Someone to Watch Over Her

"Okay," I said. "If you let me pick the place I'll go to dinner with you as often as you want. You can call me any time. You know I'll help you in any way I can, right? That's my job. Going to dinner is personal. I love hearing you talk. I always wondered what you might sound like. I love feeling you lean up against me. I promise to try to never disappoint you."

She cuddled my arm. "Okay, what do you want to talk about now?"

"Are you going to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, I have a deposition in the morning."

"Then I think we should talk about me going home."

"Where do you live?' she asked. "You know everything about me and I know nothing about you. I don't want you to leave."

"I don't own a home in the United States. I stay in hotels, very nice hotels. Sometimes I stay for months, sometimes for just one night. I stay on the move. I own six homes in other countries. I'm thinking you would like my home in Denpasar. I'm going there in three weeks. I'd love to have you join me."

"Really? I have no idea where that is. I've never been outside the US. Let's see how the next three weeks go. When will you have dinner with me? How can I get in touch with you?"

"That's many questions, again. Denpasar is on the island of Bali. I'll give you a number to call. I won't answer, but they always know how to reach me. I don't have a telephone. I use prepaid cells and my number changes every time I use one. If you tell them you're calling about the Monet, they'll give me the message and I'll call you."

"Oh my God, you're like some James Bond guy. This is so exciting, Canton. But you never told me when we can have dinner."

"How about Friday night? Pick you up at seven?"

"That's perfect," she wiggled closer. "Now give me a squeeze and I'll let you out."

I was happy to squeeze her any chance I got. I gave her the number of the service I use, and she walked me to the door. I handed her the flash drive I had brought.

"By the way, here's the information on the illegal wire tap the BATF was running on your client. It has the name of the technician who installed it, a copy of the work order and pictures of the communications van they were using. I was able to obtain a copy of the transcripts of the information they got. This should bust your case open."

She just looked at me. "How in hell... no, I don't want to know. Thanks, Canton." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. I may be ready in three weeks, now that I have this."

I walked to the Navigator and I felt ten feet tall. My daughter was going to let me into her life. I was running a huge risk, but I didn't see another way. If she ever found out that I was her father the shit was going to hit the fan, but I just couldn't stay away.

James stepped out of the shadows and got behind the wheel. He looked like a Nordic god. He had worked for me since he was 25. I'd never seen him rumpled, angry or anything other than professional. He had never lost a fight in the ten years I've known him, and you had the feeling that he would lose only one in his life. That would be the one in which he died. I pulled him out of a jail cell in Tunisia, and he was blindly loyal.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Thomas?"

"Yes, she let me help her. You're going to drive her from now on, James. She's my daughter. You can never tell her that, but you are to protect her as you would me."

"You can count on me, Mr. Thomas."

"Yes, I think I can. Take the Mercedes and pick her up here at eight. Stay with her. You're to go everywhere she goes. Don't take no for an answer."

He drove me to the hotel, and Fredrick was waiting. He's German and about 60. He's the perfect employee. He was security on a deal that went south when I was just getting started. He took two bullets and I dragged him down three flights of stairs and took him to a surgeon I knew. We saved him, and he'd been with me ever since. He was a very dangerous man, but you'd never suspect it.

He had a bath drawn, and there was brandy and a cigar on the tub. I relaxed in the jets and thought about my day. My life was changing. There wasn't any plan for loving your daughter, so I'd have to make it up as I went. I'm pretty good at that.

*****

James reported that he had a minor disagreement with Fallon about his "intrusiveness" but that he had worked it out. He had become a fixture, and she hardly noticed him. He said she talked a lot and asked many questions about me. I told him to be honest about everything except who I really was. He was to talk to her if she wanted to talk.

"What will I talk about?" he asked.

"Damn, man; she's young, gorgeous and smart. She's funny and quick. Are you gay?"

"No sir, I'm not. I just don't think it's appropriate..."

"You don't work for her, James. She seems to like you. Just be her friend. Ask her out, talk about sports; ask her what kind of music she likes. I don't care. Handle your business."

"I will, sir."

Friday rolled around, and I was waiting when she came out at seven. She had on a little black dress and red heels with a matching clutch. Fredrick opened the door, and she climbed in.

She looked happy to see me. When she kissed my cheek, I knew she was.

"Hello, Fallon," I said. "You look stunning."

"Hi, Canton. You look the same as the last time I saw you. Do you only have one suit? Do you always wear a suit?"

I laughed. "I actually own several. They are similar. They come from the same tailor. They are all charcoal, but you'll notice this one has a pin stripe and that I have on a pink shirt. I do always wear a suit when I'm dining with a beautiful girl. If I'm doing something that demands other clothing, I dress for the occasion."

"Well, you do look distinguished," she said. "Where are we going?"

"I know a place. Do you like Italian, Fallon?"

"I like Olive Garden. I like pizza and pasta."

I shuddered at the thought. "Well, you're going to love this then. How was your week?"

She chattered away in that little husky voice and I just listened to the sound without really paying attention to what she was saying.

"Canton, I asked you a question!"

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I love hearing you talk so much that I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh my God. How do you know just what to say like that?"

"Practice, my dear," I told her. "It helps if you're sincere. Most people can spot a phony."

"But you are a phony," she said. "I tried to find information about you. I couldn't find anything. You didn't file taxes; you don't have a criminal record, no birth certificate, wedding records or address. You don't even have a social security number or a driver's license. You're a ghost, Canton."

"Yes, I know. Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I wanted to impress you. I even tried to wheedle information out of James. He's incorruptible. I like him, by the way. He was really formal at first and he still calls me 'Miss Blake.' I'm not sure about him following me everywhere. He opens every door I go through and looks inside before he lets me in."

"That's his job, Fallon. If he had been with you when those thugs attacked you, he would have stopped them. If someone else tries something like that, you'll be thankful you had him around. I trust him completely, and so should you. He'll do anything you tell him to, except let you go into a dangerous situation alone."

"I do trust him. It's just weird to have him pick me up and take me everywhere."

"You'll get used to it. I hardly notice Fredrick, here."

We pulled up at the curb and he let us out. We followed him down the street to a stationary shop, and he opened the door.

"What are we doing?" Fallon asked.

"Eating," I told her.

"At a stationary store? What's going on, Canton?"

"Be patient. All will be revealed."

The desk clerk opened a door and waved us through. "Your table is ready, Mr. Thomas." We walked down a hall and you could smell bread baking. That's a heavenly aroma, and Fallon breathed it in.

"What is this place, Canton?"

"It's a club; a very exclusive club. The high level crime bosses, athletes, foreign dignitaries; they all eat here."

"How do you know about this place?"

"I did a favor for the owner, years ago."

A waiter appeared and showed us to our table. We ordered wine and he went away.

"I don't really drink that much," she told me. "Do you always drink wine with meals."

"Yes, it's a habit I picked up in Italy. I'm glad you're not a party animal, Fallon. I'm not trying to be a bad influence. As a matter of fact, drinking a moderate amount of wine every day is good for you. You'll live an average of five years longer than someone who never drinks wine."

"I didn't know that."

She looked her menu over. "I can't read this, Canton. It's in Italian."

"Will you let me order for you?"

"How do you know what I like? Never mind, I suppose you have extensive files on my eating habits."

I laughed. "Actually I don't. You mostly eat at chain restaurants. I have no interest in knowing about the sort of food they serve there."

"You're a snob, Canton."

"About food and drink, yes, about people, no. I hobnob with the riffraff of society. Sometimes a beautiful girl will eat dinner with me."

Her eyes sparkled and she dimpled into a smile. "There you go again. You're a charmer. Are you married, Canton?"

"I was, once. I was a fool and she left me. I decided that ship has sailed. She passed away several years back. I'll never love anyone else like that."

"That's so sad." Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"No, I loved her, but I move along. I'm not sad about it. I do other things. I enjoy the company of a lady when I feel like it, but not like with her. The only thing that makes me sad is that I wasn't wise enough to make it last. I have my work and I have you, now. I'm content."

She patted my hand. "I've never really been in love. I thought I was a time or two, but I think I'm like you. When I find the right man, I think I'll love him forever. If it doesn't work out, I doubt I'd try again, either."

I ordered and she ate every morsel. She thought I cooked better, but it might have just been the difference in styles.

She asked so many questions it was hard to be discreet. The fact that I was actually sitting across a table from her, and that she liked me, made it even more difficult. I wanted to hold her and spill my guts about how much I had longed to do this all her life. That wasn't in the cards, right then, so I was content to just sit and watch her.

She didn't want to go home after dinner, and she asked me take her somewhere.

"Do you smoke cigars?" I asked her.

She laughed. "No, why do you ask?"

"I know a club where you sit around and drink very good brandy and smoke cigars in very good chairs. The conversation is top notch. They rarely see anyone as stunning as you there, and I know you'd be a hit. I also know an underground club with a very good jazz band where we could dance, or I know of a prizefight that will begin in an hour. Is one of those acceptable?"

"The fight sounds illegal, although I like fights. I like jazz, but I'm not a very good dancer. I would like to try smoking a good cigar. Will you teach me the difference between a good cigar and a bad one? I do want to have a very good conversation, but I want to have it with you. You won't leave me alone to talk to strangers, will you?"

I laughed. "Okay, the club it is. I will teach you about cigars, our conversation can be just you and I, or we can join as many as we want. I won't leave you alone."

She took my arm, and Fredrick drove us to the tobacco club. They knew me there, and they didn't question Fallon being on my arm. Very few people were admitted there, but since she was my guest, they were happy to have her. The staff was female, but there were only a dozen female members. None of them looked like Fallon.

I taught her some things about cigars. I recommended one for her and we bought it. She was shocked at the price, but I assured her that it was well worth it. She was fascinated by the gentility of the place and the whole culture. We sat in a little alcove, and I showed her how to clip her cigar. There were matches at our elbow, and we lit up. She coughed a little and her mouth watered. I poured her a brandy and with that to sip on, she managed the cigar well.

"I think I like cigars," she said. "How often do you smoke them?"

"I smoke one maybe three times a week. Usually I smoke at home after a good meal. They should be reserved for occasions that are appropriate. They aren't like wine that you have with every meal. They're more like brandy or good whiskey. Overindulgence would cheapen the effect."

"I think it would be interesting to see what people would think about me if I smoked cigars," she mused. "I'm going to buy some. Will you help me?"

"Yes, but you need somewhere to keep them."

"You mean like the refrigerator or something?"

"God, no, I mean a humidor."

"What's that?" she asked.

"A box to keep cigars in that is humidity controlled. Your cigars will get stale if you don't keep them in a humidor."

"Do they sell them here?"

"Yes, I'll get you one and we can pick out a selection of good cigars, too."

We joined a group, and I introduced Fallon to them. They were talking about economics, and they were happy to include Fallon.

I was surprised at how much she knew about it. She was a gold girl, it turned out. She wasn't insistent on gold, but she thought the dollar should be tied to some commodity like oil or a precious metal. One of the group was a regional chairman of the Federal Reserve, and she tied him in knots.

He turned to me. "This is a delightful young lady, Thomas. What's she doing with an old man like you?"

I nodded to him. "I have more game than you suspect. Really though, she's a young relative of mine and she likes hanging out with me. She likes cigars, and so I brought her."

"You must come again," he told her. "Would you allow me to sponsor you as a member?"

She looked up at me and I nodded. "I'd love that," she said. "Thank you very much, sir. I've enjoyed talking to you and I'd like to hear more of your ideas."

"Polite and beautiful," he said. "What do you do, young lady?"

"You can call me Fallon," she said. "If you're a friend of Canton's, I want to be your friend, too. I'm an attorney."

He asked her about her firm and where she went to school. When he found out she was a Yale law school graduate, her place in the club was certain. If he sponsored her, no one was going to say no. They all told stories about college and she shared one of her undergraduate experiences at Dartmouth.

We excused ourselves, picked her out a humidor and 100 cigars. I had the clerk box them up, and I bought them for her. I suspected she had no idea how much a good humidor cost, and I didn't want to strain her budget. I also got her a cigar cutter.

She kissed me goodnight when we pulled up at her apartment, and James was waiting for her.

"Canton, this was one of the best nights of my life," she told me. "It's like I've been waiting all my life to have someone like you. Can we do this again next week?"

I assured her that we could. I told her I was flying to India, Sunday afternoon. She asked me if she could drop me at the airport. I thought about it for a minute.

"No, I don't want to do that. There are too many people, and too much security surveillance at the airport. I don't want us to be seen together much." She looked crestfallen, but she perked up when I asked her to go to church with me Sunday morning.

"I'd like that," she said. "What religion are you?"

"I'm not really any religion," I told her. "I believe, but I haven't been able to find out much information that is reliable. The world doesn't make sense without God, but I don't know very much about him. I'm trying to find out. The thing is; I can't imagine why he'd be interested in us. I'm a seeker, not a practitioner. I try to be moral, but some things are too hard for me. Are you religious, Fallon?"

"No, but I wish I was. I'm very much like you, Canton. I try to do the right thing, but I'm not very good at it. I keep falling down."

"I know. I guess the thing to do is just keep getting back up and plodding along. I do go to church quite often. I'd love it if you went with me."

"Aren't you afraid to be seen with me there?"

"No, I go to large predominately black Baptist churches. There are very few of the type of people who worry me there. They do frequent airports, and there are thousands of cameras there. We'll be fine at church."

She hugged me again, and James let her in. It had been the best day of my life. My daughter was going to church with me, and I could hardly wait to see her again.

*****

The BATF was still watching Fallon's apartment. They had two men outside in their car, and I could only expect they had her bugged and cameras everywhere. I suspected they didn't know what to make of James. I had a garbage truck fence them in, and James drove her to church. He dropped her off at the door, and I was waiting for her. I told her about the tail they had set up and how we had avoided it. She was quite angry. She wanted to do something, right away. I had no idea that it would upset her so much. I thought that she knew this intimidation tactic would be the standard operating procedure for cops on the hot-seat.

"I suppose I did know that," she said. "That doesn't make me any happier. These are the people that are supposed to be protecting us, Canton. Instead, they're covering their own asses. What they did is illegal. They nearly got me killed, and now they're watching me?"

"Would you like for me to do something?" I asked.

"What can you do?"

"Nothing you want to know anything about," I told her. "I can make them go away."

"Is that a euphemism for kill them?"

"No, Fallon," I assured her. "I don't go around killing Federal Agents."

"Are you going to hurt them?"

"No, I won't do that either. Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, I do."

"I'll show them how vulnerable they are. They think they're invincible. I'll find out where they live, who their families are and cause an incident that makes them feel threatened. It might be as simple as calling in a bomb threat to their children's school and letting them know it could have been real. I might plant something on them to get them arrested. I could threaten their parents. I may have information about them that they wouldn't like to see in public. If you really want this to go away, finish your case and get a cease and desist order against them. My fix is temporary; yours could be permanent."

"Check on the information you have first. Please, Canton; don't threaten their families."

"Why not, they're threatening mine."

"Because their families are innocent. They have nothing to do with this."

"You're innocent, too. That hasn't stopped them."

"We're not them," she said. "If you can harm them, I don't care, but not their families."

"I'll do whatever you want. I may not have anything on them. I'll try to stop them, okay?"

She put her arm around me and we walked into the church together. Churches are quite different, depending on the one you pick. This one was very large; maybe 5000 members. It's easy to stay anonymous in a crowd like that. Most were black, and that church had a different feel than some stuffy cathedral. The preacher was a dynamic speaker, and the music was very emotional. Fallon held my hand all through the service, and read out of my bible with me. It was like being in a fairy tale for me. I had never dreamed that my life could have a happy ending like this. Maybe it wouldn't, but this felt right. I was going to luxuriate in the moment.

I took her to my hotel after the service, and she stayed an hour and had lunch with me. I had to catch my flight, and James came for her. I walked her out, and she left reluctantly.