“S.A. Mandalay,” she finally said, verbally addressing Constance but never taking her eyes off of me. “Would you mind escorting Doctor Clayton out of the room for a few minutes.”
Like earlier, even though she had phrased the words as a question, she wasn’t asking. She was giving an order. I realized she was officially the one in charge, but her demanding verbal mannerism was starting to wear on me.
Unable to hold my tongue, I asked, “Why break up the party, Doc?” This time I made no attempt to hide my sarcasm.
“This is strictly FBI business.”
“Fine. Send Doctor Clayton out for a coffee break.” I gestured toward the now uncomfortable looking chief psychologist then glanced in his direction and added, “No offense intended, Doc.” Leveling my gaze back on Jante I said, “But Constance is FBI and I’d really prefer she stick around.”
“That isn’t possible.”
“And why is that?”
She shook her head. “In this case I’m afraid that what you are wanting to discuss is above her pay grade.”
“Above her pay grade?” I chuckled. “And Ben tells me I watch too many movies. Hell, I’m starting to feel like I’m in one… Here’s the thing, we both know if it’s above her pay grade then it’s way the hell above mine. I want her to stay.”
“I’m trying to work with you, Mister Gant, but you’re being unreasonable.”
“It’s one of my more endearing qualities. Just ask my wife.”
“You really aren’t in a position to negotiate.”
“I don’t know about that… You’re the one who called me, remember?”
“Only because Devereaux was so insistent upon speaking with you.”
“I don’t buy that,” I said. “She could have had her lawyer contact me if that’s all it was. There’s more to it than that.”
“Perhaps I was merely doing you another favor. I’m well aware that you had already exhausted every contact you have trying to arrange a meeting with Devereaux prior to my calling you. In fact, just over a month ago you told me yourself that you needed this meeting with her.”
“Yeah, I did. But with today’s blind eye added to the mix, that would make two awfully big favors for someone you don’t really know all that well.” I shrugged. “So what’s in it for you?”
“Research, Mister Gant. Data.”
“Then I guess we both stand to lose something if we can’t make nice on the playground.”
“I can still have you arrested and brought up on charges,” she threatened.
“I have no doubt that you can,” I agreed. “Hell, I’m the one who suggested it. But I’m pretty sure I already called your bluff on that one, didn’t I?”
“The thought of being arrested doesn’t concern you at all, does it?”
“Oh, it concerns me,” I said with a nod. “It concerns me quite a bit. But I happen to have a pit bull of an attorney, not to mention two corrections officers and an FBI agent who know exactly what went down in that interview room after my screwup. I’m sure a few procedures and rules were ignored today, and I’m betting that would have some bearing on how things play out for everyone concerned. So, even if I go down, I’ll take you with me.”
“So you’re resorting to blackmail?”
“Just taking a page from your playbook, Doc.”
“All of this posturing is accomplishing nothing,” she admonished.
I agreed. “You’re right. But since it’s mutual, let me see if I can break the cycle.” Turning to Constance I held out my wrists and asked, “You want me like this, or should I put my hands on top of my head, or behind my back, or something like that?”
“Stop it, Rowan…” Constance scolded me under her breath.
“They’ve already patted me down a couple of times today,” I continued. “But if you have to do it again just watch where you grab, if you know what I mean. I’m sure Felicity will understand as long as you’re careful.”
Constance growled at me again, much more audibly this time. “Dammit, Rowan… This isn’t a joke…”
“You should listen to her, Mister Gant,” Doctor Jante snapped. “You don’t seem to be taking this situation very seriously.”
I turned back to her and adopted a deliberate tone. “And that’s where you’re dead wrong. To my knowledge I’m the only damn person in this room with anything really at stake here, so I’m far more serious about this than you even imagine. But, the simple fact is I’ve already been manipulated as much as I’m going to allow, by both you and Miranda. So either have Constance arrest me, or tell me what’s really going on. Your choice.”
She pursed her lips and cocked one eyebrow slightly upward as she studied my face. The silence in the room became so thick that I could easily hear the second hand on the analog desk clock dutifully announcing the precisely measured expiration of time.
Eventually, Doctor Jante forced out a quiet harrumph and then addressed Doctor Clayton. “William, would you give us a few minutes please?”
Though still terse, her tone was noticeably more cordial toward her peer.
“Certainly, Ellie,” he muttered. “I’ll be in my office when you’re finished.” As he turned toward the door he glanced at Constance and me. “Mister Gant, Special Agent Mandalay.”
Jante watched him go then addressed me again. “Before we begin I would like to suggest one more time that you reconsider your wish to have S.A. Mandalay present.”
I snapped back at her. “I thought we’d…”
She cut me off quickly, holding up her hand in a stalling gesture. “I am merely making a suggestion, Mister Gant. But you need to be aware that I am doing so for your sake.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“It simply means that what I am willing to say will be tempered by who is in this room.”
“Sounds to me like someone is covering her ass,” I spat.
She dismissed my comment with a shrug and then made one of her own. “If you really want an answer to your questions…”
With the sentence still hanging in the air, purposely unfinished, I stared back, searching her face for any indication that would tell me if I could push her any further. I saw none.
“It’s up to you, Rowan,” Constance told me. “I can wait outside.”
“Yeah…” I murmured, nodding my head and then raising my voice to a more audible level. “Yeah, I give up. Maybe you’d better.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
Constance reached out, lightly squeezed my shoulder and said, “Okay. I’ll be right outside in the hallway.”
Once her fellow agent had exited and the door was shut behind her, Doctor Jante carefully perched herself on the corner of the desk. Looking down, she smoothed her skirt in a deliberate motion, picked off an imaginary piece of lint, and then focused her attention back onto me.
“She’s obviously very fond of you.”
“My wife and I are very fond of her as well,” I replied, a hard edge in my voice. “She’s a good friend to both of us. But you already knew that.”
“I didn’t mean to imply anything else.”
“It makes sense now though,” I mused aloud. “I mean, why you so easily agreed to her escorting me on this trip instead of some other random agent. I actually couldn’t figure out why I even needed an escort up until just now. You knew I’d request Constance, and you think having her here gives you leverage against me if you need it.”
“That sounds rather like paranoia.”
“Is that an official diagnosis or a friendly observation?”
She smirked. “For someone who appeared to be in a state of severe psychological distress during that interview, you seem to be holding your own now, Mister Gant.”
“Trust me, the distress was real.”
“But you’re fine now?”
“I still have a headache from hell,” I replied. “But yeah, I got a second wind.”