Page 95 of To Die For

Hastings shrugged. “Room service and a movie. You?”

“Same. What movie did you watch?”

“It was so bad, I forgot. You?”

“I forget the name, too, but I know it opened with a house blowing up.”

Walker caught his eye but said nothing.

Hastings said, “Really? Sounds like something I’d watch. You know,exciting.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

“Anybody die?” asked Hastings.

“Somebody always dies,” replied Devine curtly.

They were escorted down the hall and had to pass by the security team at the entrance to the presidential suite. Danny Glass was sitting in the same chair as last time. Only now he had on a dark blue suit with a striped tie for his court appearance. Hastings had, once more, taken his clothing choice from his boss, Devine observed.

Devine also noted that Odom looked around in awe at the luxurious space and the sweeping views out over the water.

Think and Grow Rich.He could almost see the wheels spinning in her head.

Glass rose, greeted and embraced Odom, and then was introduced by Devine to Saxby and Walker.

Glass smiled. “I’ve never felt so safe in my life with so many cops and federal agents around. Coffee, tea, water?”

They all declined.

“So what do we talk about?” began Saxby, looking directly at Glass.

“You a smoker?” he asked.

“How’d you guess? The sweet aroma on my clothes?”

“No, you just have that certain look. But this is a nonsmoking room in case you start getting itchy.”

“That’s okay. I don’t think this meeting will take all that long.”

Glass glanced at Odom. “So why does the FBI have my niece in your custody? As her guardian to be, I have the right to know. Because once I am appointed her guardian, she will be coming to live with me.”

“We’ll answer that question when and if the court grants your petition,” said Saxby.

“I like to plan ahead for the inevitable,” countered Glass.

“So do I,” said Saxby. “But I hate to go spouting off willy-nilly if I don’t have to.”

Glass sat and motioned for them all to do the same. “Okay, I’m told that this hearing is pretty much perfunctory, with all the high-priced attorneys present and everybody represented, but that a decision on my emergency guardianship petition could be rendered today.”

“Are you planning to make a statement to the court?” said Devine.

“If the judge has any questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them.”

“Including questions about your RICO prosecutions for eighty-six felonies?” said Saxby.

Glass glanced sharply at Odom, apparently to see her reaction to this. The girl just sat there with her gaze on the floor. Glass looked back at Saxby. “My lawyers have told me that in this country one is innocent until proven guilty. Maybe you heard something like that in FBI school. So, right now, I’m as pure as the Pope. But I look forward to my day in court and telling my side of things.”

“But a family court judge will take the charges into consideration nonetheless, because the only concern is the welfare of the child,” pointed out Saxby. “Not whether you can beat the case leveled against you.”

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