Voices Carry Page 20

  “So?”

  “So, I guess I just can’t help but wonder if they were always this happy. If their lives were always this perfect. So far, all I’ve read about both of these women leads me to think that their little boats were never rocked. And frankly, I find that hard to believe.”

  “Well, you’ll have a chance to find out when you start interviewing those same family and friends. I figure we’d take the rest of the day to read through, then we’d spend Friday morning going over what we’ve found. On Friday afternoon we’ll go our separate ways and see if we can learn something that the locals may have missed.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Genna smiled and pushed herself back from the table.

  “Is your hotel all right?” John asked casually. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get us all in the same place, but there are a few conventions in town.”

  “Oh, it’s fine. Thank you. The room is lovely,” she replied.

  He watched as she packed up her files and her briefcase and swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder.

  “I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” she said softly, pausing in the doorway as if wanting to add something, then thinking better of it, left the room without looking back.

  John sat quietly for a few long moments, swiveling his chair seat from side to side, deep in thought, wondering how he had managed to spend the last few days in her company without grabbing her by the arms and kissing her until she either collapsed or begged for mercy.

  Of course, it pleased John to be working with her once more. No stone would be unturned, he knew, in piecing together whatever tiny splintered fragments of evidence they would be able to uncover at this late date. If it was possible to find a trail, Genna, ever so detail-oriented, would help to locate it. It could be the smallest bit of information that could trigger something in her mind, and that small something could lead to the break they were looking for.

  But her presence there meant something more to John. It allowed him to look at her, maybe even to touch her. To be close to her, and he longed for that closeness, had missed it terribly. She drew him like a magnet, and he’d never for a moment considered it a weakness. And he’d never been able to give up the hope that someday he’d win her back.

  Maybe today. John smiled wistfully to himself as he, too, packed up his files and prepared to leave.

  The thought lingered even as he left the building. As he walked to his car. As he drove back to his town house and parked out front.

  Maybe today.

  He sat behind the wheel, the engine still running, remembering how it had been, several years back, when they’d first started dating. How he’d wined and dined her, how they’d taken long, romantic walks in the moonlight, holding hands and talking about their goals, their reasons for seeking out careers in law enforcement, their hopes for the future. Looking back, it seemed to him that they had fallen in love step by step, day by day.

  And here they were, just a few short years later, together again in DC, where they’d once spent so much time together.

  A smile began to spread slowly across his face and his fingers tapped thoughtfully on the steering wheel. He turned off the car, gathered up his files, and whistling as headed across the parking lot with a spring in his step, planned his evening.

  It was close to seven-thirty when Genna heard the knock on her door. Thinking it was way too soon for the tray of fruit and club soda she’d just called for, she opened the door to find a casually dressed John Mancini standing before her.

  “I thought maybe you could use a break about now,” he said, making no attempt to enter her room.

  “Actually, I had just called room service for a snack,” she told him, looking over his shoulder in hopes of seeing a cart being wheeled around the bend in the corridor.

  “A snack?” he asked. “It’s dinner time.” He glanced at his watch. “Actually, it’s past dinner time. If you’re eating on Patsy-time.”

  Genna laughed and checked the time on her own watch.

  “You’re right. I didn’t realize it was so late. No wonder I’m so hungry.”

  “Could I interest you in a quick dinner?” he asked nonchalantly, knowing full well that a quick meal was the last thing on his mind.

  Genna looked down at the light gray knit shorts and white tank top that she wore. Her feet were bare.

  “I’m not really dressed,” she stated the obvious.

  “I’m sure there’s someplace casual close by where we can catch a bite.”

  She bit her bottom lip, and John knew she was inwardly debating.

  Good.

  “Just give me a minute to pull on a skirt and to find my sandals.” She smiled. “Thanks for thinking of me.”

  As if he’d thought of much else except her and the case since she’d arrived in the city.

  “How about I wait for you in the lobby?” He suggested.

  “That’d be fine,” she nodded. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  Genna closed the door, and leaned back against it. What was she thinking? What had happened to her resolve to keep it simple, keep it friendly and professional?

  It’s only a casual dinner. I can keep it friendly and professional, she asserted as she folded up the file she’d been reading. This is just dinner. No big deal.

  Of course, it’s not, she told herself cynically, dialing room service to cancel her order. It’s only dinner in the city where they fell in love. Dinner in the city where he broke her heart.

  Hadn’t she spent the better part of the past forty-eight hours trying to ignore the fact that every time she looked at him, her heart began to beat just a little bit faster? That she’d had to remind herself on far too many occasions that she wasn’t there to stare across the table at him? That there was an important case unfolding before her, that she was an important member of the team intended to investigate it, and that she’d better pay more attention to what was being said and less attention to John’s body language?

  “I haven’t missed a thing,” she muttered to herself as she moved hangers around in the closet, looking for a short summer skirt that would be appropriate for a quick meal on a hot summer night in the nation’s capital. “I heard every word that was spoken over the past two days. I can recite the names of the missing and where they’re from. And before I’m through, I’ll know the names of their spouses and the ages of their kids and every move they made on the day they went missing.”

  She paused in front of the bathroom mirror to run a brush through her hair and pull it up into a tidy ponytail.

  It’s just hard, being so close to him. It reminds me of other days when we worked together. Other cases. Other times. . .

  “Times long gone,” she said aloud, as if to remind herself of that, too. “In the past. Finished. Done. History.”

  Then why, she asked herself as she closed her door behind her, was her pulse racing and her feet flying to the elevator?

  “So, have you gotten any vibes on our case?” John asked after they had been seated in a nearby pub.

  “I don’t know,” she shook her head slowly as she opened the menu and began to read. “I think I’ll have the roast beef sandwich.”

  “Sounds good. Me too.” John handed the menus back to the waiter. “Two roast beefs. And a very large order of onion rings.”

  “I haven’t had onion rings in. . . I can’t remember when.”

  “Then you’re due to indulge.”

  She grinned.

  “You sound like Patsy. Always prodding me to eat.”

  “How is Pats?”

  “I spoke with her last night. She and Chrissie are having a ball. Patsy’s teaching Chris to fish, to sail, to paddle a canoe. All the things she taught me, that first summer I was with her.”

  “How do you feel about sharing her?”

  “You mean, am I worried that Chrissie might take my place with Patsy?” Genna’s eyes gleamed. “Not for a second. I know exactly what I mean to Pats. I’m just delighted that Chris is having an opport
unity, for once in her life, to feel that special to someone else. You know how Pats is. She makes everyone feel that they are the most important person in the world. Chrissie’s never had anyone treat her that way. It’s time she did.”

  Genna poured sugar substitute from a pink packet into her iced tea.

  “On the other hand, yeah, sure, I’d rather be sailing, as they say. I’d like to be there to be part of whatever it is they are doing.” She sipped at her tea. “Especially since Patsy’s birthday is next week.”

  “Well, maybe you can slip away for a night,” John told her. “We’ll be doing a lot of traveling around over the next week or so.”

  “I don’t want to take any time from the investigation,” she said. “Everyone else will be working sixteen-hour days. I don’t want to be the slacker on the team.”

  “I doubt anyone will ever have cause to call you a slacker. I just meant, maybe you’ll get enough of a break to make a little side trip to the lake.”

  “If I had the time, I’d certainly stop in for a night. I do miss Pats.” She sighed. “I’m even missing Chris.”

  “What’s so strange about that? She’s your sister.”

  “All those years we were apart, I tried so hard not to think about her. Not to miss her.”

  “Any idea of what she’s going to do, ultimately?”

  “No. I suspect the past few weeks have been overwhelming for her. And Pats probably hasn’t given her time to catch her breath.” Genna leaned back in her seat as the waiter appeared with their sandwiches and positioned their plates on the narrow wooden plank table. “I think Chrissie came looking for me mostly to ease her conscience, maybe to establish some type of relationship with me, but I’m sure she wasn’t prepared for Pats.”

  John laughed aloud.

  “I wonder if anyone is ever prepared for people like Patsy.”

  “She’s one in a million, that’s for sure.” Genna speared an onion ring from the platter and draped it over the end of her plate. “I’m just hoping that Chrissie is able to adapt. You know, from being without any stable family life for so long, then going into a group home, and from there to Patsy’s, well, it might be hard for Chris.”

  “You adapted.” John took another bite out of his sandwich.

  “I was younger, and I hadn’t seen all that Chrissie’s seen. Haven’t had to deal with a lot of what she’s had. And I had advantages that she’s never had.”

  “Well, she’ll have them now,” John reminded her.

  “If she stays,” Genna told him.

  “How likely is it that she’d leave?”

  “I don’t know. We’ve not talked about the future. I’m not good at looking ahead.”

  “Not real good at looking back, either,” John muttered.

  “I heard that,” she put her fork down. “I’m working on it.”

  “Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “That’s encouraging. Want to tell me exactly what it is that you’re working on? Perhaps I can help refresh your memory.”

  “Thanks,” she said, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I’ll let you know.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  “You do that.” She grinned, then to change the subject, asked, “Quick, the guy by the door in the seersucker suit. What do you suppose he does for a living?”

  “Too easy,” John grinned back, pleased that she’d revived the old game they used to play in public places. “Congressional aide.”

  “You’re right. That was a no brainer.” Genna bit, then chewed as if contemplating. “Okay, then. The woman in the red blazer sitting alone at the small round table over there.”

  “Television news,” John replied, shaking his head. “I can see you’re clearly out of practice.”

  “Finished, folks?” The waiter appeared out of no where.

  “I am,” Genna nodded.

  “I guess we both are,” John told him.

  “Can I bring you some dessert? Coffee?”

  “Genna?” John asked.

  “Nothing for me.”

  “Just the check, then,” John said.

  “I’m looking forward to the walk back to the hotel.” Genna stood when the waiter returned with the check.

  “So am I.” John dropped two twenties on the table and took her elbow. “It’s a beautiful night.”

  “So it is.” Genna stopped on the sidewalk outside the pub and looked up into the night sky. It was clear, for all it was suspended over a major city, with all its lights and smog, and the moon hung low over the horizon.

  They strolled along the narrow sidewalk, their elbows touching, surprisingly content with the shared silence. So Genna was startled to see John step into the street and flag down a taxi. When the cab stopped, John opened the back door and turned to her, saying, “Hop in.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked as she slid into the backseat.

  “Something I want to see.” John slid in beside her, telling the driver, “The National Mall, please.”

  The cab raced through the streets, the driver blissfully unaware that two law enforcement agents were tossed around in his backseat as he cut this corner and sped around that. He arrived at their destination and stopped on a dime.

  “Well,” Genna said as she stepped out of the cab. “That was an interesting ride.”

  “I’m guessing we might have been that one last fare for the evening,” John said wryly, taking her arm and looping it around his own, then stopped to get his bearings. “It’s this way, I believe, to the Korean War Veterans Memorial.”

  They nodded as they passed an elderly gentleman who stood with his arms folded, looking out at the silent landscape where the statues of poncho-clad soldiers slipped through the night on an eerie patrol.

  “Oh.” Genna squeezed John’s arm. “Oh, look at that. Just look at that. Have you ever seen anything so. . . dramatic in your life?”

  The memorial erected to commemorate the men and women who served in the Korean Conflict caught the eye and held it. Nineteen statues, larger than life, headed up the hill, each man in a different pose, all so lifelike that Genna had gasped. Beautifully conceived, perfectly composed, the stone figures appeared to be more alive in the night than any sculpture she had ever seen.

  The couple stood in the dark and watched as the soldiers marched, ever faithfully, against an unseen enemy. The deepening shadows graced the statues with an energy, a force that was almost palpable.

  “Amazing piece of work, isn’t it?” The elderly gentleman moved close enough to comment, as if needing to share his thoughts on the magnificent sight.

  “It truly is,” John nodded.

  “Your first visit?” the old man asked.

  “No. I’ve been before.”

  “Did you have someone there, in Korea?” The stranger ventured forward another casual step or two.

  “An uncle. My mother’s brother,” John told him.

  “What branch?”

  “Army.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Victor Esposito.”

  “I didn’t know him. I’m sorry,” the old man shook his head. “Did he come back?”

  “No,” John said. “He was killed within three weeks of his arrival.”

  After a moment of silence, the man asked, “Has your mother been here?”

  “Yes. She’s been a few times, she and her sisters.”

  The old man nodded and looked off to where the Pool of Remembrance reflected the moon, murmuring, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”

  He turned to John and Genna and smiled, saying, “That’s the inscription over there at the Pool. In Korea 54,269 American lives were lost, and it took till 1993 to break ground on this spot, to honor their memories and to let their families know that their sacrifices have not been forgotten.”

  The old man drew himself up ramrod straight, saluted John and Genna, and disappeared into the shadows.


  “That was a moment.” Genna finally broke the silence.

  “I’d say the man had memories to deal with tonight. I’m glad we were here, so that he wasn’t alone.”

  “Why did we come here?”

  “Today would have been my uncle’s sixty-sixth birthday. I promised my mom I’d come by, since I was in the city.”

  “Thank you for bringing me along.”

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind,” he said, taking her hand tightly in his own.

  “Not at all,” she replied, falling into an easy pace as they walked back toward the street. “The memorial is breathtaking, and it’s a beautiful evening. If you hadn’t stopped by for me, I’d have spent the entire night in my room and I’d have missed it all.”

  “I’m glad that you’re glad.” John smiled, feeling pleased with himself. “Now, what do you suppose our chances are of finding a cab at this hour?”

  “Not a problem,” Genna laughed as she walked into the street with her arm raised as a taxi rounded the corner, looking for a fare.

  “Okay, so you got lucky,” John muttered good-naturedly as the cab stopped and he opened the door for her. He gave the driver the name of Genna’s hotel and settled into the backseat next to her.

  He had pretty much decided to take things really slowly with her this time, being determined to win her back, once and for all, and not wanting to do anything that might scare her away, or give her an excuse not to be alone with him again. But she was so damned close, there in the dark, and she smelled so damned good, that without thinking, he’d drawn her to him, the fingers of his right hand sliding through the soft warmth of her hair and the fingers of the left easing her chin up so that her mouth met his own.

  This wasn’t in tonight’s game plan, he silently berated himself even as he kissed her. I hadn’t planned on anything like this tonight. This was supposed to be our get reacquainted/John’s really a good guy/no pressure evening, he reminded himself as his tongue parted her lips and slid into the soft warmth of her mouth.

  Oh, well. The best-laid plans. . .