Eye of the Storm

Chapter

Thirty-one

“WHEW.” KERRY GLANCED appreciatively around at the airport.

“Boy, it’s nice to go out of here instead of Miami.” Her flight had been scheduled to leave from the much smaller Fort Lauderdale International Airport, some twenty minutes north of its larger, more hectic cousin.

“Thank you very much, by the way, for dropping me off.”

“Mmm.” Cecilia held back a smile. “Actually, I was dropping us both off.”

Puzzled green eyes focused on her. “Excuse me?”

“Well, the Woman’s Art Museum asked me to sign off on that collection, so I can have it shipped to the South Beach place we found,” Dar’s mother explained.

“Oh.” Kerry was surprised, but not unhappy. “Wow, that’s great.

Are we on the same flight?”

“Mmhmm.” The silver blonde head nodded. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Kerry gave her a warm smile. “I’d love the company. It’s not exactly a fun trip for me.” Kerry noted the bag slung casually over Cecilia’s shoulder. “Is that all you’re taking?”

“Yes, it is.” Ceci nodded. “I see a coffee shop over there. We’ve got time before boarding, care to stop?”

Kerry felt a sense of relief that she’d have someone to talk to for at least the trip. “Lead on.” She followed the older woman across the concourse towards the small shop, spotting cinnamon rolls also being sold.

“Mmm. Cinnabons.”

“My daughter’s rubbing off on you, I see.” Ceci smiled to remove any sting from the comment.

But Kerry laughed. “Oh, no. I didn’t need any help there.” She set her bag down, went up to the counter, and ordered two cups of coffee.

“Want one?” She pointed at the rolls.

“Sure.” Ceci took a seat and watched Kerry collect their snack and return. What a nice kid. She couldn’t help but smile at the warm, open face.

“Thanks.” She found herself looking forward to spending a little time with this person who had chosen to live with her daughter, whose personality was so different from Dar’s and so much like the child she’d 288 Melissa Good always wished for.

Smart, social, friendly. A poet brought up in the same general class as she had been.

And her parents had spurned her.

Life just didn’t make sense sometimes.

“What got you interested in computers, Kerry?” she asked lightly, sipping her coffee.

Kerry thought about that for a bit, then propped her chin up on a fist.

“I think…I think mostly it was because they represented something I could totally control.”

A very unexpected answer. “Really?”

The younger woman nodded. “Yeah. They’re like that. Garbage in, garbage out, you know how it is. They’ll do whatever you tell them to do.

I think because my family was always so strict, and so confining, it maybe gave me an opportunity to have this one area of my life that I was totally in charge of.” She paused. “And it was something so different. My major was in English and I took all kinds of general stuff in college, but I was fascinated by the technology, and realized in my sophomore year that all my elective courses were turning out to be programming and electronics.”

Definitely unexpected. “What were you going to do with an English degree?” Ceci asked.

“Teach,” Kerry replied succinctly.

“Is that what you wanted to do?”

“No.” She shook her head. “It’s what my father wanted me to do.

Looks good for a politician, you know? One kid a lawyer, one kid a housewife, one kid a teacher. Very all American.”

Cecilia blinked at her. “Well.” She sipped her coffee and reflected.

“My family had expectations, yes, but at least they let us pick our own poison.” She sighed. “I wondered, for a while, what I’d have done in college.”

“You didn’t go, then?” Kerry asked surprised.

“No,” Ceci replied. “We moved around a lot and I had a little girl to take care of.” She was surprised at the lack of bitterness. “I just read everything I could get my hands on and besides, I’m not sure exactly how much good college does for artists.”

“Maybe if you had gone, you wouldn’t have gone into the art thing,”

Kerry suggested quietly. “What would you have picked if you had?”

What indeed? “Oh, I don’t know. Anthropology, probably.”

“Really?” Kerry smiled in surprise. “I took a few classes in that as part of my social sciences requirement. I had a great professor, who was a practicing anthropologist in the summers. He’d come back in the fall with all kinds of stories and pictures.” She paused. “Hey. If you have a few extra minutes, maybe we could go to the Museum of Natural History in DC.”

“Sounds like an idea.” Ceci smiled and leaned back. She wondered if Kerry’s parents had ever even bothered to talk to her about what she Eye of the Storm 289

found interesting—this intelligent young woman who still somehow had a core of wonder inside her that Ceci could fully appreciate.

What a pair of total idiots.

She was looking forward to meeting them.

IT TURNED OUT better than she expected. Dar adjusted the seat of the rental car she’d wrestled from the terminal and glanced at the tall figure peering alertly out the passenger window. Flying with her father had shortened the trip considerably, and she’d actually had a pretty good time playing a favorite word game with him that brought back memories of a far more innocent period in her life. “Pretty dusty, hmm?”

“Huh.” Andrew relaxed, folding his arms over his chest. “So what do you have to do at this meeting?”

Hmm. Good question. “I don’t know.” Dar put the car into gear. “It depends on what they hit me with.” She gave him a quick glance. “That’s a figure of speech.”

“Who’s gonna be there?”

“The whole board, I guess—except the international members.

They’ll teleconference in, probably.” Dar ran the list through her mind.

“The only one I really count on as a friend is Alastair. The rest are pretty recent acquaintances.” She turned onto the freeway. “Won’t be much sympathy there.”

“What the hell they got against you?”

Dar drove in silence for a few minutes, evaluating the last fifteen years. “I’m not the nicest person to deal with,” she admitted. “I tend to ram issues I think are important through, without much regard for anyone’s feelings or opinions.”

Andrew watched her with quiet interest. “That what the job calls for?”

“Sometimes.”

“Well then?”

“It’s all right when you’re on top, Dad. But if you slip, it’s a hard fall with no allies to cushion it.” Dar sighed. “I worked very hard to always be right, because I knew if I wasn’t, there were a lot of teeth snapping at my heels.” She watched the signs and turned off at the next exit. “What bothers me is the fact that I,” she hesitated, “that they got me on something I…”

“They caught you with yer britches down.”

“Mmm.” Dar had to smile. “Not literally, but yeah.”

“Posterior sphincters.” Andrew shook his head. “Got no more sense than the good Lord gave a grasshopper’s left…um…leg.”

“Dad?” Dar gave him an affectionate look. “I know what assholes and balls are.”

“Watch yer mouth, young lady, before I turn you over mah knee and make you sing Dixie.”

Obligingly, Dar started to sing. “Oh I wish I was in the land of cot-290 Melissa Good ton, old times there, are not forgotten, gone away…gone away…gone away to Dixieland…”

“Smart aleck.” Her father laughed, then joined in. He had a low, growly singing voice that sounded a bit like Dar’s and wasn’t unpleasant at all to listen to. They finished the song just as Dar pulled up to the gates and rolled the window down. She showed her ID to the guard, who gave her a quick respectful nod and allowed them through.

Andrew peered around the huge complex as they drove in. “Holy Jesus.”

Dar chuckled and pulled into the parking area. She selected a spot and turned the car off—now feeling butterflies in her stomach. She picked up her security card and examined it, tracing the familiar features reflected back at her along with the sharp black letters of her name.

Her employee number. Her hire date.

She knew a moment of profound sadness. “Guess I’d better go get this over with.” She exhaled. “C’mon. There’s an area upstairs you can wait in.”

“Ah could just go in there with you,” Andrew suggested, as he got out of the car.

“Daddy.” Dar leaned on the roof of the car as she removed her laptop and shouldered it. “Thank you, but I really can handle this.” She hoped. “And whatever happens, there’s one of the best steak places I’ve ever eaten in down the road. Dinner’s on me.”

They walked into the building and Dar angled her steps towards the security desk. The man behind the counter glanced up at her as she approached and straightened, responding more to her sleek neatly pressed gray suit and black silk shirt than anything else. “Morning.” Dar handed over her identification. “I need to sign in a guest.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The guard handed back her badge and provided a temporary one, as Dar wrote in her name, then smiled a little as she wrote in her father’s. She signed the book with a flourish, then handed him the clip-on identification. “Here you go.”

“Ain’t this special.” Andy amiably clipped the badge to his shirt and followed her across the huge, echoing lobby to the elevators. The building was built with cold granite walls, and the high atrium featured a spi-raling architecture that had offices and corridors overlooking the large cavernous center. “Place looks tighter than Fort Knox,” he muttered, as they entered the elevator car.

“Not quite.” Dar found a smile somewhere. “I caught a report the other day where they found bums sleeping inside unused offices in the upper floors.” She chuckled. “Heads rolled in security.” She drew a breath in as the car stopped and the doors opened, allowing them onto the executive floor. It was quiet here as usual and Dar led the way down the corridor and into the large antechamber outside Alastair’s office.

Beatrice glanced up as she entered and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Hello, Dar.”

“Morning.” Dar held the door open. “Bea, I’d like you to meet my Eye of the Storm 291

father.” She paused. “Andrew Roberts. Dad, this is Bea. She’s known me here since I was hired.”

“Mr. Roberts, it’s a pleasure.” Bea came around her desk and offered her hand. “So nice to meet you.”

“Ma’am.” Andy took her hand carefully and clasped it.

“He in?” Dar tilted her head to the right. Beatrice nodded. “C’mon, Dad. Alastair remembers meeting you but it’s been a while.” She walked over to the door and knocked lightly, hearing the grunt on the other side.

She opened the door to see her boss seated behind his desk, his chin resting on his fists.

“Dar, come on in.” The older man leaned back, then blinked in surprise as his ever troublesome employee was followed by a slightly taller, older, more muscular and male version of herself. One look at the lean, angular face and Alastair had no problem guessing his identity. “Ah,” he stood, “Commander Roberts, I believe.” A genuine smile edged his face and he came out from behind his desk. “It’s a pleasure, sir. We met once before, though you probably don’t remember me.”

Andrew padded forward and took the outstretched hand, shaking it, and allowing a half grin to emerge. “Ah surely do remember. Ah came by that company picnic you all were having and watched you darn near set a pair of sea grapes on fire.”

Alastair laughed. “You do indeed remember correctly,” he admitted.

“A little too enthusiastic with the starter fluid, unfortunately.”

Dar’s cell phone went off and she unclipped it, stepping to one side.

“Excuse me.” She opened it. “Hello?”

“Dar?”

“Hey, Mark. I just got to the compound. Anything I can do for you while I still have a chance?” Dar forced the macabre humor.

“Yeah. Got a pencil?” The MIS manager’s voice was full of milky satisfaction. “Listen up.”

Alastair offered his unexpected guest a drink. “What brings you to Houston, Commander?” He poured glasses of honey colored ice tea and handed Andrew one.

“Mah kid.” The ice blue eyes, so weirdly familiar, fastened on him.

“Had to come out here and see what kind of place it was that would be thinking of kicking out someone as smart and talented as I know she is for some dumb fool reason.”

Alastair blinked and took a step back, a little startled at the direct-ness. “Oh. I see, well…” He looked at Dar, who was still busy with her phone. “You know, I agree with you on that. I’ve always been one of Dar’s biggest supporters.”

“Yeap. She did say that,” Andy allowed. “And I’d like to thank you for watching out for my little girl.”

“Lit—” A stunned pause. “You me—ah.” Alastair cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry, Commander. I’ve known your daughter for fifteen years and it would never in my wildest dreams occur to me to think of her as anyone’s ‘little girl.’”

292 Melissa Good

“Sir?” The voice from the intercom.

“Yes?” Alastair answered it gratefully.

“The board is waiting. Is Ms. Roberts there?”

“Oh. Yes, yes, she’s here.” The CEO sighed. “We’ll be right over.” He straightened. “Dar? Are we ready?” He looked saw a chilling, almost predatory smile on Dar’s face.

“Oh yeah,” his CIO agreed. “We are definitely ready.” Her phone rang again and she answered it. “Yes?”

“Dar, it is José.” The Sales VP’s voice was excited. “Listen to me.

That new thing of yours. How soon?”

“For what?” Dar asked, as she adjusted her briefcase and prepared to follow Alastair. “José, I’m about to go into a meeting. The network’s up, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“¡Bueno! ¡Bueno! ” José chortled. “It can hold up bandwidth for a T3, yes?”

Dar gave Alastair an exasperated look. “Of course it can. José, this has got to wait.”

“Do not worry, Dar. I have all that I need to know. Goodbye.” José hung up and Dar folded her phone and tucked it into her belt, only to have it go off again. “Jesus.” She flipped it open. “Hello?”

“Hey.”

Dar felt like she’d just had warm marshmallow poured over her. “Hi.

Your flight go okay?”

“Mmm.” Kerry’s voice sounded curious. “Except I picked up a chap-erone, it seems.”

“Huh?”

“Your mother.”

“My mo—” Dar slowly turned and looked at her father, who had his hands tucked behind his back and his most innocent novice swabbie expression on his face. “Oh, I’m beginning to see a conspiracy here. Guess who’s with me.”

“You’re kidding.” Kerry laughed. “Dar, that’s just out of control.”

“Well, I’ve gotta go into my meeting. Glad you got there safely.”

“You too. Good luck.” Kerry’s voice was serious now. “Go with your heart, Dar. Whatever happens, I’m there with you.”

Dar swallowed. “Same to you.” She hung up and folded the phone, then gave Alastair a nod. “Let’s go.”

“You sure you don’t want to turn that phone off?” Alastair gave her a wry look. “Commander, feel free to wait here, or outside.”

“All right.” Andy settled himself in a comfortable leather chair very near the door. “I will tell you something, though, sir. I hear any hollerin’

going on directed at my kid, you are not gonna like the results.” He folded his arms and glared at Alastair.

The CEO held the door to the conference room open. “Ah. Right.

Well, actually, it’s usually Dar doing the yelling.” He escaped and let the door close, then crossed the tiny space before opening the inner door and leading the way into a chill, mostly filled room, whose eyes fastened on Eye of the Storm 293

him. The eyes then slipped past him to stare at the tall, dark haired woman who entered behind him.

Dar brushed by her boss, went to the conference table, set her briefcase down and rested her fingers on it as she leaned and regarded them.

Ankow smiled smugly at her. The rest of them had expressions ranging from wary regard to outright disgust. Dar took a breath in and let it go and took off the gloves. “All right,” her voice pitched low, “you asked me to be here for your idiotic little kangaroo court, so here I am.” She straightened and spread her hands out. “Talk fast.”

THE HUGE COURTROOM was filling, half with regular people, half with press, Kerry realized as she waited her turn to pass through the metal detector. Her stomach was in knots and she felt alternately flushed and chilled as she stood anonymously among the crowd. A quick glance around confirmed no one in the vicinity knew her and she exhaled, holding her hands in front of her, clasping her subpoena.

“Haven’t seen this much press in a while,” Cecilia commented from her position next to Kerry.

“Must be a slow news day,” Kerry joked wanly. “Listen…you know…I mean, it’s really nice of you to offer, but you really don’t have to put yourself through this. I’m sure it’s going to be really boring.”

The cool gray eyes scanned the crowd. “As an artist, I’ve learned even the most mundane situations can be inspiring.” A smile briefly crossed her lips. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll decide to do a series of character study portraits.”

Kerry spotted a very familiar core of obstinacy behind that mild expression and she gave a little nod as she moved forward and handed the court clerk her paper. She waited for him to examine it, then he put a little stamp on the surface and recorded something.

“Inside, to the left.” He passed her through. “Hands away from your body, please.”

Kerry unclipped her pager and cell phone and handed them over, then walked through the metal detector, which remained comfortingly silent. She turned and took back her electronics, then waited while Cecilia walked through the portal, easily clearing both sides with her diminutive stature. Dar’s mother was dressed in casual pale khaki cotton pants and a blue green sweater with its sleeves pushed halfway up her arms. The color contrasted nicely with her silver blonde hair and lent a touch of warmth to her eyes.

Kerry liked it and wished she were dressed as comfortably. She’d decided on one of her suits she wore at work, the burgundy one Dar had picked out for her the last time they’d been shopping. She had a pale gray silk shirt on and kept ruffling her hair in back, getting used to the shorter length she’d had it cut to for summer. “There’re some seats up there.” She pointed, just before her eyes moved right and she spotted her family.

“Ah.”

294 Melissa Good Ceci followed her gaze and studied the crowd, easily recognizing Kerry’s father from his television appearances. He was accompanied by an older woman dressed in a high necked, very plain gray dress, and a young man and woman, whom she deduced were Kerry’s brother and sister. As Ceci watched, the older woman turned her head and met Kerry’s eyes, then very deliberately looked away.

Kerry’s gaze dropped.

Ceci tucked her hand into her companion’s elbow and tugged.

“C’mon.” She guided the very quiet Kerry to a set of empty seats across the big aisle from where her family was gathered. She sat down and watched them from the corner of her eyes, seeing the younger woman and man spot Kerry and lean their heads together, whispering.

The woman, she realized, was very pregnant. Behind her sat a tall, distinguished looking man and a younger man with blond hair and gentler eyes.

Kerry kept her gaze forward, still smarting from the coldness she could feel coming from her mother and the refusal of her siblings to meet her glance.

Did they know? Kerry suspected they did know that she’d been the one who released the information to the press, proving herself a traitor on a level nothing she could ever do or say could relieve her from. At the time, she’d been angry and had felt justified. Maybe she still did, but there was a part of her that wished she hadn’t done it, even though the chances of her reconciling with her parents were slim even then.

It hurt. She studied her hands, folded in her lap, her thumb playing idly with the pretty ring that circled her finger.

“That’s a beautiful piece,” Ceci commented softly. “May I see it?”

With a pensive smile Kerry tugged it off and handed it over, turning her head a little to watch Dar’s mother examine her gift, admiring the intricate, lacy design. “Dar surprised me with it.” Ceci’s eyes widened a little and she turned the ring to one side, peering at the inside band.

Then the gray eyes lifted to meet hers, with a look of intense understanding in them. It was, Ceci sucked in a breath, like coming out of a dark room into the light.

She had wondered for thirty years what drove her daughter, and it had been right in front of her the entire time.

Dar had only wanted what she and Andrew had.

Goddess.

“What’s wrong?” Kerry asked leaning closer. “Mrs. Roberts, are you all right?”

She sighed and handed the ring back. “Oh, yes.” She gave Kerry a wry smile. “Just having a personal revelation.”

“Really?” Kerry slid the ring back on, the cool metal warming to her skin immediately. “Do you have those often?”

“Not nearly often enough,” Cecilia admitted quietly.

Kerry was about to pursue that line of questioning further, when the buzz around her lowered and chairs scraped. Then they all rose as the Eye of the Storm 295

examining council walked in and then they sat down after the six people behind the elevated table got to their places.

“All right.” The man in charge shuffled some papers and put a pair of half glasses on his nose. “Let’s get going.” He looked at the special prosecutor. “Mr. Dileko?”

“Thank you.” The lawyer, a dapper Democratic political appointee stood and studied his legal pad. “I’d like to call Kerrison Stuart to the stand, please.” He glanced up into the crowd expectantly. “The bailiff tells me she’s here?”

Oh boy. Kerry was completely not ready to face the crowd. She gathered her shredded confidence and stood, then looked down as a hand patted hers. “Wish me luck.”

“Hang in there, Kerry.” Cecilia smiled. “Anyone who could tame my daughter shouldn’t have any trouble with this bunch.”

Kerry returned the smile gratefully, then straightened her shoulders, edged out of the row of seats, and went to the front of the room. She clenched her hand and felt her ring bite into her palm, lending her a measure of strength as she passed her family’s seats and sensed their eyes on her.

Then she was on the stand and had to turn and face the room, a myr-iad of expressions looking back at her. She lifted her hand and repeated the words the clerk muttered, then sat down and turned her face towards the lawyer and waited.

And tried to pretend the most hostile of the looks directed at her weren’t related to her by blood.