Split Image

43

ELSA MARKHAM OPENED the front door.

"Cheryl," Elsa said. "What on earth are you doing with these people?"

Cheryl shrugged.

Behind his wife, John Markham looked past his daughter at Spike.

"Who is this?" Markham said to Sunny.

"My walker," Sunny said.

"How y'all doin'?" Spike said, and smiled widely.

"Are you planning on coming home?" Elsa said. "Is that what this is all about?"

"May we come in?" Sunny said.

"We can talk here," Markham said.

"No," Sunny said. "We can't. We're not selling vacuum cleaners. We need to come in and sit and talk like civilized adults."

"About what?" Elsa said.

"Your daughter's well-being, kidnapping, stuff like that," Sunny said.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Elsa said.

"Oh, for crissake," Markham said. "Let them in, Elsa."

She hesitated.

"Goddamn it, Elsa," Markham said.

Elsa almost jumped back, and Sunny led Cheryl and Spike into the house. They sat in the living room, where Sunny had sat before.

"Now," Markham said. "What's all this about?"

"Just so we don't waste time," Sunny said, "I've spoken with Don Cahill and Harry Lyle. And I've been to the Rackley center, and Spike and I have spoken, somewhat briefly, with Abraham Patton, Ed.D."

Elsa said, "I simply don't know what you're talking about." Markham said, "Elsa, be quiet. Not another word. I'm calling a lawyer."

"Egad," Spike said. "A lawyer!"

"I'm not the police, Mr. Markham," Sunny said. "You don't need a lawyer."

Markham picked a cell phone up from the top of the coffee table.

"You won't need to talk unless you wish to," Sunny said. "All you need to do is listen to what I say."

Markham held the cell phone, but he didn't dial.

"You arranged to kidnap your daughter and, as you can probably tell, I can prove it," Sunny said. "The chain of connection is apparent. Too many people are involved. And none of them are likely to go under protecting you."

Markham was silent. Sunny held his stare.

"What has she been telling you?" Elsa said.

No one paid her any attention.

"You'd testify against your own parents?" Markham said to Cheryl.

Cheryl nodded.

"She'd testify," Sunny said, "as to what happened to her. As I would testify about what I know. The court, and of course the media, would respond as it saw fit."

"What if I asked you to leave?"

"We'd go."

"What if I asked you to leave Cheryl with us."

"She's free to stay if she wishes," Sunny said.

Cheryl said, "No."

"Which apparently she does not," Sunny said.

"And if I tried to prevent her from leaving, would he intercede?" Markham said.

"Oh, sure," Spike said.

Markham nodded. He put down the cell phone.

"What do you want?" he said.

Sunny could see why Markham had advanced in business. He was sort of all self-centered pomposity when you met him, but when it all hit the fan, he became quite controlled.

"I want you to let your daughter lead her life," Sunny said. "I want you to treat her as if you were loving parents. And I want you to support her as you would were she living at home."

"You think we are not loving parents?" Elsa said.

"I'm convinced that you're not," Sunny said. "But that's not the argument."

Without looking at his wife, Markham said, "Shut up, Elsa."

To Sunny he said, "Agreed. How much?"

"We'll work out the amounts and the means of conveyance," Sunny said. "And to be clear, if everything doesn't go the way we agree, I'll blow my whistle to the cops and the press."

"E-mail me the amount," Markham said, handing her a card.

"She may or may not stay in touch with you; that's up to her," Sunny said. "But I will stay in touch with her, and if you are interested, I'll keep you informed."

"Yes," Elsa said.

"She had a physical this morning at Mass General, and except for some traces of tranquilizer still lingering in her system, she's healthy. Couple more days and the tranq will have dissipated and she'll be fine."

Elsa nodded.

Sunny said, "Anything you want to say, Cheryl?"

"No," Cheryl said.

"All we tried to do for you," Elsa said to her daughter.

"That's aimless," Sunny said, and stood.

Cheryl stood. Spike had never sat.

"We can find the door," Sunny said.

Neither Elsa nor Markham said a word, nor did they move. Sunny and Cheryl and Spike found the door. And went out.