Last Call

Chapter 14

On Monday morning Jack took Rene to the airport for a 12:50 p.m. flight to Abidjan via Paris. Jack didn't even try to talk her into staying another day – and it wasn't because he thought she would say no.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"It's definitely something."

They were walking side-by-side across what was arguably Miami's greatest work of public art – the striking black terrazzo floor at the airport's international terminal. Michele Oka Doner's "A Walk on the Beach" was exactly what the name implied. Thousands of inlaid bronze sculptures reminiscent of the ocean and the artist's native Miami Beach dotted the mile-long concourse. Jack's gaze shifted from two-dimensional brain coral to driftwood to starfish, his thoughts churning.

"Are you mad at me for leaving too soon?" said Rene.

"No – well, yes," he said with a flat smile. "But it has nothing to do with that."

"Are you worried about Uncle Cy?"

"Uncle Cy?" he said, but then he clarified his own confusion. The old man hadn't been himself at all when they put him to bed early Sunday morning. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Like you say, the doctor just needs to adjust his blood pressure medication."

"Then it must be Theo."

Jack tried not to bite. "Why would I worry about Theo?"

"Well, duh. It sounded like someone was trying to extort money out of him for information about his poor mother's murder."

Rene knew about Isaac Reems – even if the cops hadn't shown up at Sparky's on Saturday night, the Sunday morning news coverage of the shooting was inescapable – but Jack still hadn't told her that the phone message they'd overheard at Theo's place had been from Isaac. And he certainly hadn't told her that Andie Henning wanted to meet with him and Theo.

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 inner struggle. And thankfully she seemed willing to at least try to work within his constraints and limitations as Theo's friend – and lawyer – even if she didn't have a full grasp of what was going on. Jack wondered if Andie would have done the same.

"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 gonna miss you," he whispered.

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 Henning.