Roses Are Red

Chapter Seventy-Si

During the course of a long day, I had learned that nearly seventy thousand people in the Hartford area were employed in the insurance industry. Besides Metro Hartford Aetna, Travelers, Mass Mutual Phoenix Home Life and United Health Care were all headquartered there. On account of this, we had more help than we needed, and more suspects. The Mastermind might have been associated with any one of the insurance companies at some time in the past.

After I finished for the day at the insurance company, I got together to share notes with the others at a nearby Marriott. The breakthrough for day one was Hildie Rader's story that one of the crew members had probably been in Hartford a week before the hostages were taken.

Tomorrow morning we interview both women, Rader and Becton. Get a composite drawing made from their description. As soon as we have that, we'll show it around corporate headquarters. Also, have the composites we made in DC sent up here. See if there's a match, "Betsey said. She smiled then. "Things are heating up. Maybe they aren't so smart, after all."

Around eight-thirty I left the suite to call Jannie and Damon before they went to bed. Nana answered the phone. She knew it was me before I said a word.

"Everything is just fine here, Alex. Home fires are burning nicely without you. You missed a delicious pot roast supper. Soon as I knew you were going to be away, I made your favorite dish."

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe it. "Did you really make pot roast?" I asked Nana.

She cackled for a good half-minute. "Of course not. We had prime ribs of beef, though." Nana cackled even louder. Prime ribs were probably my second favorite dish and I was still hungry after the hotel deli food, pastrami and processed cheese on stale rye.

Nana laughed again. "We had turkey sandwiches. But we did finish up with hot, homemade pecan pie. A la mode. Jannie and Damon are right here. We're playing Scrabble, and I'm winning their life savings."

"Nana's winning by a measly twelve points and she already had her turn," Jannie said as she took the phone. "Are you all right, Daddy?” she asked, and her voice became motherly.

"Why shouldn't I be all right?" I asked her. I was feeling much better, actually. Nana had made me laugh," How are you doing?"

Jannie giggled. "I'm good as can be. Damon is being surprisingly nice. He brought my homework from school and it's all done. Aced! I'm about to take the lead, for good, in our Scrabble game. We all miss you, though. Don't get hurt, Daddy. Don't you dare get hurt."

I was feeling pretty fried, but I trudged back to finish the work session with the FBI agents. Don't get hurt, I was thinking as I walked the long hotel corridor. Jannie was beginning to sound like Christine. Don't get hurt. Don't you dare get hurt.