Chapter Fourteen

The doorbell rang, and through the viewer, Jenny saw that it was Roger. He had called and insisted that he bring over some files that she and he needed for the Anderson trial the very next day.

Jenny suspected that he may have deliberately held back the files as a way of having an excuse to come over, to be with her.

Jenny suspected, no, she knew that Roger had not given up on the relationship. The talk he and she had a week ago had not completely settled things between them.

He came in slowly, looking around.

Jenny had the feeling he thought he might find another man there, that she had “dumped” him for someone else. Jenny could see him scanning the room looking around as if he might see signs of someone there or someone who left just before he arrived.

He just stood there motionless until Jenny motioned him to the coffee table where she had laid out her laptop.

“I got the email files but where are the Anderson depositions?” she said.
 
“Oh.” Roger said, "I brought them along hard copy; we have had some serious hacking, as you know, and I thought it best to bring the material and not risk e-mail at this late date. Can’t be too careful.”

Roger opened a grey folder and Jenny opened the lap-top and touched the space bar. A file appeared on the screen. Roger said, “Hum, they look identical but these,” he said indicating paper copies he had brought along, "are complete. Those,” he said looking at Jenny’s screen "are not.”

“My God,” Jenny said “is that what I think it is?”
“Yep,” Roger said, “that is a document with the White House emblem on it."
“My God, Jenny said, “that is the connection. This is explosive stuff,” Jenny said, “explosive.”

“Where did you get it?" she asked Roger

“Got a call and a message telling me that I could pick up this material at a safety deposit box down town. I went  picked it up and just glanced at it.”

“Wow.” Jenny said. “Have you actually heard from Anderson about this?”

“Just a 19 second phone call, he was saying, they were after him.”

“That is not good news, Jenny said.  “Who was after him? 

“Just them,” Roger said. “just them is all he said.”

“Is he going to show up tomorrow,” Jenny said, “if not we will lose this case; we will have to promise him protection. We have to promise him 24 hour protection.”

“I guess.” Roger said.

“But who is going to be protecting us?” Jenny murmured. “This is bigger than you and me. We have to get Adelson in on this, now.” 

Chapter 15

Adelson sat in his office staring at his clock flashing “6am.”  He loved that clock. He had had  it for years, a clock-telephone-computer combination made especially for him.

When he picked up his phone it automatically after he entered a code for a client’s name, the name appeared on the screen and the clock timed the call, computed the bill for that person and automatically entered the particulars into the company computer.

He drummed his fingers and was still drumming his fingers when he saw Jenny and Roger walk to his glass doors, pause and enter. He took a deep breath.

“This doesn’t sound good.” he said without a greeting. Jenny and Roger took seats, looking glum and no one spoke for a time.

“Well somebody should start. Where is he?”

“Down the street at the Wilshire,” Jenny said “scared, frightened and ready to bolt."

“You have his materials?”
“Yes,” Jenny said, “Roger picked them up last evening."

“So, we have him and a discovery issue as well,” Adelson said, “and just might have the Feds, no, the White House involved too, and yes, a trial beginning in just three hours. Dandy.” Adelson said sarcastically. "

"They'll come down on us and drown us in the bathtub.” Adelson continued.

Roger spoke saying “Hate to interrupt the pity party but shouldn’t we at least look at what he has?"

Roger didn’t like Adelson and Adelson did not like Roger but the two of them got along, nonetheless, mainly by staying out of each other’s way.

Roger’s Dad was Senator Mason, a powerful political figure in New York, and a founding partner of the firm Mason, Reingold, and Stern. Reingold and Stern had been long eliminated by Mason and no one talked of it or them.  Mason was Adelson's boss.

So Roger felt comfortable talking to Adelson as an equal, although he was never obvious about it or nasty. But every once in a while he liked to bring Adelson up short, especially if he felt he, Adelson, was slighting him in any way.

Adelson talking exclusively to Jenny was a slight which Roger was not willing to let pass.

So Roger, iterated “Shouldn’t we have a look at the papers, time is on the clock.”

Adelson stared at him.

Jenny agreed, and Roger extracted the grey folders from his brief case and passed one over to Adelson. “This one is the most troublesome,” Roger said, “and, well… See what you think.”

Adelson took the folder, opened it and began to read, his eyes growing larger, erasing their sleepy look immediately.

“Damn, Damn, Damn.” he murmured. And then he leaned back slightly and said “Ok, you did not give me any of this just yet. I’ll will need time to think through the implications of this. We could get crushed.”

At that point a shot rang out and shattering glass splayed across Adelson’s desk.

Chapter 16

Jenny opened her eyes to see Mary Lim looking at her intently. “Hi.” She said softly. “I came as soon as I heard. They are saying that you’ll be ok. You are ok, you will be ok, they say.”

“Where am I?” Jenny said.

“The Hospital,” Mary Lim said, “you took some glass chards to various parts of the body, and they tell me you asked for me. So…”
“I so glad you came.” Mary Lim said.

“My face, how bad is it?”Jenny said.

A man Jenny took for a doctor came in saying brightly, “How are we doing, Ms. Lattice, is it?”
He took Jenny’s wrist and read off her name. You look to be ok; you have some cuts and scarps. Nothing serious, despite the blood.”

Jenny wanted to look at herself in the mirror only half listening to the doctor.

“Now we want to take some more tests to rule out complications and infections but with any luck you can go home tomorrow or the next day.”

“What about...” Jenny started to say “Roger and Mr. Adelson.”
Her doctor, Mr. Strom, his name tag said, hesitated saying almost audibly Roger, Mr. Mason is in our ICU, but Mr. Adelson I am afraid didn’t make it. I will let his attending give you details. Right now we want to make sure you have a speedy recovering.”

“If you need anything ask your nurse, I have prescribed a pain killer for you, a prescription for your discharge. I’ll check back in on you tonight or tomorrow.”

With that he left and Jenny felt alone, frightened and angry at the same time. Adelson! She couldn’t believe it.

Mary Lim touched her hand saying  “You are probably feeling very tense right now. I can show you a breathing exercise to help to relax. Would you like that?”

Jenny nodded and began a slow breathing exercise following Mary Lim’s gentle instructions.

Leaving the hospital was a little traumatic for Jenny. The doctor and the nurse began the work of changing the bandages covering most of her face and, despite their advice, she insisted upon taking a look in the mirror at her face.

“Don’t look now,” Doctor Strom was saying “we have follow-up work to do…”
But Jenny was already looking at the face in the mirror. It scared her.

There were several cuts on her face from the glass shards and bruises showed below both her eyes. She looked horrid to herself.

She nodded as the nurse said “Let’s change the bandages. Don’t react to how you look now, it will improve; many of not most of those cuts will heal.”

Jenny nodded unsure, unsure of whether she believed the nurse or not, also wondering about Roger and Adelson.

“What about Mr. Mason?” she said changing the subject.

“I’ll let you talk to Dr. Storm about that. Mr. Mason is still in the ICU and still considered critical but stable. He is considered day to day now.”
Let’s get you going.”

Jenny sat back in the wheel chair as the nurse moved her out of her room and down the corridor after having been told she could not look in on Roger; too much danger of infection she was told.

Adelson, dead! The thought rang through her mind, over and over again.