Mr. And Miss Anonymous (27 page)

Winston gobbled his food. Josh ate in silence, Charlie and the two agents watching him to gauge his mood. At least that’s what he thought they were doing. Why, he didn’t know. He liked it better when no one paid any attention to him.

The minute Josh finished eating, the female agent scooped up his dishes, put them in the dishwasher, and turned it on. “We’re ready to go as soon as Jesse’s handler gets here.”

“Oh, no, oh, no! Jesse goes with me. We aren’t leaving him behind again. Just because I’m doing what you want doesn’t mean I trust you. Jesse goes with me,” he repeated. “Right, Jesse?”

“Yeah, right, Josh. I want to go, too. Can we get some pizza?”

“Sure. Pack up your stuff, Jesse. Go to the bathroom and then we’ll go for a ride.”

“That’s not the way it works,” the male agent said coldly.

Josh straightened his shoulders. “Yeah, mister, that’s the way it works. You people screwed up my life, and I’m not doing anything you say. You’re going to do what I say. I say Jesse goes with me. Go ahead, talk into your sleeve, call the president of the United States, I don’t care.”

“That’s certainly telling them, 8446.”

“I’m ready, Josh. Where are we going?” Jesse asked.

“To a newspaper. You can sit and draw there, and we’ll get you some pizza.”

The two agents looked at one another and shrugged. The woman said, “Okay, Jesse can go with us.”

Josh was tempted to say something nasty, but he changed his mind. The end result was all that was important. “Then let’s go and get it over with.”

The little group walked into the attached garage and climbed into a white van with blackened windows, the agents in front, Charlie, Jesse, and Josh and Winston in the back.

“When will they let me and Jesse go with you, Charlie? Do you know?”

“I don’t know, Josh. Maybe not for a while. I can’t change any of that. You have to do what they say for your own good. Jesse’s own good, too.”

“Is that your way of saying I should go with Mr. Kelly? Jesse and I go together.”

“I think Mr. Kelly knows that. Josh, he’s going through the same thing you’re going through. He doesn’t know what to do, and I think he’s looking to you to make some decisions. I don’t know this for a fact, but I think he wants whatever is best for you, whatever will make you happy. When you turn eighteen, you can do whatever you want to do. We talked about that, remember? Jesse needs a guardian. We talked about that, too.”

Josh leaned back into the leather seat and closed his eyes. He had so much to think about. What should he do?

“You know damn well what you should do. So, why don’t you just do it and let people help you? What’s so terrible about getting help from people who have your best interests at heart? Give some thought to what Jesse is going to need in the future.”

Josh ignored the whispered words at first. “Shut up, I’m thinking.”

Thirty minutes later, the van pulled into an underground garage. Agents milled around, talking into their sleeves, as the party exited the van.

Eight minutes later, the little group was in a conference room at the
Chronicle,
where Tessie was talking to a group of men and women. Who they were, Josh had no idea. He looked up when Pete Kelly and Lily entered the room. He tried to smile, but his facial muscles wouldn’t cooperate. He was so nervous he thought he was going to get sick.

They were talking about him, around him, as though he weren’t physically present. His tattered book was sitting in the middle of the long, polished table. It seemed to beckon him for some reason. He got up slowly and reached for it. Conversation came to a crashing halt.

“Ah, so you are getting it, 8446. Good going. Wait for just the right moment to spring it on them.”

Josh shrugged but didn’t say anything. Conversation picked up again.

Tessie looked over at Josh. “Josh, these two men are lawyers from one of the biggest law firms in the state. They’re very interested in taking on your case as a class-action suit on behalf of all the children at the academy. Since you aren’t eighteen, Mr. Kelly, or the
Chronicle,
or Mr. Garrison can oversee things.”

“No thank you. I know what a class-action suit is. Mr. Dickey explained it to us. He said no one gets any money but the lawyers. So,” Josh said, looking from one hungry lawyer to the next, “I won’t be needing your services. I’ll file my own suit with a lawyer I have in mind. Mr. Dickey said he was the best of the best. You’re wrong about my age. I turned eighteen two days ago according to this book. That means I am a free agent and can do whatever I want. What I want is Preston Pharmaceuticals, and I intend to get it.”

“Damn, that was good, Josh. Real good.”

Josh took that moment to look at Pete Kelly, who was grinning from ear to ear. He gave Josh a thumbs-up. In spite of himself, Josh smiled.

Tessie did her best to suppress her own laughter as she escorted the two chagrined attorneys out of the conference room.

“Next up is the FBI,” she said on her return. “There have been breaking developments since last evening. For one, the elder Preston, founder of Preston Pharmaceuticals, was shot and killed along with his nurse and housekeeper. Early ballistic testing confirms the bullets were the same as those used to kill Senator Preston and the children at the academy. They tell me that agents are on it now like white on rice. There won’t be any more cover-ups from here on in.

Help is being offered from the four corners of the globe. It might take a while, but we’ll find the man who did the shooting. Know this, though, the orders to kill came from the Prestons, Senior and Junior.

“There are some new agents waiting outside this room to talk to Josh and Jesse, so the rest of us will leave you. Since you told us you are now officially eighteen years of age, Josh, you don’t need anyone to monitor the interviews unless, of course, you want someone with you.”

“Okay, buddy, this is where the rubber meets the road, when it’s time to step up to the plate and hit that home run. This moment will never come again, you need to know that. You can do it, Josh.”

Josh nodded. In a voice that ricocheted around the room he said, “I think I’d like to have my dad sit in with me.”

“Way to go, 8446.”

Pete Kelly felt himself start to sag against the wall. Lily shoved her shoulder into his side to prop him up. “Dammit, say something, Pete.”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure, son.”

P
ete Kelly packed his bags and carried them to the door. Zolly would take them to the car as soon as Lily snapped the last of her suitcases closed. Pete was so nervous he was twitching from head to toe.

“I’m going to miss you, and you haven’t even left yet,” Pete said, taking Lily in his arms. “I know, I know, you have things to take care of just like I do before you can move to Montana. Call me on the hour, I mean it, Lily.”

“And run my battery down! I promise to call, Pete. You’re going to be pretty busy with Josh and Jesse and getting them settled. It is safe to take them with you, isn’t it?”

Her tone was so worried, so anxious, Pete hastened to tell her one more time about the protective team of agents assigned to the two boys. She nodded, but he suspected she wasn’t really assured.

“I guess I’m just a natural-born worrier.”

“Tessie wants us to stop by the paper before we leave. She said she has something to tell us. I hope to hell it’s good news.”

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Pete opened the door to see Zolly standing to the left of the driveway. “You ready, boss?”

“As ready as I can be. Zolly…I…”

“Boss, there’s no need to go all mushy on me. We had a great run, and now you’re going on with your life as Mr. John Q. Citizen. It’s the right thing for you and the boys. Just make sure you invite me to the wedding. There was no need for the…”

“Now who’s getting all mushy? I want you to retire and do what you want to do from here on in. I don’t know what I would have done without you all these years, especially these last few weeks, Zolly. Remember now, you’re the boys’ uncle just the way Tessie is their aunt, and with that goes a certain amount of responsibility. You have to send cards, you have to call once a week, and you have to send surprise presents from time to time. You have to compliment them, pat them on the back, tell them you’re proud of them, which means you’ll have to come to Montana at least once a month. Then you’ll have to get on a horse and go riding with them.” At the expression on Zolly’s face, Pete burst out laughing.

“Gotcha, boss,” Zolly said in a choked voice.

There weren’t any handshakes, Pete would have none of that. Instead, he clasped the big man in a bear hug and squeezed as hard as he could.

It was Lily’s turn to be hugged. “You know what you have to do, right, Zolly?” Lily whispered.

“Yes, ma’am, I do, and it’s under control,” he whispered back.

The bags stowed in the cargo hold, Zolly hit the gas pedal.

“I’m nervous, Lily. I’ve never been a father before. What if I screw up? What if the kids decide they want to go back with Charlie if they don’t like it in Montana? Hell, I don’t even know if you’re going to like it there.”

“I’m going to love it in Montana, and so will the boys. It goes without saying you will screw up from time to time. The boys will screw up, too. It’s going to be a learning experience for all of us. Relax. Are you going to show Josh the DNA report that came in last night?”

“Yeah. It’s the final confirmation. I think he’s going to
need
to see it. In case you haven’t noticed, the boy is big on going by the book and having everything official. I’ve got my lawyers looking into the legalities of everything and that includes adopting Jesse. It will all happen in time, I guess. I just wish there wasn’t such a strain between us. It’s like we’re treading on eggshells.”

“That will change. Your job is to be there for them. The foundation they need and never had. They’ll do the rest. Patience, Pete.”

“When did you get so smart?”

“The day I met you all over again. Where’s your present for the boys?”

Pete reached into his travel bag and pulled out two bright-red baseball caps with the initials PAK written on the bills. He stuck his own threadbare cap on his head.

“Perfect.” Lily giggled. “Like father, like sons.”

“That sounds so…so…”

“Perfect?”

“Yeah.” Pete laughed.

In the driver’s seat, Zolly listened to the conversation behind him. Miss Lily was right, it was all perfect. He hoped his own life would turn out just as well. Well, life was all about hope, wasn’t it?

Fifteen minutes later they were all gathered in one of the conference rooms at the
Chronicle.
Tessie pointed to the pile of newspapers in the middle of the table. Even though Pete and Lily had seen the papers before, they listened with rapt attention to Tessie’s dissertation.

“What we have here are the issues we published on days two, three, and four after my initial story, and among them are reproductions of all of Jesse’s drawings. They’ve been circulated worldwide and already sightings of some of the children have come in. Interpol is on it as well as others. In addition to that, Harry here got a call from Inspector Zven of Interpol, who said a man with the same build and coloring as the man described by Agent Warner and the housekeeper in Senator Preston’s Georgetown place is known to have landed in Zurich three days ago. Interpol has been looking at all privately chartered flights originating on the West Coast.

They’ve identified the private chartered flight that got him to Zurich. Every available agent is on the man’s trail. That was the good news. The bad news is the man has gone to ground. They’ll find him eventually. We’re telling you this so you can go off to Montana with a feeling of safety.

“The FBI, as well as some very powerful people in Washington, has assured both Harry and me that this matter will be resolved. Everyone was so busy trying to cover their asses that they would have promised anything within reason and even beyond. What that means to you, Pete, is you’re golden. That goes for Josh and Jesse, too. Excuse me,” Tessie said when her cell phone chirped. She listened, and said, “Send them in.”

“Your boys are here, Pete. We just have time for a quick good-bye, or you’re going to miss your flight. Those feebies are punctual if nothing else. Ride their asses, Pete, and don’t let them blink unless you okay it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Pete said smartly. “I don’t know how to thank you, Tessie.”

“No thanks necessary. I just did my job. Go on, get out of here. I need to go home and get some sleep. Bon voyage, go with the angels, all that stuff. Send me a postcard,” she said gruffly.

When the door closed behind the little group, Tessie sat back in her chair and wiped at her eyes. Then she put her head down on the table and cried, great heartbreaking sobs. She didn’t look up until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Zolly! I guess you’re wondering why I’m crying. I always cry when a story winds down.”

“Liar. Talk to me, Tessie.”

“No matter what I did my whole life, I could never make my parents happy or even proud of me. I spread myself so thin there were days when I didn’t know who I was. Do you know my parents made their own arrangements last week to move into an assisted-living facility? A high-end assisted-living facility. The cost is three-quarters of my yearly salary. All they needed was for me to sign the papers. I did it. They didn’t look back, and they didn’t say thank you or good-bye. I just walked away. I don’t know what to do, Zolly.”

“I’m going to teach you how to say
no
. That’s for starters. I’ll help you find a place you can afford. Pete can take care of the contract you signed. That’s down the road. Right now I’m going to take you to lunch, and I won’t take no for an answer. So get your gear and let’s go.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Tessie asked suspiciously.

“Because I like you. You’re everything I admire in a person, and you aren’t hard on the eyes either. By the way, I officially retired about an hour ago. I’m going to stick around here for a while. I like California.”

“Now, that is good news. I hope this is going to be an expensive lunch.”

“Oh, yeah. Nothing but the best for you, Tessie.”

On the way out, Zolly looked over at Lily and winked. She laughed as she turned back to Pete and the boys. She watched as Josh read the DNA report and pocketed it. He was wearing his new baseball cap, as was Jesse, who was asking Josh if the donuts had jelly inside them. She looked over at Pete, who was in earnest conversation with Charlie Garrison.

“I don’t know how to thank you for taking care of Josh, Charlie. If there’s anything I can do for you, just ask. I’ll make sure the boys call you every day, and I’m going to hold you to your promise to come and visit. There will always be a plane ticket waiting for you.”

“That’s nice to know, young fella. Listen, Josh likes…well, he likes to be tucked in at night. And he’s partial to hugs. He likes to be hugged. So if you can see your way to doing that, I think it will go a long way with the boy. I’m going to miss them.”

Pete cleared his throat. “I’ll certainly do what you suggest. I’ve never been a father before. Lily says it’s a learning experience and ongoing. If you change your mind, Charlie, you have a home with us in Montana. You don’t need an invitation.”

Charlie nodded. “I guess I’ll be saying goodbye, then.”

Pete watched, his eyes wet as both boys were hugged and hugged some more. For one wild, crazy moment he wondered if the boys would run after the old man. When they remained at his side, he let out a loud sigh of relief.

“I guess it’s just us now. Your protective detail is waiting outside, so I guess we better get this show on the road. You ready, boys?”

“Yeah,” Josh said.

“Do you have the donuts?” Jesse asked.

“Bye, Josh. See ya in the funny papers.”

Josh turned around. “You think you’re getting rid of me, Tom? I-don’t-think-so. My dad made arrangements with the FBI to move…you know, your bodies out to Montana. There’s going to be a private cemetery on his property. Mr. Dickey never said you could do that, but Dad’s going to do it. He already ordered this real big, special monument. You’re going with us. I’m never going to forget you guys.”

“Yeah, well, what about me? I’m not a guy.”
Sheila piped up.

“Sheila!” Josh shouted loud enough to be heard a mile away. “Hey, thanks for all the help.”

“No problem. Make sure you visit often and tell us what a family is really like.”

“I promise.”

Pete whirled around, his eyes as big as saucers. Lily just shook her head.

“It’s just Sheila and Tom,” Jesse said as he played with his baseball cap.

“Do…you…uh…do you talk to Tom and Sheila, too?” Pete asked.

“Heck, yeah. All the time. All you have to do is call their names, and they talk to you. They explained why Josh left me that time.”

“Okaaaay.”

“Come on, kids, time to go home,” Lily said, her mind whizzing this way and that way.
How is that possible?
she wondered.
How?

Pete held out both arms as the two boys took up their positions at his side, exactly where they belonged.

Outside, Pete took a moment to wave to Zolly and Tessie as they walked toward the SUV. This part of his life was over. He could only hope the second part would be just as wonderful as the first. He looked over at Lily, then at the boys, and knew he was on a roll.

“See ya, boss,” Zolly shouted.

“We’re here,” Zolly said, getting out of the car to walk around to open the door for Tessie.

“I thought you said you were taking me to an expensive lunch. Oh, I get it, some friend of yours is cooking lunch. You know what, Zolly, it’s not the same thing. I like to be waited on, and I don’t like to have to help clean up, and that’s what you have to do when you eat at someone’s house,” Tessie grumbled.

“Nice house, don’t you think? It has a garden, lots of flowers. A plot for planting vegetables. A big deck that overlooks the water. A six-seater Jacuzzi. I like the front porch and all the plants. You should see the inside. Vaulted ceilings, skylights, state-of-the-art kitchen, big plasma TV. Crystal chandeliers, ceramic tile, three fireplaces, six bedrooms, the bathrooms will take your breath away. You won’t believe this, but there’s a pole in the middle of one of the bedrooms.”

Tessie rolled her eyes. “You sound like a realestate salesman. What’s for lunch?”

Zolly tossed a set of keys to Tessie. “Lunch is whatever you make us. This is your house now, Tessie. Compliments of Pete and Lily. There are two Golden Retriever pups in the kitchen just waiting for you to cuddle them.”

“What? Did you just say what I think you said?”

“Well, yeah,” Zolly drawled.

Tessie had never been speechless in her entire life. This was a first. When she finally got her tongue to work, she said, “Are you moving in with me?”

“Well, yeah,” Zolly drawled a second time. “I can’t wait to see you work that pole.”

“Uh-huh” was all Tessie could think of to say.

“Tessie, you never have to worry about a thing from here on in. Not even your parents. Pete gave me a million shares of PAK Industries as my retirement package. I guess what I’m asking is if you want to share it with me?”

Tessie linked her arm with Zolly’s. “Such a foolish question. With or without those shares, you’re stuck with me.”

Stuck on you, too,
thought Zolly.