Silent Treatment

Chapter39

It made no sense for them to remain in thecity and there were a number of good reasons not to. With Harry driving, he andSantana left Manhattan and headed north on Route 684 toward the NewYork-Connecticut border. Their mood was grim. Maura had not shown up at C.C.'sat one, and it seemed fairly certain now that Perchek, not the police, had her.

'You know,' Harry said, 'the more I thinkabout Atwater, the stupider I feel.'

'What do you mean?'

Santana, his feet up on the dash, hadturned off the TV. He was gazing out the side window at an approaching bank ofstorm clouds.

'Getting an IV into Evie and injecting herwith Aramine took some planning,' Harry explained. 'Whoever did it had to knowthat she was coming into the hospital that day. And I didn't know myself untiltwenty-four hours before. Doug was one of the few people besides me who wasaware that her admission date had changed.'

'When did he start working for yourhospital?'

'He doesn't work for the hospital exactly,he works for the managed care outfit that has a contract with the hospital.'

'Managed care. That's very creepy sounding ifyou ask me.'

'It's a far cry from some ol' doc ridingup in his buggy with his black bag, I'll tell you that much. Anyhow, Doug'sbeen around for about five or six years, I think.'

'Sounds right. Someone high up in theagency did a hell of a job making him disappear — a new life, a new face, andno records that he ever existed. Garvey probably brought his pal Anton up toNew York as soon as he was settled in his new position with the managed carecompany. There must be a hell of a lot of money in this Roundtable businessfor Perchek not to go back to his old globe-hopping ways.'

'Maybe The Doctor just wanted to settledown.'

'Sure, that's it. He's in semi-retirement.Just five or six killings a week.'

'Well, what do we do now?'

'I've been thinking that maybe we shouldgive ol' Garves a call,' Santana said. 'Things are unraveling for him justabout as fast as they're unraveling for us. Garvey knows I'm around now. Anduntil I'm not around, he won't ever be able to stop looking over hisshoulder. That shot I fired in the hospital may have missed, but it did send aclear message that I'm not in a negotiating frame of mind. Also, he mustrealize that you know about The Roundtable. Why else would you have set me upin the hospital?'

'But we have no proof of anything or wewould have gone to the police. They must know that, too.'

'I agree. That gives them a chance to stayin business, but only if you're in jail or dead and I'm successfully bought offor dead.'

'What about Maura?'

Santana shook his head, his expressiongrave.

'Assuming they have her, she's abargaining chip so long as we're around, and a loose end as soon as we're not.'

'Let me call him,' Harry said angrily. 'Iwant to thank him for being such a devoted friend all these years.'

'Just be cool.'

He pulled into a rest area and dialedAtwater's office at MMC.

'Whom should I say is calling, please?'Atwater's secretary asked.

Harry hesitated for a moment, then said,'It's Dr. Mingus. Dr. Charles Mingus.'

Mingus, one of Harry's idols, wasacknowledged by many, including Atwater, to be the greatest jazz bass playerever. He had been dead for fifteen or twenty years. It took just a few secondsfor Atwater to come on the line.

'Harry, is that you?' he said.

'Hi, Doug. Okay to talk?'

'Absolutely. Dr. Charles Mingus. Clever.Very clever. You are a trip, Harry.'

'I saw you on the tube a little while ago.Thanks for worrying about me.'

'Hey, I'm just glad to hear your voice,pal. I'm glad you're all right. Where the heck are you anyway?'

'Oh, around. I'm trying to find MauraHughes, Doug. I thought maybe you'd know where she was.'

'That was some damn good drawing she did,wasn't it, Harry?'

'Does Perchek have her?'

'Perchek. Perchek. Now there's a name thatdoesn't ring any bells with me at all. Gee, I'm sorry about your friend Maura.I only met her that one time at the hospital, but I'll wager she's a beautifulwoman when she's sober and not all banged up, and has a full head of hair. Nota looker like Evie was, mind you, but then again, who is?'

Harry put his hand over the mouthpiece.'He's got her,' he whispered. He took his hand away. 'What do you want for her,Doug?'

'Harry, aren't you paying attention? Isaid I only met her that one time at the hospital.'

'I know where Ray Santana is, Doug. That'sthe trade. Santana for Maura.'

'Now this is without a doubt the craziestconversation I've ever had. First someone named Perchek, whom I've never heardof, then someone named Santana, whom I've also never heard of.'

'Doug, I really care about that woman. Idon't want her hurt. Just tell me what you want.'

'You know, ever since that fake patient ofyours took a shot at me, I've been wondering why in the heck you went to suchtrouble to put him in the hospital in the first place?'

Again, Harry covered the mouthpiece. 'He'snibbling,' he whispered. 'Okay, Doug, listen. Let's not fuck around with eachother. You deliver Maura Hughes to me unharmed, and I'll not only pinpointSantana for you, I'll tell you all I know about The Roundtable, which of yourknights are close to blowing the whistle on the whole operation, and exactlywhat they have on you.'

This time there was no immediate response.'Then what do you plan to do?' Atwater asked. 'I'm getting out. I've got it all set up — tickets, passport, money, safe destination. The works. ButI'm not leaving without Maura.'

'God, Harry. You've got it that bad, huh?Take it from me, none of them are worth it — except the next one.'

'Without her, I don't care what happens tome, and I don't leave. That means you don't get Santana and The Roundtablecollapses around your ears. If we do go, we've got to leave by dawntomorrow. You and I do business tonight or it doesn't happen.' There wasanother prolonged silence. 'Where can I call you?'

'Not a chance, Doug. I'm frantic, but I'mnot stupid.'

'I should say you're not. Okay, pal, haveyou got something to write with?'

'I'm ready.'

Atwater gave him a number in the 201 area- the northern New Jersey area that included Fort Lee.

'Call me tonight at nine,' he said. 'We'lltalk.'

'Nine it is. Now listen, Doug. I don'thave much left to lose. If Perchek hurts Maura Hughes, I swear I'm going tokill you both.'

'Hey, Harry, easy on the hot sauce,brother. We'll talk, and then we'll see what we can do.'

'Nine o'clock.' Harry hung up.

'Bravo. Bravo,' Santana said, applauding.'That was one hell of a performance.'

Harry's eyes were flint.

'It was even better than you think,' hesaid. 'I know exactly where she is.'

It was raining steadily when they crossedthe Tappan Zee Bridge heading for New Jersey. The digital clock on theWinnebago dashboard read 7:06 P.M. A small digital calendar mounted right nextto it read August 31.

August 31 — Corbett curse minus one.

Harry concentrated on the road ahead asSantana prepared himself. Harry knew he might drop dead on September 1st, ashad his grandfather at seventy and his father, to all intents, at sixty. Butthe chances of his being killed tonight were far, far greater. Still, Santanawas a professional, Harry had been under fire before in his life, and they werenot going after Maura unprepared. Before crossing the bridge, they had leftthe' highway and searched until they found an army-navy store. Ray spent halfan hour inside and emerged with a rifle, two knapsacks full of equipment, and areceipt for $1123.37. The stock in the place was limited, but the big-ticketitems — the rifle, telescopic sight, and binoculars — he pronounced as'adequate.'

'Did you really kill a guy in the war likethe papers said?' Santana asked, inspecting the rifle as they pulled away.

'It's nothing I'm proud of.'

'That's okay. Killing a person issomething that once you've done it, you know you can do it. That's all thatmatters to me.'

'I'm filled with hate, Ray. It wouldn't bethat hard for me to kill either of them.'

'One less thing for me to worry about.'

Harry had never been inside Doug Atwater'shouse, but he had seen it from the water and from the land. Three years before,Harry had rented a yacht for a surprise party for Evie's birthday. The boat washuge — large enough to hold the combo from the club and about forty guests,with room to spare. It was chartered for a circumnavigation of ManhattanIsland, and was by far the most extravagant thing Harry had ever done. Buttheir marriage was already crumbling over his conservative lifestyle, and hewas desperate to make a statement. That evening was the last time he couldremember Evie seeming truly happy.

Atwater had shown up for the affair withhis usual gorgeous blonde du jour — an actress of some sort, Harryrecalled. Sandi? Patti? She and Harry were standing alone by the rail atdusk, watching the Palisades of New Jersey glide by, when suddenly she begangesturing wildly at a spectacular modern house built on the very brink of oneof them.

'That's Dougie's!' she exclaimed. 'That'sDougie's house. See that deck? We had mimosas out there this morning. Youwouldn't believe the view. Have you ever been there?'

In fact, until that moment Harry had knownonly that Atwater lived in an elegant penthouse on East Forty-ninth Street.They had met there several times when he and Evie had gone out with Atwater andhis date. Curious about the house, he glanced back across at the New York sideof the river and fixed a couple of landmarks in his mind. Later in the evening,the captain used his navigational charts to pinpoint the spot exactly. It wasnot very far from Fort Lee. Harry had considered mentioning the house toAtwater, but now he felt certain that he never had. He and Atwater werefriendly, but obviously not that close, because Harry had never been invitedover.

A month or two later, after visiting hismother in the nursing home, Harry had found himself just a few miles from wherehe thought the house to be. It was surprisingly easy to find — a sprawling,California-style mansion at the crest of a rising, tree-lined driveway at leasta hundred yards long. The massive wrought-iron gate at the end of the drive wasclosed. A six-foot-high, fieldstone-in-cement wall stretched along the roadwayin both directions, giving the impression that the entire property wasenclosed. He did not consider dropping in.

But tonight, he and Santana would pay acall.

'Pull off at the next rest area,' Santanasaid. 'You need to get ready, and I need to check this sight out.'

Despite his gaunt physical appearance andnervous tics, Ray had always seemed somewhat cocky and self-assured. Butfollowing Harry's conversation with Sean Garvey, he had become withdrawn andsubdued. The tic at the corner of his mouth had diminished until it was just afaint suggestion, and his hands were rock steady. Harry bet that this wasexactly the way Santana had looked as he crouched, aimed, and fired that nightin Central Park.

He pulled off into a sparsely occupiedrest stop. Santana tossed him a black turtleneck, ammo vest, and watch cap, anda small jar of black greasepaint labeled Nightstalker.

'Don't forget the backs of your hands,' hesaid as he left the camper cradling the rifle in a canvas wrap.

Outside, the rain had begun fallingharder. To the east, in the distance, lightning glinted off the blackening sky.

Harry set the clothes beside his seat. Evie,Andy Barlow, Sidonis, Maura? He was ready to fight — ready for whatever.But there was one more piece of business he had to take care of before theyheaded into battle — a phone call.

Kevin Loomis glanced up at the clock andtried to imagine what the mounting flood in the basement was looking like. Rainhad forced the barbecue indoors, but it really didn't matter. Everything wasmoving along as he had planned. It wouldn't be long now.

It had been about thirty minutes since heleft the party through the backdoor, ostensibly to get a scorecard from hisgolfbag in the garage. He grabbed the card, which he had set by the garagedoor, then cut around the side of the house to dislodge the washing machinehose. His setup worked even better than he expected. One tug on the heavy twinehad pulled the hose free, and the twine had slipped off so that he was able topull it through the basement window. Now, there were about ten minutes leftbefore he would 'discover' the disaster.

He made his way through the guests,trading stories, laughing at jokes, and doing a fairly effective job of gettingdrunk. It was strange knowing when the exact moment of one's death was going tooccur. What if he had known from the very beginning? Would he have doneanything differently? The question was rhetorical. He would always have joinedThe Roundtable, as he understood it to be. And the moment he entered his firstRoundtable meeting, he was one of them. From then on, nothing he did wouldchange a thing.

He had said goodbye to each of the kids inhis own way and had managed half-decent sex with Nancy before tension overwhelmedhim. Now, he stood in the kitchen and glanced over at the drawer where he hadplaced the flashlights. Just a few more minutes. Suddenly, he realized thephone was ringing. His first thought was that something had happened to one ofthe kids. He snatched it up.

'Hello?'

'Kevin Loomis?'

'Yes.'

'It's Harry. Harry Corbett. How're youdoing?'

'Fine. We're having a party here, though.I really can't talk.'

'That's okay. You can just listen. I won'ttake long. The murder they want me for, the surgeon. .?'

'Yes.'

From the doorway, Nancy asked with bodylanguage if the call was anything for her to be concerned with. Kevin shook hishead.

'It's Atwater, Kevin,' Harry went on.'Doug Atwater from Manhattan Health. He's the knight behind the killings,behind that Dr. Perchek I told you about.'

'I suspected as much. Atwater's Galahad,the knight in charge of security. I saw him earlier today on the news.'

'The others in your group may haveparticipated, but I believe he's the mastermind. We're going after him and Perchekright now.'

'Good luck.'

'Kevin, I'm calling to beg you to see thisthing through. If we get them, we're going to need you to testify against them.If we fail, all those patients at risk are going to need you even more.'

'I … I don't know what you're talkingabout,' Kevin said. 'Of course I'm going to see this through. I wish you lucktonight. I've got to go now.'

'Kevin, please be strong. You have toomuch to lose. We all do.'

Kevin set the receiver down withoutreplying. Damn Corbett. He didn't have any kids. He turned on the sinkwater, which was now little more than a trickle.

'Hey, Fred,' he called to one of the twomen he had selected, 'we've got no water pressure all of a sudden. What do youthink?'

The man shrugged.

'Guess we ought to check the basement,' hesaid.

Kevin allowed him to open the basementdoor and try the light.

'Bulb's out,' the man said. 'Or else thepower down there's dead.'

From below, they could clearly hear thesound of gushing water. Kevin handed him a flashlight and then called overReverend Pete Peterson and handed him one as well. His pulse was beginning torace.

'It looks like a great flood down there,'he said. 'Unfortunately, my waders are right in the middle of it. You guys hangon the stairway and follow me with your lights. I'll see what I can see.'

It was about to happen, Kevin was thinking. It feltstrange, so strange that his whole life had come down to these few moments.

He led the two men down to the basementand stepped into foot and a half of water. 'It's the washing machine hose,' hecalled out from the blackness. 'It's snapped off. Keep your lights on it.'

All those things in life that had seemedso damn important at the time … all meaningless. .

'Just be careful,' Peterson said.

Kevin jammed the hose back on to itshousing.

'See,' he said, 'no problem. No problem atall.'

What I am doing is right. Bestfor Nancy. Best for the kids. Best for everyone. God, forgive me. .

Sir Tristram, Knight of The Roundtable,took a single deep breath and then set his hand down the back of the dryer. Hisbody stiffened. Sparks shot from his legs at the waterline. His heart went intoimmediate standstill. The muscles in his hand, in a viselike spasm, tightenedaround the frayed wire. He had been dead for fifteen seconds by the time theweight of his body pulled him free of the wire and allowed him to drop into thewater.