Secret Prey

up-and-up. Everything is absolutely clean.’’
    Brandt said, ‘‘Good going. I worried about that all the way in from the farm.’’
    ‘‘And we’ve got to stay on top of it,’’ Bone said. ‘‘My assistant has prepared a press release . . .’’ He opened his briefcase, took out a sheaf of papers, and started passing them around. ‘‘It’s all very standard, full cooperation with police, the glaucoma thing, an overnight review of her department with her top subordinates indicates exemplary management with no hints of any banking issues in the murder.’’
    Brandt was reading the paper, put it on the table and said, ‘‘Excellent.’’
    ‘‘We’re going to have to tell Spacek at Midland,’’ said Constance Rondeau.
    ‘‘I already did,’’ Bone said. ‘‘Kicked him out of bed at seven o’clock this morning, briefed him. He’s issuing a press release that says that Midland is standing behind the merger proposal and that he has full confidence in the integrity of Polaris.’’
    ‘‘All right . . . all right,’’ said Anderson.
    ‘‘Do you think, uh, any of the rest of us might be in danger?’’ Bose asked.
    Bone grinned at her and said, ‘‘That’s the first question I asked when the cops came over last night.’’ After a bit of uneasy laughter, he said, ‘‘The police have nothing. I can’t see any connection, and no threats have been made . . . but then, O’Dell wasn’t threatened either.’’
    ‘‘You think we could use a vacation?’’
    Bone shrugged. ‘‘That’s up to you.’’
    The board members looked at each other; then Brandt said, ‘‘I really don’t think that’s necessary. But I do think it’s necessary for this board to talk privately amongst ourselves. We have some issues.’’
    Several of the other board members nodded, and Bone pushed back from the table and said to McDonald, ‘‘ Wilson, I think they’re kicking us out.’’ He looked down at himself. ‘‘And I could stand a change of clothes.’’
    ‘‘Not kicking you out,’’ Brandt objected. ‘‘In fact, I’d appreciate it if you both would hang around for a while. I know you’re both tired, so we’ll give you a call in a half hour or so. Get you out of here for the rest of the day.’’
    In the hallway outside the room, McDonald said, ‘‘You called me a dummy.’’
    ‘‘I apologized,’’ Bone said. Baki was standing just behind him, prim with a bundle of papers.
    ‘‘Fuck apologies,’’ McDonald said. ‘‘You’re going down, you prick.’’
    ‘‘Yeah? What’s that supposed to mean?’’ Bone asked. ‘‘You walking around with a little handgun, Wilson?’’ Bone’s voice was quiet, and he looked almost as if he might be joking. But McDonald could see his black eyes, and knew that he wasn’t.
    ‘‘Kiss my ass,’’ McDonald said; and Bone, in his turn, took a mental step back. This was not the hail-fellow he knew. Baki caught the hem of Bone’s jacket and pulled. ‘‘No,’’ she muttered, an inch from his ear. McDonald nodded at the two of them, then turned on his heel.
    ‘‘Fat fuckin’ . . .’’
    ‘‘Some other time,’’ she said. ‘‘Did it work out in there?’’
    ‘‘I don’t know.’’
    ‘‘WHAT HAPPENED?’’ AUDREY DEMANDED, AS SOON AS the door shut behind her husband.
    ‘‘I damned near punched Bone out in the hallway, the prick,’’ McDonald said. ‘‘Christ, I could use a drink.’’
    ‘‘Punched him?’’ Audrey was confused, and her voice turned shrill. ‘‘Wilson, what are you thinking about? Punched him?’’
    ‘‘Ah, shut up,’’ McDonald rapped. He peeled off his coat and tie. ‘‘Board wants us to wait around until they’re done.’’
    ‘‘Are they going to pick someone? We’re not ready. We were going to work on Bose this weekend.’’
    ‘‘The O’Dell thing spooked them,’’ McDonald said. ‘‘I think half of them are getting ready to leave town. Hide out until it’s over with.’’
    ‘‘But . . .’’ Audrey was flabbergasted. ‘‘They said next week . . .’’
    ‘‘I don’t know.’’ Wilson shrugged. He turned to look out his window, down at the street. ‘‘Bone turned up looking like a motorcycle bum. He sure as hell didn’t look like a CEO, so that’s something.’’
    ‘‘Okay,’’ she said. She folded her skirt beneath her as she sat down on a plush chair. ‘‘So we wait.’’
    THE WAIT WAS AN HOUR LONG, AND SEEMED TO TAKE most of the