Nonetheless, Vidovich was certain they would find him. A nationwide manhunt was in full swing and it was only a matter of time.
Jeri wasn’t so sure but kept her thoughts to herself. When she finally relaxed, she began talking about the past two days. She was not feeling well, though, and promised a longer debriefing on Monday.
Thank God someone broke into the cabin.
41
He stopped in Amarillo long enough to leave an overnight FedEx envelope in a drop box. He was the “Sender” and used his office address at the Chavez County Courthouse. The “Recipient” was Diana Zhang at the same address. If everything went as planned, it would be picked up by five Monday afternoon and delivered to her by ten thirty Tuesday morning.
At 8:00 a.m. Monday, he parked the rental outside Pecos Mountain Lodge and took a moment to admire the beautiful mountains in the distance. The high-end rehab facility was tucked into a hillside and hardly visible from the winding county road. He changed gloves and wiped down the steering wheel, door handles, console, and media screen. He had worn gloves for the past twenty hours and knew the car was clean, but he took no chances. With his small bag, he walked inside the plush lobby and said good morning to the receptionist.
“I have an appointment with Dr. Joseph Kassabian,” he said politely.
“And your name please?”
“Bannick, Ross Bannick.”
“Please have a seat and I’ll get him.”
He sat on a sleek leather sofa and admired the contemporary art on the walls. At $50,000 a month the wealthy drunks certainly deserved pleasant surroundings. Pecos was kept busy by rock stars, Hollywood types, and jet-setters, and, in spite of being so well known, it prided itself on keeping a low profile. Its challenge with confidentiality was that so many of its former patients couldn’t wait to sing its praises.
Dr. Kassabian soon appeared and they retired to his office down the hall. He was about fifty, a former addict. “Aren’t we all?” he’d said on the phone. They sat at a small table and sipped designer water.
“Tell me your story,” he said with a warm, welcoming smile. Your nightmare is over. You’ve come to the right place.
Bannick wiped his face with his hands and seemed ready to cry. “It’s all booze, no drugs. Vodka, at least a quart a day, for many years now. I can function okay. I’m a judge and the job is demanding, but I gotta quit the stuff.”
“That’s a lot of vodka.”
“It’s never enough, and it’s getting worse. That’s why I’m here.”
“When was your last drink?”
“Three days ago. I’ve always managed to quit for short periods, but I can’t kick the stuff. It’s killing me.”
“So you probably don’t need detox.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve done this before, Doctor. This is my third rehab in the past five years. I’d like to stay for a month.”
“How long were your other rehabs?”
“A month.”
“Thirty days won’t do it, Mr. Bannick. Trust me on this. Thirty days will get you dried out and feeling great, but you need at least sixty. Ninety is our recommended stay.”
I guess so. At $50,000 a month.
“Maybe. Right now I’m just praying for thirty days. Just get me sober. Please.”
“We’ll do that. We’re very good at what we do. Trust us.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll introduce you to our admissions director who’ll do the paperwork and such. Do you have insurance or will it be private pay?”
“Private. I have assets, Doctor.”
“Even better.”
“Okay. Look, I’m an elected official, so confidentiality is a prime concern. No one can know I’m here. I’m single, no family, a few friends, but I’ve told no one. Not even my secretary.”
Dr. Kassabian smiled because he heard it all the time. “Believe me, Mr. Bannick, we understand confidentiality. What’s in the bag?”
“A few items, clothing, a toothbrush. I brought no phone, no laptop, no devices.”
“Good. In about a week you can use the phone. Nothing until then.”
“I know. Not my first rodeo.”
“I understand. But I’ll need to take the bag and inventory it. We provide nice linen gowns, Ralph Lauren, for the first two weeks.”
“Sure.”
“You bring a car?”
“It’s a rental. I flew in.”
“Okay. After the paperwork, we’ll do a complete physical. That’ll take most of the morning. You and I will have lunch together, just the two of us, and talk about the past, and the future. Then I’ll introduce you to your counselor.”