Chapter 24

When David connected with Bello, the cabal meeting was in the process of breaking up, not starting. David silently cursed his timing and studied the six men in the room, giving Bello and Gunn only cursory attention. He knew them and could already connect with them at any time.

Six men in the cabal. Were there more? Was every member in attendance?

A redhead with a light complexion and broken veins on his face was speaking. Bello interrupted him, calling him Sean. David still didn't know Sean's last name, but David could connect with him now, so another time, another place would reveal the freckle-faced man's last name and other facts about him David needed to know. From the conversation between Bello and Sean, David surmised Sean was involved with one or more union pension funds. Did Sean represent labor?

David recognized a handsome, tall man in the room - Mathew York. York was a media giant, although the public at large wasn't aware of the extent of York's tentacles in newspapers and radio and television stations around the country, even abroad. David had first met York while tripping to check out a possible investment, and over the years, York's companies had made David a lot of money. David made a mental note to instruct his mother to sell all their stock in any corporation York controlled. Hopefully, at David's instigation, York would soon be falling from power. Perhaps they'd go short in one or two of York's companies when the time was right.

Wilson was James' last name. David had connected with Wilson in the past, too, again regarding a potential investment, but beyond Wilson's heavy involvement and powerful influence within the Democratic Party, David didn't know much about the short, dapper man. That would change. David would soon know almost as much about the six members of the cabal as they knew about themselves.

The meeting broke up and David returned to his body.

Bello: crime. Frisk: finance. Gunn: industry. York: media. Sean ?: labor? Wilson: politics, maybe government. David opened his laptop and added to his notes about the cabal, finishing just as Nora stepped into the room from the bathroom.

She was gloriously naked fresh from a shower, and as always, the sight of her thrilled David. He adored her sleek body, the way she moved cat-like, and the sound of her Kathryn-Hepburn style voice. Nothing could compare with her scent when she was excited. Just imagining her pheromones spread his nostrils, and he licked his lips imagining the flavors of her arousal. Nora Patterson excited his senses, but it was her mind, her sense of adventure that had captured his heart.

"Where did you go? Whom did you visit?" she asked while opening a drawer to retrieve a pair of panties.

"I caught the tail end of the cabal meeting I wanted to attend." He detailed what he'd discovered while he watched her dress for dinner.

With a grimace, she said, "I wish you could be as successful finding Carrie or the killer who has her." She fervently hoped the sick pervert still had the little girl, that Carrie was still alive.

"Me, too. I - we - need more information. I've been thinking. An idea started to form when I remembered how Black disguised his appearance after killing Boynton. At the time I decided if I'd been Black, I'd have disguised myself while making the hit, not later in the airport making my getaway. By the way, that dress looks great on you. It complements your gorgeous green eyes."

"Thanks. Please finish telling me about your idea."

David sighed. He felt like he was grasping at straws. "You've commented a number of times that the killer potentially exposed his appearance, perhaps even his identity, during various events in his ritual." Using his fingers he counted off the events. "One, during the stalk. Two, during the abduction. Three, when he dumped the body. Correct?"

"Yes."

"If I were the killer, I'd be in disguise during those events in case anyone witnessed them. If he thinks like me, the sketch you have of the suspect seen watching Hanna probably reflects his disguised appearance. Instruct your sketch artist to alter the drawing in a number of ways. The suspect is wearing a mustache. Remove it. The suspect has a thick head of hair. Make him bald or partially bald. He's not wearing glasses, put some horn-rimmed glasses on his face. Come up with all the possible variables, and show the new sketches to everyone again. I know its not much of an idea, and you and your colleagues have probably already thought of it, but..."

She smiled broadly. "David, it's a good idea, and as far as I know, no one at the FBI has considered altering the sketch. In fact, I'll call Pierce right now and make the suggestion." She rummaged around in her purse, located her cell phone and dialed. "It's Nora Patterson, Mr. Pierce... Yes, I know. I'm sorry, but I just had an idea." She winked at David and then outlined David's suggestion for Pierce. At the end of the conversation, she received another attaboy. When she hung up, she said, "I get more attaboys because of you than I do on my own. Thanks."

"You're a lot of woman," Joe gushed.

Carol was sitting in front of a vanity brushing her hair when their eyes met in the mirror. His eyes gleamed with lust and love, which made her feel special. Dressed for dinner, she debated whether to tease him or accept his compliment graciously. "What? Are you implying I'm fat?" she asked with more than a little tease in her voice.

"No! That's not... oh, you're teasing me."

"Maybe not. I am fat compared to your daughter, to Darla."

"And I'm fat compared to David. The lad looks like a Greek God."

"Your physique leaves nothing to be ashamed about, cowboy."

"And your lush body excites me out of my mind."

They laughed together, and Carol appreciated the intimate moment. Should she press him? she asked herself.

Does she love me enough to live with me in a small cottage? Joe asked himself.

"What did you... ?" Carol started to ask.

"What would you say... ?" Joe said at the same time.

"You first," Joe said graciously after they laughed together.

"What did you mean when you asked if I'd grow old with you?"

Joe swallowed. "I meant I want you in my life for the rest of my life, Carol, which relates to what I started to say. When the ranch sale closes, Darla and Steve expect me to live on the ranch in the small cottage south of the main house. I assume Darla still feels the same, so in a couple of weeks I'll be moving into the cottage. It's not much, certainly a huge step down from your beautiful home, but will you live in that cottage with me, Carol?" He swallowed again and anxiously awaited her answer.

Her eyes briefly widened with shock; then they softened, finally taking on devilish twinkles. "No, Joe, I won't live in the cottage with you." She watched his shoulders suddenly slump, and because he looked utterly crestfallen, she hurried on, "But I will live in the big house with you. I'll want to make some changes to it, do some remodeling and renovating and furnish it like I want, but I think we can make it work."

Joe looked completely confused. He tried to speak, but could only stutter incoherently.

"During our family meeting, Darla announced she doesn't want to live at the ranch. She wants to build on an acre David reserved for her in the compound. She asked me during the meeting if I wanted to live in the big house with you. I told her I'd never considered the possibility, mostly because you hadn't asked me to live with you. The moment you asked, Joe, I knew just what I wanted. I want to live on the ranch with you."

She stood and walked to him. When she was next to him, he took her in his arms. While looking up into his expressive eyes, she said, "Contrary to my behavior, I'm an old-fashioned girl, cowboy. When I asked what you meant when you asked me if I'd grow old with you, what I was really asking was if your request was a proposal, a marriage proposal. Oh, I'll live with you, if that's all you want, but I gotta tell ya, cowboy, I want more. I want the whole hog. I want to be Mrs. Joseph Alton Patterson."

Shut up now, she told herself. You've said what you wanted to say. You've probably scared the poor man half to death. Don't ramble. Don't try to justify anything. Just let him respond.

Joe swallowed yet again. Dreams could indeed come true.

"Carol, I love you. I want to grow old with you, to live the rest of my life with you. I'll live with you wherever you want: your house, the big house, the cottage, anywhere. It doesn't matter where I live as long as it's with you." He paused and swallowed, realizing he'd been doing a lot of swallowing. "I can't offer you much. I'm not a wealthy man. In fact I was flat broke the day I met you, and my monetary assets haven't improved much since, but when you looked upon me with favor that same day, I felt richer than the richest man in the world, except my riches were of the spirit. I fell in love with a wonderful, beautiful woman who, to my amazement, loved me right back. I don't even have a ring to put on your finger, not yet, but you brought up the subject, and I have to admit it's been on my mind. All I can offer you is my love. I want you as a lover and as a friend. I will always want you. I will always cherish you. Will you marry me, Carol-love? Will you be my bride, my wife, my companion as long as we both shall live?"

"Are you sure, Joe? You aren't asking just because I twisted your arm, are you?"

"I'm asking because I love you, not because you twisted my arm, which you surely did." He huffed a laugh. "You twisted it into a pretzel. Yes, I'm sure. I've never been more sure about anything except when I made a similar request to Tess many years ago."

"Then I'll tell you what I told George many years ago when he asked the same question. Yes, Joe. I'll marry you. I love you. I'll be your wife, your lover and your companion, and after its renovated and decorated, we'll live together as man and wife in the big house at Arabian Downs."

The kiss he gave her was the most romantic kiss she'd ever experienced.

The more Steve thought about David's threat to cause his hand to slip during an operation the more Steve realized David would never do anything so drastic. David prided himself on his non-violent nature. No, Steve decided, David wouldn't cause a patient any harm, but he could certainly raise heck with Steve's life in other ways.

Still it grated Steve that David had quashed his efforts to obtain proof of Darla's perfidy, and Steve started to think of ways he could get even not only with David but also with Darla.

His imagination shifted into overdrive. He could call the S.E.C. and accuse David of insider trading. The call would be anonymous, of course. After being informed about David's freaky ability, Steve figured out why David was such a stock market whiz kid. Steve had no doubt that David used insider information to amass his fortune, so if the S.E.C. investigated Steve's anonymous accusation, they'd find patterns of buying and selling just before important corporate announcements. The S.E.C. might not be able to prove David's illegal activity, but they could certainly give the crooked investor a bad time.

Dagnabit, Steve thought, I could be an investment phenomena, too, if I could do what he does. Anybody could. David's not the big shot Darla makes him out to be. He's just a crook.

What else could Steve do to cause trouble?

He let his imagination run free again and came up with another idea. He could hold up the closing on the sale of the horse farm. It looked like Darla was going to complete the sale, or she and her incestuous family wouldn't be in Texas buying the stallion David wanted. Oh, he'd promised Darla that he'd relinquish his stock in the corporation that made the accepted offer to buy the property and business, and he would, but he didn't need to go out of his way to sign the legal documents that took him out of the picture. He'd turn them over to an attorney and tell the attorney to sit on them for a month or so. When Darla complained, he'd truthfully tell her his attorney was reviewing the papers, and he couldn't sign them until the attorney gave him the green light.

A ringing phone shattered his fantasies, but new fantasies developed when Vera greeted him.

"I've been worried about you. How are you doing, Steve?"

"Not well, Vera," he said picturing the blonde nurse in his mind. He enjoyed his conjured image. She was naked and she'd stuffed his stiff cock into her mouth. "The house is so quiet, too quiet. I miss the hubbub of a baby boy in the house. I really miss the little guy, Vera, but I don't miss my slut wife."

"Would you like some company, or would you rather be alone?"

"I don't know. I don't want to be alone, but I don't think I'd make very good company."

"I'm not looking to be entertained, Steve. I just want to help you in any way I can. If you need a shoulder, you can use mine. If you want... well, whatever you want, just know I'm here for you."

"You're sweet, Vera," Steve said. "Yes, I could use some company, but please don't expect too much from me."

"I'll be there in a half-hour."

It wasn't until he hung up that he remembered David could drop in on him at anytime, and he wouldn't know David was even watching. Perhaps it wouldn't wise to let Vera do what she so obviously wanted to do.

"Fuck it," Steve said out loud and uncharacteristically. "Fuckin' voyeur. If he wants to watch Vera suck my cock, let him have at it."

Besides, Steve did need some company. He needed to feel wanted, and Vera wanted him. He needed to feel needed, and unlike Darla, Vera needed him. Vera made him feel important. She adored him, and that's what he needed more than anything right now.

"Fuck you, David," he whispered vehemently. "And fuck you, too, Darla, you incestuous slut."

Take her nipple!

"No! What's the rush?"

You're getting too attached.

"So? She gives me pleasure. When she stops amusing me, I'll take her nipple."

Tomorrow night at midnight. No later.

"We'll see. The next one might not be so accommodating. This one was a real find. Almost perfect."

I won't allow you to defy me.

"We'll see."

Using a pay phone in Des Moines, Iowa, David waited for Bello to answer the call.

"Hello," Bello said.

"Cyber Deep Throat is a CIA operative employed by Royce Gunn," David said using his stentorian voice.

David hung up the phone and immediately switched his connection to the elderly wife of a recently deceased, retired stockbroker in Miami Beach. The woman was sound asleep. David located the dead stockbroker's cell phone and dialed.

When Special Agent Stuart Grimes answered the call, using his feminine voice, David asked, "Are you on the task force trying to identify Cyber Deep Throat?"