“I can relate to that,” Daniel said. The sharpness in his voice mellowed as well. “My father was also into all sorts of businesses, some of which were close to being scams. The problem was that they were all failures, meaning he and subsequently my siblings and I became the butt of jokes in the town of Revere, particularly at school, at least those of us who were not part of the ‘in’ crowd, which I surely wasn’t. My father’s nickname was ‘Loser Lowell,’ and unfortunately the epithet had a tendency to trickle down.”
“For me, it was the opposite,” Stephanie said. “We were treated to a kind of deference, which wasn’t pleasant. You know how teenagers like to blend in. Well, it wasn’t possible for me, and I didn’t even know why. I hated it.”
“How come you’ve never told me about any of this?”
“How come you’ve never told me about your family other than the fact that you have eight siblings, none of whom, I might add, I have met? I at least asked you about your family on several occasions.”
“That’s a good point,” Daniel said vaguely. His eyes drifted outside, where a few lonely snowflakes could be seen dancing on the wind gusts. He knew the real answer to Stephanie’s question was that he’d never cared about her family any more than he cared about his own. He cleared his throat and turned back to Stephanie. “Maybe we haven’t talked about our families because we were both embarrassed about our childhoods. Or maybe it’s been a combination of that and our preoccupation with science and founding the company.”
“Perhaps,” Stephanie said without a lot of conviction. She stared out through the front windshield. “It is true that academics have always been my escape. Of course my father never approved, but that only increased my resolve. Hell, he didn’t think I should go college. He thought it was a waste of time and money, saying I was just going to get married and have kids like it was fifty years ago.”
“My father was literally embarrassed that I was good at science. He told everyone that it had to have come from my mother’s side, like it was a genetic disease.”
“What about your brothers and sisters? Was it the same for them?”
“To some degree, because my father was a small enough person to blame his failings on us. You know, sapping the capital he needed to really get started in whatever was the current bright business idea. But my brothers, who were good at sports, fared a bit better, at least back when they were in school, because my father was a sports nut. But getting back to your brother, Tony. Whose idea was it that he invest in CURE, yours or his?” Daniel’s voice regained some of its earlier brusqueness.
“Is this going to become an argument again?”
“Just answer the question!”
“What difference does it make?”
“It was a monumental error in judgment to allow a possible—or probable, as the case may be—mobster to invest in our company.”
“It was a combination of both of us,” Stephanie said. “In contrast with my father, he’s been interested in what I’ve been doing lately, and I’d told him biotechnology was a good place to put some of his money from the restaurants.”
“Wonderful!” Daniel exclaimed sarcastically. “I hope you realize that investors in general don’t like losing money, despite having been adequately warned of the risks in start-up companies. My guess would be that such an attitude would be an understatement for a mobster. Have you ever heard of such inconveniences as smashed patellae?”
“He’s my brother, for Christ’s sake! There’s not going to be any kneecap smashing.”
“Yeah, but I’m not his brother.”
“It’s insulting to even suggest such a thing,” Stephanie snapped. She turned her head to look out her window. Generally she had a reservoir of patience to put up with Daniel’s sarcasm, ego, and antisocial negativity, thanks to the awe she felt about his scientific brilliance, but at the moment and given the morning’s events, it was wearing thin.
“Under the circumstances, I don’t have a lot of interest in hanging around Washington for another night,” Daniel said. “I think we should get our things together, check out, and get on the next shuttle back to Boston.”
“Fine by me,” Stephanie clipped.
Stephanie got out her side of the taxi as Daniel paid the fare. She headed directly into the hotel lobby, only vaguely aware that he was close behind her. She was upset enough to wonder what she’d do when they got back to Boston. In her current state of mind, the idea of returning to Daniel’s Cambridge apartment where she’d been living was not appealing. Daniel’s suggestion that her family was low enough to be capable of physical violence was galling. She wasn’t sure if anyone in her family was involved in loan-sharking or other questionable activities, but she was darn sure no one ever got hurt.
“Dr. D’Agostino, excuse me!” one of the concierges voiced loudly.
Unexpectedly hearing her name called out in the middle of the hotel lobby startled Stephanie enough that she stopped in her tracks. Daniel collided with her, causing him to drop the folder he was carrying.
“Good grief!” Daniel snapped, as he squatted down to retrieve the papers that had wafted out of the folder. A bellman lent a hand. The papers were professionally rendered schematics of HTSR. He’d brought them to the hearing in case it had been appropriate to hand them out to be sure people understood the procedure. Unfortunately, the opportunity hadn’t presented itself.
By the time Daniel had righted himself, Stephanie had returned to his side from the concierge’s desk.
“You could have let me know you were stopping,” Daniel complained.
“Who is Carol Manning?” Stephanie questioned.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea. Why do you ask?”
“You got an urgent message from her.” Stephanie handed over the piece of paper.
Daniel read it rapidly. “I’m supposed to call her. It says it’s an emergency. How can it be an emergency if I don’t even know who it is?”
“What’s the area code?” Stephanie questioned, as she looked over Daniel’s shoulder.
“Two-oh-two!” Daniel said. “Where’s that, do you know?”
“Of course I do! It’s right here in D.C.”
“Washington!” Daniel exclaimed. “Well, that settles it.” He crumpled the note, stepped over to the concierge’s desk, and asked one of them to file it in the circular file.
Stephanie was rooted to the spot where she’d handed Daniel the note. Her mind was churning as she watched Daniel start toward the elevators. Making a sudden decision, she dashed to the desk, took the note from the concierge who still had it clutched in his fist while speaking to another guest, and ran after Daniel.
“I think you should call,” Stephanie said, slightly out of breath as she reached Daniel.
“Oh, really?” Daniel questioned superciliously. “I don’t think so.”
The elevator arrived, and Daniel boarded. Stephanie followed.
“No, I think you should call. I mean, what do you have to lose?”
“A little more of my self-esteem,” Daniel said.
The elevator rose. Daniel’s eyes were glued to the floor indicator. Stephanie’s were glued to Daniel’s. The doors opened. They started down the hall.
“I think I recognized the number’s prefix from having called Senator Ashley Butler’s office last week. I think the prefix was two-two-four, and if it was, then it is a Senate Office Building exchange.”
“All the more reason not to call,” Daniel said. He keyed open the door to their room and entered. Stephanie was right behind him.
While Daniel was removing his coat, Stephanie ducked into the sitting room. At the desk, she smoothed out the note. “It is two-two-four,” she called out to Daniel. “The emergency is underlined. Maybe the old codger changed his mind!”
“That’s about as likely as the moon dropping out of orbit,” Daniel said, joining Stephanie. He looked down at the message. “It is weird. What the hell kind of emergency could it be? Originally I thought it was from th
e media, but not if it’s a Senate Office Building exchange. You know, I don’t care. Being cooperative with anyone who has anything to do with the U.S. Senate is not high on my priority list at the moment.”
“Call! You might be cutting off your nose to spite your face. If you don’t, I’ll do it. I’ll pretend I’m your secretary.”
“You, a secretary? How entertaining! All right, for God’s sake, call!”
“I’ll use the speakerphone so you can hear.”
“Wonderful,” Daniel said sarcastically. He sprawled out on the sofa with his head on one of the furniture’s arms and his feet on the other.
Stephanie dialed. There was the sound of only one electronic ring before the connection went through. A decidedly female voice snapped a hello as if the person had been eagerly waiting on the other end.
“I’m calling for Dr. Daniel Lowell,” Stephanie said. She locked eyes with Daniel. “Is this Carol Manning?”
“It is. Thank you for calling back. It is extremely important that I talk with the doctor before he checks out of the hotel. Is he available?”
“Can I ask what this is in relation to?”
“I’m Senator Ashley Butler’s chief of staff,” Carol began. “You might have seen me this morning. I was seated behind the senator.”
Daniel quickly ran his index finger across his throat to get Stephanie to hang up. Stephanie ignored him.
“I need to talk with the doctor,” Carol continued. “As I said, it is extremely important.”
With the addition of an angry grimace, Daniel again gestured with his finger as if he were cutting his throat. He did it again when Stephanie hesitated.
She motioned to him to stop his antics. It was clear to her that he was not about to talk with Carol Manning, but she was not about to hang up.
“Is the doctor there?” Carol questioned.
“He’s here, but momentarily indisposed.”
Daniel rolled his eyes.
“May I ask with whom I am speaking?” Carol questioned.
Stephanie hesitated again while she thought of what to say, considering she’d told Daniel she would pretend to be his secretary. Thinking that was ridiculous now that she was on the phone, she finally just gave her name.
“Oh, good!” Carol responded. “From Dr. Lowell’s testimony, I understand you are a collaborator. Might I ask if your collaboration is close and perhaps even personal?”
A wry smile spread across Stephanie’s face. She stared at the phone for a second as if it could tell her why Carol Manning would be willing to flaunt normal etiquette and ask such a question. Under more normal circumstances, it would have angered Stephanie. Now it merely magnified her intrigue.
“I don’t mean to be inappropriate,” Carol added, as if she sensed Stephanie’s response. “This is a rather awkward situation, but I was told you were registered in the same suite. I hope you understand that my goal is not to invade your privacy but rather to be as discreet as possible. You see, the senator would like to arrange a secret meeting with Dr. Lowell, and in this town that is not easy, considering the senator’s prominence and notoriety.”
Stephanie’s mouth had slowly dropped open as she’d listened to this surprising request. Even Daniel had brought his feet down from the arm of the sofa and had sat up.
“It had been my hope,” Carol continued, “that I could have communicated this message directly to Dr. Lowell so that only the senator, the doctor, and myself would have known about the meeting. Obviously, that is no longer possible. I hope we can count on your discretion, Dr. D’Agostino.”
“Dr. Lowell and I work very closely,” Stephanie said. “You can most assuredly count on my discretion.” She gestured frantically to see if Daniel wished to participate in the conversation now that it had taken such an unexpected twist. Daniel shook his head but motioned for her to continue.
“We are hoping the meeting could be arranged for this evening,” Carol said.
“What can I tell Dr. Lowell this meeting is about?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“Not telling me is going to cause a problem,” Stephanie said. “I happen to know that Dr. Lowell was not pleased with what happened at this morning’s hearing. I’m not sure he will be open to meeting with the senator unless he has some idea it would be to his advantage to do so.” Stephanie looked at Daniel. He gestured he approved how she was handling the call by giving her a thumbs-up sign.
“This is also rather awkward,” Carol said. “Although I am the senator’s chief of staff and I normally know everything that is going on in this office, I have absolutely no idea why the senator wants to meet with the doctor. The gist of what the senator said was that although Dr. Lowell might be irritated at today’s events, he should hold off on coming to any conclusions about S.1103 until they meet.”
“That’s rather vague,” Stephanie said.
“That’s the best I can do with the information I have. Nonetheless, I strongly urge the doctor to meet with the senator. My sense is that it will indeed be to his advantage. I cannot imagine any other reason for this meeting. It is most out of the ordinary, and I should know. I have been working with the senator for sixteen years.”
“Where would the meeting take place?”
“The safest place would be in a moving car.”
“This is sounding overly melodramatic.”
“The senator insisted on absolute secrecy, and as I said, that is not easy in this town.”
“Who would be driving this car?”
“Myself.”
“If the meeting were to take place, I’d have to insist on being present as well.”
Daniel again rolled his eyes.
“Since I’ve already apprised you of the meeting, I will assume that would be acceptable, but to be one hundred percent certain, I’d have to run it by the senator.”
“Can I assume you would come to the hotel and pick us up?”
“I’m afraid that would be inadvisable. The safest plan would be for you and Dr. Lowell to take a taxi to the Union Station. At exactly nine o’clock, I will come by in a black Chevrolet Suburban with tinted windows and District plates: GDF471. I will pull up to the curb directly in front of the station. In case there is any problem, I will give you my cell phone number.”
Stephanie wrote the number down as Carol relayed it.
“Can the senator count on Dr. Lowell being there?”
“I’ll convey this information to Dr. Lowell exactly as you have presented it to me.”
“That’s all I can ask,” Carol said. “However, I’d like to reemphasize how extremely important this is for both the senator and for Dr. Lowell. The senator used those exact words.”
Stephanie thanked the woman, said she’d call back in fifteen minutes, and disconnected. She stared at Daniel. “This has to be one of the more bizarre episodes I’ve ever been involved in,” she said, breaking a short silence. “What’s your take?”
“What the devil could this old geezer have in mind?”
“I’m afraid there’s only one way to find out.”
“Do you really think I should go?”
“Let’s put it this way,” Stephanie said. “I think you’d be a fool not to go. Since the meeting is secret, you don’t even have to worry about losing any more self-esteem, unless you care what Ashley Butler thinks of you, and knowing what you think of him, I can’t imagine that’s the case.”
“Did you buy this Carol Manning saying she didn’t know what the meeting was about?”
“Yes, I did. I detected some hurt feelings when she said it. My sense is that the senator has something far from mainstream up his sleeve that he wasn’t even willing to share with his chief aide.”
“All right,” Daniel said with a tinge of reluctance. “Call her back and say I’ll be at the Union Station at nine.”
“That’s we will be at the Union Station,” Stephanie said. “I meant what I said to Ms. Manning. I insist on going.”
“Why not,” Daniel
said. “We might as well make it a party.”
four
8:15 P.M., Thursday, February 21, 2002
It appeared to Carol that every light was blazing in the senator’s modest Arlington, Virginia, home as she turned into the driveway and came to a stop. She glanced at her watch. With the vagaries of Washington traffic, it wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to manage to arrive at Union Station at exactly nine o’clock. She hoped she’d timed it right, although things were not starting out auspiciously. It had taken ten minutes longer than she’d planned to get from her apartment in Foggy Bottom out to Ashley’s house. Luckily, with her grand plan, she’d given herself an extra quarter-hour leeway.
Leaving the engine running and setting the emergency brake, Carol prepared to get out of her vehicle. But it turned out that exposing herself to the cold drizzle wasn’t necessary. Ashley’s front door opened, and the senator appeared. Behind him stood his portly wife of forty years, looking like the epitome of solid domesticity, dressed in a white, lace-fringed apron over a paisley housedress. Under the protection of the porch and following her apparent orders, he struggled to open his umbrella. What had started out that day as snow flurries had changed to steady rain.
With his face hidden beneath the inverted bowl of the black umbrella, Ashley began descending his front steps. He moved slowly and deliberately, giving Carol a moment to study the blocky, slightly stooped, heavyset man who in another life could have been a farmer or even a steelworker. For Carol, it wasn’t a particularly cheerful sight watching her boss approach. There was something distinctly depressing and pathetic about the scene. The misty air and the sepia coloring contributed, as did the monotonous click-clack of the windshield wipers as they implacably traced their repeated arcs across the wet windshield. But for Carol, it was more what she knew than what she saw. Here was a man she had respected almost to the point of reverence, for whom she’d made countless sacrifices for more than a decade, but who was now unpredictable and occasionally even mean. Despite her best efforts with the senator during the day, she still had no idea why he insisted on the upcoming clandestine and politically risky meeting with Dr. Lowell, and due to his insistence on absolute secrecy, she’d not been able to ask anyone else. To make matters worse, she couldn’t escape the feeling that Ashley had kept the reason for the meeting from her out of spite, purely because he instinctually knew how desperately she wanted to know. During the last year, thanks to a number of undeserved sarcastic comments, she sensed he envied her relative youth and good health.