don't quite know what I'm doing there," he admitted, "but I'm hiring a crew to film the announcement tomorrow." He glanced at his watch. "The Film Commission said I should call back at six to get a confirmation."
"You can use the phone in Middy's office."
Ryan moved out of the living room into the darkened hall.
Joseph Alo's office was next to the den, but Mickey had been using it for almost a month. Ryan moved to the desk and picked up the phone. He heard a strange hissing sound through the receiver. He tried to punch up a line but couldn't, and saw that the phone was attached to a large, black box labeled "TelaCenturia." There was a button on the box. He reached down, pushed it and immediately heard A. J. Teagarden speaking. The voice had a strange, tinny resonance.
".... money coming in fast from the Bahamas. We're going to use it to buy TV spots in Iowa."
"Just a minute," he heard Mickey say. And then there was a click on the line. Ryan tried to get another line. This time he got a dial tone.
Seconds later, the door of the den exploded open and Mickey was standing there.
"What the fuck you think you're doing?" he said, spitting the words at Ryan.
"I'm calling this guy about confirming my film crew for tomorrow."
Mickey moved across the office, grabbed the phone, and smashed it down in the cradle. "You were listening in on my conversation."
"Calm down, will you?"
"This is my fucking office!" Mickey's voice was now controlled, but his demeanor was deadly. Ryan felt a strange energy coming off of Mickey, almost a kind of heat.
"Lucinda said I could use the phone in here." "You were on that line. What'd you hear?"
"Nothing. Just A . J . talking about the Bahamas or something. What's wrong with you?"
Mickey moved around the desk and got close to Ryan. When he spoke now, his voice was a deadly hiss. "You're a guest here. Okay? You're in my house. You stay outta my office. You don't listen in on my calls."
"Mickey, I wasn't listening in. I was just trying to get a line."
There was a long moment while they stood facing each other, and then Ryan put his hand on Mickey's chest and pushed him back gently. "What the hell's wrong with you? You act like something's going on here."
"Just don't spy on me."
"What's this thing . . . some kinda scrambler?"
"I do a lot of sensitive transactions. We've had some business espionage, Pop had that installed." Mickey tried to evaluate Ryan. Then his expression softened.
"Look ... I'm sorry. I guess my nerves are a little frayed. It's kinda hard watching your father die right in front of you."
"I shouldn't have been in here. I didn't know . . ."
"Naw, it's okay. You can use this phone." Mickey gave Ryan a sad smile. "The doctor just told me Pop is out of time. Maybe a month, maybe less. I just . . . I'm sorry."
He turned and moved to the side table where his open briefcase lay. He hesitated for a moment, then snapped it shut and took it with him, leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
Ryan stood for a long moment, his heart smashing against his chest. There had been a deadly glow in Mickey's dark eyes that scared him. Then Ryan dialed the Film Commission in Providence and was told that the film crew was booked. Ryan gave his own American Express card number to seal the contract. Then, as he hung up, without warning he saw the little redheaded boy again swinging high on a swing. This time, he heard a voice faintly in his memory.
"Ryan can't do this, I bet," the little boy said, pumping his knees, rocketing the swing higher and higher; then just like before, he was gone. . . . Ryan stood in Mickey's office wondering who the hell he was.
Chapter 16.
EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND WAS ABOUT TO THROW his hat in the ring. A. I. Teagarden was in Haze's bedroo m i n the governor's mansion. He had all of the campaig n l iterature and news clippings about the other Democrati c c andidates on the unmade bed. Haze's wife, Anita, wasn' t l iving in
"You can use the phone in Middy's office."
Ryan moved out of the living room into the darkened hall.
Joseph Alo's office was next to the den, but Mickey had been using it for almost a month. Ryan moved to the desk and picked up the phone. He heard a strange hissing sound through the receiver. He tried to punch up a line but couldn't, and saw that the phone was attached to a large, black box labeled "TelaCenturia." There was a button on the box. He reached down, pushed it and immediately heard A. J. Teagarden speaking. The voice had a strange, tinny resonance.
".... money coming in fast from the Bahamas. We're going to use it to buy TV spots in Iowa."
"Just a minute," he heard Mickey say. And then there was a click on the line. Ryan tried to get another line. This time he got a dial tone.
Seconds later, the door of the den exploded open and Mickey was standing there.
"What the fuck you think you're doing?" he said, spitting the words at Ryan.
"I'm calling this guy about confirming my film crew for tomorrow."
Mickey moved across the office, grabbed the phone, and smashed it down in the cradle. "You were listening in on my conversation."
"Calm down, will you?"
"This is my fucking office!" Mickey's voice was now controlled, but his demeanor was deadly. Ryan felt a strange energy coming off of Mickey, almost a kind of heat.
"Lucinda said I could use the phone in here." "You were on that line. What'd you hear?"
"Nothing. Just A . J . talking about the Bahamas or something. What's wrong with you?"
Mickey moved around the desk and got close to Ryan. When he spoke now, his voice was a deadly hiss. "You're a guest here. Okay? You're in my house. You stay outta my office. You don't listen in on my calls."
"Mickey, I wasn't listening in. I was just trying to get a line."
There was a long moment while they stood facing each other, and then Ryan put his hand on Mickey's chest and pushed him back gently. "What the hell's wrong with you? You act like something's going on here."
"Just don't spy on me."
"What's this thing . . . some kinda scrambler?"
"I do a lot of sensitive transactions. We've had some business espionage, Pop had that installed." Mickey tried to evaluate Ryan. Then his expression softened.
"Look ... I'm sorry. I guess my nerves are a little frayed. It's kinda hard watching your father die right in front of you."
"I shouldn't have been in here. I didn't know . . ."
"Naw, it's okay. You can use this phone." Mickey gave Ryan a sad smile. "The doctor just told me Pop is out of time. Maybe a month, maybe less. I just . . . I'm sorry."
He turned and moved to the side table where his open briefcase lay. He hesitated for a moment, then snapped it shut and took it with him, leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
Ryan stood for a long moment, his heart smashing against his chest. There had been a deadly glow in Mickey's dark eyes that scared him. Then Ryan dialed the Film Commission in Providence and was told that the film crew was booked. Ryan gave his own American Express card number to seal the contract. Then, as he hung up, without warning he saw the little redheaded boy again swinging high on a swing. This time, he heard a voice faintly in his memory.
"Ryan can't do this, I bet," the little boy said, pumping his knees, rocketing the swing higher and higher; then just like before, he was gone. . . . Ryan stood in Mickey's office wondering who the hell he was.
Chapter 16.
EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT
THE GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND WAS ABOUT TO THROW his hat in the ring. A. I. Teagarden was in Haze's bedroo m i n the governor's mansion. He had all of the campaig n l iterature and news clippings about the other Democrati c c andidates on the unmade bed. Haze's wife, Anita, wasn' t l iving in
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