David Baldacci - Daylight

Holden-Bryant stared at her for a moment, then swallowed the rest of her bourbon and rose to pour out another one. After she resettled on the bed Pine told her some of what had happened to her family, though she didn’t go into great detail and she didn’t mention the Vincenzos’ involvement, not by name. She was saving that revelation. Even so, as she spoke Holden-Bryant seemed to grow smaller and smaller on the enormous bed.

When Pine finished, she folded her arms over her chest and watched the older woman.

Holden-Bryant finished her second shot of bourbon and put the empty glass down on her nightstand.

She sat back against her expensive and plumped pillows. “This was all a long time ago.”

“Old sins cast long shadows,” remarked Blum.

“Is that what you think, I’m a sinner?”

Pine said, “I don’t know or care. I just want to know what you might have done back then when you found out about Jack and my mother.”

“You have no proof that I found out or did anything.”

“Then let me ask you directly: Did you know that Jack had slept with my mother and that she had become pregnant?”

“And I could answer that by saying you have no way to make me respond to that question.”

“You’re right about that. And the only thing I have to fire back is I would like to know what happened to my sister. Wouldn’t you, if our positions were reversed?”

“I was a criminal defense lawyer. I lived in hypotheticals, but that doesn’t mean I have to answer one.”

“Is it really a hypothetical?”

“I don’t know,” said Holden-Bryant coolly.

“Did you know about Jack and my mother?”

Holden-Bryant glanced at Blum. “You look like a mother.”

“Six times over.”

“I never had kids. Wanted them. But I was too busy professionally. When I got married, the men I married had been married before. They had kids and even grandkids. They didn’t want a do-over. So, I lost out there.”

“But my mother had two daughters,” said Pine. “At a very young age.”

“Jack always wanted children. If we had married, I’m sure we would have had kids together.”

“But you didn’t. You broke up. Why?”

She gave Pine a whimsical smile. “Why does anyone break up? There was an issue. A problem. A falling-out.”

“And specifically for you?” said Pine. “What was it?”

Holden-Bryant got up and started to pour herself another drink. “Sure you don’t want one?”

“All right. I’ll have what you’re having.”

“Now you’re talking.”

“But the thing is, I want you to start talking.”

She finished making the drinks and slowly walked back to them.

Now maybe we’ll get somewhere , thought Pine.

CHAPTER

38

JACK AND I JUST MOVED in different directions.”

Holden-Bryant had settled back on the bed after handing Pine her drink.

“Did anything prompt that?” Pine asked.

“Look, let’s cut to the chase. We all know what men are like.”

“And for at least one person here who may not know what you mean by that?”

“It’s hard enough to get men to commit. It’s virtually impossible under one circumstance.”

“Which is?” asked Pine.

Blum answered, “When the man no longer loves you because he loves someone else.”

“Bingo,” said Holden-Bryant, though her expression did not match the triumphant word.

“Jack loved my mother over you. And you were aware of that?”

“I had my suspicions.”

“Based on?”

The woman pointed her sharp chin at Pine and gave her a triumphant look. “I was a lawyer. I know how to find out things.”

“You had Jack followed?”

“I took steps to find out why the man I was going to marry suddenly didn’t want to marry me.”

“Did that include telling mobsters where to find me and my family so attempts could be made on our lives while we were in witness protection?”

Holden-Bryant slowly lowered her glass. “What?”

“And when that failed, did you tell Bruno Vincenzo where my family was so that he could shame his brother, Ito, into coming down to Georgia to hurt my family?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” sputtered Holden-Bryant. “I have no idea what you’re blabbering on about. Who is this Bruno person?”

“Do you think I look like my mother?” Pine asked suddenly.

“What?”

“Do I look like my mother?”

Holden-Bryant hesitated for a moment and then said, “You have her height, for sure.”

She realized too late what she had just done. She sat back and said in a chagrined tone, “Well, that was neatly done, Agent Pine, I’ll give you that.”

“You saw my mother, then. Did you ever talk to her?”

“I don’t remember.”

“There’s no liability for you. Whatever exposure there was, the statute of limitations has long since passed. Being a lawyer, you know that.”

“I haven’t really thought about it, frankly. I haven’t practiced law since my first marriage.”

“So you won’t have a problem telling me about what you might have done.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I have a twin sister who may be dead or may be alive. But I need to know either way.”

This seemed to affect the woman more than Pine thought it would.

“Tell me more about that,” she said in a low voice tinged with curiosity.

And Pine did, every detail from that awful night in Andersonville. And then all that she had learned about Bruno and Ito Vincenzo.

“That is quite horrible,” Holden-Bryant finally said in a breathless gush.

“Yes, it was. So anything you can tell me would be more than I have now.”

The woman once more got out of bed. But this time not for a drink. She pulled a chair up to them and sat down. She stared at the carpeted floor as she spoke. “I loved Jack unconditionally, with everything I had. He was absolutely everything I wanted in a husband. I had planned out our wedding, our first few years of marriage together. I was a driven, independent woman, don’t get me wrong. I wanted a very high-powered legal career and I worked my ass off for it.” She paused. “But that wasn’t all I wanted. I wanted a life with Jack. I wanted children with him.” She paused again and looked around her to-die-for bedroom. “And instead I got this. And I can tell you it doesn’t come close to making up for it.” She bowed her head for a moment before looking up. She eyed Blum. “I suspected Jack was seeing someone else. A woman can just tell, you know?”

Blum nodded. “I had that happen to me. And I agree with you. There are telltale signs.”

“What did you do to validate your suspicions?” asked Pine.

“I hired a private detective and had him followed. I used a guy who worked with me on my legal cases. He was good, very good. He got details, photos, everything.”

“Of Jack with my mother?” said Pine.

“As soon as you walked in that door over there, I knew you were Amanda and Jack’s daughter. Amanda was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I could understand why Jack would fall for her. But I was also furious with him. Angry beyond belief.”

“And what did you do about that anger?” asked Pine quietly.

“I knew that Jack worked for the feds. He never talked about that work, and I never pressed him. I knew all about confidences. I exercised those in my line of work. I never talked to him about my cases.” She got up, went over to the bar, and poured herself a glass of club soda. Returning to her seat she said, “I followed the mob cases going on in New York at that time. I never repped any of the mob bosses, but from time to time I did represent some of the foot soldiers. I knew they were scum, but that was part of the challenge. And I happen to believe that everyone deserves good legal representation. But it was more than that. The bosses expected undying loyalty from the guys down below. But they never extended that same level of loyalty. They’d throw them under the bus to save their own asses. That didn’t sit well with me.”