He headed downtown, because he didn’t want to go home to the Virginia suburbs just yet. He could tell from the expression on Mandy’s face at dinner that she wanted to talk about things, but he really didn’t want to. He didn’t know how he was going to break the news of having to visit his mother again. With the kids’ busy schedule, his being gone really left his wife scrambling. And yet he had to do it, particularly after the John Carr revelation.
He crossed over the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, passing the island named after the very same president. He kept straight and headed down Constitution Avenue, arguably the capital’s second most famous street behind the one named Pennsylvania. Hooking left, he headed up toward the White House before turning right onto F Street and working his way through a congested shopping and business district that was crawling with renewed nightlife. To his right stood the concrete-and-steel skeleton of an uncompleted building whose developer had gone bankrupt. As Finn waited at a red light he stared up at the new residential condo building on his left. His gaze went up seven stories, drifted to the corner unit of the luxury high-rise, and that’s when he stiffened slightly. He had not come here by accident. The drive-by was completely intentional; he did it often.
The lights were on and as he watched a tall figure passed by one of the windows.
Senator Roger Simpson from the great state of Alabama was home.
CHAPTER 68
ANNABELLE STOOD NEXT TO PADDY who was slumped in a chair in her hotel room. Daughter nodded at father and on cue he picked up the phone.
Before he punched in the number, she put a hand on Paddy’s shoulder.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” she asked.
“I’ve been ready for this for years,” he gamely replied, his voice cracking a bit.
He didn’t look ready, she thought. The man seemed tired and scared.
“Good luck,” Annabelle said.
As soon as the number was placed, Annabelle picked up another phone and listened in.
“Hello, Jerry,” Paddy said. “It’s Paddy Conroy. Long time no kill. But then again, maybe that’s not entirely accurate. Hear you’ve been busy on that score.”
Annabelle stared at her father. Paddy’s entire manner had changed. His smile was wide, and his voice was confident. He was sitting up big and fearless in the chair.
Bagger was not a man easily shocked. But when he had heard that name, he felt his knees slightly buckle. The next emotion he had was far more familiar. He nearly crushed the phone in his hand and screamed, “How the hell did you know how to reach me, you bastard?”
“I just looked in the phone book under A for assholes.”
On that remark, Annabelle had to stifle a laugh.
“Seen that bitch of a daughter of yours lately?”
“Heard she ripped you for plenty. Enough to get the wind up at the Jersey Control Commission. I must’ve taught her good.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re behind the whole thing. And if you are, all I can promise you is a skin peel that takes about two days.”
“Stop talking dirty, Jerry, you’re getting me horny.”
“What do you want!”
“I want to help you out.”
“I don’t need help from a two-bit, washed-up con.”
“Don’t be so quick on the draw, Jer. The definition of help is when I have something you want. And I do.”
“Like what?”
“Care to guess?”
“Care to have me rip your balls off?”
“I have Annabelle. You still want her or you gotten over her making you look like the world’s biggest idiot?”
“You’d turn over your own daughter to me, knowing what I’m going to do to her?”
“Not going deaf on me, are you? That’s what I said.”
“And you’re doing this out of what, the goodness of your heart?”
“You know me better than that, Jerry.”
“So how much do you want for your little girl?”
“Not a dime.”
“Excuse me?” Bagger said in disbelief.
“I don’t need any more money.”
“So what then?”
“You have to promise me that if I give Annabelle to you, you’ll never come after me again. I got a little time left on this planet and I don’t want to spend it looking over my shoulder for the likes of you.”
“Let me get this straight. You’ll give me Annabelle so long as I leave you alone?”
“That’s right. I know you’ve been on the lookout for me ever since I ripped you off for that lousy ten grand. And I’m getting tired of it.”
Bagger screamed into the phone, “You’re getting tired of it?”
“Is it a deal? And I want your word. Because I know you’re a lot of things, but you’ve never gone back on your word. You get Annabelle and you leave me alone, forever.”
Bagger stared down at the floor, the veins throbbing in his neck.
“I want to hear you say it, Jerry. I have to hear you say it.”
“I’ll pay you millions for her.”
“Yeah, sure. Say it, Jerry. Say it or no deal.”
Paddy stared over at Annabelle, who was holding her breath as she clutched the phone.
“Why do you hate her so much?” Bagger finally said.
“Because she’s blamed me all these years for what happened to her mum. You killed the woman but I’ve paid the price. Ain’t been one bloke in the whole con world who’d give me the time of day since. She ruined my life. It’s payback time. My payback time.” Paddy glanced over at Annabelle and smiled weakly.
“How are you going to set her up? She’s not stupid. So I know she doesn’t trust you.”
“Leave that to me.”
“I haven’t agreed to nothing.”
“But you will. You’re too smart not to.”
“I can just catch her myself. I came close the other night. And maybe you too if I get real lucky.”
“Then go for it. And two weeks from now when you realize she’s long gone, you can’t say old Paddy didn’t tell you the truth. Because the longer you wait, the more time she has to hide, and we both know the girl is good at what she does. Take your time, think about it. I’ll call you back.”
“When?”
“When I want to.”
In one motion, Paddy and Annabelle put down their phones.
She gripped his shoulder. “You did great. You baited him just right.”
He put his hand on top of hers. “We’ll give him a little time to stew on that. That’ll give your friend some time to get his end in gear. I have to say, I was surprised he agreed to help us, no questions asked.”
“Like I told you, he’s not your typical fed. One thing.” She paused, worried. Was her father really not up to this? “You didn’t poke around about where Jerry might be staying.”
He looked at her, a smile playing across his lips. “I’m not losing my touch, Annie, if that’s what you’re thinking. You don’t push too hard on the first go-round. Old pro like Jerry will sniff that out every time. Next call, I’ll let him make the slip. Then I’ll hit it.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean you didn’t know what you were doing.”
“Ninety percent of the con is preparation. The other ten percent is seat of the pants, being able to adapt on the fly.”
“But without the ten the ninety is worth shit.”
“Exactly.”
“That stuff you said to Bagger. About my ruining your life?”
“I ruined my own life, Annie. All I’m doing now is trying to get a little piece of it back.”
He gripped his daughter’s hand tightly. He now looked old, sick and scared; his body collapsed into the chair again. “You really think we can pull this off?”
“Yes,” she lied.