Cherry Two

Part 35

Chapter 33

In the Devereux den, Keenan expressed disappointment. His home team's performance in a playoff baseball game left much to be desired. The L A Dodgers were taking a hammering from the Seattle Mariners inside Dodger Stadium. The top of the seventh inning left little hope for a turnaround with the Mariners three up and their best hitter at bat. The out of town fans were going berserk.

He'd tried Alain's cell off and on through the evening, but the peak logjam on the roaming circuits tended to persist.

Sonia returned from the kitchen carrying a fondue tray and set it in front of her husband. "Are you enjoying that?" she needled, knowing enjoy wasn't exactly the right word.

He looked up and pointed at the plasma screen. "Playing like pure shit tonight. These bush leaguers are walking all over them. Steve could have gotten me tickets for this mess. I'm kind'a glad I turned him down."

"Steve Cooley?"

"Do we know another DA that can get his hands on baseline VIP at an hour's notice?"

"Silly question," she said under her breath.

"Owwww, he missed it—strike one. That's better."

The phone rang. Sonia reached over, picked it up and placed a hand to her other ear. "Oh, hello, James. Just hold on for a minute, I'll take this in the study. James calling from England," she said to Keenan, raising her voice over the racket.

He waved her off, now fully absorbed in the game. James never asked to talk to him.

Behind Keenan's desk, Sonia looked at the digital clock and did the calculation. She picked up the extension.

"Hi, James. It must be very early over there?"

"Just after four in the morning. I couldn't sleep. Kate and Peter are still in bed. Something's troubling me, Sonia. Can you listen?"

"Of course," she responded into the phone. "You do know Calley is not here right now?"

"Yes, I know. She's with your father. That's what I'm calling about."

"Please understand, James, I never talk to him, not after what he did. Not just me—he did it to all of us, remember."

James hesitated before replying, not knowing how to broach what he wanted to say without sounding totally maniacal. "Despite everything, you wouldn't want Robert to die, would you? He is still your father."

"Die? James what do you mean? Why would he die?"

"I'm just saying, that's all. Most of us get a strange feeling now and then... especially me. I'd sleep a lot better if I could just talk to Robert and Calley. Please, Sonia."

Sonia rubbed her forehead as if in pain. The situation had become more complicated than James knew. "Yes, alright, but we've been trying to contact them from here for hours. Alain drove up to Carmel yesterday and now his cell phone is temporarily out of range. Neither of us have any idea where they went. Robert's not answering when Keenan tried his house phone. Isn't that just like the man? I'm getting worried the way you are. We both have someone we love out of reach with an egotist that thinks he knows everything. James, you saw yourself what he was capable of. Calley and Alain seem to think Robert has changed. Well I, for one, refuse to believe it. How could they possibly know? He'll never change."

"The minute you find out will you call me?" James pleaded into the phone, his voice sounding shaky and strained. "Calley sent me a disk with photos she'd taken of you and the family. Robert shows up in some of them. I could hardly recognize him. They gave me a horrible feeling. It's not something I can properly explain without sounding like a total nutter. It's just me being ridiculous I suppose. Please, Sonia," he begged.