Shadow in Serenity

thirty-one


They had just finished dessert when the maître d’ approached their table. “Excuse me, Mr. Brisco? Your limousine is here.”

“Thank you,” Logan said, laying down a couple of bills. “This should cover the check and the tip.” It paid to make an impression. Word got around.

“Thank you, sir.”

Carny was quiet until the maître d’ disappeared. “Did he say your limousine?”

“Yes,” Logan said, getting up. “Ever ridden in one?”

“Well … no, not really.” She followed him across the lobby and out the front door, but the expression on her face told him she was more concerned than impressed.

A chauffeur waited beside a gold Rolls-Royce, and upon seeing Logan, he opened the back door for them. “Good afternoon, Mr. Brisco.”

“Hello.” Logan shook the chauffeur’s hand. “We’re going to see Mr. Gastineau at MidSouth Bank on Congress Street.”

Carny hesitated before getting in. “Logan, are you sure …?”

“Get in, Carny,” he whispered. “The man’s waiting.”

Clumsily, she slid onto the seat and made room for Logan. “Who sent this?”

“The banker I’m working with,” he said. “And please, if you meet him, don’t say anything about the limo. He sees me as a successful executive of King Enterprises. We don’t want him to think we’re not used to this kind of treatment.”

Why had he lied to her? he wondered, looking out the window as the chauffeur got in. He could just as easily have told her the truth — that he’d hired the limo himself to look important when he drove up at the bank. But he didn’t want her to think he was a phony.

As the thought came into his mind, he knew that it was absurd. Of course he was a phony. Everything about him was phony.

It probably hadn’t been smart to bring her along, he thought as the limo pulled away from the hotel. But proving to her that he was legit was almost more important than making himself legit.

He made himself comfortable and grinned. “So what do you think?”

She feigned nonchalance. “It’s nice, for a Rolls.”

He laughed aloud, and the chauffeur glanced into the rearview mirror.

“So who’s your first victim?” she asked.

He shook his head. “They’re not victims, they’re investors. I have to convince them that Serenity is the right place for this park.”

“And why are you so sure it is?”

“Because the town needs it. And because wherever we build it, I’m going to have to live there. And Serenity is where I want to live. And because I think it’ll make my investors a killing.”

She looked out the window. “Will you know from this trip whether they’ll approve the Serenity site or not?”

“Maybe,” he said. “I hope so. If these bankers join us, the rest of the group is sure to see that Serenity is the place.”

“And what if they don’t?” She brought her gaze back to him. “What if they tell you that isn’t what they had in mind? Will you give back all the money you’ve collected from Serenity?”

“They won’t say that,” he said. “The amount I’ve already raised speaks volumes about Serenity’s level of commitment to the project. That’s the kind of community they’re looking for.”

“You didn’t answer my question. If they don’t, will you give the money back?”

He faced her directly. “All right, Carny. If they decide not to build the park there, yes, I’ll give the money back, just like I’ve told you before. I’ll have to, won’t I?”

She didn’t answer, but again looked out toward the street.

The limousine turned onto Congress Street, and ahead, Logan saw the MidSouth sign on a black marble-and-glass building. Just as he remembered, the first floor was showcased in glass. Perfect, he thought. The officers of the bank would see him riding up in the limo, and if his hunch was right, he’d be greeted at the door by someone who mattered, and he’d be noticed by everyone who could see the street.

Montague would be proud.

Then he’d employ every sales technique Montague had ever taught him, and give the bankers a pitch that would make them salivate. He had done it before.

He got his briefcase, checked the contents, then snapped it shut as the chauffeur pulled to the curb. Carny reached for her door handle, but Logan stopped her. “Let him,” he said, as the chauffeur got out and came around to open the door.

As Carny stepped out, Logan was pleased to see that people along the sidewalk were watching them, waiting to see what celebrity or billionaire would be making an appearance today. Through the bank’s glass wall, the secretaries peered curiously out at them as well. Good. Just the effect he’d wanted.

He asked the driver to wait for them. Setting his hand on the small of Carny’s back, he escorted her in.

They had scarcely reached the door when a man in a suit opened it for them.

“Good afternoon, sir,” he said, shaking Logan’s hand. “I’m Andrew Seal.”

“Good afternoon,” Logan said. “Logan Brisco, and this is Miss Sullivan. I have an appointment to see Mr. Gastineau.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Brisco,” the man said. “Miss Sullivan. I’ll take you up myself.”

All the way up, Mr. Seal talked about the weather in Houston and questioned Logan about the length of his stay.

They stepped off the elevator into a plush lobby with secretaries working quietly along the perimeter. Mr. Seal escorted them to the bank president’s office and asked them to have a seat while he alerted Mr. Gastineau that they were here.

They took the elegant sofa against the wall. “What do you think so far?” he asked with a grin.

Carny smiled. “It’s okay, if you like having your feet kissed. And you do like it, don’t you, Brisco?”

He chuckled. “Doesn’t everybody?”

“No, actually,” she said. “It makes me very uncomfortable. Makes me feel like a fraud.”

“Well, don’t worry. Gastineau isn’t a foot-kisser. When I go in, you just wait here. And be patient. It could be a long meeting. If you decide to leave, you can take the limo. I’ll call the chauffeur when I’m ready to be picked up.”

She smiled. “I’ll stay here, Brisco.”

“Still afraid I’ll break and run?”

She laughed softly. “Well, I don’t think you can easily escape from a twentieth-floor window, so I feel pretty secure here.”

“As long as you’re in the same building?”

“Something like that,” she said.