Dink Brennan sat in a circle of chairs and gazed at the seven other people occupying them. They were a mixed bag of people, but they were all well dressed and carefully groomed. Dink’s guess was that this place didn’t take Medicaid.
The psychiatrist ended the session, and an orderly came in and whispered to Dink, “You have a visitor in the main lounge.”
Finally, Dink thought. He had been there a week and was clean of any drug, but they weren’t going to let him out of there so easily, so he was going to have to keep doing business from there.
He walked into the main lounge, which looked more like the lobby of a chic SoHo hotel, and saw Parker Mosely, his roommate at Yale, waiting for him. They shook hands and sat down.
“How they treating you, Dink?” Parker asked.
“About how you’d expect. I’ve blinded them with cooperation. They make us clean our own rooms, and you should see mine: neat as a pin.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“I can do it when I want to. Anyway, they seem to look at a neat room as proof of character, so I’ve had a head start since day one.”
“You got a shave and a haircut, too.”
“Yeah, more proof of character. All I had in my blood when they tested it was a little grass. My plan is to make them think my old man overreacted by sending me here, that I don’t really belong. In fact, I’ve already started working on the psychiatrist to get him thinking that the old man is the problem, not me.”
“Smart.” Parker looked around the room casually, then slipped a small book envelope to Dink. “Here’s the cell phone you wanted, and a charger, too. I gave the number to Carson, and she knows not to expect an answer when she calls, just voice mail. I told her you’d get back to her.”
Dink tucked it into his belt, under his shirttail. “Tell her I want to see her here tomorrow. I’ve got something I want her to do.”
“She’ll be here within the hour. She’s driving over from her folks’ house in Washington.”
“Great!”
“How long do you think you’ll be here?”
“My guess is that they’re not going to let me out in less than a month, because they want to make some money before they release me. However, that doesn’t mean we’re out of business. You need to recruit a couple more sellers. I don’t want you selling direct-you’re management, and I don’t want you getting busted. Don’t tell the people you hire your real name, either. I’ll call my connection and set up a delivery for another six kilos.”
“Coke, too?”
“Nah, we’re doing fine with grass.”
“Gotcha,” Parker said. “What else?”
“I want you to call the lawyer that Dad sent to get me in here. His name is Herbert Fisher, at Woodman and Weld. Tell him how well I’m doing and that I expressed a wish to have him visit me as soon as he can manage it.”
“What do you want to see a lawyer for?”
“He’s the key to squaring things with the old man. If I can convince Fisher I’m on the road to a complete recovery, he’ll convince Dad, who would never believe me.”
“Smart move.”
Dink looked up to see Carson walking into the room and looking around. She was wearing a dress her mother must have picked out for her. Her hair was freshly done and she was carrying a Chanel handbag. The girl was the complete actress. He stood up and waved her over.
“Hello, sweetheart,” Carson said, kissing him on the cheek as if she were his sister. “You look wonderful!”
“Sit down, baby,” Dink said, and sat down on the sofa with her. “Parker, you get out of here now, and there’s something else I want you to do.”
“Name it.”
“First of all, I want you to bring my car up here. There’s a gas station at the bottom of the hill, on the outskirts of the village.”
“I saw it.”
“Take the car there and ask them to keep it for me. Pay whatever they want. Leave one key with them, and then bring the other key to me. This is just in case I have to effect an early release from this place.”
“Gotcha,” Parker said. “It’ll be here tomorrow.”
“You can get the car service to pick you up at the filling station and take you back to New Haven.”
“Right.” The two shook hands, and Parker left.
“Come on,” Dink said to Carson, “I want to appear to be giving you the tour.” He led her out of the main lounge into the garden, then showed her the pool, aware that various staff members were keeping an eye on them. They sat in the garden for a while.
“The dress was a nice touch,” Dink said. “The handbag, too.”
“They’re both my mother’s,” Carson said. “Is there somewhere we can go?”
“Yeah, I think the heat’s off for the moment. Come with me.” He walked her slowly toward his cottage, chatting along the way, careful not to seem to be hurrying. He walked her through the living room of the cottage, then into his room, closing the door behind him.
“Does it lock?” Carson asked, pulling the dress over her head. She was naked under it.
Dink put a chair under the doorknob. “We’re okay,” he said, dropping his jeans and pulling the polo shirt over his head. In a flash they were in bed, and for the next half hour Dink devoted himself to pleasing her. When they were done she used the bathroom, then came back and lay down beside him.
“Man, you look good to me,” Dink said.
“I meant to. I’ve been so horny I couldn’t stand it.” She took him in her mouth and got him started, then pulled him on top of her.
HALF AN HOUR later they lay together, catching their breath. “Are you going to the city anytime soon?” Dink asked.
“I can if you like,” she said. “I can go directly from here and stay at our apartment tonight. The folks will be away for the weekend.”
He wrote down a name and number for her and gave her the slip of paper. “This is the lawyer who Dad got to put me in here. I want you to call him and get together with him. Tell him how well I’m doing and how grateful you are to him for helping me and tell him I’m grateful, too. Then fuck him.”
“Am I going to enjoy this?” she asked.
“He’s a decent-looking guy, about thirty, dresses well, smart.”
“Okay, then I’ll fuck him. What then?”
“See him a couple of times. Get him hooked on you, because I’ve got plans for him. I’ll tell you more later.”
“I’d better enjoy this,” she said.
“Sweetheart, you enjoy sex more than any girl I’ve ever known.”
“You have a point there,” she said.
“You’d better get dressed and get out of here. Try not to be noticed until you’re back at the main lounge. If anybody asks about me, say that I went back to my room for a nap.”
“Okay, baby,” she said, planting a big kiss on him. She slipped the dress over her head, zipped it, fluffed her hair, picked up her bag, and was gone.
Dink hid his new cell phone, then fell asleep.