Keep Quiet(70)

“Yes, of course, but our clients are confidential, as you know—”

“I don’t care who the client is. Call him for me. Not on his cell, but at the client. Somebody has to put a note in front of him right away and tell him to call me. It’s very important.”

“Interrupt his meeting?”

“Yes, Marie, I wouldn’t ask you if it weren’t an emergency.”

“May I help you instead?”

Jake hesitated. “Did Harold discuss anything with you about one of my accounts yesterday or this morning?”

“No, but if you update me, I’m sure I can help—”

“Then no, thanks. I need you to call Harold, get a note in front of him, and tell him to call me immediately. Have them write on the note that he should not do what we discussed. You understand?”

“I suppose I could do that,” Marie said uncertainly. “That he should not do what you discussed.”

“Yes, exactly.” Jake glanced at the clock, feeling time slipping away. The police would be here soon. “Call me right back after you’ve made the phone call.”

“Of course. I’ll attend to it right now.”

“Thanks, good-bye.” Jake pressed END on the phone and checked the clock—10:06. The police were on their way. Phone in hand, he hurried to his office door, flung it open, and hustled to Amy’s desk. “Hey, we had some terrible news this morning.”

“What’s going on?” Amy focused her warm brown eyes on his face, her concern immediate. She had on a funky multicolored scarf and dangling silver earrings with bright red stones.

“Amy, do you remember that prospective who dropped in yesterday morning? Lewis Deaner?” Jake leaned over, lowering his voice, even though the closest desk wasn’t within earshot. “I just got a call from the police, and he was found murdered in his apartment.”

“Oh my God.” Amy’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s terrible.”

“I know, and the police are going to be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Here? Why?”

“I assume they want to investigate and ask what we met about yesterday.” Jake tried to remain composed. Over Amy’s shoulder, he spotted Ramon heading his way.

“How did they know that you met with him? Is that who you were on the phone with?”

“Yes.” Jake saw Ramon, trying to flag him down. “I called Deaner at home to follow up with him, and the police were there. They’re on the way over now.”

“So what do we do?”

“Will you make sure the big conference room is available? Obviously, we’ll keep this between us.”

“Sure thing.” Amy nodded quickly, so her curls bounced and her earrings swung. “Ramon has the Janoviches coming in this morning, but I’ll move them into the small conference room.”

“Good, thanks. Also please meet the police in reception when they come in and take them into the conference room. I don’t want them identifying themselves at the desk, in front of the clients.”

“I’ll be smooth.” Amy smiled, but Jake couldn’t.

“I’m expecting an important call from Harold at Pennsylvania National.” Jake glanced at her desk clock, a comical plastic cat—10:08. “I’m hoping he’ll call on my cell before they get here, but if he doesn’t, I want you to put him through to me immediately, even if I’m in with the police. Okay?”

“Gotcha.”

“Jake!” Ramon called out, reaching the desk. “Can we sit down and go over the Brady trust—”

“No, sorry,” Jake interrupted him. “I don’t have time right now.”

“But I can’t set up this trust without your approval and I can’t meet with them without the trust being set up. I sent the documents to you Friday, remember? I followed up on Sunday, when I didn’t hear from you.”

“Ramon, I’m busy,” Jake snapped, tense.

“But they’re coming in this afternoon to review the documents and sign the papers.”

“Then put them off.”

Amy pursed her lips, looking from Jake to Ramon like a child in a custody battle.

“I can’t do that.” Ramon shook his head, bewildered. “Brady is impossible to get a meeting with. He’s a surgeon, and you know how they are with schedules. If I don’t have the papers ready, he’ll be pissed.”

“Then he’ll be pissed!” Jake exploded. “I’m busy, how many times do I have to say it? I’m busy! Don’t you get it?”

Ramon’s dark eyes flared, and Jake stalled momentarily, taking in Amy’s tight expression, and the other assistants, frowning in surprise. They’d never seen conduct like it from Jake, and he edged away. He realized that what he was seeing in their faces wasn’t even a fraction of their reaction if they knew what he had done. That the police could arrest him for a hit-and-run, maybe even for murder. They could take him away in handcuffs this very morning.

Jake felt himself edge backwards. Gardenia would have to close. Some of his employees had been with him since the beginning. He would do to them what his old company had done to him. They would lose their jobs, this very morning. Their lives would turn on a dime, and so would the lives of their spouses, their kids, and the people who depended on them.