Chapter 23
Jack Emery laughed out loud when he walked out his front door at six o’clock with Cyrus to see the Post van parked in front of Maggie’s house. Maybe this time the relationship would take. At least he hoped so. Ted and Maggie were meant for each other, in his opinion. He looked around to see Cyrus lifting his leg on the lamppost. He whistled as he clicked the remote in his hand. It chirped, and his car door unlocked. Cyrus beat him to the car and hopped in the minute the door was open.
Jack shivered in the early morning air as he scraped at the ice on the front and back windshields. He was so sick of snow and cold weather, he vowed once again to move to a warmer climate. Inside the car, he waited until the heater kicked in before he inched the car away from the curb.
Jack stopped for a bagel and coffee and Cyrus’s early morning treat along with a bag of bagels for the guys, then made his way to the BOLO Building, where he tapped in the code to the new security gate. He was surprised to see that Harry, Abner, and Dennis were already inside. He was surprised because usually he was the first one there in the morning. Noticeably absent were Espinosa and Ted.
“Okay, meeting, five minutes. Someone get Bert and Sparrow on the Web and let’s get this show on the road,” Jack barked.
“What about Espinosa and Ted?” Dennis asked.
Jack shrugged. He wasn’t about to gossip about Ted, and he knew Espinosa would show up sooner or later. “We can always fill them in later. Someone make coffee. I bought a bag of bagels for whoever wants one.” He tossed the bag to Dennis, who caught it in midair.
The guys scattered, and Jack headed for the conference room.
“Jack, did you forget the time difference? It’s four in the morning in Vegas. Are you sure you want me to roust the guys out of bed?” Abner asked.
“No, no. I did forget. Guess we’ll fill them in later, too. Ah, I just heard the door, so that has to mean Espinosa is here.”
Abner frowned. “What about Ted? You look kind of funny, Jack, do you know something you aren’t saying?”
“You mean like my seeing the Post van at Maggie’s house when I got up this morning? Nah, I’m not saying anything about that.”
Abner grinned, then burst out laughing as he booted up his laptop, flexed his fingers, and went to work as Jack started pulling out stacks of files and folders from his overstuffed briefcase and making neat piles on the big conference table. When he finished, he looked up to see Espinosa, coffee cup in one hand, bagel in the other, saunter into the room.
“Where’s Ted, anyone seen him?” Espinosa asked as he chomped down on the bagel in his hand.
Abner ignored him, and Jack shrugged. “I haven’t seen him.” Which was true—seeing the van wasn’t the same as seeing Ted in the flesh.
“I’ve been calling him for the past hour and either he has his phone turned off, which he never does, or he lost it. I called him nine times and nine times it went to voice mail. I sent him four different texts. This is not like Ted. I’m starting to worry.”
“Then why don’t you try Maggie’s house if you’re so worried?” Abner mumbled.
Espinosa almost choked on the bagel he was chewing. “Why would I want to do a dumb thing like that?”
“Maybe because that’s where he is,” Abner said slyly.
Espinosa’s fingers flew over the keys like lightning. He sat back and waited. “I’m not getting a response,” he groaned.
“And this surprises you?” Abner cackled. “Try this: They are together. If he doesn’t respond, and she doesn’t respond, what do you think that means?” Abner didn’t bother to wait for Espinosa’s response and answered the question himself. “It means they are together and probably doing something that’s none of our business.”
Dennis took that moment to walk into the conference room, carrying a tray with coffee cups and a cup of tea for Harry and a plate of bagels. “What did I miss?”
“Ted and Maggie are shacked up,” Harry said through clenched teeth. “How long did you let the tea steep?”
“Four minutes precisely, just like you said. And it’s flurrying outside, in case anyone cares. They’re really shacked up! Wow!” Dennis said, his face beet red.
“We don’t care if it’s snowing. It’s been snowing off and on for days, so that’s nothing new. Can we get down to business here? I have a class in forty minutes,” Harry said, sipping at what Jack called his shitty tea. He nodded approvingly, to Dennis’s relief.
Jack whistled to get everyone’s attention. “Listen up. We have five days to pull this off. Now let’s all get serious here. For starters, the Sandfords and their Christmas decor will be running in the Post every day, along with the other entries in the local Christmas contest. Ted and Maggie came through on that, and Espinosa, I have to say, those were some real gritty pictures. You did good.
“Dennis, you’re on top with Luther Jones, right?”
“Got it all locked up tight. We own him. He’ll do whatever we say. He got the other gang leaders to agree to a meet, and things actually worked out. All they want is a decent neighborhood. The Christmas festivities at the church are all taken care of. We can ride in, do what we have to do, ride out, and it’s like we were never there. In other words, Luther and his boys have our backs. There is only one little problem. Luther said if we don’t come through for them, all bets are off. I assured him we were sincere, to which he replied that actions speak louder than words. I’m certain we have a lock on it.”
“Sounds good. Any blowback from any of the girls? I’m not talking about Maggie here.”
“All quiet,” Espinosa mumbled as he continued to send text after text to both Maggie and Ted.
“Annie and Myra?” Jack asked.
“I can answer that,” Harry said. “They’ve been spending a lot of time with Nellie. Elias is not doing well. Nellie is a basket case, so they’re helping out and, from what I understand, will be spending Christmas with Nellie and Pearl. It’s not a joyous time, so they didn’t want to do all the traditional things they normally do. I got this from Yoko, who got it from someone who came to buy a tree. Is it gospel? I have no clue but have to believe it since neither Annie nor Myra have been in touch with any of us.”
Jack nodded. He looked over at Abner, and said, “Speak, Mr. Computer Guru.” Jack thought he’d never seen Abner look so jittery. The computer hacker was always in control. Not today, though. He couldn’t help but wonder if what he was seeing had anything to do with the holiday season and Isabelle an ocean away.
“I have here,” Abner said, waving a thick sheaf of papers in the air, “all of Lieutenant Governor and Mrs. Sandford’s accounts. And there are many. They are also spread far and wide. I did find them, however. There’s only one glitch. I cannot crack their passwords. I used every program there is to no avail. The only way we are going to get them is if the Sandfords ‘voluntarily’ give them to us. That’s pretty much it, guys.”
Jack smiled. “Not to worry. By the time we’re done with them, the Sandfords will beg us to take their passwords and their money. Trust me on that. So, what is the devil and his mistress worth?”
“A nice round $480 million. Chump change,” Abner said, trying for levity.
“Well that should certainly help clean up Luther’s neighborhood and pay me back the money I’ve already spent,” Dennis said, clapping his hands together. He was grinning from ear to ear. “But just so you know, if it didn’t work out this way, I wouldn’t mind a bit footing the bill for all those people. I’m just glad I could do it.”
Jack moved the files on his desk from one spot to the next. “Let’s get down to business, boys. Christmas Eve will be here before we know it. I want to make sure each of us knows what part we’re playing in our little Christmas play. Now, listen up.”