Last Call

Rene was a smart woman, however. Surely she suspected something.

"It wasn't technically extortion," said Jack. "Just someone who wants to be paid for his information. Kind of like checkbook journalism without the journalist."

Rene stopped and took Jack by the arm. They were dead-center in the rotunda, the crown jewel of Oka Doner's masterpiece. Jack almost felt guilty standing on it.

"Talk to me," she said. "What's going on?"

Jack took a breath and let it out. "I'm concerned that Theo might be getting mixed up with something he shouldn't."

"What kind of thing?"

"I don't know exactly" That wasn't a flat-out lie, but Jack didn't like the feel of it. He sensed that Rene didn't, either.

She said, "Who was that man who left: the message we overheard?"

"I – I can't tell you that."

"What?"

"It's attorney-client privilege."

Her look was incredulous. It was almost as bad as the expression he'd seen on Andie's face – right before they broke up.

Rene asked, "Why are you suddenly his lawyer?"

"Like I said, I'm worried about what he might be getting caught up in."

"Did Theo meet with that caller who left the message for him Sunday morning?"

That information was also privileged. But it didn't seem wrong to get a reaction to Theo's version of events from someone more objective than himself – particularly when she was about to board an airplane to the remote reaches of Africa.

"He says he didn't go," said Jack.

"Then why didn't he answer his cell when you called him?"

"I guess he didn't have it on."

"Which seems odd. You told him to go away for a while till the cops satisfied themselves that Isaac Reems wasn't coming back to Sparky's. You'd think he would have left his phone on."

"Maybe he just didn't hear it ring."

"You called him twice before I finally went upstairs to check on Uncle Cy, and you called him one more time as we were leaving his town house. Don't you remember? You were concerned about leaving Cy before Theo got home."

Jack was thinking like Theo's criminal defense lawyer, and Rene's recollection of his client's unreachability on the night of Isaac Reems's death was a little too vivid for his professional comfort. He checked the departure board overhead. Her flight was right on time. "You'd better get going," he said.

Rene glanced at the board, then back at Jack. She seemed to understand his i

"Have you talked this out with Theo?" she asked.

"Yeah, yesterday at lunch."

"Did you tell him what's on your mind?" Yup.

"Did he answer all your questions?"

"He always does."

"Do you believe what he told you?"

"Of course."

"Why?"

Jack was taken aback. Women always seemed to ask that one additional question that guys never asked – the one that goes to the core of the relationship. "Because he's my best friend," he said.

"Best friends can still lie to each other."

"They shouldn't." said Jack.

"No. They shouldn't."

Jack suddenly felt as if this conversation was no longer just about him and Theo.

Rene took his hand. "Are we best friends?"

Jack lowered his eyes. "I don't know. Are we?"

"Have you ever lied to me?"

"No."

She smiled, and with a light touch, she lifted his chin until their eyes met. "You just did."

"Huh?"

"Everybody lies, Jack."

"Have you lied to me?"

"Does a pygmy hippo shit in the great Ta'i Reserve?"

Jack couldn't help giving up a little laughter. Then he turned more serious. "So Saturday night, when you said the reason you never stay longer than a few days at a time when you come to visit me…

"Definitely not a lie," she said, squeezing his hand. "That was the truth."

She kissed him, and Jack held her tight. The smell of her hair was right in his face, and he gave himself enough time to commit it to long-term memory. "I'm go

She pulled away and slung her carry-on over her shoulder. "I'll see you. Soon. I'll call you when I get to Abidjan. I promise." She gave him another quick kiss on the lips and then headed toward security. Jack watched from afar as she presented her ticket andpassport to security. She turned and flashed one last smile, then disappeared into the maze of international check-in.

Jack tried to catch sight of the back of her head one more time – maybe she'd turn and wave – but he couldn't follow her in the crowd. He stayed put for a few minutes anyway just watching the endless stream of travelers headed for points unknown. He was sad to see Rene go. He wondered if that was because of his feelings for her – or if he simply dreaded what was next on the agenda.

It was time to meet with Agent Andie He

Chapter 15

The meeting was inside Theo's office at Sparky's Tavern. Jack didn't like the venue, but the idea was Andie's. She got her way – with one notable exception.

"Theo isn't coming," said Jack as he closed the office door.

She wheeled and gave him a look of complete surprise – more like Andie the might-have-been girlfriend than the poker-faced Agent He

"What do you mean he's not coming?" she said.

With a conciliatory wave of the hand, Jack offered her a seat on the couch. She didn't take it. Jack crossed the room and braced himself against the front edge of Theo's desk, half sitting and half standing, his arms folded. The entire room had been swept free of the usual clutter – no papers atop the desk, no Post-its on the computer screen, no receipts and records scattered across the floor and furnishings. Even the wall calendar was gone. Theo had followed Jack's cleanup order to the letter: leave nothing for the wandering eye of the FBI.

Jack said, "Don't read anything into this from a personal or investigative standpoint. He's merely following the advice of his lawyer."

"You and I had a deal," she said.

"And we still do, if you remain willing to share the 'something of interest' that required us to meet in Theo's office."

"You were supposed to let me talk to Theo."

"I can answer your questions."

"That's changing the deal."

"That's the only one on the table"

"You're being a pain in the ass."

"Some things change," he said with a shrug, "and some things stay the same."

She smiled a little, as if to confirm that she had the energy to butt heads all day long, and he smiled back. Jack had a lot of time and effort invested in Rene, but for a quick moment, a part of him could imagine the fun in sparring with Andie about everything from unreasonable search and seizure to who would end up on top at night.

Her smile faded, and she put on her business face. "Where was Theo on Sunday morning between midnight and three a.m.?"

"He was working at his bar until the cops came looking for Isaac Reems. I told him to go somewhere. He ended up at his girlfriend's and spent the night at her place."

"Would that be Katrina?"

"Trina. She stopped going by Katrina when the hurricane hit."

Again, Andie showed surprise, but it wasn't about the name change. "They're still together?"

Jack wasn't sure how to take it, but her tone almost seemed to ask, How the heck did Theo and Trina outlast us? "Yeah, still together."

"Doing well, I hope."

"Doing just fine." Jack didn't bother with the tale of the Prince Albert.

"Can anyone confirm that he was with Trina that night?"

"Trina can."

She rolled her eyes. "Other than her, wiseguy."

"No, but let me save you a lot of time. Theo didn't kill Isaac Reems."