Pia remained sitting after Rothman had departed. Except for the sounds emanating from some of the automatic equipment out in the lab, there was silence. Even the desk lamp went out again until she waved her hand in the air. She’d been taken aback by the evening’s events. She felt exposed, emotionally naked, and found herself worried that Rothman might decide on further thought that she was much too big a risk. She sat in her chair for at least ten minutes before she got up and left. As she descended in the elevator, she started to feel better, relieved to a degree that she’d been as open as she had. Having been in foster care himself, Rothman understood her. All at once Pia felt confident all was going to work out. It was her opinion that you can trust only a man whose actions match his words, or better still, who acts without asking for anything in return. The only person she knew who fit that bill was Dr. Rothman. She knew that even George, as generous as he was, had his own agenda.

Exiting into the cold night, Pia didn’t know exactly what she was going to do, but she had to admit that Rothman had made a lot of sense. And as unbelievable as it was, she felt he’d morphed into the father figure she’d never had.

Chapter 20.

20.

ONE CENTRAL PARK WEST
NEW YORK CITY
MARCH 4, 2011, 8:05 A.M.

When his home office phone rang just after eight in the morning, a very anxious Jerry Trotter snapped it up. He’d been hoping it would ring, and he was hoping it would be Harry Hooper.

“I just had breakfast with that Morgan guy I was telling you about last night,” Hooper said, launching right in after Trotter picked up.

“You met with the guy? Sat down in front of him and ate breakfast?” Trotter was surprised. Brubaker and Hooper were usually more indirect, avoiding face-to-face meetings.

“He wouldn’t say anything more over the phone. He wanted a meeting, insisted on it. At six-thirty in the morning. He thinks I’m a headhunter for real, and he wants a new job, like yesterday. I couldn’t see the harm in it. It’s not like I’m going to see the guy again.”

“But what do you know about being a headhunter?”

“What’s to know? I just asked the guy to tell me about himself, about his strengths, where he sees himself in five years, all that BS. I said I didn’t know of anyone who needed someone exactly like him, but I’d keep an ear to the ground, keep him in mind.”

“Didn’t he ask you for your business card?”