Jackpot

48

Teddy had the cab drop the film festival actress off at the casino, then he asked Dale where they should go to lay low. Before she could answer, Teddy got a call from a number he didn’t recognize.

“My name is Sheldon Jeffrey, and I’m the United States secretary of commerce.”

“How did you get this number?”

“I’m close to CIA Director Lance Cabot and he suggested we call you to alleviate our concerns about a problem with their representative in Macau.”

“I appreciate your service to the United States, Mr. Secretary, but Lance Cabot is mistaken. Don’t call this number again.”

Teddy hung up and called Millie Martindale.

“Why is Lance Cabot giving out my number to people who don’t trust you to do your job?”

“What are you talking about?”

Teddy told her about the call he’d just received and had to actually hold the phone away from his ear because Millie was yelling and cursing so loudly on the other end.

“I know who exactly is behind this,” Millie said. “And maybe I’m tipping my hand at how much I know about you, but it would be great if the guy you were before you were Billy Barnett were to take care of this problem.”

“That man is tired and wants to go back to L.A. and have pancakes for supper and sit on his deck facing the beach, listening to the ocean.”

“I don’t like the sound of that guy at all.”

“Well, the guy you’re talking to now needs a safe house in Macau.”

“You know, I think there might be a way for both of us to help each other out and get back at this jerk at the same time.”

“I’m listening,” Teddy said.

“I’m here with a delegation of representatives from the U.S. government to help facilitate the testimony of a key Chinese witness.”

“Li Feng,” Teddy said.

“Maybe we should all get together then, my delegation of government officials, you, and your team in Macau.”

“I don’t work with a team.”

“I also know you don’t need a safe house in Macau for yourself. So you’re obviously working with someone while you’re here.”

“I don’t think she would have any interest in sitting around a table with a bunch of old white men making casually racist Asian jokes at her expense.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll send you the address to a place I’ve been myself, so I know it’s in tip-top shape.”

“How do I know you haven’t set any traps there for me?” Teddy said.

“We’ll meet the rest of my gang at an American-themed diner near the airport.”

Rick’s Café couldn’t have been any more of a clichéd American tourist trap if it tried, and the delegation from the U.S. government was wallowing in it. Millie had sent Teddy the coordinates to a safe house where he left Dale Gai before heading to meet with Millie and her circus of politicians and career government cronies. They were all already seated in a booth at the back of the restaurant when Teddy arrived. Millie was sitting at the end of the booth closest to Teddy. She looked like a stranger who’d sat down with the group and didn’t belong at all.

“I don’t trust Arrow Donaldson and I think he’s trying to intentionally keep Li Feng away from me, away from us, and it’s not because he believes he can provide her better security.”

“Then why don’t we cut him out?” Secretary Jeffrey asked. “We have that power, right? We can get Li Feng ourselves and take her over to Hong Kong ourselves, right?”

“In theory, yes, Mr. Secretary,” Millie said. “But in reality, we still don’t know where Li Feng is and I think that’s Arrow’s goal. Keep playing hide-and-seek with her, sending us all over Macau looking for her or any other decoys he’s stashed around town, until it’s time for her testimony. Then he shows up before we can cut him out.”

“Why are we meeting with a movie producer about such a high-profile mission?” Secretary Jeffrey asked.

“You of all people at this table should already know the answer to that question, since you somehow got Lance Cabot to give you my private cell phone number,” Teddy said.

Jeffrey’s face went white as the other men at the table looked at him suspiciously.

“Ms. Martindale has brought me in to use my connection to the film festival and to a side project it seems Mr. Donaldson is working on with the witness. I have a good chance to find out where she is before he can move her or hide her again,” Teddy said.