Hide & Seek - James Patterson [93]
He pushed open the dark oak door. Immediately, he was treated to a wall of windows and a view of the teeming avenue below. Impressive and overstated, in the American way.
The company’s receptionist was Irish-American from her look, a smiling, auburn-haired, alabaster girl, blooming nicely in her mid-twenties. She was first class, expensive. Like the firm that employed her. Nice decorative touch, Will thought.
He casually rested the Mark Cross folio on her desk.
“Good afternoon, sir. May I help you?” she asked. She was more than pleasant, he noticed. Not offended by his folio invading her space. Or maybe, like a good Irish person, she just didn’t show it.
Will smiled, low-key but seductive, his charm intact. “I’m here to see Mr. Arthur Marshall. It’s about an inheritance. He’s expecting me, I believe.”
“Yes, sir.” The girl tried not to stare at the very good-looking Englishman standing before her. “Whom should I say is calling?”
“Palmer Shepherd,” said Will.
CHAPTER 115
I LOOKED AROUND the warm, familiar living room of our house and I couldn’t help beaming, almost giggling out loud. Hooo boy!
This was the best. This was the most important thing now. The party!
A dozen of Allie’s boy and girl friends from kindergarten had come to the house for his fifth birthday. No one had declined, and that meant a lot to me, and more important, of course, to Allie.
It was a strictly old-fashioned party, which Jennie and I had meticulously planned. Games and silly hats, a birthday cake for the birthday boy, a present for every child, and lots of presents for Allie the Wonder Boy.
It was going perfectly. Barry and Norma had stopped by to help. So far, we’d had tons of laughter and fun, one minor collision, not a single tear had been shed.
Allie finally came up to me. He beckoned for me to come down to his level, his size, his turf.
I knelt so that we were face to face. As he almost always did, Allie twirled my hair around his fingers.
“Know what?” he said, and his eyes had the most wonderful twinkle. “Well, do you?”
“What? You tell me. The cake is too big for you to eat all by yourself? Okay then, share it with your friends.”
Allie laughed. He got all my jokes. I got his too.
“No, I just want to tell you the very best thing, Mommy. The very best thing is that you’re here.”
It was the happiest party, the best moment, and suddenly I was crying, and I was feeling so good that I could be there at my son’s party.
“I knew somebody was going to cry soon,” I told Allie.
He hugged me, and gave me kisses to make it better. But I was already better.
CHAPTER 116
HAVING WATCHED MY good mood at the birthday party, Barry the Manipulator took the occasion to try and lure me into the city, and up to his studio. I surprised him: I told him I’d come. I was ready for a little manipulation.
When I got to New York, Barry was hyper and excited, the way he usually got when he’d just written a good song, or completed an especially good business deal.
“You’re scaring me. You’re too happy,” I told him, but I was laughing. Everything seemed good to me now. I was so buoyant, and free. God, was I free!
“I have a scheme,” he said to me as we sat down beside his piano. “I’ve been scheming on your behalf.”
My good mood was a match for his. And more. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Barry completely ignored me. “There’s a great concert happening up in Rhinebeck, New York, in July.”
“Barry, I read the papers. I’m not a hermit. Bedford is less than thirty miles from Manhattan. The answer is, regretfully, no. But thank you just the same.”
“It’s two days of fun in the sun. I know the promoters and they’re first-class people. They’ve booked seventeen acts. Eighteen is their magic number.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t. Do you happen to remember what happened to me out in San Francisco?”
Barry went right on talking. “Tell you who they’ve got already. Bonnie Raitt, k.d. lang, Liz Phair, Emmylou Harris.”
I nodded. Started to laugh. Bit my lip. “Gee, all women. Why did you happen to start with