“A matter of semantics,” Jante replied.
“Yeah, you just go right on believing that,” I said with a nod. “It seems to have worked out well for you.”
“I’ll have a driver meet us out front,” she offered, ignoring my sardonic gibe as she snatched up the handset from the telephone on the desk. “It’s after noon so I’m sure you are hungry by now. We can discuss this over a late lunch and then take you to your hotel.”
“Actually, I’d prefer you just change my airline reservation,” I said.
“Excuse me?”
“Something that would get me home this afternoon or early evening would be perfect,” I replied.
While I had promised Felicity I would take a shot at talking to Annalise, it was becoming more and more obvious to me that something else was going on here. I wasn’t about to walk into it blindly. I’d already done enough of that for one day.
“Mister Grant…” Doctor Clayton began.
“Gant,” I said, my voice terse as I cut him off. “G-A-N-T. What is it with you people around here? Do you have a surplus of R’s or something?”
“My apologies,” he replied.
I gave him a conciliatory wave of my hand as I shook my head. “No… No, I’m the one who should apologize. I realize it’s no excuse, but if you knew what my head felt like right now…” I let out a heavy sigh.
“I understand,” he said with a nod.
I raised my eyebrows. “Thanks, but no, you really don’t… Believe me, I wish you did though.”
“I see,” he replied, however his expression said he didn’t. “What I was going to say is that we are faced with a unique opportunity here.”
“That’s one word for it.”
“So, Mister Gant,” Doctor Jante interjected. “Are you saying you don’t wish to meet with Annalise again?”
“Actually, I’m not saying anything of the sort. But, just so we’re on the same page, I will say that I’m a bit confused by all this. Shouldn’t I be the one trying to convince you to let this meeting take place?” I answered.
She nodded and stated the obvious reason. “Of course. Because of your unfortunate outburst.”
“Well yeah, if that’s what you want to call it,” I said. “Where I come from it’s referred to as assault.” Even though I tried to keep it reined in, a hint of sarcasm crept out with the words anyway.
“You needn’t worry about that.”
“Why not? I mean think about it. I just attacked one of your inmates. Personal feelings aside and, as much as I hate to say it, she has rights, and I’m reasonably certain I violated them in spades.”
“As far as we are concerned your actions were justified.”
“Justified?” I threw my hands up into the air in front of me and added with a note of exasperation, “Hell, she hasn’t even been tried and convicted yet. Not to mention that she was chained to the table when I went across it at her. My actions weren’t justified and you know it. Shouldn’t you be hauling me out of here and charging me with aggravated battery or something of that sort?”
“Rowan…” Constance warned in a quiet voice. “Don’t push it.”
“As I said,” Jante told me. “You needn’t worry. No criminal charges will be filed. The incident isn’t even being reported.”
I spat, “That doesn’t make sense.”
“You really should listen to S.A. Mandalay. We’re doing you a favor.”
“You’re probably right, but I’m a little stubborn.”
Jante crossed her arms and stared at me. “All right. Do you want to be arrested, Mister Gant?”
“No, I never said that’s what I wanted.” I shook my head to punctuate the response but didn’t display any other reaction to the threat. “But I would like to know what’s really going on.”
“As I said, because of your history with the Saint Louis office of the bureau, we’re doing you a favor,” she replied. “However, if you’d rather not accept it, I can go ahead and have Special Agent Mandalay take you into custody.”
“Now you’re bluffing.”
“Am I?”
“Yes,” I told her, not wavering. “If arresting me was really an option, today’s meeting never would have continued after my ‘outburst’ as you called it. Not to mention this whole favor thing would have never been put on the table.”
“I have my reasons for allowing the interview to continue.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do, and that’s what has me wondering. But it also doesn’t change the fact that you’re bluffing right now.”
“Why would I bluff you, Mister Gant?”
“Well, this is just a guess, but I’d say because there’s something you want from me.”
She cocked her head. “And how did you arrive at this conclusion?”
“No offense, Doctor Jante, but I’ve been played by people who are better at it than you.” I shrugged. “Let’s be honest. Other than arresting me, at the bare minimum, kicking my ass out of here is what would make the most sense in this situation. But instead, you’re sweeping things under the rug and even wanting me to have another meeting with the Ice Queen. Your mistake here was assuming I still wanted that meeting too.”
“You don’t?”
“Right now, I’m not so sure,” I said, giving my head a shake. “Miranda tore me apart in there, you know that. And that was just what you could see on the surface. There are things going on here that I don’t expect you to understand.”
Doctor Clayton spoke up again, a recognizable aura of academic curiosity in his voice. “I assume you are referring to your contention that the personality calling itself Miranda is actually a Voodoo spirit inhabiting Annalise Devereaux’s body?”
“They’re called Lwa,” I replied. “And yeah, that’s definitely part of it.”
“And you truly believe this?” he pressed.
“Yes, I do,” I huffed. “But go right ahead and feel free to think I’m a nutcase, Doc. Everyone else does, so join the club.”
He gestured with his hands as he shook his head. “Well, even you must admit that such a belief defies conventional logic.”
“Yeah, I do,” I grunted while giving him a nod. “Every friggin’ day of the week. So there you go. Welcome to my unconventional life.”
“Let’s get back to the issue at hand,” Doctor Jante interrupted. “Are you or are you not willing to meet with Annalise Devereaux tomorrow?”
“You tell me.”
“Mister Gant, I have no idea what game you are playing.”
“Same one as you,” I told her. “I just don’t have the benefit of knowing all of your rules, so I’m making them up as I go.”
“Excuse me?”
“Look, Doctor Jante, I’ll make you a deal. You come clean with me about what it is you want from me, and I’ll give it another go with Annalise.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Then let me help you understand. It’s obvious that you believe my involvement here outweighs my transgression, which is why you’re willing to put me back in a room with Annalise Devereaux, even though you can’t really be certain I won’t flip out again. This can only mean that there has to be something in it for you. Maybe not you personally, but for the FBI at least. The problem here is that I don’t know what that is. Can you understand my confusion now? Obviously something else is going on here, and even though it involves yours truly, I’m not in the loop and that makes me very nervous.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“If that’s the case then I must be delusional,” I replied. “All the more reason why you shouldn’t trust me in there with her.”
With a cloud of exasperation billowing around her words, Jante said, “Exactly what is it you think I can tell you, Mister Gant?”
“I’m guessing plenty, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you’d start with explaining why you’re so willing to overlook what happened. And while you’re at it, maybe you could tell me exactly who the Behavioral Analysis Unit is studying here-Annalise Devereaux or Rowan Gant?”
CHAPTER 7
Jante’s outward demeanor hardened. She regarded me coolly, as if sizing up an adversary before throwing a punch. Taking the approach of putting us at odds with one another probably wasn’t my smartest move ever; but I’d already blown the bell curve for the day in that particular department, so in the grand scheme of things it really didn’t matter all that much. At any rate, my reply to her query had definitely struck a nerve, so I was either going to get my answers or find out I was wrong about her bluffing. Either way, I figured I would be ahead of the game in one sense or another.