Falling Awake

be?”
    “Got a new recruit.” Lawson looked out his office window to where Vincent Scargill stood talking with Dave Ralston, showing him around Frey-Salter. “Katherine’s brother is a Level Five and it seems he’s decided to become a full-fledged agent of Frey-Salter. Ellis tells me he’s a natural.”
    “Ellis would know. Congratulations.” Beth sounded like she meant it.
    “There are a couple of bits of less than terrific news.”
    “I knew it. Let’s have ’em.”
    “Ellis just informed me that I’m going to have to cover the cost of a lot of high-quality furniture that got torched in the course of the investigation,” he complained. “Got any idea how much furniture costs these days?”
    “A lot,” Beth said.
    “I was afraid of that.”
    “What’s the other not-so-good news?” she asked.
    “My new Level Five dream analyst consultant insists that I keep the Belvedere Center for Sleep Research in operation. Isabel says she doesn’t want to be responsible for the entire staff being thrown out of work. So I have had to come up with a plan to buy out Randolph Belvedere. It’s a real pain in the ass because it means setting up another phony corporate front to make the purchase and operate the facility. Going to be expensive, too.”

    “Stop grumbling. It’s petty cash for you. What are you going to use the center for now that Isabel isn’t there?”
    “I’ve been thinking that I can use it to run a variety of sleep research projects,” he mused.
    “All of which will be camouflage to cover your hunt for more Level Fives, right?”
    “It’s what I do, babe.”
    “And you do it so well.”
    She seemed to be in a good mood. He probably wasn’t going to get a better shot. He took his feet off the desk and leaned forward a little, belly tightening.
    “I was thinking, maybe we could have dinner together to celebrate all this good news,” he said. “Maybe try that new Italian place? Invest in a bottle of bubbly? On me, naturally.”
    “You mean on your expense account.”
    “If it bothers you, I’ll put it on my private plastic,” he said quickly.
    “Okay, I’m starting to be impressed.”
    “Well?” He held his breath.
    There was a long pause on Beth’s end of the line.
    “Dinner sounds like a good idea,” she said eventually. “But I feel like eating at home tonight.”
    She was coming back to him at last.
    Lawson knew he was grinning like a fool but he didn’t give a damn. “I’ll bring the champagne.”

43
    e llis opened the door of Farrell’s office, walked into the room and closed it behind him.
    Farrell looked up from some papers on his desk. When he saw Ellis, he put the gold pen down with careful precision and sat back in his chair. Ellis could almost see him bracing himself for the worst.
    “Well?” Farrell said.
    Ellis tossed a file onto the desk. “In my professional opinion, you’re in trouble but the hole isn’t too deep yet. Still time to dig yourself out. You’re in the classic spiral caused by rapid growth and overexpansion. You’re going to have to pull back and restructure your debt but the situation is manageable.”
    Farrell still looked startled, as if he had been prepared for other news altogether. “It is?”

    “Yes.” Ellis dropped into one of the black leather chairs. “As far as the debt restructuring goes, I know some people.”
    Farrell cranked back in his chair. “Can I dare to hope that these people are not sitting, nor have they ever sat, inside a federal pen?”
    “They’re legitimate investors.” Ellis spread his hands. “Why does everyone assume I’m either a cop or that I’ve got criminal connections?”
    “Beats me. Maybe it’s the dark glasses. People who wear them indoors make other people nervous.”
    “Huh. Never thought of that.” Ellis removed his sunglasses and tucked them into the pocket of his shirt. “That better?”
    Farrell studied him for a couple of seconds. “No.”
    “Forget the glasses. Let’s get back to your problem. The biggest decision you have to make is whether or not to return to basics. My advice is to follow the Kyler Method philosophy. Stay focused. Stop trying to be all things to all people and remember Kyler Method Rule Number Five: If you chase every trend that comes along, you end up chasing your own tail.”
    Farrell contemplated the file that Ellis had put on the desk. “Got any idea how it feels to have your own advice quoted back to you?”
    Ellis smiled. “It’s good