Stephanie was rooted to the spot where she’d handed Daniel the note. Her mind was churning as she watched Daniel start toward the elevators. Making a sudden decision, she dashed to the desk, took the note from the concierge who still had it clutched in his fist while speaking to another guest, and ran after Daniel.
“I think you should call,” Stephanie said, slightly out of breath as she reached Daniel.
“Oh, really?” Daniel questioned superciliously. “I don’t think so.”
The elevator arrived, and Daniel boarded. Stephanie followed.
“No, I think you should call. I mean, what do you have to lose?”
“A little more of my self-esteem,” Daniel said.
The elevator rose. Daniel’s eyes were glued to the floor indicator. Stephanie’s were glued to Daniel’s. The doors opened. They started down the hall.
“I think I recognized the number’s prefix from having called Senator Ashley Butler’s office last week. I think the prefix was two-two-four, and if it was, then it is a Senate Office Building exchange.”
“All the more reason not to call,” Daniel said. He keyed open the door to their room and entered. Stephanie was right behind him.
While Daniel was removing his coat, Stephanie ducked into the sitting room. At the desk, she smoothed out the note. “It is two-two-four,” she called out to Daniel. “The emergency is underlined. Maybe the old codger changed his mind!”
“That’s about as likely as the moon dropping out of orbit,” Daniel said, joining Stephanie. He looked down at the message. “It is weird. What the hell kind of emergency could it be? Originally I thought it was from the media, but not if it’s a Senate Office Building exchange. You know, I don’t care. Being cooperative with anyone who has anything to do with the U.S. Senate is not high on my priority list at the moment.”
“Call! You might be cutting off your nose to spite your face. If you don’t, I’ll do it. I’ll pretend I’m your secretary.”
“You, a secretary? How entertaining! All right, for God’s sake, call!”
“I’ll use the speakerphone so you can hear.”
“Wonderful,” Daniel said sarcastically. He sprawled out on the sofa with his head on one of the furniture’s arms and his feet on the other.
Stephanie dialed. There was the sound of only one electronic ring before the connection went through. A decidedly female voice snapped a hello as if the person had been eagerly waiting on the other end.
“I’m calling for Dr. Daniel Lowell,” Stephanie said. She locked eyes with Daniel. “Is this Carol Manning?”
“It is. Thank you for calling back. It is extremely important that I talk with the doctor before he checks out of the hotel. Is he available?”
“Can I ask what this is in relation to?”
“I’m Senator Ashley Butler’s chief of staff,” Carol began. “You might have seen me this morning. I was seated behind the senator.”
Daniel quickly ran his index finger across his throat to get Stephanie to hang up. Stephanie ignored him.
“I need to talk with the doctor,” Carol continued. “As I said, it is extremely important.”
With the addition of an angry grimace, Daniel again gestured with his finger as if he were cutting his throat. He did it again when Stephanie hesitated.
She motioned to him to stop his antics. It was clear to her that he was not about to talk with Carol Manning, but she was not about to hang up.
“Is the doctor there?” Carol questioned.
“He’s here, but momentarily indisposed.”
Daniel rolled his eyes.
“May I ask with whom I am speaking?” Carol questioned.
Stephanie hesitated again while she thought of what to say, considering she’d told Daniel she would pretend to be his secretary. Thinking that was ridiculous now that she was on the phone, she finally just gave her name.
“Oh, good!” Carol responded. “From Dr. Lowell’s testimony, I understand you are a collaborator. Might I ask if your collaboration is close and perhaps even personal?”
A wry smile spread across Stephanie’s face. She stared at the phone for a second as if it could tell her why Carol Manning would be willing to flaunt normal etiquette and ask such a question. Under more normal circumstances, it would have angered Stephanie. Now it merely magnified her intrigue.
“I don’t mean to be inappropriate,” Carol added, as if she sensed Stephanie’s response. “This is a rather awkward situation, but I was told you were registered in the same suite. I hope you understand that my goal is not to invade your privacy but rather to be as discreet as possible. You see, the senator would like to arrange a secret meeting with Dr. Lowell, and in this town that is not easy, considering the senator’s prominence and notoriety.”
Stephanie’s mouth had slowly dropped open as she’d listened to this surprising request. Even Daniel had brought his feet down from the arm of the sofa and had sat up.
“It had been my hope,” Carol continued, “that I could have communicated this message directly to Dr. Lowell so that only the senator, the doctor, and myself would have known about the meeting. Obviously, that is no longer possible. I hope we can count on your discretion, Dr. D’Agostino.”
“Dr. Lowell and I work very closely,” Stephanie said. “You can most assuredly count on my discretion.” She gestured frantically to see if Daniel wished to participate in the conversation now that it had taken such an unexpected twist. Daniel shook his head but motioned for her to continue.
“We are hoping the meeting could be arranged for this evening,” Carol said.
“What can I tell Dr. Lowell this meeting is about?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“Not telling me is going to cause a problem,” Stephanie said. “I happen to know that Dr. Lowell was not pleased with what happened at this morning’s hearing. I’m not sure he will be open to meeting with the senator unless he has some idea it would be to his advantage to do so.” Stephanie looked at Daniel. He gestured he approved how she was handling the call by giving her a thumbs-up sign.
“This is also rather awkward,” Carol said. “Although I am the senator’s chief of staff and I normally know everything that is going on in this office, I have absolutely no idea why the senator wants to meet with the doctor. The gist of what the senator said was that although Dr. Lowell might be irritated at today’s events, he should hold off on coming to any conclusions about S.1103 until they meet.”
“That’s rather vague,” Stephanie said.
“That’s the best I can do with the information I have. Nonetheless, I strongly urge the doctor to meet with the senator. My sense is that it will indeed be to his advantage. I cannot imagine any other reason for this meeting. It is most out of the ordinary, and I should know. I have been working with the senator for sixteen years.”
“Where would the meeting take place?”
“The safest place would be in a moving car.”
“This is sounding overly melodramatic.”
“The senator insisted on absolute secrecy, and as I said, that is not easy in this town.”
“Who would be driving this car?”
“Myself.”
“If the meeting were to take place, I’d have to insist on being present as well.”
Daniel again rolled his eyes.
“Since I’ve already apprised you of the meeting, I will assume that would be acceptable, but to be one hundred percent certain, I’d have to run it by the senator.”
“Can I assume you would come to the hotel and pick us up?”
“I’m afraid that would be inadvisable. The safest plan would be for you and Dr. Lowell to take a taxi to the Union Station. At exactly nine o’clock, I will come by in a black Chevrolet Suburban with tinted windows and District plates: GDF471. I will pull up to the curb directly in front of the station. In case there is any problem, I will give you my cell phone number.”
Stephanie wrote the number down as Carol relayed it.