Page 91 of The Politician

Chapter Twenty-Four

Quickly he thought and asked Mars, “The cabin? He loves it there.”

Mars cut his eyes away and his voice rang with sorrow as he informed Eli, “He sold it. He said that he had so many good memories there that he never wanted to see the place again, because all he would remember is that the people in his memories were no longer there.”

“His grandfather and me.”

“Yes, Eli. Yes.”

Eli couldn’t think of anywhere else except for one, and it was a longshot. Lee had homes all over the world. He told Sandy he’d call him later and went into the house with Mars, heading for the kitchen.

It was much the same as he remembered, and Mars started tea, just like he remembered. It was like swimming through drying cement, moving through all these memories.

“Have you called his other homes?”

“No, sir, but he, himself, only owns two. This one we’re in and one in France, which he hates and rarely visits. Besides, he was driving, Eli, and the pilot hasn’t been notified of a flight for him to make.”

In the US, or close by, Lee licking his wounds…

Then it hit him. “Mexico.”

“Sir?”

“I need to make a call, Mars. Keep my tea warm, please?”

“Of course, sir.”

Eli ran into the foyer and called home. Rhianna answered with a question, “Did you find him?”

“No. For that, I need you to do something for me. Can you go into my desk, way back in the back of the top, middle drawer, there is a card with a handwritten phone number on it. Can you get it for me?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t text it to me. And don’t even call and tell it to me.”

“What the fuck? Eli!”

“Take a picture of it and send it to my email. It’s not secure, but it’s better than the plain phone. Please?”

“Alright, but this is ridiculous.”

He agreed, but it was necessary. Once he got the number, he hired an Uber to take him outside the gates and to the closest convenience store.

After he’d accomplished all that, he went behind the station and called the number he’d been given all those years before, when he’d left the dungeon in Mexico. He expected the number to be Ryan’s or Brett’s, but instead, a man answered by saying, “Dante here. How can I help you?”

“D-Dante? I’m sorry, it’s been a long time since someone gave me this. I think I’m calling the wrong number now.”

“Oh? Were you trying to get ahold of Ryan?”

Eli nodded, then realized he couldn’t see him. “Yes. You know him?”

“I’m his employer, or one of them. This number, however, is an emergency line.”

Eli nodded again, then grew irritated with himself. “Sorry, I know that. I guess this is an emergency. I’ve…lost someone and I think he’s on his way to…” He couldn’t say it on the phone, as he’d been warned. “Where Ryan and Brett are. We were there before, and it’s the only thing I can think of where Lee…I mean he might be going.”

“And this person, Lee, would I have caught him on the television today?”

“Yes! Oh, god, yes. Please, can you help me find out if he’s heading there?”