Stuart Woods - Heat

“Yes. He’d just built it when I went to live there.”

“Did he keep large amounts of money in the house or in the church?”

“There was a big safe in his study,” Jenny said, holding out a hand at waist level. “This high, at least. I watched them install it, but I never saw what was in it. Jack Gene always seemed to have a lot of cash in his pockets, though, and it could have come from the safe.”

“Where in the study was it?”

“Opposite the fireplace, behind a bookcase that swung out. Jesse, you’re not thinking of trying to rob Jack Gene, are you?”

“I will, if I get the chance.”

“This is what I think,” she said. “I think that if we just disappear, he might not take the trouble to look for us much, especially if we’ve left the country. We won’t be able to hurt him in any way, after all. But Jack Gene has a monumental temper, and in the past he’s gotten maddest when somebody stole from him. If we take his money, he’ll never stop looking for us.”

“You’re right,” Jesse said. “We’ll manage on the money we’ve got.” But, he thought to himself, after what Jack Gene has shown me up on the mountain, he’ll never stop looking for us, anyway, so what the hell?

Jesse was leaving his office on Wednesday, two days before the beginning of his honeymoon, when Pat Casey pulled into the parking lot in his squad car.

“Hey, Jesse,” Casey said.

“Evening, Pat.”

“Jack Gene wants us up at his house for a meeting.”

“When?”

“Right now.”

“Let me go back inside and call Jenny; I don’t want her to worry.”

“Forget about that; get in.”

Jesse got into the patrol car. “What’s up?”

“You don’t ever ask that when Jack Gene calls a meeting; you just go.”

“Glad to,” Jesse said mildly. He did not speak again on the trip.

They were greeted at the door by an attractive young woman, not the same one Jesse had seen on his last visit to the house, and shown to Coldwater’s study. Coldwater and Kurt Ruger were already seated on a sofa before the fireplace, and Coldwater indicated that Jesse and Casey should sit opposite them.

“How’s married life, Jesse?” Coldwater asked.

“Couldn’t be better,” Jesse replied, smiling.

“Good, good, glad to hear it. Jesse, it’s time we had a talk about something that’s been going on for some time, and it concerns you.”

Jesse nodded. He didn’t like the sound of this.

“You’ve been accepted into our midst, Jesse, but I’ve never really talked to you about what that means, have I?”

“Not specifically,” Jesse replied.

“In order to keep the coherence of our group, I require a very high degree of loyalty from my congregation.”

Jesse said nothing.

“Have I ever told you what loyalty means to me?” Coldwater asked.

“No, sir, not in so many words, but I’ve had the strong impression that you would not have told and shown me the things you have unless you felt I was capable of loyalty.”

“You’re quite right, Jesse; I always seem to be underestimating you. You’ve understood from the beginning without my spelling it out for you.” Coldwater rewarded him with a large smile.

“Maybe you’d better spell it out,” Kurt Ruger said suddenly. “That’s the only way of being sure.”

“Of course, Kurt,” Coldwater said smoothly, but he seemed miffed by the interruption. “First of all, Jesse, I don’t think I have made it clear to you the sort of rewards that are available to the people who are loyal to me.”

“I’ve never asked for any reward,” Jesse said.

Ruger interrupted again. “But you knew there was something in it for you, didn’t you, Barron?”

Jesse turned and looked directly at Ruger. “Kurt, when I came to this town only a few months ago, I was at rock bottom. I had lost my wife and children and my business, and I thought I might go crazy. Since I’ve been in St. Clair I’ve come to have good work, a wonderful wife and little girl and the friendship of the people of the First Church. My life has been transformed, and I just don’t know what more reward than that I could ask for.”

“Don’t get sanctimonious with me, you—” Ruger began.

Coldwater cut him off. “That’s enough, Kurt. You apparently don’t recognize gratitude when you see it.”

“Jack Gene, I only meant that—”

“I said, that’s enough.”

Ruger stopped talking and looked at the floor.

Coldwater turned back to Jesse. “Jesse, you’ve proven to me that you want to be a part of what we have here, and I think you’re ready to play a more important role in our community.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jesse replied.

“From today, you are going to be a part of, shall we say, management. There are three divisions of our group; Pat, here, is charged with protecting us from outsiders who might harm what we stand for. Kurt is the financial director of our organization; nominally, he is president of the Bank of St. Clair, but what he does is far more important than that. Kurt marshals our resources, invests in income-producing ventures and, through what you might call sub-managers, directs, in a broad sense, the operation of those ventures we own. I am the third and higher arm of the organization. In general, I administer our affairs, and I take a great interest in what both Pat and Kurt do in their daily work.”

“I see,” Jesse said.

“Good. Now, ever since the three of us came to St. Clair, an essential part of the financial structure of this community has eluded us, and the time has come when we can no longer tolerate that.”

Jesse knew what he was getting at now, and he was both relieved that there was no new suspicion of him and worried about what was about to be said.

“The only business of any size in this town that we do not control is St. Clair Wood Products,” Coldwater said. “We have made repeated offers to Herman Muller for the business, but he has always rejected them, and my patience is wearing thin.”

Ruger spoke up again. “Did you know about this? Has Muller ever mentioned this to you?”

“Herman has never mentioned it, but on the day I went to work out there, you and another man were in his office, and I got the impression that you had made him some sort of offer that he hadn’t accepted.”

“Did you hear what was said?”

“No, I was sitting in the waiting area, and Herman’s office is glassed in. It was pretty obvious what was happening.”

“I see,” Ruger said, then was quiet again.

Coldwater spoke up again. “Eventually, we will control Wood Products, and when we do, I want us to be able to operate it efficiently. Are you getting an overview of how the business is run?”

Jesse nodded. “Yes, sir. That’s what Herman has said he wants me to do. Before he promoted me, he seemed to run every aspect of the business personally, and he still does; but he seems to feel that he needs some backup. I have to tell you, though, that I don’t see how anybody could run that business more efficiently than Herman does. There isn’t an ounce of fat in that company, and I’m sure its profit margins must be much higher than for most businesses of the same kind.”

“Has he revealed any of the financial operations to you?” Ruger asked.

“No; he takes care of that himself. He signs every paycheck, every purchase order, makes every decision to do with money.”

“So you have no real idea of the financial condition of the company?”

“I don’t see how it could be anything but very healthy. Herman has never hesitated to order new equipment when we need it, and he pays every bill the day it comes in. You must have some idea of his financial condition, since you’re the only bank in town.”