Exposed (Rosato & DiNunzio #5)(73)
“So how do we get it out of the cloud?” Mary spun her laptop around to face Simon. “You can access it from any laptop, can’t you? It’s stored in the ether.”
“True, but…” Simon hesitated. “I don’t remember the password. It’s been years since I’ve used it.”
“What are your go-to passwords?” Mary spun the laptop back. “Tell them to me. We can try a few.”
“No, it’s not a normal word like Rachel’s name or our first dog. I use a password generator. It’s nonsensical.”
“Do you have it stored anywhere, like in your phone? I have one of those virtual wallets with my passwords stored.” Mary didn’t add that she had it only because Anthony had made her.
“I take no chances because it’s the company phone. I don’t want them to know about it. I write my passwords down on a sheet of paper at home.”
“Have you even been home since yesterday?”
“No.” Simon raked back his hair. “I’ve been wanting to go home and see what the house looks like if they searched it, but I haven’t had a spare minute. It’s just been too busy to leave here, with everything that’s going on. Also I figured the cops impounded the car.”
Mary’s thoughts went into overdrive. “I’m assuming they searched your house. We should go check it out. Tell us where you keep your password, and we’ll go right away.”
“How does that work? Do they break in? Do they leave the door open?” Simon rubbed his face. “I’d call the neighbors but they’re on vacation. It’s that time of year.”
“It’s okay, we’re on it.” Mary touched his arm. “Your password is where?”
“I always keep it in the same place. You know my home office, on the first floor? Desk drawers on the left, the top one. It’s hidden in a Phillies schedule.”
Suddenly Feet looked up, his eyes welling again. “Mare, you want me to sign this power-of-attorney in case they take Simon away? Do you really think they’re gonna take him to jail?”
Mary touched his arm. “Feet, don’t get upset. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
“But you brought the papers. You want me to sign the papers. Bennie does and so does Simon. That means you all think he’s going to jail. The cops think he did it. His company thinks he did it. They think he killed his boss because he got fired.” Feet held the papers in the air, his lips starting to tremble. “They’re going to take my son away? They’re going to put him in jail for a murder he didn’t do? He didn’t do it!”
“Feet, no,” Mary said, trying to calm him.
“Dad, it’s okay.” Simon got up and went around Feet’s other side. “It’s just a formality. That’s what I was saying to you this morning. It’s like insurance. You get car insurance, it doesn’t mean you’re going to crash. It’s just in case.”
Just then, Bennie’s phone started ringing, and she checked the screen, looking at Mary. “It’s Nate.”
“Who’s Nate?” Simon asked, next to Feet.
“He’s the president of Dumbarton Industries, the parent company.”
“You mean he’s the big boss?” Feet’s lined face flushed with emotion. “The capo di tutto capi?”
“Excuse me.” Bennie rose, answering the call, “Nate, what is it?”
Suddenly Feet jumped out of his seat. The POA papers fluttered from his hand, and he lunged toward Bennie. “Gimme that phone!”
“Dad!” Simon shouted, going after him.
“Feet?” Mary called out, as Bennie whirled around in surprise and Feet grabbed the phone from her hand.
“You’re the big mahaf, you bastard?” he shouted into the phone. “You never shoulda fired my son! He did a great job and he would never murder nobody! You’re not gonna take him away! I won’t let you! Mary and Bennie won’t let you! My granddaughter needs her father—”
“Dad, stop!” Simon grabbed him, holding him around the shoulders. Mary arrived at Feet’s other side and was about to take his arm when suddenly Feet let out an agonized cry, dropped the phone, and crumpled to the floor, clutching his chest.
Mary screamed. “He’s having a heart attack!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Bennie experienced what happened next as an awful blur. Mary screamed, loudspeakers barked. Simon knelt on the lounge floor, cradling his father, whose lined face had gone ashen. Nurses and doctors came running, racing into the lounge, performing CPR. A crash cart arrived, more personnel swarmed, and they brought the old man to life just as a stretcher arrived with even more personnel. Trained aides lifted him onto a gurney with an expert 1-2-3 count, taking his vitals all the while, then whisked him down the hallway to the emergency department of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, which was just next door in the medical complex. A stricken Simon hurried behind the group, calling instructions to Mary to stay behind with Rachel.
Bennie remained on the periphery during the commotion, then accompanied Mary as they walked back to Rachel’s room. They didn’t talk because Mary was busy texting her father and mother to tell them to call her, and after they’d reached Rachel’s room and ascertained that the child was sound asleep, Mary stood outside the room, kept an eye on Rachel, and called a slew of relatives and friends, informing them as calmly as possible of what happened and answering all their questions.