The Truth of Yesterday (60 page)

     Micah blinked at me in astonishment. He looked at the man I knew as Neal and then back at me. “What did you say?” he asked in confusion, obviously deciding that he had misheard me.

     “That's Neal,” I hissed, tugging at his arm. I wanted to get out of Neal's line of sight before he or Jake spotted me.

     Micah suddenly became a stubborn mule and planted his feet firmly against my pull. “Neal as in...?”

     
“As in your old boss.
As in the guy in the newspaper clipping in Jake's room.
As in the guy I was just sitting across the table from in DC earlier this week. Now move before they see us.”

     He reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled behind a large column. “I don't understand,” he whined. “That's Fenton Black. I know it is. I've never met him personally but I've been in his presence before. I know him when I see him.”

     “Who is Fenton Black?”

     “You've never heard of Fenton Black?”

     “If I had, would I be asking you who he
is?
”

     “He's probably the richest guy on the
Eastern Shore
, possible one of the richest in the country. No one knows exactly how much money he has or how he got it in the first place, just that it's an obscene amount. He's originally from
Columbia
,
South America
. He's known to be a bit eccentric and if I said there are a lot of rumors about him it would be an understatement.”

     “What kind of rumors?”

     “Well, no one has ever been able to prove anything, but it's whispered that he has pretty much every politician in the area in his pocket and the ones he hasn't bought off are in his debt in some way. Officially, he's in the import/export business; that's pretty vague but it's said that all his imports aren't entirely legal.
Drugs, for instance.
A few people have suggested that he's the kingpin of some sort of large-scale organized crime society.”

     “Like a mafia?”

     
“Something along those lines.”

     “But nothing can be proved?”

     “Not so far. Anyone that ever hints to the authorities that they know facts about him seems to wind up dead of some unfortunate accident. And to be honest, I don't know if catching him is a big priority on anyone's list. The guy's sharp; he gives enormous amounts of money to charity. I think he single handedly sustains several local charities. In some people's minds, his money pays for his sins.”

     I peeked around the edge of the column. “Well, you can add running an escort agency to his list of sins,” I said, “Because that is definitely the man I met on Monday who introduced himself to me as Neal.”

     “This is just unbelievable,” Micah muttered, peering over my shoulder. “Well, at least now I know what Neal looks like.”

     “You never met him the entire time you worked for him?”

     “As far as I know, no one who worked for him ever has.”

     That gave me just a glimmer of hope that maybe Jake wasn't an escort.
Unless he'd changed his policy of never meeting his employees.
Of course, if Jake wasn't an escort, that begged the question of how Jake knew him. So many things just weren't making sense right now.

     “You have to give him one thing, he's got balls,” Micah said almost admiringly.

     “What do you mean?” I asked, ducking back behind the column and glaring at my boyfriend.

     “I mean meeting you and then showing up here?”

     “He wouldn't have any reason to expect me to be here,” I said. “Still, his picture could have wound up in the paper again.”

     “Actually, he's notoriously freakish about having his picture taken. Usually he won't allow it for any reason, and if someone takes one without his permission he'll demand the entire roll of film.”

     “Well, someone got away with it at least once, Jake has that clipping.”

     “You know, I remember when that was taken. It was earlier this year. It was at some fundraiser for a children's hospital or something like that. It was taken and published without his knowledge in some small local paper. The paper mysteriously went under a few weeks later. I remember one of the other reporters joked that it was because they published Fenton Black's photo and everyone laughed that uncomfortably like you do when you suspect that the joke might actually be true.”

     “But the chance is still there that I could see him and recognize him somewhere, somehow. That makes it a risk. He doesn't sound like the kind of guy who takes risks. Why would he meet with me?”

     
“Probably because he didn't take you seriously.
He thought it would be better to meet with you and get you off his back. He never suspected to run into you. Or maybe he's just getting cocky.”

     
“Oh jeez.
Something you said just clicked. You're right, I think he underestimated me at first, but I don't think he was making that mistake by the end of our meeting. I could very well be on his hit list now.”

     Micah paled. “So what do we do now?” he asked. “Somehow, I have a feeling that it would be unhealthy for you to let him see you here.”

     “I can't leave if that's what you're suggesting,” I said immediately.

     
“Why not?”

     “I don't know why Jake is here with him. That's the whole reason I'm here. Remember? Novak pulled a lot of strings to get me these tickets; he'd kick my ass if I wasted this opportunity.”

     “Not if you don't have an ass to kick. Killian, this guy is dangerous.
Deadly dangerous.
You're really playing with fire here. I think we should leave.”

     “Micah,” I said calmly. “Think about what you're saying. Didn't we just have this conversation a few days ago?
Except it was me worrying about your job.
Do you remember what you said to me?”

     He grimaced. “Yeah, I remember. I said it was my job and I had to do it.”

     “Right, and then you said you would never ask me to give up an investigation.”

     “I'm not asking you to give up on your investigation.”

     “You might as well be. You're asking me to compromise it. What's the difference? If he's already decided I'm a liability then there isn't much I can do to make it worse, and if he is still underestimating me, it could work to my advantage. And all of that is beside the point, because I don't intend to let him see me.”

     “How are you going to avoid him seeing you?”

     I pulled the mask out of my jacket pocket and slipped it on. Most people weren't wearing their masks, but enough people were that I wouldn't draw any attention if I was. “I've only met him once, he doesn't expect to see me here, and I'm wearing a mask.”

     He sighed. “Just be careful. Guys in his line of work can't afford to be unobservant.”

     “I'm always careful. I don't think we should stay together though. Even if you never met him, he most likely knows what you look like and if he sees us together he might put two and two together.”

     He opened his mouth to argue but then nodded. He wasn't happy about it, but he was willing to admit I was right. “Ok, we'll split up.”     

     “I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave.”

     He nodded and turned sharply on his heel and started to walk away. He stopped a few feet away and then came back.

     “I just remembered another rumor about Mr. Black that might be important.”

     “What's that?”

     “They say he likes young boys.”

     “He's a pedophile?”

     
“Maybe not that young.
But Jake would probably be just about right.”

     I looked around the column again. Now that he'd put the idea in my head, it did seem as if Jake was his date. Jake was wearing an expensive looking tux that looked as if it had been made just for him. He wasn't wearing a mask and his expression was easy to read-utter boredom. Fenton/Neal, wearing an equally expensive white tuxedo, was speaking quite earnestly with someone who I knew I had seen before but couldn't place.

     “Who's he talking to?”

     
“Who?
Black?
That's Ronald Humphrey, one of the other commissioners. One of the ones not implicated in the big scandal.”

     “Where would I have seen him?”

     
“On the news possibly.
He's been the most outspoken critic of the article I wrote, calling it irresponsible journalism. Chances are he's protesting so loudly because he has something to hide.”

     “Do you think it means anything that he's talking to Neal-I mean Fenton Black?”

     “It might, but it doesn't have to mean anything. Everyone wants to talk to Fenton Black. He's like a celebrity around here. He has a lot of money to throw around.”

     “I want to get closer.”

     “How are you going to do that without attracting his attention?”

     “Um...maybe you could create some kind of distraction...”

     “Like what?”

     “I don't know, do something outrageous. Pretend to fall down or choke or something.”

     “Killian, I have to think about my professional reputation. I might have to interview some of these people and I don't want them to remember me as the klutz at the ball.”

     “Yeah, ok. You're right. How about if you just walk up to them and start a conversation. You can just pretend to be a reporter asking that Humphrey guy some questions.”

     “First off, I wouldn't have to pretend to be a reporter; I am one. Secondly, there are certain rules you follow at a bash like this. You don't just walk up to people and start interrogating them. Not unless you want to be thrown out on your
keister
, and trust me, Humphrey would do it. He dislikes me that much.”

     “Ok, we don't want that. Forget the distraction. I'll just move around the outside edge of the room and try to work my way up behind them.”

     “Sounds like a plan. I'll mingle. Good luck.”

     I stuck my tongue at his retreating back and then slipped through the crowd as inconspicuously as possible. Once I reached the wall, I began to slowly work my way around behind where Black and Jake seemed to have stationed
themselves
. Black didn't mingle so much as people came to pay homage. While I was attempting to get into position, Humphrey had moved off and already two more people had approached, spoken briefly, and then moved reluctantly off. I could have sworn he was dismissing them like royalty. A third person was speaking to him now and another waited off to one side.

     I made it all the way around the room until I was directly behind them. Keeping a careful eye on Jake, who wasn't paying any attention to the people approaching Black and was busy looking around the room, I started easing up closer to where the two of them were standing. Finally, I was close enough to eavesdrop. Or I would have been if not for a small group nearby that seemed to have already imbibed a bit too much and were a little on the loud side. They were laughing with their party laugh. You know the one.
Frantic and with a slightly hysterical edge?
The one that says I'm going to have fun even if it kills me.

     They quieted down for a moment as a short fat guy began to tell a joke.
Something about an airplane and a pilot who leaves the intercom on by mistake.
I was finally able to hear Black and Jake.