Sidney Sheldon - The sky is falling

Detective Abrams walked back to the filing cabinet and searched through some papers. He took out a card. «Here we are. Greta Miller. Eleven-eighty Connecticut Avenue. That do it?»

Twenty minutes later Dana was driving on Connecticut Avenue, looking at the house numbers: 1170…1172…1174…1176…1178…

Number 1180 was a parking lot.

«You really believe the Sinisi woman was thrown from the terrace?» Jeff asked.

«Jeff, you don't call to make an urgent appointment and then commit suicide. Someone didn't want her to tell me something. It's frustrating. It's like the Hound of the Baskervilles. No one heard the dog bark. No one knows anything.»

Jeff said, «This is getting scary. I'm not sure you should go on with it.»

«I can't stop now. I have to find out.»

«If you're right, Dana, six people have been murdered.»

Dana swallowed. «I know.»

«…and the maid gave the police a phony address and disappeared,» Dana was saying to Matt Baker. «When I talked to Joan Sinisi, she seemed nervous, but she certainly didn't strike me as being suicidal. Someone helped her off that balcony.»

«But we have no proof.»

«No. But I know I'm right. When I first met with her, Joan Sinisi was fine until the second I mentioned Taylor Winthrop's name. That's when she panicked. This is the first time I've seen a crack in the wonderful legend that Taylor Winthrop has built up. A man like Winthrop didn't pay off a secretary unless she had something really big on him. It had to be blackmail. There's something weird going on. Matt, do you know anyone who worked with Taylor Winthrop who might have had a problem with him, someone who's not afraid to speak up?»

Matt Baker was thoughtful for a moment. «You might go see Roger Hudson. He was the majority leader in the Senate before he retired, and he worked with Taylor Winthrop on a committee or two. He might know something. He's a man who's not afraid of anybody.»

«Could you arrange a meeting for me?»

«I'll see what I can do.»

An hour later, Matt Baker was on the line. «You have an appointment to see Roger Hudson Thursday at noon at his home in Georgetown.»

«Thanks, Matt. I appreciate it.»

«I have to warn you, Dana…»

«Yes?»

«Hudson can be pretty prickly.»

«I'll try not to get too close.»

Matt Baker was about to leave his office when Elliot Cromwell came in.

«I want to talk to you about Dana.»

«Any problem?»

«No, and I don't want there to be. This Taylor Winthrop thing she's investigating—»

«Yes.»

«She's ruffling a few feathers, and I think she's wasting her time. I knew Taylor Winthrop and his family. They were all wonderful people.»

Matt Baker said, «Good. Then there's no harm in Dana going ahead.»

Elliot Cromwell looked at Matt a moment, then nodded. «Keep me informed.»

«Is this a secure line?»

«Yes, sir.»

«Good. We're counting heavily on the information from WTN. Are you certain your information is reliable?»

«Absolutely. It's coming right from the executive tower.»

WEDNESDAY MORNING, AS Dana was preparing breakfast, she heard loud sounds outside. She looked out the window and was surprised to see a moving van in front of the apartment building, with men loading furniture onto it.

Who could be moving out? Dana wondered. Every apartment was occupied, and they were all on long-term leases.

Dana was putting the cereal on the table when there was a knock at the door. It was Dorothy Wharton.

«Dana, I have some news for you,» she said excitedly. «Howard and I are moving to Rome today.»

Dana stared at her in astonishment. «Rome? Today?»

«Isn't itincredible ? Last week a man came to see Howard. It was very hush-hush. Howard told me I couldn't say anything. Well, last night the man called and offered Howard a job with his company in Italy at three times Howard's present salary.» Dorothy was beaming.

«Well, that's—that's wonderful,» Dana said. «We're going to miss you.»

«We're going to miss you, too.»

Howard came to the door. «I guess Dorothy told you the news?»

«Yes. I'm delighted for you. But I thought you were set here for life? And suddenly—»

Howard just kept on talking. «I can't believe it. Right out of the blue. It's a great company, too. Italiano Ripristino. They're one of the biggest conglomerates in Italy. They have a subsidiary that's into restoration of ruins. I don't know how they heard about me, but they flew a man all the way here just to make a deal with me. There are lots of monuments in Rome that need repairs. They're even paying the rest of our rent here for the year and we get back our deposit. The only thing is, we have to be in Rome by tomorrow. That means we have to be out of the apartment today.»

Dana said tentatively, «That's very unusual, isn't it?»

«I guess they're in a big hurry.»

«Do you need help packing?»

Dorothy shook her head. «No. We've been up all night. Most of the stuff's going to Goodwill. On Howard's new salary, we can afford much better.»

Dana laughed. «Keep in touch, Dorothy.»

One hour later the Whartons had left their apartment and were on their way to Rome.

When Dana got to her office, she said to Olivia, «Would you check out a company for me?»

«Certainly.»

«It's called Italiano Ripristino. I believe its headquarters are in Rome.»

«Right.»

Thirty minutes later Olivia handed a paper to Dana. «Here it is. It's one of the largest companies in Europe.»

Dana felt a sense of deep relief. «Good. I'm glad to hear that.»

«By the way,» Olivia said, «it's not a private company.»

«Oh?»

«No. It's owned by the Italian government.»

When Dana brought Kemal home from school that afternoon, a bespectacled middle-aged man was moving into the Wharton apartment.

Thursday, the day of Dana's appointment with Roger Hudson, started out hellishly.

At the first television meeting, Robert Fenwick said, «It looks like we're in trouble on tonight's broadcast.»

«Give it to me,» Dana said.

«You know the crew that we sent to Ireland? We were going to use their film tonight?»

«Yes?»

«They've been arrested. All their equipment has been confiscated.»

«Are you serious?»

«I never joke about the Irish.» He handed Dana a sheet of paper. «Here's our lead story about the Washington banker who's being charged with fraud.»

«It's a good story,» Dana said. «And it's our exclusive.»

«Our legal department just killed it.»

«What?»

«They're afraid of being sued.»

«Wonderful,» Dana said bitterly.

«I'm not through. The witness in the murder case that we scheduled for a live interview tonight—»

«Yes…»

«He's changed his mind. He's a no-show.»

Dana groaned. It was not even ten o'clock in the morning. The only thing Dana had to look forward to on this day was her meeting with Roger Hudson.

When Dana returned from the news meeting, Olivia said, «It's eleven o'clock, Miss Evans. With this weather, you probably ought to be leaving now for your appointment with Mr. Hudson.»

«Thanks, Olivia. I should be back in two or three hours.» Dana looked out the window. It was beginning to snow again. She put on her coat and scarf and started for the door. The phone rang.

«Miss Evans…»

Dana turned.

«There's a call for you on line three.»

«Not now,» Dana said. «I have to go.»

«It's someone from Kemal's school.»

«What?» Dana hurried back to her desk. «Hello?»

«Miss Evans?»

«Yes.»

«This is Thomas Henry.»

«Yes, Mr. Henry. Is Kemal all right?»