“You know what I did the day he gave his press conference? That was the first time he came back from the dead. I played baseball. There was a game that afternoon and I saw him on television and I thought, Oh God, it’s starting all over again, everybody will know, they’ll throw me out of the game or look embarrassed or something. They’ll know. But they didn’t. I went to the park and nobody said a thing-the kids, the coaches, nobody. We just played ball, as if nothing had happened. Because it hadn’t. That’s when I realized it was over. I wasn’t his son anymore. I was somebody else.” He looked at her. “I’m still somebody else.”
“If you say so.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means I don’t believe you.”
He felt the lurch again, found out, back at the table with Doris Kemper.
“Have it your way. You delivered your message. Why did you, anyway? I mean, why bother? What’s in it for you?”
“I told you. He promised to talk to me.”
“And you believed him? He’s been known not to tell the truth, you know. In fact, he’s famous for it.”
“He’s not like that.”
“Really. What is he like?”
“He’s-” She searched for a word. “Sad.”
Nick looked at her, not quite sure how to take this. “Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? Forget it.”
“Old-sad,” she said thoughtfully. “He’s old. Don’t be angry. He just wants to see you.”
“So why not pick up the phone? They have phones there, don’t they? Why you? I don’t get it.”
“He wants me to bring you.”
Nick stared at her, dumbfounded. “Come again?”
“He said you’d need a cover. I guess that’s me. You’d be with me. He told me you had a different name. I didn’t realize it was that Warren.”
“Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. He walks up to you at a party and says go get my son and I’ll give you an interview. But don’t tell anybody, because I’m being watched. And you agree to do it? This doesn’t strike you as a little crazy? If you’re that hard up for a story, why not interview Barbara Hutton? Nobody remembers her either.”
“I’m just telling you what he said.”
“But why go through this? He’s not a prisoner, you know. He’s allowed visitors.”
“I know. I kept wondering about that too. What I think is, he doesn’t want them to know who you are. I don’t know why. He wants them to think you’re somebody else.”
“Your fiance.”
“Look, I thought it was crazy too. All the cloak-and-dagger stuff. Why do you think it took me so long? But I kept thinking about it. First of all, it’s like that there. They’re all a little spooky. Jiri thought everybody’s phone was tapped. So maybe it’s crazy, but they ought to know. They live there. They’re always arranging to meet in parks, things like that. So I thought, well, maybe he thinks that way. He’s used to it. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought there was something else. Not just being careful. Like he had it all worked out. The problem was, I couldn’t figure out what. Then it occurred to me that maybe I wasn’t supposed to know, but you would. That you’d know what he meant.” She had been leaning forward, her voice eager, but now she sat back, opening her hands. “So I thought I’d better tell you. Just in case.”
Nick shook his head, staring at the glass. “What exactly did he say to you?”
“Exactly? He wants to see you. Don’t tell anybody. He said you’d understand.”
“No, about the shirt.”
“Oh.” She frowned, concentrating. “Tell him I always remembered how he helped with the shirt. He’ll know.” Like that, anyway. I don’t know exactly. At the time, I didn’t think-is it some kind of code?“
The word made Nick smile. “No. And this isn’t Nancy Drew either. No codes. No invisible ink. There was a shirt, so yes, I know it’s him. That’s it.”
“But what do you think it means?”
Nick looked at the table for a minute so she would think he was trying to sort out his thoughts, not push them away. It was starting again. Secrets. Listening at doors. But it didn’t have to start. All he had to do was push it away.
“I think it means you met an old man at a party. Maybe he’s sorry about what happened. So am I. But that doesn’t mean I want to see him. It’s a little late for apologies.”
“You’re wrong. There’s something else-it’s not that simple.”
“Look, I’m sorry you came all this way-”
“I was coming anyway,” she said, annoyed. “Don’t worry.” Then she leaned forward again, making a last effort. “What if I’m right? How could you not want to know?”
He looked at her, then signaled for the bill. “It takes practice. After a while, it works. Everything goes away and the last thing you want to do is bring it back. What do you think would happen if we went? A few awkward days with someone I don’t even know anymore? All taped by you for some magazine?”
“That’s not fair. I never said I wanted to do that. You don’t have to take it out on me.”
“Take what out?”
“Whatever it is that’s making you like this.”
“Right. Sorry.” He pulled out some money to put on the plate with the bill.
“So you won’t,” she said, gathering her purse.
