left, McThune rolled his eyes at Glint as if he wanted to apologize for this pompous loudmouth. Glint relished the moment, and -when the dust settled he walked to Reggie’s office.
Mark had pulled a chair to the window, and sat watching it rain on the street and sidewalk below. Reggie was on the phone with the hospital administrator discussing security on the ninth floor. She covered the phone, and Glint whispered that they were gone. He left to get more cocoa for Mark, who never moved.
Within minutes, Glint took a call from George Ord, and he buzzed Reggie on the intercom. She’d never met the U.S. attorney from Memphis, but was not surprised that he was now on the phone. She allowed him to hold for one full minute, then picked up the phone. “Hello.”
“Ms. Love, this is—“
“It’s Reggie, okay. Just Reggie. And you’re
George, right?” She called everyone by their first name, even stuffy judges in their proper little courtrooms.
“Right, Reggie. This is George Ord. Roy Fol-trigg is in my office, and—“
“What a coincidence. He just left mine.”
“Yeah, and that’s why I’m calling. He didn’t get a chance to talk to you and your client.”
“Give him my apologies. My client has nothing to say to him.” She was talking and looking at the back of Mark’s head. If he were listening, she couldn’t tell. He was frozen in the chair at the window.
“Reggie, I think it would be wise if you at least meet with Mr. Foltrigg again.”
“I have no desire to meet with Roy, nor does my client.” She could picture Ord speaking gravely into the phone with Foltrigg pacing around the office waving his arms.
“Well, this will not be the end of it, you know?”
“Is that a threat, George?”
“It’s more of a promise.”
“Fine. You tell Roy and his boys that if anyone attempts to contact my client or his family I’ll have their asses. Okay, George?”
“I’ll relay the message.”
IT WAS REALLY SORT OF FUNNY——IT WAS NOT, AFTER ALL,
his case—but Ord could not laugh. He returned the receiver to its place, smiled to himself, and said, “She says she ain’t talking, the kid ain’t talking, and if you or anyone else contacts the kid or his family she’ll, uh, have your asses, as she put it.”
Foltrigg bit his lip and nodded at every word as if
this were fine because he could play hardball with the best of ^hem. He had regained his composure and was already implementing Plan B. He paced around the office as ff in deep thought. McThune and Trumann stood bv the door like sentries. Bored sentries.
“I want the kid followed, okay,” Foltrigg finally snappec at McThune. “We’re leaving for New Orleans, and I want you guys to tail him twenty-four hours a day. I ^ant to know what he does, and, more importantly, me needs to be protected from Muldanno and his henchmen.”
McThune did not take orders from any U.S. attorney, and at this moment he was sick of Roy Foltrigg. And the idea of using three or four overworked agents to follow an eleven-year-old kid was quite stupid. But, it was not worth the fight. Foltrigg had a hot line to Director Voyles in Washington, and Director Voyles wanted the body and he wanted a conviction almost as bad as Foltrigg did.
“Okay,” he said. “We’ll get it done.”
“Paul Gronke’s already here somewhere,” Foltrigg said as though he’d just heard fresh gossip. They knew the flight number and his ‘time of arrival eleven hours ago. They had, however, managed to lose his trail once he left the Memphis airport. They had discussed it with Ord and Foltrigg and a dozen other FBI agents for two hours this morning. At this very moment, no less than eight agents were trying to find Gronke in Memphis.
“We’ll find him,” McThune said. “And we’ll watch the kid. Why don’t you get your ass back to New Orleans.”
“I’ll get the van ready,” Trumann said officially as if the van were in fact Air Force One.
Foltrigg stopped pacing in front of Ord’s desk.
“We’re leaving, George. Sorry for the intrusion. I’ll probably be back in a couple of days.”
What wonderful news, Ord thought. He stood, and they shook hands. “Anytime,” he said. “If we can help, just call.”
“I’ll meet with Judge Lamond first thing in the morning. I’ll let you know.”
Ord offered his hand again for one final shake. Foltrigg took it and headed for the door. “Watch out for these thugs,” he advised McThune. “I don’t think he’s dumb enough to