Ashley walked through a small foyer into a large room, the walls of which were muraled with a surreal underwater view of an ancient submerged city, presumably the mythical Atlantis. The furniture consisted of a dining table for eight, a writing desk, an entertainment console, two club chairs, and two oversized couches. All the exposed wood was carved in the form of sea creatures, including the arms of the two facing couches, which were porpoises. The prints and colors of the fabrics and the design on the rugs continued the pelagic theme.
“My, my,” Ashley voiced as he took it all in.
Ms. Corey went to the entertainment console to check on the minibar. Mr. Beardslee fluffed the pillows on the couches.
“The master bedroom is on your right, Senator,” Mr. Halpern said, gesturing in the direction of an open door. “And Ms. Manning, as requested, there is a fine bedroom for you on your left.”
The bellmen immediately began to distribute the luggage to the appropriate rooms.
“And now for the pièce de résistance,” Mr. Halpern said. He had stepped around Ashley’s blocky, stooped figure to a series of wall switches and now threw the first. With an electric whir, the drapes that covered the entire outside wall of the room began to pull apart, progressively revealing a stunning scene of an emerald-and-sapphire sea beyond a balustraded, mosaic-tiled balcony.
“My word!” Carol exclaimed with a hand clasped to her chest. From the vantage point of thirty-two stories, the view was breathtakingly commanding.
Mr. Halpern threw another switch, and the sliding-glass-door ensemble retracted to stack at each side. When the whirring stopped, the balcony and the room were one large, open space. He proudly gestured out to the balcony. “If you’d care to step outside, I can orient you to some of our many outdoor attractions.”
Ashley and Carol followed the manager’s suggestion. Ashley went right to the waist-height, reddish-brown, stone balustrade. Leaning on his hands on the wide rail, he looked down. With a mild fear of heights, Carol approached more slowly. Gingerly, she touched the top of the rail before looking down. It was as if she thought the balustrade could fall over. Below was a bird’s-eye view of the extensive Atlantis beach and waterpark, dominated by the Paradise Lagoon.
Mr. Halpern moved to stand next to Carol. He began pointing out the landmarks, including the jewellike Royal Baths Pool, almost directly in front of where they were standing.
“What’s that to the left?” Carol asked. She pointed. It looked to her like a displaced archeological monument.
“That’s our Mayan Temple,” Mr. Halpern said. “If you are feeling courageous, there is a heart-stopping waterslide that takes you down from its six-story summit through a Plexiglas tube submerged in the shark-filled Predator Lagoon.”
“Carol, my dear,” Ashley gushed. “That sounds like the perfect activity for someone like yourself, seriously contemplating the pursuit of a Washington political career.”
Carol glanced at her boss with the fear that there was more to his comment than humor, but he was blankly staring out at the view over the ocean, as if his mind had already moved on.
“Mr. Halpern,” Ms. Corey called from inside the room. “All seems to be in order, and the senator’s keycards are on the desk. I should be getting back to the reception desk.”
“I’ll be going as well,” Mr. Beardslee said. “Senator, if there is anything you need, just let my staff know.”
“Now, I want to thank you folks for being so very kind to us,” Ashley exuded. “You are all a tribute to this fine organization.”
“I too should leave so you folks can get settled,” Mr. Halpern said, as he started to follow the others.
Ashley lightly gripped the manager’s arm. “I would be most appreciative if you would wait for just a moment,” he said.
“Of course,” Mr. Halpern responded.
Ashley waved as the others departed, then let his gaze return out to the expansive ocean. “Mr. Halpern, my being here in Nassau is no secret, nor could it be, having arrived on public transport. But that does not mean I wouldn’t look kindly on respect for my privacy. I would prefer the room be registered solely under Ms. Manning’s name.”
“As you wish, sir.”
“Thank you kindly, Mr. Halpern. I shall count on your discretion to avoid publicity. I want to feel I can enjoy the pleasures of your casino without fear of offending the more righteous of my constituents.”
“You have my word we will make every effort in that regard. But, like last year, we cannot prevent your being approached in the casino by any of your many fans.”
“My fear is reading about my presence in the newspapers or that someone could merely call the hotel to ascertain that I am here.”
“I assure you we will do everything in our power to protect your privacy,” Mr. Halpern said. “Now, I should leave you folks to unpack and unwind. Some complimentary champagne should be on its way, with our wishes for a most relaxing stay.”
“One more question,” Ashley said. “Reservations were made for our friends at the same time as ours. Has there been any word from Dr. Lowell and Dr. D’Agostino?”
“Indeed! They are already here, having checked in less than an hour ago. They are in 3208, one of our Superior Suites, just down the hall.”
“How very convenient! It seems to me you have admirably taken care of all our needs.”
“We try our best,” Mr. Halpern said, as he bowed briefly before stepping back into the room on his way to the door.
Ashley switched his attention to his chief of staff, who had become progressively acclimated to the height and was mesmerized by the view. “Carol, dear! Perhaps you can be so kind as to see if the doctors are in their room and, if so, whether they would care to join us.”
Carol turned and blinked as if waking from a trance. “Certainly,” she said quickly, remembering her role.
“Maybe you should go in by yourself,” Stephanie suggested. She and Daniel were standing outside the mermaid-carved door of the Poseidon Suite. Daniel’s hand was poised over the doorbell.
Daniel breathed out in frustration, letting his arm fall limply to his sides. “What can possibly be the matter now?”
“I don’t want to see Ashley. I haven’t been wild about this affair from day one, and after all that has happened, I’m even less wild about it now.”
“But we’re so close to finishing it. The treatment cells are ready. All that’s left is the implantation, which is the easy part.”
“So you believe, and hopefully you’ll be right. But I haven’t shared your optimism from the beginning, and I can’t imagine my negativity now can serve any constructive purpose.”
“You didn’t think we could have treatment cells in a month, and we do.”
“That’s true, but the cellular work is the only part that has gone smoothly.”
Daniel rolled his head and his eyes around to relieve the sudden tension. He was exasperated. “Why are you doing this now?” he questioned rhetorically. He took a breath and looked at Stephanie. “Are you trying to sabotage the project here in the eleventh hour?”
Stephanie gave a short, pretend laugh, as color rose to her cheeks. “Quite the contrary! After all this effort, I don’t want to ruin things. That’s the point! That’s why I’m suggesting you go in alone.”
“Carol Manning specifically said Ashley wanted to see both of us, and I said we’d be right there. For God’s sake, if you don’t come in, he’s apt to think something is wrong. Please! You don’t have to say or do anything. Just be your charming self and smile. Surely that’s not asking too much!”
Stephanie fidgeted and looked down at her feet and then back at their bodyguard, lounging against the wall outside their room, where they had told him to stay. For Stephanie, his presence was a stark reminder of everything that had gone awry. The whole ghastly affair had come down to the wire, and her intuitive misgivings were again driving her crazy. On the other hand, Daniel was right about the implantation. With their mouse experiments, the actual treatment phase, once they got it right, had been problem-free.