well. Marion had learned all he had taught, and more. She was a power in her own right now, but she still relied on George on every major deal. That meant everything to him. Knowing that she still needed him after all these years. Knowing that she always would. He understood that now. They were a team, silent, inseparable, each one stronger because of the other. He sometimes wondered if Michael knew just how close they were. He doubted it. Michael had always been the hub of his mother's life. Why would he ever have noticed just how much George cared? In some ways, even Marion didn't understand that. But George accepted that. He lavished his warmth and energies on the business. And perhaps, one day … George looked at Marion now with instant concern. He had learned to recognize the tightness around the mouth and the strange pallor beneath the carefully applied powder and rouge.
“Marion, are you all right?” He knew more about her health than anyone did. She had confided in him years before. Someone had to know, for the business. She had appallingly high blood pressure, and a serious problem with her heart.
For a moment there was no answer, and then she pulled her eyes away from her son to look at her longtime associate and friend. “Yes … yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry. Good evening, George. Come in.”
“I think I've come at a bad time.”
“Not at all, George, I was just leaving.” Michael turned to look at him and couldn't even pretend to smile. Then he looked at his mother again, but made no move to approach her. “Good night, Mother.”
“I'll call you tomorrow, Michael. We can discuss this over the phone.”
He wanted to say something hateful to her, to frighten her, but he couldn't, he didn't know how. And what was the point?
“Michael…”
He didn't answer her; he merely shook hands solemnly with George and walked out of the library without looking back. He never saw the look in his mother's eyes, or the concern in George's as she sank slowly back into her chair and brought her trembling hands to her face. There were tears in her eyes which she hid even from George.
“What on earth happened?”
“He's going to do something insane.”
“Maybe not. We all threaten mad things now and then.”
“At our age we threaten, at his age they do.” All her efforts for nothing. The investigators' reports, the phone calls, the … She sighed and slowly sat back against the delicate chair.
“Have you taken your medicine today?” She shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Where is it?”
“In my bag. Behind the desk.” He walked to the desk, saying nothing of the pages of die report scattered there and on the floor, and found the black alligator handbag with the eighteen-karat-gold clasp. He knew it well; he had given it to her three Christmases before. He found the medicine and returned to her side, holding the two white pills in his hand. She heard the rattle of the demitasse cup and opened her eyes. This time she smiled at him. “What would I do without you, George?”
“What would I do without you?” He couldn't even bear the thought “Shall I leave now? You should get some rest.”
“I'd just get upset thinking about Michael.”
“Is he still coming to work for the firm?”
“Yes, it was something else.”
The girl then. George knew about that too, but he didn't want to press Marion now. She was distressed enough, but at least the color was coming back to her face, and after swallowing the pills she took a cigarette out of her case. He lit it for her as he watched her face. She was a beautiful woman. He had always thought so. Even now, as she grew tired and increasingly ill. He wondered if Michael knew how ill. He couldn't possibly or he wouldn't upset her like this.
What George did not know was that Michael was equally distressed at that moment. Hot tears burned his eyes as he sat in the back of a cab on his way to the airport.
He called Nancy as soon as he got to the terminal. His flight would leave in twenty minutes.
“How did it go?” She couldn't tell much from his voice when he said hello.
“Fine. Now I want you to get busy. I want you to pack a bag, get dressed, and be ready in an hour and a half when I get there.”
“Ready for what?” She was puzzled as she sat curled