The Target(63)
“I know, but I’m just the messenger, Sally.”
“That’s not my name anymore.”
“They wouldn’t tell me what you’d changed it to. So Sally is the only one I know.”
“Okay.”
“Look, I debated whether to even bother you with this. But I decided it was ultimately your decision, not mine. I made a few calls. I sort of knew where you ended up. Pulled a few strings and they gave me your current number but not your name. Said I could make one call. It was up to you to answer it or not. They wouldn’t have even done that, but I am a fellow fed. It probably freaked you out when you saw the number.”
“It did. You know I’m no longer in Witness Protection. Haven’t been for a long time.”
“I know, but this was the only way he could think to reach out to you. Apparently he knew you were in the program. It must have come out all those years ago.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not going.”
“No argument here.”
“How much longer does he have to live?”
“What? Oh, um, they didn’t really say. The doc I talked to said he was bad off. Cancer all over him. She wasn’t sure what was keeping him alive. Any day now, I guess. And then you can really lay that ghost to rest.”
Reel nodded to herself, thinking about things. “I appreciate the call.”
“Well, I wish it were over something better than this. You were very memorable, Sa—I mean, whatever name you go by now.”
“Jessica. It’s Jessica.”
“Okay, Jessica. It’s been a long time, but I’ve never come close to forgetting you. And with all the hoops I had to jump through to get to even talk to you, I imagine you’re a pretty big deal now. I’m happy for you. Always knew you’d do something special with your life.”
“I wouldn’t characterize my life as being ‘special.’”
“Well, whatever the case, I wish you the best of luck. And if you ever need anything, please call. I know you’re not in WITSEC anymore, but, well, I still care about what happens to you.”
“I appreciate that, I really do.”
“And your old man can go to hell.”
Reel clicked off and stared down at the phone in her hand.
She was still staring at it when Robie came back.
“What’s up?” he asked, taking off his coat and coming over to sit next to her.
“Nothing. How’s Julie?”
“She’s fine. She said you two had a nice talk on the drive over, but she wouldn’t tell me anything about it.”
“I like that kid more and more.”
Robie looked at the phone and then up at her. “What is it, Jessica?”
“I got a call.”
“From who?”
“WITSEC.”
“You’re not in the program anymore.”
“They reached out to me because someone reached out to them.”
“Who?”
“My father. Earl Fontaine.”
Chapter
32
ROBIE WENT INTO THE KITCHEN and made a pot of coffee. He carried two cups back into the other room and handed one to Reel. The rain continued to pour down outside as he sat across from her and took a sip, letting the warmth of the beverage battle the chill in his bones.
“Your father?”
Reel nodded.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Okay.” He started to get up, but she said, “Wait. Just wait.”
Robie settled back in his chair as Reel took a drink and then clasped her hands around the cup. Robie could see that her hands were shaking slightly, something he had never witnessed in her before.
She didn’t say anything, so Robie said, “In the interest of full disclosure, DiCarlo told me some about your past. I know why you were in WITSEC. I know some things about your old man. And what he did.”
Without looking at him she said, “And my mother?”
Robie replied, “Yes.” He added, “I’m sorry, Jessica.”
She shrugged and sat back, almost burrowing into the cushion of the chair. She drank her coffee and they both listened to the rain.
“He wants to see me.”
“Your father?”
She nodded. “He’s dying, in prison, of course. He was supposed to be executed but he has terminal cancer.”
“And they can’t execute a dying inmate,” said Robie. “A bit ironic.”
“He wants to see me,” she said again.
“It doesn’t matter what he wants,” replied Robie. “The choice is yours, not his.” He leaned forward and tapped her knee. “I know that you understand that.”
She nodded again. “I understand that. The choice is mine.”