Limitless: A Novel by Alan Glynn

Author:Alan Glynn [Glynn, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2011-03-01T06:00:00+00:00

A little after 8.30, I called Carl Van Loon at his apartment on Park Avenue.

Although the disbelief, terror, etc. of earlier had been uppermost in my mind for a good deal of the afternoon, another part of me had been riddled with anxiety of a different kind – anxiety about having blown my chances with Van Loon, about the extent to which this glitch, this operational malfunction, was going to interfere with my plans for the future.

As a result – and waiting for Van Loon to come to the phone – I was quite nervous.

‘Eddie?’

I cleared my throat. ‘Mr Van Loon.’

‘Eddie, I don’t understand. What happened?’

‘I got sick,’ I said – the excuse coming to me automatically – ‘there was nothing I could do about it. I had to leave like that. I’m sorry.’

‘You got sick? What are you, in first grade? You rush off without saying a word? You don’t come back? I’m left there looking like a jerk, making excuses to Hank fucking Atwood?’

‘I have a condition, a stomach condition.’

‘Then you don’t even bother to call?’

‘I needed to see a doctor, Carl. In a hurry.’

Van Loon was silent for a moment.

Then he sighed. ‘Well … how are you now?’

‘I’m fine. It’s taken care of.’

He sighed again. ‘Are you … what? … I don’t know … are you getting proper treatment for this thing? You want the names of some top consultants? I can …’

‘I’m fine. Look, it was a once off. It’s not going to happen again.’ I paused for a moment. ‘How did the meeting go?’

This time Van Loon paused. I was out on a limb now.

‘Well it was a little awkward, Eddie,’ he said eventually, ‘I’m not going to lie to you. I wished you’d been there.’

‘Did he seem convinced?’

‘In outline, yeah. He says he feels it’s something he can bring to the table, but you and me are going to have to sit down with him and go over the numbers.’

‘Great. Sure. Of course. Whenever.’

‘Hank’s gone to the coast, but he’ll be back in town on … Tuesday I think, yeah, so why don’t you come into the office some time on Monday and we can set something up.’

‘Great – and listen, Carl, I’m sorry again, I really am.’

‘You sure you don’t want to see my doctor? He’s—’

‘No, but thanks for the offer.’

‘Think about it.’

‘OK. I’ll see you on Monday.’

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