“Here’s to my ace, Roger. May the next fifty be yours for the taking,” Wayne Wardlow toasted after they’d sung an off-key but effusive “Happy Birthday.”
The waitress brought out a chocolate cake, his favorite.
“Of course, we only used five candles for symbolism’s sake, since we didn’t want to torch the joint,” Wardlow joked, getting a round of guffaws.
“Here’s to you, Roger,” Gabe Nathanson echoed.
“Thanks, gents.” Roger clinked his glass against the others’ and drank. This was his second gin and tonic and it was going to be his limit. It was seventeen past 6:00 and it was getting harder for him to laugh and seem at ease. He had to go home and find out about his daughter, a last intimacy with Claudia, he owed her that, and then Nanette. One foot right before the other, Roger. Just like walking across the street. Though you could get run over.
“What’s up, champ?” Wardlow sidled up next to him. “Looks like you got something on your mind.”
“Being fifty.”
Wardlow had more of his whiskey. “I hear that. But things change, yeah? Don’t want to look back and have a trunk full of regrets.” He upended his tumbler and signaled for another. “Getting this age, too old to be innovative but just enough juice left in the tank to try something different, it hits you, doesn’t it? You can keep doing what you’re doing, stay in that rut till you maybe make retirement, and hope you can still manage to wipe your own butt and have enough to buy a few beans and tortillas. Or take a chance on something.” He looked off, beyond the walls.
“Exactly,” Roger agreed.
Later, after the goodbyes and a promise to play nine holes with Wardlow and a couple of the fellas, Claudia called him on his cell as he headed home.
“Janice isn’t here.”
“What? She turn around and go back?”
“No. Her cell phone is suddenly disconnected. I couldn’t leave a message, and I haven’t heard from her.”
“You just now telling me this?”
“Don’t yell at me. It’s just a little past 7:30, the time I figured she’d be here.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Think she’s at one of her friends’ houses? Could she have stopped on the way and maybe dropped her phone and broke it?”
“Then why wouldn’t she use their phone to call?”
“Look, it’s not dire yet or anything. We should be calm.”
“I am, I’m just, you know, could it have something to do with why she came down?”
“I don’t know. We have some of her friends’ numbers. Girls from high school.”
“I’m going to call them.”
“Okay. I’ll be home shortly.” He hung up and rang Nanette to fill her in.
“Why didn’t you tell me she was coming to town?”
“I didn’t think it was going to be a big thing.”
“So what are you going to do?” she asked.
“I can’t take off till I know what’s going on with Janice.”
“I know that, I’m not the unfeeling ho,” she barked.
“That’s not what I meant. I can’t stop the virus. Anyway, everyone’s gone home, it would be my code and time stamp registered on the alarm pad if I went back to the office now.”
Her tone softened. “What about the money in the accounts? We can access the funds at any time, right?”
“Theoretically, yes. But once the hard drives are probed, I can’t be sure there won’t be traces. When they attempt to resurrect the files, they’ll dig deep. The virus was merely a way to give us the time we needed to get to the islands.”
“Then find your daughter, darling, and call me back. It still won’t make a difference if we leave tonight, tomorrow, or next week. Those computer files won’t be recovered that fast. In fact, when they go down and you’re around being all concerned, that will be even better, less attention on you.”
“Okay. Talk to you soon.”
“Okay, baby.”
Roger arrived at his house and was surprised to see his wife’s car wasn’t there. She called him on his cell as he unlocked the front door. “Janice had some car trouble, I went to pick her up. Should be back in half an hour.”
“Fine, I’ll be here.” Roger went inside, checking the time and gauging his next moves. The virus had launched, it was real now. He was elated. He was getting aroused as he fantasized about the money and his woman. Giddy, he took out his BlackBerry and punched in a code. The results on his screen sobered him. He put in more numbers, and again got the same results. Zero.
Reeling like he’d been hammered by a heavyweight’s blow, Roger dropped to his knees, fighting for air. He dropped the BlackBerry before him, as if it were a totem he could invoke favor through. The accounts in the Swiss banks and the one in the Caymans were empty. He kneeled there, blinking and kneading his hands. There was only one other person who knew about them. He rose, a man with renewed purpose.
Not fifteen minutes later, Roger Crumbler was surprised when Nanette answered her door. She lived in a duplex near Motor he’d helped her rent under a false name.
“Hi, Rog,” she said as he rushed inside.
“Well?” He held the BlackBerry in front of her face.
“Well, what?”
“The money, Nanette, the goddamn money I risked everything to steal. For us.”
“I don’t have it. Obviously.”
“Really?” He stalked through the apartment, not sure what he’d find or do as he looked in the bedroom and the closets. “You’re full of shit, baby. You must have the money. No one else knew about the accounts but you.”
“Keep your voice down, Roger.”
“Fuck that.” He was breathing hard, sweat glazing his brow. Fists balled, he blared, “You’re playing some kind of game with me, aren’t you? Think I’m stupid.”
“Roger, if I had the money, why would I be here waiting for you?”
He grabbed her arm. “You tell me.”
“Let go.” She jerked free. “So let me get this straight, you’re claiming the money is gone all of a sudden? The money from the accounts you set up, the money from the accounts you created passwords for? That money?” She glared at him, nostrils flaring.
“Oh, I see. Very clever. Make it seem like you’re the innocent here. When it’s perfectly clear you’re trying to pull some shit on me.”
“What about this, asshole. What if you planned this all along, come storming in here pretending you can’t find the Benjamins, and be all outraged and get me sucked in. Then send me off to look for the money and you take off with it. Shit,” she said, disgusted. “Without me giving you the backbone, you’d never have stolen that money. You’d keep being a glorified bookkeeper until you got your gold watch and your once-a-week handjob from your wife.”
“Shut the fuck up. I need to think.” He wanted to beat the truth out of her.
“You shut the fuck up.” She shoved him. “And get out of here. Now that I see what a pussy you really are, I wouldn’t go to the corner liquor store with you.”
He was shaking in anger. “Now you hold on.”
“Get out of her before I call the cops on your useless ass. You probably got all nervous and hit the wrong key, sending our money to some South American dictator’s account.” She laughed hollowly. “How the fuck could I have seen a future with you? You’re pathetic, Roger.”
“You’re not getting rid of me. We’re going to find that money together. This is my only chance, Nanette.”
“You’re unstable.” She moved to the door and held it open. “Leave.”
“I’m not going until I get my money.” He stalked toward her. “My fuckin’ money, understand me, bitch?”