Murder Inside the Beltway - Margaret Truman [86]
Rollins’s next decision was whether to call Colgate and tell him of the meeting with Ziegler. Until this day, that decision would have been automatic. Colgate would want to know about such a get-together, and Rollins wouldn’t have hesitated filling him in. But he decided not to bother. He still carried a sour taste in his mouth from yesterday’s meeting, at which Colgate had so callously shifted from Samantha’s kidnapping to his upcoming speech on the economy. No, he’d go through with the lunch, and if anything came from it that would impact the campaign, he’d pass it along.
One of the detectives monitoring phones from the vacant adjacent room came in. “Detective Kloss, sir.” He handed Rollins a cell phone.
“You’ve changed your plans,” Kloss said.
“You—of course, you heard the conversation,” Rollins said. “I was about to let you know.”
“I gather from the call that you don’t know your destination.”
“You know everything I know, Detective. No, I have no idea where we’re going. Somewhere in Maryland.”
“He’s picking you up?”
“Yes. He’ll have a car and driver.”
“We’ll follow.”
“I’m sure you will. I’m sorry for the change.”
“No problem. I’ll assign Jackson and another detective. Ignore them. They’ll keep their distance. Detective Hall can stay here with your wife.”
“All right.”
“Mind a suggestion, Mr. Rollins?”
“Of course not.”
“How would you feel about wearing a wire?”
“To the lunch?”
“Yes, sir.”
“No, that’s out of the question.”
“Just a thought. Your caller referred to your daughter.”
“It was just a gesture on his part, I’m sure. No, it would be inappropriate to record our conversation during a campaign.”
Rollins couldn’t see Kloss. Had he, he would have seen the quizzical expression on the detective’s face. Inappropriate to record a conversation during a campaign? As far as Kloss knew, there was nothing inappropriate during any presidential campaign, especially this one.
“As you wish, sir,” Kloss said.
“How is Mrs. Rollins?” Jerry asked.
“She’s fine. Doing just fine.”
Rollins considered asking to speak with her but decided not to. Better to concentrate on the lunch with Ziegler.
As he waited until it was time to be picked up, he tried to concentrate on legal matters before him, but it proved impossible. His thoughts flew in a dozen directions, never landing long enough to allow focus on any one. He decided he needed to relax, and put a Horace Silver CD on the stereo, a particular favorite of his. As Jerry closed his eyes and allowed the music to soothe his nerves, Brian Massie stopped by Caroline’s desk to say he was going out for a smoke.
“When are you going to give up that dreadful habit?” she asked.
“Tomorrow,” he replied pleasantly. “Who’s Jerry having lunch with?”
“I don’t know.” She lowered her voice. “He got a call from Kevin Ziegler.”
Massie’s eyebrows went up. “What’s that about?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea.”
Massie went to the street, lit up, pulled out his cell phone, and placed a call.
“Hello?” a male voice answered.
“It’s Brian. He’s canceled his lunch date at Primi Piatti.”
“We know.”
“He might be having lunch with—”
The call was clicked off at the other end.
Caroline received a call at 12:30. “This is Kevin Ziegler,” the caller said. “My car is waiting in front for Mr. Rollins.”
Rollins had been looking at his office window and saw the black Town Car with darkened windows glide up to the curb. As he strode through the reception area, he said to Massie, who stood by Caroline’s desk, “What about your lunch with Testa?”
“He canceled, said he preferred to meet with you, whenever it’s convenient.”
Rollins rode the elevator to the lobby. As he stepped through the building’s revolving glass doors, he looked to his left and saw a sedan parked a few car lengths behind the Town Car. He could make out two faces in the front seat, one of them Detective Matt Jackson.
The rear door to Ziegler’s car opened and Rollins got in.
“Hello, Jerry,” Ziegler said. “I’m glad you could clear the decks.”
Rollins said nothing as the driver pulled away and joined the traffic flow. He glanced