The Legacy (39 page)

Its going to make for wonderful television, Burgess said confidently. He looked at Cole. Well have you over to the studios the night we air it, Cole. Maybe well interview you.

I dont know about that, Cole replied. The less personal publicity, the better, he thought to himself.

Just one thing before we get to the money, Cole. Burgesss demeanor became serious.

Yes?

I need to know that this is the only copy of the tape. I cant pay you all this money, then see it playing on Fox tomorrow night.

I understand. Cole glanced at Tori, then back at Burgess. Ray, as far as I know, this is the only copy left. But Ill make a deal with you.

What kind of deal?

I know you need time to line up advertisers for the broadcast, and you need time to promote the tape so you can have the nations attention. If you promise to air the tape within six weeks, Ill return the money if that video shows up on any other network, unless its someone in your organization who leaks it. And as another sign of good faith, you can pay me half now and half when you air it.

Burgess nodded. Thats very fair, Cole. I think NBC can live with that arrangement.

As he finished speaking, the doorbell rang. Burgess placed the coffee mug on the desk, rose and walked to the bay window. Its Federal Express, he said, shaking his head. Christ, I must get more of these deliveries than anyone on earth. Ill be right back. He moved quickly across the study.

Cole glanced warily at the tape clenched tightly in Burgesss hand as he hurried from the room.

As he left Tori reached across the couch and hugged Cole tightly. I cant believe it. We made it.

Its not on the air yet, Cole warned.

It will be.

Burgess was back quickly. He walked across the study and dropped the purple-and-orange-lettered FedEx package on the desk. Lets get to it, people, Burgess said. He moved to the wall safe behind the door and tapped a combination on the keypad. Ive got a million dollars in cash here, Cole. Youll get six-point-five more this afternoon, via a wire to your bank account, and youll get the rest when we air the tape. He pulled open the steel door, extracted a tan briefcase, inserted the tape he was holding into the safe, closed and relocked it, then moved to the desk and placed the briefcase atop the clutter. He popped open the briefcase and stepped back. Take a look, Cole. Its all here. A million dollars. You can count it if you like.

Cole rose from the couch and moved slowly to the desk. He smiled as he saw the rows of bills neatly stacked inside the briefcase. That wont be necessary, Ray.

Well count on you to pay your taxes, Cole. Burgess winked at Tori as he sat down on the couch next to her. Its unbelievable, Tori. Ive been in the news business a long time and this is going to rank as the biggest story Ive ever been a part of by far.

Cole heard them starting to discuss marketing and promotion effortswhen the tape would air, who they would interview on the broadcast before airing the footage, who would make the best host. Their words faded as he stared at the money. The risks had been incredible, but the money was right here in front of him now. There was enough here to repay the people at the Blue Moon and completely pay off his mortgage. Burgess and Toris conversation faded back in. He shook his head. He was exhausted, almost out on his feet, but he had one more sprint to make. He snapped the briefcase closed and turned toward them. Lets go, Tori.

Im going to stay, she answered, looking up from the couch. Ray and I have so much to talk about.

A faint alarm went off in Coles brain, but he was too tired to pay attention. His eyelids felt like two bricks. Okay, well hook up later.

Fine.

Ill show you out. Burgess rose from the couch and walked Cole and Nicki back down the brick path to the driveway.

Cole and Burgess shook hands, then Cole slipped behind the wheel, turned the car around and headed out the driveway toward the lane.

Burgess watched the car disappear, then hurried back into the house. As he moved into the study, he stopped suddenly. Sitting beside Tori on the couch was a short man in a dark suit whom he recognized immediately. Oh, Christ. Burgesss voice was eerily calm.

Tori stood up from the couch slowly. Im sorry, Ray.

Never trust anyone. He had lived by those words his entire existence.

Cole slammed Burgesss Mercedes station wagon into fourth gear as he tore down the country lane. Tori had shown herself worthy time after time, putting herself in the line of fire over and over, even tearing her fingernail off with her teeth. But something told him she was too willing to put herself on the line. No one did the things she had done just for a career, or to impress a parent. He could have been convinced that she was doing it to help his father. Love was a strong motivator, but since theyd left the Generals house yesterday, Tori hadnt mentioned Jim Egan once. Cole hadnt told her hed sent the Helena police to the mountains overlooking Powell with the phony cult suicide story, and she hadnt asked.

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she was as loyal as anyone could be. But the hell with it. If he was wrong, shed just have to understand. It was exactly the way he had felt as the cleaning woman had tried too hard to get into the Gilchrist screening room. It was better to be safe than sorry.

He glanced over his shoulder at the briefcase on the Mercedess backseat. Inside was a million dollars and the Dealey Tape. He had placed the tape inside the briefcase as Burgess distracted Tori on the couch with talk of marketing plans and potential interviews for the television special. He had picked the tape up from where Burgess left it on the cluttered desktypically neat as a pinand placed it in the briefcase. The tape Burgess had placed in the safe was a phony. He and Burgess had arranged everything over the phoneincluding the plan to use Burgesss Mercedes in case someone had rigged the rental car with a bomb while they were insideafter Cole had met with Seward at the Sofitel. Tori had mentioned Burgesss name several times, so Cole had contacted him at NBC from a pay phone. It seemed overly cautious to Burgesshe had no reason to believe Tori was anything but honestbut if Cole had doubts, so be it.

Cole had decided to throw in with Burgess immediately. Burgess was a known quantity, a well-paid executive who had been with NBC and in the news business for years, not someone who would likely be influenced by bribes or government intimidation. But Tori was still a wild card. A woman who was trying too hard.

Never trust anyone completely. Cole had remembered hearing Malcolm X say that in an interview once. But in the final analysis you had to trust people for at least short periods of time, sometimes people you didnt even know. Indeed, sometimes that was easier. Because more often than not, the better you got to know someone, the less you trusted them.

Cole squinted as the morning sun broke through the branches hanging over the country lane as he stared at the house number on the mailbox just up ahead. It was the same number Burgess had written on the pad hidden in the Mercedess glove compartment. The house number of a senior executive of General Electric, NBCs parent company.

Cole slammed on the Mercedess brakes to make the turn into the GE executives driveway, then put his hand on Nickis knee. Hold on, sweetheart, Cole said. Were almost there.

Nicki put her hand on top of Coles and smiled at him. I love you, Cole.

I love you, too. Nicki would be the exception to his rule. From now on, he would trust her completely.

Ray, this is Anthony Bianco, Tori said, her eyes locked on the floor as she motioned toward the small man on the couch. Hes

I know who he is, Burgess interrupted. Hes Little Tony Bianco, also known as the Chairman. He is the leader of the Bianco crime family, the most powerful Mafia family in this country. Burgess tried not to let Bianco see that his hands were shaking badly. A friend of mine at ABC pointed you out in a Manhattan restaurant one day. You were at a small table in the back, hiding from photographers.

Bianco rose from the couch. Get the tape from the safe, he ordered gruffly. He didnt want to waste time. Right now.

Burgess glanced over Biancos shoulder. At the study doorway were two very large men, so he was in no position to protest. Burgess moved to the safe, opened it, retrieved the decoy tape he had put inside the safe a few minutes before and handed it to Bianco.

Bianco gave the tape to one of the men in the doorway without taking his eyes from Burgess. Youve done a wise thing, Mr. Burgess, Bianco said in his gruff voice. We wont harm you, and NBC will be reimbursed its million dollars.

Youre an honorable man, Burgess said sarcastically.

Im a businessman. The two men at the study door moved aside as Bianco turned away from Burgess. Bianco moved into the hallway, then stopped. In front of him were ten Connecticut state policemen, as well as the man Bianco had left outside Burgesss house as a lookout. The man was now in handcuffsand fearful for his life. Bianco had no sympathy for men who failed him.

Bob Maddux, the General Electric executive who lived up the country lane from Burgess, trotted across his wide lawn as the blue Mercedes raced up his driveway. Behind Maddux was an army of local police officers, including his best friend in the world, Frank Shaw, the Greenwich chief of police. Not even an order from the president of the United States would have caused Shaw to ignore Madduxs request of absolute police protection for Cole Egan and the Dealey Tape. No one was going to get the tape away from Cole at this point. Especially since the state police had just radioed from Ray Burgesss house to say that they had apprehended Anthony Bianco trying to take possession of the decoy tape.

Maddux opened the door of the Mercedes as Cole pulled the car to a stop. He reached inside and pumped Coles hand vigorously. Congratulations, Mr. Egan. Youre with friends now.

When the man finished pumping his hand, Cole slumped over the steering wheel. It was over, and now all he wanted to do was sleep. He turned toward Nicki. For several moments they simply stared at each other, then they hugged each other tightly.

YOU IDIOT! JAMISON glared at General Zahn from behind the Oval Office desk. How could you let this happen?

Im sorry, Mr. President. I thought Seward and I had everything under control.

The veins in Jamisons forehead bulged. Finally he shook his head and closed his eyes. Leave us, General.

Zahn rose and exited the office, glad to be out of the line of fire.

Jamison glanced at Walsh. Tell me everything, Eric.

Walsh was far away, wondering how quickly he could get to Wall Street and insulate himself from the maelstrom bearing down on Jamisons administration.

Eric! Jamison roared.

Walsh snapped out of his trance. Sorry, Mr. President.

I want details, Eric.

Yes, sir. Walsh could suddenly sense his multimillion-dollar compensation package slipping away. As much as the investment banks now wanted access to his long list of contacts, they would stay away from him if he became embroiled in a scandal. Somehow Cole Egan eluded us in Minneapolis yesterday and this morning made it to Greenwich, Connecticut, where he showed up at the home of Ray Burgess, a senior executive at NBC News. Walsh lowered his voice. Anthony Bianco was waiting at Burgesss home.

How the hell did Bianco find out about Egan going to this guys house in Greenwich? Jamison shouted, suddenly unconcerned about using the Mafia bosss name in the Oval Office.

A woman named Victoria Brown was the informant. Ms. Brown is a low-level producer at NBC who somehow befriended Cole Egan. She was with Egan in Wisconsin and Montana, Walsh explained. Were still checking her out. Checking out exactly what her part was in all of this. Anyway, she was the one who tipped Biancos people off to the fact that Egan was coming to Burgesss house in Greenwich. From what we understand, she dated someone in the Mafia when she was in her early twenties and hasnt been able to disengage herself from them since.

Thats because you cant disengage yourself from the Mafia once youve become involved with them. We know that, dont we, Eric?

I guess we do, he agreed dismally.

All right, get a court order, Eric, Jamison barked. Well confiscate the tape. If that doesnt work, well take it from NBC citing national security concerns.

Walsh shook his head. Youd sound like Richard Nixon firing Archibald Cox as Watergate special prosecutor. Youd sound like a man whos panicking. And when the wolves see that, they attack. You know that, Mr. President. Besides, NBC has probably made several copies of the tape by now. How would we know wed gotten them all? The press would be all over us. Someone would tip them off that the pressure to suppress the tape was coming from inside the Oval Office. Then thered be real trouble.

Then what the hell are we going to do? Jamison raged. Weve already got real trouble, for Christs sake!

Walsh folded his hands. Well do nothing, he said calmly as the thought struck him.

What?

Bianco will be out of jail in a matter of hours, because what the hell can they really charge him with? Trespassing? Breaking and entering? Attempted kidnapping if they get creative, I guess. But nothing really serious. Hell be back in his Brooklyn compound this afternoon. Walshs mind was working quickly now. And well let NBC have their fun. Well let them play the tape. The downside is that the American people completely lose faith in their government. They see theyve been lied to for thirty-five years, but the hell with it. Most of them already believe that anyway. And were talking about our personal survival here, so fuck the people. Walsh flicked a piece of lint off of his suit pants. The other major problem is Anthony Bianco and our link to organized crime. If he really gets a bug up his ass, he could do us some damage.