Home Free - Fern Michaels [85]
Abner pretended to pout. “Enough time to take the shuttle to New York, to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and ice-skate. I do it every year. Then I go to see the Rockettes and do some Christmas shopping. I’ve been doing it for years, but I thought it would be something you would enjoy.”
“Absolutely I would enjoy that. I love New York, but I wouldn’t want to live there,” Isabelle confided.
“We’ll make it work,” Abner said confidently as he parceled out the papers he was plucking from the various printers. “Let’s make a fire, have some wine, and go through this stuff. Then we can do other things. I’d like to turn this over to your people first thing in the morning. Be sure to thank Maggie for her due diligence.”
“Why don’t you thank her yourself? She’s not your enemy, Abner. She loves you like the brother and the friend you are. Don’t be stubborn. Friends are hard to come by these days, especially good friends, the kind you can count on through thick and thin. I’m going to feel really bad if you two don’t make peace. She is my friend, Abner, and that is never going to change.”
“I’ll call her tomorrow.”
“No, you should call her tonight.”
Abner sighed and reached for his cell. He punched in Maggie’s number. “Hey, Maggie. It’s Abner. I just wanted to thank you for the heads-up. I was chasing my tail on that JJ business. I got everything you guys want and need. I’ll turn it over in the morning. I just wanted to say thanks. You doing okay, Maggie?” He listened, then laughed. “Good luck.”
“You were right, Isabelle. I’m glad I called. She was really nice, and she thanked me. She said she’s in love with a guy in a wheelchair.”
“She is. He’s going to get out of the chair in a few months. Even if he doesn’t, she’ll be with him. I think it’s wonderful.”
“I agree. Maggie is one of a kind.”
“That she is.”
“But then so are you, Isabelle Flanders.”
Isabelle laughed. “Tell me more. I love to be flattered.”
“How about . . . ?”
Chapter 23
The ice storm that descended on Washington, D.C., and lasted four days, according to the weathermen, was the worst storm in over forty years. The nation’s capital shut down; government workers were furloughed because of road conditions, heating problems, and loss of power. A generator was a luxury if one was fortunate enough to find one. Salt and sand were also luxuries that couldn’t be had. Sanitation workers were working double shifts and could barely keep their eyes open when they did report to work. Even the news anchors were unshaven and wrinkled when they faced the cameras to offer grim hope that it would all soon be over.
And when it was over, it rained, which caused flooding. Then it started to snow late Sunday afternoon, when the Sisters had all made it safely out to Pinewood for dinner. The talk was mostly about the weather until after dinner, when Isabelle presented Abner’s report.
The group was clustered around the table in the war room. Everyone was present except Nellie and Elias.
The boys, honorary members of the Sisterhood, were in awe that finally, they were being permitted to sit in on and participate in a working meeting. They were stunned when Charles said their input would be appreciated.
Charles stepped down from the dais, where he usually held court. In front of each chair was a copy of Abner Tookus’s report. “It’s all some heavy reading, so I thought Isabelle could give us a short summary, and you can all follow with the report.”
Isabelle didn’t bother to stand up and address the group. She leaned back in her chair and said, “The short version is that Maggie found out, thanks to Gus Sullivan, that JJ is Owen Orzell. That’s what took so long. With that information, Abner was able to develop the information you see in front of you. JJ, or Jody Jumper, is or was a less-than-endearing nickname given to Mr. Orzell by people in the Treasury Department. There’s a picture of him in the file, and it is not a good one. Mr. OO, as Abner