David Dun - Overfall

“He was occupied. I would have… let in myself… but I did not wish to startle you.”

“I’m Anna. Now how do you know Sam?”

“Call me Shohei. I see you do not know rules.”

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to tell strangers about him. Surely that doesn’t apply to you?”

“Ah, yes. Apply to me. Apply to everybody from sea to sea. But you seem, ah, troubled. What you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“That would be a lot. I will check make sure things okay. Then I will make rounds. There are men outside.”

“Men outside?”

“Yes. They are, I believe, from France.”

“How do you know that?”

“Wallet mainly. In amongst American dollars there was French currency. And the clothes. Particularly the shoes.”

“How did you look at their wallets?”

“One of them went to sleep.”

“Just like that, he took a nap?”

“Temporary lack of blood supply to brain. If you wish to leave apartment we will discuss. We will always have plan and you will always follow the plan.”

“What did Sam say to do if I want to do my own thing?”

“I say good-bye. Sam say good-bye.”

“You know that man has me over a barrel and I don’t like it.”

“Why you so angry? Relax. Listen to music. Burn incense. Sam is helping you. Believe me.”

“Tell me about this woman Spring who’s helping with my niece.”

“Spring is very smart lady. A psychologist. And Jill. Jill the challenger.”

“Does he work with Spring all the time?”

“Yes. When needed. Spring is Sam’s mother. But that is secret.”

“Oh. Now that is interesting.”

“Yes. And I say too much.”

As the day wore on, Shohei moved like a shadow that came and went with the movement of the sun. After a time she almost quit noticing him. Often he stayed outside.

She called Lane and concluded he was pissed because she couldn’t come and see him. The discussion didn’t end particularly well, which wasn’t surprising. Their relationship wasn’t ending well.

The rest of the afternoon she memorized lines, muttering scenes over and over, trying to get in a groove with her new character. For two hours she took no calls; at about 4:00 she began returning them. At 4:30 Joshua called. Although he had ended the Sam investigation, he had looked into Dr. Carl Fielding, the applied mathematician Jason had requested by name. Josh had used contacts in the securities industry to get to people close to Fielding, and he’d arranged for Fielding to meet Anna at the Carter Building at 9:30 in the morning. She made an appointment with her hairstylist for 10:45 A.M., as a cover story to feed Shohei.

“It’s time for a plan,” she said to Shohei.

“You go out?”

“Hair studio. Tomorrow at 10:45 A.M. After my first calls and the mail.”

“I see. What is the address?”

“Genevieve has it. It’s on Fifth Avenue.”

“We’re gonna have people following. You like disguise?”

Anna smiled. “I’m an actress. What do you think?”

Anna found herself enjoying Shohei. He was a smart man with a deep sense of humor. Shohei rocked her boat.

She tried on a big floppy hat and sunglasses, the old standby.

“Ah, Anna with a hat,” he said.

“How about we just let them follow us?”

“Fine by me. I call Sam.”

“Wait a minute. If we were going to call him anyway, why did we just have that conversation? I thought it was you and me. Shohei and Anna.”

“We make the plan but then we ask Sam.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna be late. Oh, and one more thing. I need to make a little stop at the Carter Building on the way. At nine-thirty A.M.”

Shohei’s eyes grew wide and he looked into hers. It wasn’t a stare but it wasn’t a vacant look either. It was tranquility. It was Sam’s look. She turned her eyes from his.

“It is to your credit that you cannot look at me,” he said.

“I can look at you,” she said, leveling her eyes on his. But in his countenance there was a certainty that she could not match. Somehow he knew she was hiding something. She suspected that he even knew what she was hiding.

“How did you know?” When he didn’t answer she thought for a moment. The same way that Sam knew I was checking him out.”

“You drop this little stop on me like big bomb. I’m not supposed to notice this, this… this… afterthought?”

“I need to drop something very important off at the building. It’s personal.”

“Your period is personal. We talk about the safety of my ass, lady.”

At that she laughed.

“Why don’t you cut funny business and tell me what is going on?”

“I just did. I’m going to give someone something at the Carter Building.”

“Who someone?”

“It’s private.”

“I be right back.”

Shohei stepped outside the apartment and used his cell phone to call the office.

“Call back. Tell the office to use safe-talk,” Sam said.

Shohei did it and updated Sam.

“Our rose wants to be watered. Hair, you know. Tomorrow morning at ten forty-five A.M. Oh, and she has little afterthought. She wants to stop for espionage at the Carter Building.”

“Carl Fielding. Physics guy. He’s good. I’d use him. John Weissman would be better. If we say no, she’ll be pissed?”

“You got that right.”

Sam seemed to pause to think. “Let her go to the Carter Building. Same with the hair appointment. I’m sure Gwen is still her hairstylist. She’s nearby. Try to find out what these shadows are about.”

“Hey, Boss, you pretty good. How you know about Gwen?”

The door to the apartment opened. It was Anna. “Is that Sam?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to speak with him when you’re finished.”

“Sam, you hear that?”

“Put her on.”

Anna took the phone and headed back inside.

“Wait,” Shohei said, “if you go inside, then you go in bathroom to talk away from any window.”

“Why?”

“Parabolic mike. Window is big eardrum.”

“Jeez, unbelievable.”

Anna’s bathroom was large and included a small sitting area.

“How are you doing?” she said as she sat down in her soft-cushioned wicker chair.

“I’m doing well. Are you behaving yourself?”

“Of course. What is our plan for Jason? I spoke with Roberto and he’s giving me the creeps. Bad.”

“We’re gathering information. We’re working on making an ally of Grady. I want to go get Jason and take him to another doctor but it takes planning. I need some Canadians with old ties to law enforcement to go in with me. I also need to make progress with Grady. Plus we have to line up a good shrink. It’s all coming together and there are a lot of good minds at work.”

“I haven’t officially hired you.”

“We’ll work out the contract soon.”

“Okay, well, it’s hard to wait I really want to get Jason to a doctor. Our doctor. So how is Grady doing?”

“Fighting. When they argue and tell you to get a life, you know there’s hope.”

“I see. A scream is better than a yawn.”

“Exactly. And how are you doing?”

“Fine. I’m sure Shohei just told you that I need to go out.”

“Gwen could come to your house.”

“How did you know that? Did Shohei tell you?”

“No. It’s my business to know.”

“It irritates me that you can find this out so easily.”

“Who said it was easy?”

She made a conscious effort to restrain herself. “Do you know anything more about what Grace is up to?”

“I pushed a contact at Interpol and got him to tell me the dark side of Grace Technologies. It is linked in some as yet indiscernible way, they think, with an international arms dealer.”