Two weeks after they returned from the honeymoon, Paula lost the baby. He always wondered if that had been intentional or a true act of God. They resolved to try again but, thankfully, no success ever came.
They’d definitely been oil and water.
His idea of a night at home was like last Saturday. He and Ashley had curled under a blanket on the back porch and watched the stars, talking like they used to. Sure, every night couldn’t be like that, but was it a sin if they happened along every once in a while? He could not remember a time when he and Paula shared such intimacy. Their relationship seemed more like roommates than spouses. Just making love became an ordeal of hygiene and etiquette. Most of their weekend nights had been consumed at functions where a room full of people small-talked their way to midnight. Paula had loved the social life. He’d hated it.
“You’ve got to let this go,” Hank said.
“I never should have let things go that far.”
“Don’t you think the time for repentance is over? It’s been eleven friggin’ years.”
He said nothing.
But Hank could see right through him. “Don’t bullshit me. You came back here to let it go.”
That’s right. He had. But he still wasn’t ready to openly admit that.
Not yet.
“On a different subject,” Hank said. “Did you look into those numbers I gave you?”
He was hoping Hank had forgotten about them. “Not yet.”
“I need you to do that. Per the terms we agreed upon.”
He knew the right answer.
“Okay. Soon.”
9:20A.M.
JON CALMLY REPORTED WHAT HE FOUND INCONCORD.HE WASsitting in Hamilton Lee’s Blue Tower office. He’d been waiting for Lee to arrive at work since 7:30.
“This is a problem,” Lee said. “A big problem.”
“I tried to find you last evening but was unsuccessful.”
“I was out,” Lee said, volunteering nothing more about his night.
“I could not suspend further processing without your approval, based on what you said yesterday.”
“Is the list complete?”
“The final Priority, Number 7, was processed an hour ago.”
“Any problems?”
“A hunting accident.” While he was on the subject he went ahead and made a full report. “Number 6 was processed last Friday. Number 8 the same day. Only the hunting accident occurred in Woods County, the two others were scattered around the state. I’d like to point out that I was forced to okay two accidental deaths in one locale for the same month. That violates Rule.”
“You worry too much, Jon.”
And you worry too little, he thought.
He resented the cavalier attitude Lee took on Priority decisions. This was not something trivial. People were being murdered, and he didn’t particularly want to be caught. Yet he realized most of Lee’s nonchalance could be Jon’s own fault. He’d made the program so efficient that success had come to be expected, no matter what the risks.
“Look, Jon, there’s nothing connecting those two deaths. They’re two tragic accidents, things that happen from time to time. The local funeral homes should be grateful. I think Hughes owns one of them in Concord, doesn’t he? Right now, I’m far more worried about ourimmediate problem. Is there any indication what, if anything, was accessed from Marlene Rhoden’s terminal?”
“The directory noted only from what folder in the central banks the information originated. I checked theSECURED FOLDERthis morning. On June 6 it contained one file. May’s list of eight authorized Priorities.”