if women realized how much power they had over guys like him, guys who felt obligated every time they were given something of great value like sex…or trust. There were three things his uncle Louie used to say that a man can’t live without: having someone trust him, taking pride in himself and getting laid.

“It’s been a long day.” He sighed and offered it as an explanation.

“That lunch wasn’t much fun, was it?”

He nodded, but said nothing more. Jason was always careful what he said about work, even in jest. There were too many vultures waiting to report anything they could use—even out of context—and make it the next D.C. scandal. He worried that Lindy wasn’t as careful.

She leaned forward. “I’m having a tough time with this Zach thing.”

Okay, Jason thought. Her version of careful was substituting “thing” for murder.

“There’s nothing we can do.”

“You keep saying that.” She said it like a slap.

Jason hadn’t remembered ever saying it, maybe once. If this was what she thought they needed to talk about, he had no idea what to say. He almost wished it had been some relationship crap.

“I have to go to the police with what I know,” she whispered this time, looking up at him through long eyelashes, reminding him of a little girl.

“Why do you think you need my permission?”

“We were both there.”

He started to ask what being at the same hotel had to do with what she knew about Zach, but a waiter interrupted. “What can I get you?”

Jason saw Lindy slide back against the booth, her full lips pouting, only emphasizing his image of a girl.

“Jack and Coke,” Jason told him, then watched him leave.

Jason looked around the tavern, searching for excuses not to give Lindy his eyes or his attention just yet. He noticed another celebration like the other night’s, this one several tables away. There were balloons and flashes from a camera. It left him feeling hollow and ill prepared for a girlfriend who didn’t really seem to want to be his girlfriend. A girl…a woman he barely knew but now would forever be connected to.

Finally he turned his attention back to Lindy. As he pulled out his wallet and laid a ten-dollar bill on the table, he said, “You do what you think is right.”

Then he got up and left, acting more casually and less stressed than the first time she had fucked him.