“They could be. That’s why I didn’t want you to bring what’s-his-name along with you. I don’t trust him, or anybody in the existing government. That’s why we need a change of the guard, and thank God that’ll be happening on Tuesday.”
Jon felt even more attracted to her because she cared about something bigger than herself—unlike a lot of beautiful women. But he still didn’t register most of what she said, lost as he was in a new paradigm of thought about what might be going on in this city. He was thinking about what all this might mean for the Mayor, and even for his seemingly glib and apathetic partner.
“What?” Mallory said, after a little span of him staring into space.
“I have to go,” Jon said, snapping out of it. “I’m not sure anything is going to happen when the sun comes out in the morning, but until I know more about it, you should probably close the bar and lock yourself up in your apartment. Just in case.”
“Can’t do that,” she said, shaking her head. “A lot of customers told me that they plan to be in here drinking to the Dayfall, or maybe so they won’t have to worry about it. My dad says he wants to be here then, too, so even if something does happen, I want to be with him. I’ll go home once everything calms down or turns out okay, ’cause that’s the end of my shift anyway.”
“Okay…. Well, maybe I’ll make sure I’m patrolling this block at that time, and stop in to keep an eye on you. Have a drink ready for me…. How about a Tequila Sunrise? That’ll be appropriate.”
“I already stocked up on orange juice…. I’m sure you won’t be the only one with that idea.”
She flashed that killer smile again, which was half-innocent and half-experienced, and Jon wanted to stay. But he briefly kissed her goodbye and then tore himself away.
Outside, it had started raining, and gathering storm clouds were visible overhead from the light of the city. Jon used his coat as an umbrella, since it was now warm and humid enough that he would have been sweating inside of it. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed a number of times during his walk to the Flatiron Building, a portent of the tempest that would clear away the remaining canopy of darkness overhead during the rest of the night, and make it possible for the daylight to break through in the morning. But it also provided a fitting soundtrack for the gloomy thoughts that were racing through his head about what he was preparing to say to the Mayor when he reached her office.
19
“Why isn’t Halladay with you?” Mayor King said after she dismissed a couple of aides and allowed Jon to enter her office, at his insistence. “I just talked to him on the phone a few minutes ago.”
“Because I don’t know what you’re saying to him,” Jon answered, taking a seat across the desk from her.
“I was just checking up on you,” she said, puzzled. “Seeing how you’re doing, since I haven’t heard much.”
“You told me that you were too busy for me to report in unless I had something substantial.”
“That I did. But Dayfall is only five hours away. So hopefully you have something now?”
“I think so,” Jon said. “But you’re not going to like it.”
“Oh?”
“You told me that you brought in an outsider like me because I was impartial and people would be more likely to believe me if I found out Render was behind the murders.”
“Yes. And he is, right?”
“I’m thinking you also brought in an outsider like me because I wouldn’t already be impressed by Render like so many people in this city are, including a lot of your own cops.”
“In a way, that’s true,” the Mayor said, still visibly puzzled about where he was going with this. “You’re more objective, so you’d be able to see what he’s doing more clearly….”
“Or believe lies about him.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Knowing that I didn’t have much time to investigate, you prejudiced me against him and planted enough evidence that I would conclude he was behind the chaos and the killings. Then this ‘outsider’ would accuse him, and you hoped that the suspicion it created about GS would be enough to at least even the ground going into the referendum.”
He paused for effect, as her mouth slowly opened in disbelief.
“The worst part is that you actually instigated the chaos and the killings so Render could be blamed for them, because it would be easy for people to think he had the most to gain by them. If I bought into that idea and accused him of it, the city would be suspicious of him and feel safer, which benefits you in the vote. If the panic happens anyway, the city eating itself alive is a small price to pay for you staying in power.”
“Hmmm,” she said after a moment, finally closing her mouth. “You’re right.” But after Jon nodded proudly, she added: “You’re right that I wouldn’t like what you’re saying. Because it’s ridiculous, and I’m really disappointed in you. But I’m really at a loss to know what to do about it. So let me ask…. Why do you think this? You must have some kind of supposed evidence. I’m not sure it’s worth even a few minutes of my time right now, because I don’t think you’ll be working for me after this, but maybe I can show you the holes in your thinking.”
“Fine. I’ll walk you through it,” he said.
“Make it quick,” Mayor King said, looking at her watch.
“Gar Render is rather impressive, actually, and he’s fully cooperated with our investigation, right down to allowing us to corner a suspect and proving the guy couldn’t have been working for him.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because if he was, and we caught him, it would have implicated Render. There’s no way Render, if he was paying him, would have even taken a chance of him being arrested.”
“But you didn’t arrest him,” King said. “I know that from talking to Halladay earlier.”
“Not Render’s fault,” Jon said, and King had no response, so he continued. “Then there’s the fact that at least one of the killers has been using the underground to move around, and you’re the only one other than GS who has access to the keys needed to do that.”
“Hmmm,” she said again. “Well, I haven’t given any of those keys away. I put them in a safe and haven’t touched them since I got them. And you’re assuming Render’s innocence when there could be any number of explanations for your first observation. But go on.”
“The suspect shot a trusted lieutenant of Render’s, making it unlikely they were on the same team.”
“Sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to win the game.”
“Gotham Security gives its agents on the streets a list of people that need protection. I saw one of the lists and my name was on it, but Halladay’s wasn’t.”
“Meaning what?”
“GS thinks I need protection from someone, and it’s not them, obviously, because they’re trying to protect me. The only criminals I’ve encountered that might want to take me out are ones who are working for someone else, and you’re the most likely candidate. Halladay, on the other hand, has no love lost for GS, but he seems to like you. And we know whose payroll he’s on.”
Rialle King laughed. “You think Frank Halladay can be bought?”
“Maybe not in the conventional way, but you’re looking the other way on some things that Render wouldn’t, if he was in charge. That could be enough to make Halladay prejudiced towards you, and maybe even do some dirty work on your behalf.”
She laughed again, but Jon went on.
“The last nail is that there’s ten grand in Turnia Carter’s account that we traced to your office. You told me Render was paying them to create panic about Dayfall, but the money trail leads to you.”