“First, I’m going to use your phone to put out a worldwide APB on Jason
Archer. Next, I’m going to pick your brain clean for the next hour.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to send a team of agents to Dulles Airport to
find out as much as they can about Jason Archer.
While they’re doing that, I’m going to follow up with a personal
interview of someone who may turn out to be truly integral to this whole
case.”
“Who’s that?”
“Sidney Archer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Paul Brophy, I’m a partner of Sidney’s, Mr…”
Brophy stood in the foyer of the home, his overnight bag in one hand.
“Bill Patterson. I’m Sidney’s father.”
“She’s spoken of you often, Bill. Sorry we never had a chance to meet
until now. Terrible what happened. I had to come here for your
daughter. She’s one of my closest colleagues. A truly remarkable
woman.”
Bill Patterson eyed the bag Brophy deposited in one corner of the foyer.
Dressed in a dark blue double-breasted suit, the latest in fashionable
neckwear and glossy black shoes to go with patterned socks, the tall,
lean Brophy cut quite a figure. Something about the smooth manner,
though, the way he was casually moving around the stricken household,
made Patterson frown. He had spent the better part of his working life
with his bullshit radar set on high. His alarm was wailing now.
“She’s got a lot of family here for her… Paul, was it?” Patterson put
particular emphasis on the word family.
Brophy looked at him, sizing up the man quickly. “Yes. There’s nothing
more important than family right now. I hope you don’t think I’m
intruding. That’s the last thing I want to do. I talked to Sidney last
night. She said it was okay. I’ve worked with your daughter for many
years. We’ve been through some legal deals that would send you looking
for the ulcer medicine. But I don’t have to tell you that. You
practically ran Bristol-Aluminum the last five years you were there.
Read about you in the Journal it seems like every month. And that big
spread in Forbes a few years ago when you retired.”
“Business is tough,” the older man agreed, relaxing his manner as he
briefly recalled past triumphs from his business career.
“Well, I know that’s what your competition thought.” Brophy flashed the
friendliest of grins.
Patterson returned it. The guy was probably okay; after all, he had
come all this way. Besides, this was not the morning to start any
problems. “You want something to drink, or eat? You flew down from New
York this morning you say?”
“First shuttle out. If you’ve got some coffee, that would be great ….
Sidney?” Brophy’s eyes eagerly settled on the tall presence entering the
room.
Dressed in black, her mother by her side and similarly attired, Sidney
Archer came down the hallway.
“Hello, Paul.”
Brophy walked quickly over to her, gave her a full hug and a peck on the
cheek that seemed to linger for a few seconds. A little flustered,
Sidney made introductions with her mother.
“So, how’s little Amy taking it?” Brophy asked anxiously.
“She’s staying with a friend. She doesn’t understand what’s happened.”
Sidney’s mother stared at him, her eyes unfriendly.
“Right, that’s right.” Brophy fell back a step. He had never had kids,
but that had still been a stupid question.
Sidney unwittingly helped him. She turned to her mother. “Paul flew
down from New York this morning.”
Her mother nodded absently and then bustled off to the kitchen to start
some breakfast.
Brophy looked at Sidney. Her hair was silky, straw-colored, its color
made more dramatic by the backdrop of the black dress. He found her
gaunt look particularly attractive. Even though he had his own agenda,
Brophy was still taken aback. The woman was beautiful.
“Everyone else is going directly to the chapel. After the service
they’ll come here.” She sounded overwhelmed by the prospect.
Brophy caught the tone. “You just take it easy and when you want to go
off by yourself, I’ll be right there making small talk and keeping
everyone’s plate filled with food. If there’s anything I’ve learned
being a lawyer, it’s how to use a lot of words and never really say