He reached across and gripped her hand. She didn't pull away.
"Look, Gin, " he said. "If you want to be a part of the doings on the Hill, you're going to have to play by their rules. The people up here aren't going to change for you."
"I never expected them to, but, " "Think of yourself as having entered the world's largest bazaar, where everything is for sale but no prices are marked. The currency is influence, and the best hagglers walk away with the fullest shopping carts."
"That's pretty damn grim, Gerry."
"Gin, " he said, leaning forward, "I'm sure you see influence peddling in hospital politics, but that's penny-ante stuff. This is the major leagues. This Blair guy, he's got influence with his senator to get you something you want, you, in turn, have got something he wants.
Sounds as if he's experienced at the game, very circumspect in his hallway negotiation, and that's just what it was, a negotiation. And don't think that it occurred in an empty hallway by accident. No quid pro quo proposition, just a generous offer to help you deal with a possible hitch in your appointment. And no witnesses. Very smooth."
"You sound as if you almost admire him."
"I will admire my fist in his face if I ever meet up with him, " he said.
Gerry was rewarded with another smile, this one big enough to reveal the glistening white of Gin's teeth.
"Don't get yourself in trouble on my account."
"It's a good account.
" "Does that mean I can make a professional request? " " Professional?
" "Yes. Police-type stuff. I'm trying to find out about Duncan Lathram's daughter." Gerry felt his insides tighten as they always did at mention of Lathram's name, but he remained impassive. Obviously she was tired of talking about Joe Blair.
"What about her? She in trouble? " "No. She died in an accident five years ago." "What kind of accident? " "A fall at home."
"You're suspicious about something? " "Oh, no. Not at all. I just can't find out anything about her. Nobody's talking."
"It's just idle curiosity, then? " He could tell from her manner it was anything but.
She was holding something back.
"No. I don't know what it is, really. I was just wondering if you could get hold of a copy of the death certificate." Now there was an odd request. But not a difficult one if you knew who to call. And perfectly legal. Death certificates were public records.
"No biggee. Just have to know where she lived at the time The rest is easy."
"Alexandria, I believe. Northern Virginia for sure."
"Okay. Have it for you in a day or two." And he would. But first he'd give it a thorough going over himself. His curiosity was piqued.
"Unless there's a rush." He watched her closely as she answered.
"No. No rush. ' That settled, he could almost see her drift away as she lapsed into silence. She sighed.
He said, "What are you thinking? " Was it about Lisa Lathram, or about this Blair character, or something else?
"Maybe you and Duncan are right. Maybe I'm not cut out for this town.
" So . . . it was back to Blair. An ache grew within him as he sensed the disappointment in her voice, watched discouragement etch lines around her frown. He wasn't sure what, but he was going to do something.
"Don't give up hope, " he said. "Things have a way of working out. ' '"Maybe sometimes, " she said. "Not this time" He drained the white zinfandel.
"You never know, Gin. You never know." Gerry stood in the wide, fresh-smelling, brightly lit hallway outside the apartment door in the Watergate-at-Landmark, a high-rise condo complex in northern Virginia, and waited for his ring to be answered.
He knew Blair was home, a hang-up phone call had confirmed that. Maybe he was eating. Gerry hoped he was alone. If he wasn't, Gerry would have to improvise. But one way or another, he was going to make this creep see the light.
As soon as he'd left Gin at her car he'd hustled up Pennsylvania to the Bureau. He ran a check on Blair, but no criminal record. Too bad.
That would have made things easier.
So he'd have to bluff.
Gerry shrugged some of the tension out of his tight shoulder muscles.
This sort of unofficial visit could land him in a serious load of official trouble if Blair called his blu*.
But Gerry knew how these highly placed Hill rats operated. They couldn't vote, but lots of times they had control of the line by line wording of a bill, and that could be more important than a Yea or Nay.
The lobbyists courted them with trips, gifts, and honoraria for speaking engagements, just like their bosses. Gerry remembered one case, still mentioned by Hill rats in awed tones, of two staffers, Michaels and Bill Patterson, who netted a total of twenty eight thousand dollars from a host of lobbyists in forty-eight hours.
Blair no doubt had dreams of topping that record.
Gerry meant to disturb those dreams.
Because if Blair planned to cash in all the influence chips that would accrue from the Guidelines bill, the last thing he wanted was a ticked-off FBI agent watching his every move.
But Gerry didn't have much time Mrs. Snedecker had said she'd keep Martha a couple of extra hours today. Gerry would have to get to it with Blair right away.
The condo door opened and a pale face with a see-through mustache cautiously peered at him through the opening. This was a gated building.
Drop-in company was not the norm.
"Yes? " Gerry held up the same badge that had got him past the doorman.
"FBI, Mr. Blair." Blair opened the door a little wider for a better look. He squinted at the badge.
"What is it? What do you want? " Gerry flipped the leather badge folder closed and stepped closer, quietly wedging his foot against the bottom edge of the door. He slipped the badge into his pocket.
'"Don't worry. It's not official business." . "Then what, ? " Gerry put a hand against Blair's chest and gently pushed him back into his apartment. There were times when subtlety was called for and times when it wasn't.
"You and me, Blair. We're gonna have us a little talk." GINA GINA YAWNED AS SHE HEADED FOR THE DOCTORS lounge. A busy night at Lynnbrook. Sometimes she could catch a catnap during the shift. Not this time
Not that she would have got much more sleep if she'd stayed home. What a state she was in. Worse than waiting to hear about her residency match. Almost as bad as the months waiting to hear if she'd been accepted into medical school.
She ran into Dr. Conway again.