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“He said he wasn’t far from having some business for you.”
“For us, Bobby. The firm wouldn’t be getting this business if it weren’t for you, and Bill Eggers will hear about that, believe me.”
Bobby looked relieved, but now he looked worried again. “Dad ran a background check on you,” he said.
“Oh? I’m sure he found the report very interesting.”
“He didn’t know you killed that guy in Little Italy a few years ago.”
“It was in the papers-it’s no secret. Does he know that the initial charges were dropped?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Next time you speak with him, tell him to ask me about it. I’ll be happy to tell him the whole story.”
“I think that’s a good idea, Herb. Dad is a very conservative guy, a real straight arrow, and the idea that you have an arrest record is alarming to him.”
“That’s why I want him to talk to me about it personally. I’ll answer all his questions.”
“Good, I’ll pass that on to him.” Bobby went back to his cubicle.
Herbie was standing at the curb when Mike Freeman’s car pulled up. He got in, and they headed downtown to High Cotton Ideas.
“How’s the new business thing going?” Mike asked.
“Wonderful! Thank you so much for sending me Joshua Hook!”
“Josh is a hard-ass but a good guy. He told me you advised him to ease off the boot camp atmosphere, and I agreed. He’s even having the accommodations done up a bit to make them more hotel-like, and nobody will be bunking with anybody else.”
“My guess is, he was a Marine before he joined the Agency.”
“Close-he was a Navy SEAL.”
“He asked me how far I could run without passing out. I told him I don’t run.”
“Are you going up there next week?”
“I’m already booked in,” He
rbie said.
They arrived at the High Cotton Ideas building, and Herbie was struck by the transformation the stucco had made to the exterior. The lobby entrance to the new penthouse was under construction, and there was a crane in the street, lifting pallets of construction material to the roof.
James Rutledge came over and joined them. “The elevator to the roof will be operating in another ten days or so, then we can run materials up there and get rid of the crane.”
“Sounds good,” Herbie said.
They walked through the open door of the garage and the difference from before was striking.
“We’re installing a new steel garage door that will be veneered in mahogany but will be very secure. We can thank Mike’s people for that suggestion.”
“I’m glad they’ve been of help to you,” Mike said.
“The security systems are in, and, miracle of miracles, they actually work!”
“That’s what we aim for,” Mike replied.
They rode up in the elevator to the floor where Mark Hayes and his people were temporarily working.
