Jake spit again. Rothschild didn’t bother moving.
“Do you know why nobody will care?”
“Why?”
“Because they are used to it. They are used to old people dying. They are used to crazy environmentalists, and they are used to developers getting what they want.”
He laughed a little.
“And most of all, they are used to me winning and you losing.”
He stopped laughing. He straightened the collar of his suit and tightened his tie.
“Conrad, I think we’ve said everything. Tonight, I’d like you to transfer him out of here. For now, make sure he’s pacified.”
Conrad opened the bookcase and carried Jake’s chair in. He felt something shoved inside his mouth and then elastic cords pinched his neck. He started to feel dizzy, and as he began to faint, he only thought one thing.
So much for the plan.
CHAPTER 48
A light came in, first a thin line, then a wide band. Suddenly, the whole room was filled with light. He looked up, his neck sore. The bookcase was open and Rothschild was yelling at Conrad.
“Just get in there. And hurry. I’ll have her leave in five minutes.”
“I’d rather stay outside.”
“Get in there. I don’t want Mel to know you’re here. She might put two and two together.”
“If I could stay in here-”
“Do you not understand what I’m saying?”
Jake looked around the small room behind the bookcase. The walls looked like they were a silver color, possibly metal. Filing cabinets were lined up in a row on the left, and a wine refrigerator sat on the right. Conrad yelled to Rothschild.
“Just don’t let her in. Lock the doors, sir.”
“Who is the boss here? Last time I checked, I was. If I want to meet with her, I will.”
Conrad shuffled into the small room. He cursed at Jake as he pulled the door shut.
“Don’t think about screaming. I will make it more painful if you do.”
He tightened the elastic cords around Jake’s neck. Then he planted his hands firmly on the back of the chair. The room was completely dark. Jake tried to shake, but he couldn’t move at all. Conrad was too strong. He decided to shove his whole body forward when he had a chance. If he did, they’d hear him slam against the back of the bookcase. It was his only chance.
He couldn’t hear the words they were saying on the outside. He heard Rothschild’s voice, muffled by the books and the wall. Then he heard Mel’s. He tried to scream, but Conrad clamped a hand over his mouth. The man breathed silently. His hand almost covered Jake’s entire face. They listened to Mel and Rothschild but understood nothing.
They waited. He could smell his own sweat in the space of the dark room. Or maybe it was his own blood. He started to think. If only they’d planned a little longer. If only he’d been smart enough to hit Rothschild first. He wondered how they would kill him. Where he would die. How long it would take Thompson to even notice. He guessed a week would go by before anyone in New York even realized he was gone.
He hoped Conrad had loosened his grip. It was now or never. With everything in him, he jerked his body forward in the chair and it started to tip forward. His head was only an inch away from the wall. They’d hear him and save him. He’d get to file his story.
He stopped falling. Conrad had caught the chair. The voices outside the wall started to sound fainter. Maybe it was his hearing. Or maybe they were walking away. They must have thought he’d never shown. By the time they realized, he wouldn’t be able to be saved.
Then he heard a loud ringing. He looked back. He couldn’t see well, but he saw hands moving frantically in the dark. It rang again. It wasn’t his phone-it was Conrad’s. The ringing stopped, but then the voices got closer and closer and became clearer. He heard a man shout.
“It’s in there.”
“Open it,” Mel said. “Now!”
The thin line of light drew across the floor again. Then it turned into a wide band. Conrad shoved Jake’s chair into the corner and leapt out of the room.
“Hold it right there,” Sheryl Goldfein shouted.
Someone came over and pulled Jake up. Mel. She untied the cords around his neck, hands, and legs. He rubbed them and then stood up. Conrad was standing with his hands over his head and Jake walked out in front of him. Rothschild had surrendered. Then he saw Sheryl and Abram. Sheryl had a pistol in her right hand and used her left to brace her elbow. Jake wiped the blood from his mouth.
“Sheryl? Abram? Why are you here?”
She shrugged her shoulders and kept the gun steady.
“We had to come. For Charlotte.”
“And you own a gun?”
She shrugged again.
“Are you really that surprised?”
He regained his balance.
“Do you mean because your husband was a cop?”
She steadied her grip.
“Ech. I mean because I’m Sheryl Goldfein.”
Gary had set up his tripod and was taking photographs of Rothschild and Conrad. He pointed the camera at Jake and the flash went off. He rubbed his eyes and Gary raised a thumb up above the camera.
“You don’t look good, but it’s a good shot.”
He turned to Rothschild.
“Looks like your plan didn’t go so well.”
“I should have killed you right away.”
“Thanks for that quote.” He reached for his notebook. “I’ll have to get that on paper. Do you have my tape recorder?”
“I destroyed it.”
Sheryl pointed the gun directly at Rothschild. He laughed.
“Your gun can’t get his tape recorder out of the incinerator.”
Conrad was totally silent. Mel grabbed a tissue and wiped Jake’s forehead. Rothschild growled.
“Mel, are you and Mr. Russo…together?”
She walked up to him and spit on his face. He didn’t bother wiping it off.
“Mel, you’re fired.”
“I don’t care. You won’t be behind this company much longer.”
“Oh really?” He laughed. “You don’t have any evidence. And now you’re holding me at gunpoint. My lawyers…”
Jake hobbled over to the bookcase and opened it. He pointed at the filing cabinets.
“Oh we’ll have evidence.” He hit one on the top and listened as the metal echoed. “We’ll get a warrant to look through all of these. Thanks for showing me where everything is.”
“A warrant?” For the first time, his chin sank down into his chest. Jake walked in front of him.
“That’s right. A warrant. A front page story. This is going to be everywhere.”
Jake walked away and Sheryl steadied her gun. They heard knocking at the door.
“Is there a problem here?”
Four policemen stood at the door and Gary motioned them into the room.
“I called them on the telephone before we arrived. I knew that we’d need some backup.”
Jake rubbed his wrists and buttoned up his Hawaiian shirt. Abram walked over to the policemen and pointed to the men. They pulled out their handcuffs.
“You are under arrest for attempted kidnapping.”
Gary pointed his cane at them and almost hit Conrad.
“And you’re going to get a lot more than that! The charges are just starting! Lot’s of charges! Like a credit card, but for bad things!”
Rothschild turned to Conrad.
“Stay quiet. The lawyers will take care of this.”
As the police read the men their rights, Jake stepped forward. One of the policemen tapped Jake on the shoulder.
“Sir, there’s a paramedic outside as well, if you need attention.”
“There is?”
“I called him,” Gary said. “I thought we might need one.”
“Thank God.”
They followed the police out of the office and into the hallway. Once they were all outside of the building, they led Conrad and Rothschild to the police cars. Both stayed quiet. Jake could hardly move. But he was strong enough to walk over to Rothschild and get his attention before he entered the car.
“Hey, Mr. Rothschild. You know how you said everyone was used to developers winning? I’ve got something else you’ll need to get used to.”