He answered it and said, I was just about to call you.
Because you had the same thought I did.
I guess so. Either its a coincidence
Or its not.
Right.
I have a feeling that thought was in both our minds from the minute we got the news flash.
I think youre right, he said, because when it just now came to me it felt like something Ive known all along.
Day to day, she said, before Longford made the news, did it feel wrong?
It always does.
Really?
Lately, yeah. Thats one reason I want to pack it in. You remember Indianapolis? The plan there was that theyd kill me once I took out the target. They put a bug on my car so theyd always be able to find me.
I remember.
If I hadnt overheard two of them talking
I know.
And then the other job for Al, the one in Albuquerque, I was so paranoid I booked three motel rooms under three different names.
And didnt stay in any of them, as I recall.
Or anywhere else, either. I did the job and came home. Most of the time everythings fine, Dot, but Im gun-shy, and I take so many precautions I trip over them. And then when I start to relax, somebody shoots the governor of Ohio.
She was quiet for a moment. Then she said, Be careful, Keller.
I intend to.
Lay low as long as you have to, if youre sure youre in a safe place. Dont even think about doing the job for Al, not as long as theres the slightest chance that this might be a setup.
All right.
And stay in touch, she said, and rang off.
3
That would explain the delays. His purported quarry, the short fat white guy who was manifestly not the governor of Ohio or anyplace else, was not a terribly difficult target. An hour or so after Kellers plane had landed, the man whod met it was driving Keller through a tree-lined neighborhood in West Des Moines, near Holiday Park. The driver, a big man with large facial features and a lot of hair growing out of his ears, eased up on the accelerator as they passed a ranch house with compulsively symmetrical shrubbery in front of it. A man in Bermuda shorts and a baggy T-shirt stood on the flawless front lawn, watering it with a hose.
Everybody else on earth, he said, sets up a sprinkler and leaves it the hell alone. That jerkoff has to stand there and hold it. I guess hes the kinds got to be in charge.
Well, Keller said.
Dont he look just like his picture? Thats your guy. Okay, now you know where he lives. Next thing well do is drive past his office.
And, in downtown Des Moines, the driver pointed out a ten-story office building, on the sixth floor of which Gregory Dowling had an office. Except youd have to be nuts to hit him down here, he told Keller, with all the people around, and they even got a security staff in the building, and theres traffic to make it tough to get away when the jobs finished. You go to his house, catch him watering his lawn, just cram the nozzle down his throat till it comes out of his ass.
Slick, Keller said.
Just a manner of speaking. You know where he lives, you know where he works, now its time to take you home.
Home?
Were putting you up at this place, the Laurel Inn. Nothing fancy but not too shabby, either, you know? Nice pool, decent coffee shop, plus you got a Dennys right across the road. Youre right at an interstate exit, so youre on and off in a hurry. And its all taken care of, so you got no bill to pay. Charge anything you want to the room, its on the boss.
The place certainly looked good from the highway. Around back in the parking lot, the big fellow handed Keller a palm-size cardboard folder holding a key card. Only the name of the motel appeared on the key card; the room number, 204, was written on the folder.
They never told me your name, the fellow said.
They never told me yours, either.
Meaning lets keep it that way? Fair enough. Name youre registered under is Leroy Montrose, and dont blame me, cause I aint the one picked it out.
The hair on the mans head was neatly cut and styled, and Keller wondered why his barber didnt do something about the hair growing out of his ears. Keller had never thought of himself as particularly fastidious, but he really didnt like to look at it, all that hair sprouting out of the guys ears.
Leroy Montrose, Room 204. Any charges, just sign your name. Well, Leroys name. You sign your own name, which I guess you like keeping a secret, and theyll just look at you funny.
Keller didnt say anything. Maybe the ear hair functioned like antennae, maybe the guy was getting signals on it from his home planet.
Thing is, the guy said, its good youre here now, but it might be a while before you can go ahead and do your thing.
Oh?
Theres a guy has to make sure hes someplace else when it goes down, if you get my drift. And theres a couple other whatchacall variables involved. So what they want you to do is stay pretty close to the room so we can call you and keep you in the loop. Like go ahead or dont go ahead, you follow me?
As day follows night, Keller said.
Yeah? Good way to put it. What am I forgetting? Oh, right. Open the glove compartment. See the paper bag? Take it out.