“I’ve never spoken with any Bobby Stillman in my life,” said Bolden.
Guilfoyle persisted. “How do you explain the calls placed from your home in New York to Ms. Stillman’s temporary residence in New Jersey?”
“There’s nothing to explain. I don’t know the man. I never made the calls.”
“The man?” Jacklin shook his head. “Bobby Stillman’s a woman, as I’m sure you know. Records don’t lie. You phoned her on the nights of December fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth.”
“That would be difficult, considering I was in Milwaukee the fourteenth and fifteenth, and Denver the day after. Or didn’t your software tell you that? And who are you to tell me that records don’t lie? It was easy enough for you to hack into my bank’s mainframe and destroy my credit. At least I know now how you got into HW’s system. Mickey Schiff helped you.”
“A necessity,” said Guilfoyle.
“It’s a breach of privacy.”
Jacklin laughed bitterly. “Exactly what Bobby would say.”
“Bobby? So you’re friends?”
“Hardly,” said Jacklin.
“Who is she?” Bolden demanded. “Why are you so hell-bent on killing me because you think I’ve been in contact with her?”
“A thorn in my side is what she is. We’re still working to determine your status.” Jacklin exhaled loudly, raising his hands in a gesture of pacification. “Look, Tom,” he said agreeably. “The world is a dangerous place. We’re simply doing our job to protect the country.”
“It sounds to me like you’re protecting your interests.”
“Listen to me for a minute and you might find you’ll learn something.”
Bolden decided that there was nothing to gain from defiance. He sat. “I’m all ears.”
Jacklin sighed and took the chair across from him. “Some of the companies Mr. Guilfoyle referred to were involved in the government’s efforts to build a terrorist surveillance system. The technology is sophisticated, cutting-edge stuff that involved being granted access to a lot of sensitive private data. When the public got wind of it, they grew nervous. No one likes the idea of the government having that kind of access. The potential for abuse is too high. They demanded the Department of Defense put an end to it. But technology is a Pandora’s box. Once it’s opened, there’s no denying what’s inside. There’s no going back. Either we capture that technology, control it, and fashion it to our purposes, or someone else will. Someone unfriendly to the cause. When things became touchy, some of my old friends at DOD asked if we might step in. Put the company in one of our funds. Let the feds monitor progress from afar. Does that surprise you?”
“No,” Bolden admitted. Part of him even thought it was a good idea. Naturally, there were times when the government needed to work on projects out of the public domain. “But you couldn’t resist, could you?” he asked. “The first thing you did was harness the little we knew and put it to your own use. That’s how you ended up pinning everything on the wrong guy. I do have one question.”
“Shoot,” said Jacklin.
“If you’re so damned tight with the government, why do you have to bribe every other retiring senator or offer them jobs?”
“ ‘Bribe’? Is that what you call it? We like to think of it as a preemployment incentive.” Jacklin dismissed their difference with a wave of the hand. “That’s an operational issue. We make investments in individuals to assist our investments in companies. It’s in our clients’ best interests, and I admit, our own. Tom… you’re a smart man. You’ve seen some things you shouldn’t have. You’ve been subjected to some unpleasant things. We’re here to put all that behind us. You’ve received my apology. Can we start there?”
“And Jenny? Did you apologize to her for shooting her? She’s pregnant. Did you know that? Or would it even figure into your calculations?”
Jacklin’s right eye twitched, but he kept the same conciliatory expression, the freeze-dried grin firmly in place. “As I said, I am sorry. I must, however, ask if you’ve shown the records of the financial transfers we’ve made to certain executives at our company and to certain officials on the Hill to anyone else? Have you made any copies? Have you e-mailed them to a friend?”
“Ask Wolf. He was there.”
“Wolf isn’t sure.”
“And if I have?”
Jacklin looked to Guilfoyle, then back at Bolden. “Tom, let me be blunt. We want you to join Jefferson. Like I said, you’re a smart young man. You work like the dickens. You’ve got a tremendous record of accomplishment. The way I see it, we’re over the awkward part. You’ve seen some of the dirty laundry. Is it really that big? Of course not. Not in the greater scheme of things. Let’s work that to your advantage. I can use a personal assistant. I’m not going to be around that much longer. Ten years, if my liver holds out. I want you to work with me. At my side. Name your price. I can’t offer you a partnership yet. But in three or four years? The sky’s the limit for someone of your abilities. The boys at Scanlon couldn’t believe how you put one over on them. We’ll start you at a million even. You can count on double that for a bonus. Not bad for a young man who’s still a little wet behind the ears. Bring Jenny to D.C. She’s a history buff, she’ll love it. We’ll set both of you up in a cozy little townhouse in Georgetown. Get you involved with the Boys Club down in this neck of the woods. We need a man with some fire in his blood. Christ knows, I need someone to rouse my butt out of the sack on some of the cold mornings. What do you say, Tom?” Jacklin extended his hand. “The world’s yours for the asking.”
Bolden looked at the outstretched hand. Money. Position. Privilege. He smiled tiredly. It was a lie, of course. Jacklin had no intention of keeping such a bargain. Bolden sincerely wondered what he’d done to be taken for such a greedy fool, or if Jacklin just assumed everyone in his profession must share such values.
He raised his gaze and stared into Jacklin’s brown eyes. “I don’t think my mother would like it very much.”
The triumphant expression melted from Jacklin’s face like a late snow. “Do you know what you’re saying?”
“I have an idea.”
Jacklin looked to Guilfoyle, who shrugged, then back at Bolden. His face was harder now, the eyes set, the mouth turned down. “Did you give the information to anyone else?”
Bolden shrugged. “Maybe.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“It’ll have to be.”
Jacklin turned to Guilfoyle. “Is he telling the truth?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Jacklin snapped.
Guilfoyle remained staring at Bolden. “I’m sorry, J. J., but I don’t know.”
“Bring her in, then.”
Bolden rose from the chair, starting for the door. Firm hands gripped him from behind, forcing him onto the seat. The door opened. Jenny walked in, accompanied by Irish. “Tom…”
“Jenny!” Bolden reached out for her, but Irish held her back. She was alive, and unhurt. “You’re all right.”
She nodded, and he could see she was hiding something from him.
“I’ll ask you again, Tom,” said Jacklin. “Did you make any copies of the financial information? If you think I have any qualms about hurting Miss Dance, think again.” He crossed the short distance to Jennifer and backhanded her across the face, his ring opening a cut on her cheek.
“Stop!” yelled Bolden, struggling to get free. “The answer is no. I didn’t make any copies. I didn’t send any of the information I found on Mickey Schiff’s computer to anyone. I didn’t have time. Wolf took the only copies I have.”
Jacklin offered a last look as he left the room. “My guess is you’re lying. We’ll have to leave it to Wolf to find out if I’m right.”