Chapter Eighty-Four

When the cab dropped them off at the airport terminal, Trapper took both garment bags, letting Leah pull both Pullmans. They stood in line for ten minutes before they reached the counter. “ID please,” said the woman at the counter. Both produced their driver’s licenses. “Dr. John McIntyre,” she said, holding up his driver’s license and looking at his face. “Leah Haverty,” she said, doing the same. She typed something on her keyboard, and then looked up. “You’ve both been upgraded to first class. I need you to step down to the end of the counter. Someone there will check your luggage.”

“Who…” started Trapper.

“I have no idea,” said the woman impatiently. “Now, if you’ll step down to the end of the counter, the line behind you can move.”

As Leah took the handles of the Pullman bags, she said, “It’s easy to see you love your job,” then moved quickly down the counter before the woman could respond.

“ID please.” Both pulled out their driver’s licenses again. “You know the sign for first class is the biggest sign here.”

“We didn’t buy first class tickets,” said Trapper flatly.

“Oh, then why…”

“She,” said Leah, pointing back to the woman they had seen first, “said we had been upgraded.”

“Alright then, let’s get your bags checked and your seats occupied,” the young man said, looking up with a smile.

“Wait a minute,” said Leah with her hand on Trapper’s arm. “You can’t tell us who upgraded our seats?”

“Well, normally, there’s a note, but no…this time, there’s no note.”

“We’ll take the upgrade, but I’m paying for it,” said Leah, digging in her purse for a credit card.

The young man stuttered. “Well, it’s already paid for.”

“We’re not accepting it since we don’t know who did it. We’ll pay for our own upgrade. I insist. You need to refund the amount of the original upgrade to whatever instrument was used to pay for it.”

Once in their seats, Trapper turned and looked pointedly at Leah. “I think I know what you were thinking when you paid for the upgrades, but would you mind explaining it to me any anyway?”

“I don’t want to be accused of accepting favors. That’s something that can get you in trouble when dealing with the federal government. In fact, if anyone offers to buy you anything, including a drink, you have to turn them down. Someone could accuse us of participating in bribery which would automatically disqualify us for the grant.” She propped her elbow on the arm of the chair and brought her hand up to her chin. “I wonder who wants to eliminate us from the running,” she said quietly.

Though long, their flight was a peaceful one with a meal, cocktails and a light snack. When they had collected their luggage from the baggage claim carousel, they walked toward the doors and were met by a man holding cards with their names written on them.

“Ms. Haverty, Dr. McIntyre, if you’ll come with me, I’ll show you to your limousine.”

“Wait,” said Leah. “Who sent you?”

“I taught you well,” said a feminine voice from behind them.

They turned, and Leah and the woman hugged affectionately. “Angela Bedford, I’d like you to meet Dr. John McIntyre.”

With a smile, Trapper took her hand and shook it. “Angela, it’s nice to meet you face to face. But why all this?” he asked, pointing back to the chauffeur.

“Didn’t Leah tell you not to accept anything from anyone? That should have been the first thing she said when you got up this morning…and the second, third and fortieth.”

Laughing, Trapper nodded. “Yes, she told me. I just have to get used to thinking that way.”

“Well, don’t worry. I’ll be with you most of the time. But for those times I’m not, do not let anyone buy you anything. Now, let’s get to the car and get you to my place, and we’ll go over some things. I’ve already done your itineraries with a list of everyone you’ll be meeting, and I took the liberty of accepting invitations for you to several formal and informal dinner parties…all the right ones to discuss or defend, as it may be, your grant application.”

Leah felt an almost electrical chill run through her as she remembered a previous time in Washington lobbying for something as benign as soccer field lights. The competition for that was frightening. Now, having had that experience, she felt exhilarated at playing the game again. With a wide grin, she said, “I can’t wait to get started. What’s first?”

“We actually have a dinner party to attend tonight. And before that, you both have to read the grant application. You have to know it inside and out before you meet anyone.”

***

As they walked through the hotel to the banquet room, Leah talked quietly to Angela. “Thank you for the loan of the dress. I brought two gowns and business suits.”

“A business suit wouldn’t do here tonight. You’ll see when we get to the banquet room.”

When they arrived at the door, Angela handed a security officer at the door of the room a card. “I’m Angela Bedford, and this is Leah Haverty and Dr. John McIntyre.”

The man compared the card to a list and nodded, passing the card to another man who escorted them to a table.

“You two relax for a minute,” said Angela. “I’m going to take inventory.”

“Inventory?” asked Trapper.

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “Of who’s here.”

Trapper mouthed the word ‘oh’ and returned the smile, then turned to Leah. “You look lovely. But I wish you wouldn’t wear those heels. You’ll break your neck one day, and they’re not good for your feet or your legs.”

“I’ve never heard that,” she said, giving him a skeptical look.

“Over time, your tendons will shorten…permanently. You’ll be walking on your tiptoes when you’re an old woman because your Achilles tendon won’t be long enough to allow your heel to touch the floor.”

“You’re kidding, right?” she asked nervously.

Looking her in the eye without a trace of amusement, he said, “No.”

“Excuse me. Trapper?” said a man who had quietly approached their table.

Trapper stood with a wide smile and an extended hand. “Harold, how are you? I’d like you to meet a close friend of mine, Leah Haverty. Leah, this is Senator Harold Jefferson.”

“Ms. Haverty,” he said, offering his hand.

“Senator Jefferson,” she said, nodding.

“Please, join us,” said Trapper, motioning to a chair. “What brings you here tonight, Harold? You weren’t on the list of committee members.”

“Well, I’m not on the committee, but some of the applicants ask their local legislators to help sell their requests.”

“Oh, I see,” said Trapper, raising his brows.

“I saw your name on the list and got a copy of your application. You’re asking for a lot, Trapper, but then, so is everyone else. There’s even someone here who wants the entire twenty-five million. And yours is asking for a good chunk.”

“Is that bad?” asked Trapper, chuckling before he took a sip of water.

“Well, asking for the whole thing is bad. I don’t think that one will even be considered. The committee tends to look down their noses at bravado. But yours caught their eye.”

“Why is that?” asked Leah.

“Because you’ve included computer infrastructure with some new technology for a system that was just installed. You’re already ahead of most of these hospitals in that regard. The problem is that most of them didn’t have the foresight to include computer infrastructure in their applications.”

Leah scratched her neck, glancing over at Trapper with an impudent smile.

He ignored her. “Is that a good thing?”

“It could be…depending on how well received you two are. A word of advice; be humble. The committee hates braggarts. But you need to know what you’re selling intimately. And don’t think that you’ll be over their heads with this new technology. They’ve hired a consultant to make sure they understand the technical aspects of these applications. Well, I have to be off,” said the Senator, standing. “I should be looking for the folks I’m representing. Trapper, it was very nice to see you again. We’ll probably be seeing each other on and off before this is over. Ms. Haverty, a pleasure.”

Trapper stood and took the Senator’s hand, shaking it warmly. “I hope so, Harold. We have some catching up to do.”

Angela returned to the table just as the Senator was leaving. “I see you two have already met Senator Jefferson.”

“Yes, well,” started Leah, narrowing her eyes at Trapper. “It seems the Senator and the doctor are old friends. Just how many politicians do you call ‘friend’, Trapper?”

He chuckled. “Several. But none who are on the committee.”

“Come with me, you two,” said Angela, smiling in amusement at the banter that tended to go back and forth between Trapper and Leah. “I want to introduce you around. And remember, tonight is for meeting, not talking business.”

Angela walked around the banquet room, introducing Trapper and Leah to the members of the committee as well as their advisers. The tour of the room stopped dead when she introduced them to Senator Joe Davis who also introduced the technical consultant for the committee.

Leah stiffened, causing her to stand just a bit taller. She wore no expression whatsoever on her face as she just looked at the offered hand of the committee’s technical consultant. Angela and Senator Davis glanced nervously at each other as Leah and the consultant stood locked in a staring match while Trapper, looking from one to the other, flared his nostrils and moved Leah’s hand over his arm.