the Third Twin (1996)

“We could check flights on CompuServe,” Lisa said. “Where’s your computer, Jeannie?”

“Stolen.”

“I have my PowerBook in the trunk, I’ll get it.”

While she was out, Jeannie said: “We’re going to have to think very hard about how to persuade these guys to fly to Baltimore on short notice. And we’ll have to offer to pay their fares. I’m not sure my credit card will stand it.”

“I have an American Express card my mom gave me for emergencies. I know she’ll consider this an emergency.”

“What a great mom,” Jeannie said enviously.

“That’s the truth.”

Lisa came back in and plugged her computer into Jeannie’s modem line.

“Wait a minute,” Jeannie said. “Let’s get organized.”

58

JEANNIE WROTE THE PRESS RELEASE, LISA ACCESSED WorldSpan Travelshopper and checked flights, and Steve got the Yellow Pages and started calling all the major hotels to say: “Do you have a press conference scheduled tomorrow for Genetico Inc. or Landsmann?”

After six tries it occurred to him that the press conference did not have to take place in a hotel. It could be held in a restaurant or a more exotic location such as on board a ship; or they might have a big enough room at Genetico headquarters, just north of the city. But on his seventh call a helpful desk clerk said: “Yes, that’s in the Regency Room at noon, sir.”

“Great!” Steve said. Jeannie looked questioningly at him, and Steve grinned and made a thumbs-up sign. “Could I reserve a room for tonight, please?”

“I’ll connect you with reservations. Please hold on for one moment.”

He booked a room, paying with his mother’s American Express card. As he hung up, Lisa said: “There are three flights that would get Henry King here on time, all US Air. They leave at six-twenty, seven-forty, and nine forty-five. Seats are available on all of them.”

“Book a seat on the nine forty-five,” Jeannie said.

Steve passed Lisa the credit card and she tapped in the details.

Jeannie said: “I still don’t know how to persuade him to come.”

“Did you say he’s a student, working in a bar?” Steve said. “Yeah.”

“He needs money. Let me try something. What’s his number?”

Jeannie gave it to him. “He’s called Hank,” she said.

Steve called the number. No one answered the phone. He shook his head disappointedly. “Nobody home,” he said.

Jeannie looked downcast for a moment, then she snapped her fingers. “Maybe he’s working at that bar.” She gave Steve the number and he dialed it.

The phone was answered by a man with a Hispanic accent. “The Blue Note.”

“May I speak to Hank?”

“He’s supposed to be working, you know?” the man said irritably.

Steve grinned at Jeannie and mouthed He’s there! “It’s very important, I won’t keep him long.”

A minute later a voice just like Steve’s own came down the line. “Yeah, who’s this?”

“Hi, Hank, my name is Steve Logan, and we have something in common.”

“Are you selling something?”

“Your mother and mine both received treatment at a place called the Aventine Clinic before we were born. You can check that with her.”

“Yeah, so?”

“To cut a long story short, I’m suing the clinic for ten million dollars and I’d like you to join in the suit with me.”

There was a thoughtful pause. “I don’t know if you’re for real or not, buddy, but either way I don’t have the money for a lawsuit.”

“I’ll pay all the legal costs. I don’t want your money.”

“So why are you calling me?”

“Because my case would be strengthened by having you on board.”

“You better write me with the details—”

“That’s the problem. I need you to be here in Baltimore, at the Stouffer Hotel, tomorrow at noon. I’m holding a press conference ahead of my lawsuit and I want you to appear.”

“Who wants to go to Baltimore? Like, it’s not Honolulu.”

Get serious, asshole. “You have a reservation on the US Air flight out of Logan at nine forty-five. Your ticket is paid for, you can check with the airline. Just pick it up at the airport.”

“You’re offering to split ten million dollars with me?”

“Oh, no. You get your own ten million.”

“What are you suing them for?”

“Breach of implied contract by fraud.”

“I’m a business student. Isn’t there a statute of limitations on that? Anything that happened twenty-three years ago—”

“There is a statute of limitations, but it runs from the time of discovery of the fraud. Which in this case was last week.”

In the background, a Hispanic voice shouted: “Hey, Hank, you got about a hundred customers waiting!”

Hank said into the phone: “You’re beginning to sound a little more convincing.”

“Does that mean you’ll come?”

“Hell, no. It means I’ll think about it after I get off work tonight. Now I have to serve drinks.”

“You can reach me at the hotel,” Steve said, but he was too late: Hank had hung up.

Jeannie and Lisa were staring at him.

He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said frustratedly. “I don’t know if I convinced him or not.”

Lisa said: “We’ll just have to wait and see if he shows up.”

“What does Wayne Stattner do for a living?”

“He owns nightclubs. He probably already has ten million dollars.”

“Then we’ll have to pique his curiosity. Do you have a number?”