Disclosure_ A Novel - Michael Crichton [116]
“I don’t exist,” he said to Fernandez.
“Never mind,” she said.
They passed the main part of the floor, where people worked in chest-high cubicles. Several pig grunts were heard. One person sang softly, “Because I used to fuck her, but it’s all over now . . .”
Sanders stopped and turned toward the singing. Fernandez grabbed his arm.
“Never mind,” she said.
“But Christ . . .”
“Don’t make it worse than it is.”
They passed the coffee machine. Beside it, someone had taped up a picture of Sanders. They had used it for a dartboard.
“Jesus.”
“Keep going.”
As he came to the corridor leading to his office, he saw Don Cherry coming the other way.
“Hi, Don.”
“You screwed up bad on this one, Tom.” He shook his head and walked on.
Even Don Cherry.
Sanders sighed.
“You knew this was going to happen,” Fernandez said.
“Maybe.”
“You did. This is the way it works.”
Outside his office, Cindy stood up when she saw him. She said, “Tom, Mary Anne asked you to call her as soon as you got in.”
“Okay.”
“And Stephanie said to say never mind, she found out whatever she needed to know. She said, uh, not to call her.”
“Okay.”
He went in the office and closed the door. He sat down behind his desk and Fernandez sat opposite him. She took her cellular phone out of her briefcase, and dialed. “Let’s get one thing squared away—Ms. Vries’s office please . . . Louise Fernandez calling.”
She cupped her hand over the phone. “This shouldn’t take-Oh, Eleanor? Hi, Louise Fernandez. I’m calling you about Connie Walsh. Uh-huh . . . I’m sure you’ve been going over it with her. Yes, I know she feels strongly. Eleanor, I just wanted to confirm to you that there is a tape of the event, and it substantiates Mr. Sanders’s version rather than Ms. Johnson’s. Actually, yes, I could do that. Entirely off the record? Yes, I could. Well, the problem with Walsh’s source is that the company now has huge liability and if you print a story that’s wrong—even if you got it from a source—I think they have an action against you. Oh yes, I think absolutely Mr. Blackburn would sue. He wouldn’t have any choice. Why don’t you—I see. Uh-huh. Well, that could change, Eleanor. Uh-huh. And don’t forget that Mr. Sanders is considering defamation right now, based on the Mr. Piggy piece. Yes, why don’t you do that. Thank you.”
She hung up and turned to Sanders. “We went to law school together. Eleanor is very competent and very conservative. She’d never have allowed the story in the first place, and would never have considered it now, if she didn’t place a lot of reliance on Connie’s source.”
“Meaning?”
“I’m pretty sure I know who gave her the story,” Fernandez said. She was dialing again.
“Who?” Sanders said.
“Right now, the important thing is Meredith Johnson. We’ve got to document the pattern, to demonstrate that she has harassed employees before. Somehow we’ve got to break this deadlock with Conrad Computer.” She turned away. “Harry? Louise. Did you talk to Conrad? Uh-huh. And?” A pause. She shook her head irritably. “Did you explain to them about their liabilities? Uh huh. Hell. So what’s our next move? Because we’ve got a time problem here, Harry, that’s what I’m concerned about.”
While she was talking, Sanders turned to his monitor. The E-mail light was flashing. He clicked it.
YOU HAVE 17 MESSAGES WAITING.
Christ. He could only imagine. He clicked the read button. They flashed up in order.
FROM: DON CHERRY, CORRIDOR PROGRAMMING TEAM
TO: ALL SUBJECTS
WE HAVE DELIVERED THE VIE UNIT TO CONLEY WHITE’S PEOPLE. THE UNIT IS NOW ACTIVE INTO THEIR COMPANY DB SINCE THEY GAVE US THE HOOKS TODAY. JOHN CONLEY ASKED THAT IT BE DELIVERED TO A SUITE AT THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL BECAUSE THEIR CEO IS ARRIVING THURSDAY MORNING AND WILL SEE IT THEN. ANOTHER PROGRAMMING TRIUMPH BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SWELL FOLKS AT VIE.
DON THE MAGNIFICENT
Sanders flipped to the next one.
FROM: DIAGNOSTICS GROUP
TO: APG TEAM
ANALYSIS OF TWINKLE DRIVES. THE PROBLEM WITH THE CONTROLLER TIMING LOOP DOES