“Anya is smarter than I was. She figured out a place she could go and still get fed good food.” Detweiler’s words were cheerful but his smile was sad. “On the other hand, Anya must not have given it a whole lot of thought. Running away from a he-she nanny and going to the home of a friend with a brother who’s openly gay? Anya’s not going to get a lot of sympathy from the Moores.”
“I think that’s part of why she was so ticked off. Anya has always known Stevie was gay, and by contrast she feels tricked by Brawny. Although she’s never said as much to me, I think she and Nicci have discussed how hard it’s been for Stevie. But she hasn’t given Brawny the chance to explain herself.”
Detweiler signaled the waiter for our check, before turning his attention back to me. “I suspect, and I bet you do too, that this isn’t about Brawny’s gender.”
“You’re right. Jennifer thinks that Anya is more embarrassed than anything else. Clancy thinks it’s all the stresses in Anya’s life coming to an ugly head. My pregnancy, Erik’s arrival, our marriage, Sheila marrying and going into rehab, and even our move into the big house.”
“Plus the fact that she’s become a young woman. I remember how hormones would make my sisters act weird.”
Gosh, but I loved this man. “Where does that leave us? What do you think we need to do, if anything?”
“I’ve been thinking about this all day, and I think we need to give Anya time. On the other hand, I do need to know if anything inappropriate happened. I can’t imagine that, can you?”
Detweiler’s smile turned rueful. “No. Given Brawny’s training at the Norland College for Nannies, three years of classes on child development, including food and nutrition, care and wellbeing, play and learning, as well as driving under hazardous conditions, plus the fact she finished her dissertation on ‘Stress and the Young Child: Mitigating Factors, Intervention, and Character Building,’ I think she’s passed every possible test with flying colors. Beyond all that, we’ve watched how stable and responsible she is with our children. We’ve seen proof of her commitment with our own eyes.”
“I still want Jennifer to find out if anything happened.”
Looking up from the last bite of the tiramisu, Detweiler studied me. “Nothing happened.”
“You can’t say that for sure.”
“As sure as you are about Lee Alderton, I’m equally sure that Brawny did not do anything inappropriate with Anya. Or the boys.”
He drummed his fingers on the table. “I appreciate that you still have concerns. I should have done a little research on Brawny. What we want in a childcare provider is not the same as what the FBI is looking for.”
I put my hand over his. “This wasn’t an ordinary situation.”
“Right. But the rules don’t just apply in ordinary situations. In fact, when there’s an unusual situation, that’s exactly the time the rules really must be applied, and I blew it. Hearing that you’re worried reminds me that I didn’t do my job.”
“Off with your head,” I said in my most regal voice. “Would that make you feel better?”
He chuckled. “No.”
“Jennifer is perfectly happy to keep Anya for a while. I have a hunch my daughter will miss Seymour and his loud purring. She’ll be lost without Gracie and want to come home.” I didn’t mention Martin, because he’s my cat. I rescued him, raised him from a kitten, and he’s decided I’m the only person in the world truly worthy of his attention and love. Most of the time.
“Good. In the meantime, we need to move this discussion along. What exactly do we want to do about Brawny?”
I’d thought about this off and on all day. “I don’t see how we can do without her.”
“Remember, sweetheart, that she’s not the only nanny in the world. We can find somebody else. If you feel the tiniest bit of concern, keeping her won’t work. It just won’t.”
“We won’t find anyone as qualified. Not who fits into our household like she does. Not with a history with Erik.”
“But we can certainly find someone else who’s good with our kids.”
I stared at him. “Do you really think she’s that easily replaced?”
His hesitation told me all I needed to know, but I waited to hear what he said. “No. I know she isn’t easily replaced, and when you hear why the government agents visited, you’ll be even more confident that she’s irreplaceable. Her hand-to-hand combat training is phenomenal. She’s not only a fantastic childcare expert; she’s also a kick-butt bodyguard.”
I rolled my eyes. “You have to be kidding me, pal. I was there when she brought down a bad guy. I know she foiled a hired assassin. Babysitters like that don’t grow on trees. Take today for example. She knew exactly how sick the boys were. She diagnosed them on the spot. She only took them to the pediatrician for a second opinion. If I’d been by myself, I would have been frantic. It’s been ten years since Anya was that age. I’d forgotten how scary it is when they get a bug. With little kids, they get sick fast and go downhill even faster. But Brawny was on top of it. Not every sitter could handle a situation like that.”
I hesitated. Then I realized what I really wanted to say, “Actually I wouldn’t be comfortable with most babysitters. But I am with Brawny, despite what I said about wanting to make sure nothing happened, I trust her. So, no, she’s not replaceable. In theory, yes. In practice, no. On top of that, I don’t think that you, mister, have any idea how hard it can be to find good help with kids. Or the time it would take. In other countries, they train nannies. Not here. We say our kids are important, but we don’t act like it. We don’t support working mothers, and we don’t have institutions that train and license nannies. I suppose if you are very, very rich, you can import somebody—”
“That’s exactly what Van Lauber did, when you think about it.” Detweiler played with his empty coffee cup.
“Yeah, you’re right. We’re benefiting from the fact he did his due diligence.”
“Except we’re not, because we’re questioning his decision.”
The waiter brought us our bill inside a leather folio. Detweiler counted out enough cash for the food and a tip. He tucked the bills neatly into the folio.
A noisy group of diners had taken over the table next to ours. Detweiler’s expression changed from relaxed to wary. I knew my husband. I knew that he valued his privacy. He’d learned the hard way that remarks said innocently in public could endanger people. Detweiler leaned close and gave me a kiss. “How about we finish this in the car?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
CHAPTER 13
St. Louis is a city of parks. Instead of sitting in the car and taking up a space in the parking lot of the restaurant on The Hill, we drove to Turtle Park, a favorite spot filled with huge concrete turtles that had been created by Bob Cassilly, the famous sculptor.
I climbed onto the head of the biggest turtle, sitting astride as though I was mounted on a horse. Detweiler leaned against the turtle’s shoulders so that he was next to me. The night was cold and crisp. Beneath us, traffic on 40 hummed like an old sewing machine. Near the horizon, the stars were hidden by the ambient light, but as my eyes grew adjusted, I could see the belt of Orion, the Mighty Hunter. That particular constellation seemed fitting as my husband explained why the two federal agents had come knocking at our door.
“Those federal agents were an advance team. It’s standard procedure when dignitaries come to town. They surveil the location and take note of local assets.”
“So this is about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visit?”
“Yes, but there’s more to it than what’s common knowledge. When William and Kate come to town, they’ll be bringing their children, George and Charlotte.”
“Wow! Boy, oh, boy. Anya would sure love to meet them. Heck, she’d be over-the-moon to even see them with her own two eyes.”
“I know she would, but I don’t see how that can happen. The young royals will be coming a week from this Sunday. They’ll be the guests at a $1
,000-a-plate dinner. It’s all sold out. Every philanthropist in town will be in attendance. Publicly, the feds want to play their cards close to the vest. All that’s been announced is that William and his wife will fly in, he’ll speaking at the dinner, and then they’ll fly out.”
“Where does Brawny fit into all this? What did the FBI agents want with her?”
“Now that they know the children are coming, too, the federal agents want Brawny to help protect the royal heirs. I got roped into the conversation because I’m a local law enforcement officer and technically, I’m Brawny’s employer. I guess they missed the news flash that we’re married, and that you, too are Brawny’s boss.”
“That’s so wonderful! What a super opportunity for Brawny. It’s just terrific that the royals will bring their children. The whole town is being honored.” I quickly imagined various scrapbook pages in my head. The colors of the monarchy united with blue for George and pink for Charlotte would make stunning layouts. My fantasy came to an abrupt halt as my more practical side kicked in. “Do you know their itinerary yet?”
“That’s one of the things the advance agents were working on. In addition to William making a speech at the Coronado Ballroom to raise money for endangered rhinos, the entire family—William, Kate, George, and Charlotte—will make time to swing by our zoo.”
Of course! Given the prince’s love for endangered animals, this expanded visit made a lot of sense. Founded in 1912, he Saint Louis Zoological Park has been rated America’s #1 zoo by Zagat. Before he was tapped to become the famous host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, Marlin Perkins was hired as a groundskeeper. Perkins later became the director of the zoo. It was a perfect fit for a man whose mission was to protect and save endangered species.
“Our zoo has had eight black rhino babies born in captivity,” Detweiler said. “We’re one of 26 institutions globally that breeds black rhinos. The St. Louis Zoo is doing everything possible to keep black rhinos from extinction. Of course, Prince William would like to tour our zoo. I’ve been told he’s specifically coming to raise money that will fund a new park in South Africa, a facility to help educate people about the rhinos.”
I gave a hoot of laughter. “Educate people about rhinos? You mean knock sense into the heads of old men who believe powdered rhino horn works as an aphrodisiac!”
“Exactly.”
I shivered, and Detweiler pulled up the collar on his jacket. We wouldn’t be able to stay outside long because it was so cold. But I was still glad we’d come here. Having the place all to ourselves was a rare treat.
“For obvious reasons, we’ll need to protect the royals when they visit. The trick is to do it in a way that doesn’t scare their children. That’s where Brawny comes in. If she can be at the event, that’s one more layer of protection. To an outsider, she’s nothing but a childcare giver. Her other training would be a real surprise to anyone who wants to create mischief.”
“Is all this normal pre-VIP activity? I remember when the Pope visited. The city went all out. They even welded shut manhole covers to keep an assassin from popping up while the Pope drove by. So I totally get the fact we don’t want to go down in history like Dallas did. We don’t want to be remembered as the town where a high-profile assassination took place. But is that it? An abundance of caution? Or is there a bigger threat in the wind?”
He took a long slow inhale and blew it out before responding. “There’s been terrorist chatter. No one knows how credible it is, who’s doing it, and whether this is real or fake. The ability to verify the real aims of any online conversation is hit or miss. That’s why multiple layers of protection are the most effective way to keep the royal family safe. The DSS—Diplomatic Security Service—is the arm of the Department of State that’s charged with protecting foreign diplomats. Often they pull in the FBI and ATF, but DSS will ultimately be in charge.
“Whenever there’s an event like this, all the agencies work together to control the variables. They shut off routes. They secure buildings. And so on. When it comes to human assets, it’s imperative to work with people who are proven to be reliable, trustworthy, and if possible, well-trained. Locals have a special role to play because invariably things have to be fluid. You simply cannot plan for every contingency. Staying fluid and safe demands on-the-spot knowledge of the environment and options. Does that make sense?”
It did. “What’s the plan?”
“Prince George and Princess Charlotte love animals so their parents want to bring them to the zoo for a visit next Sunday. While there, they’ll mingle with other children and parents. As you know, this generation of royals believes in giving their children as normal of an upbringing as is possible. Because I’m local, I’m a dad, and I’m Brawny’s employer, they’ve asked me to be one of the undercover officers who’ll be onsite. Because Brawny lives with us, they decided to make one visit do the work of two. Because Brawny’s trained to protect children, she’d be an essential part of the operation to keep the young royals safe. Since she’s had training in the military and as a nanny, she’s a natural choice.”
He didn’t need to go on. I got the drift. “Is Brawny willing to help them?”
“Yes, as long as we allow it. Provided of course we don’t fire her before that.
He went on to explain that for years, the Norland College for Nannies had worked with the Royalist and Special Protection group, which is part of Scotland Yard. On a regular basis, Norland provided Scotland Yard with a list of their graduates all over the world who might be called upon if the royal family needed assistance.
“Of course the young royals have their own nanny who’s a graduate from Norland, but the Royalist and Special Protection group wanted to map out their resources. Not surprisingly, Brawny came highly recommended. Scotland Yard had actually gotten in touch with her when she worked for Van Lauber. They’d sent representatives who asked her if she would honor her commitment as a member of SAS who had sworn to protect and defend Crown and Country. At that time, they were clearing the way for a visit to California that never materialized. When doing their research for this visit, Brawny’s name came up first thing.”
“In the end, whether or not she participates is up to her. They can’t force her, can they?”
“No.”
I slid down off the turtle’s nose. My backside was getting cold. Detweiler pulled me close to warm me up.
“But this does complicate matters, doesn’t it? If we fire Brawny right now,” I said, “it would look very suspicious for her to stick around St. Louis and show up at an event where the young royals are front and center.”
“You’re right. Especially since the goal of Scotland Yard is to make Brawny’s appearance seem as natural as possible so she doesn’t raise suspicions.” Tucking my hand under his arm, Detweiler strolled us back to the car. He opened the door for me. He sighed and said, “I’ve been over and over this in my head. I can definitely see why they want her. Brawny will be a real asset when it comes to protecting our royal guests. She can fly under the radar because she actually is a nanny. Her training in close quarters hand-to-hand is beyond anything I’ve ever seen or experienced. For our local agencies to replace her as part of the protective detail would be difficult if not impossible.”
He closed my door, got in, buckled up, and turned over the engine. The drive to our house was pleasantly quiet. We don’t need to fill up the space when we’re together. Instead, we simply enjoy each other’s presence. I’ve learned to enjoy these special moments with my husband. Tonight my mind raced, running here and there, weighing options.
“I don’t want to let Brawny go,” I said as we made the turn onto our street in Webster Groves. “If we did let her go, that would be contrary to who we are as people. We both believe that everyone should have equal rights under the law. And equal protection and respect. Even if Brawny had chosen to change her sex, and there weren’t so many extenuating circumstances, I want us to have compassion for others. Maybe acceptance is a better word. Wh
atever. I think it would send a really bad message to Anya if we fired Brawny while our daughter is having a hissy about this. It would be like saying, ‘Okay, you got angry, jumped to several conclusions, and now here we are, doing exactly what you want.’ She’s not the parent. She’s a kid. It’s not up to her to make these decisions. These decisions are our call.”
“You’re betting she’ll come around?”
“I sure hope so.” I paused. “Anya’s got a good heart. Jennifer asked for a few days to find out if anything untoward happened. That timing of that should be perfect, because Anya needs the space. She’ll have to feel comfortable with Brawny or this will never work. I can’t force it. If we can just hold on, I bet Anya’ll do just fine.”
“And the royals’ visit? Since we want to keep Brawny, do we want to essentially loan her out?” He pulled into our driveway, hit the button for the garage door, and waited for the metallic squeak as it rolled up and out of our way.
“That’s entirely up to Brawny. I’m sure she took an oath when she enlisted. I can appreciate her need to keep her word. I do get the impression from everything you’ve said that she really is uniquely qualified to help keep the royals safe.”
Detweiler parked the car and we sat there, staring into the dark garage. “I never even knew there were people with mixed up sex organs, although Clancy says it isn’t all that uncommon. She uses the term ‘intersex.’ I mean, it makes sense, but I just never thought about it. It seems strange that someone I know was once a boy and is now a girl, even if that’s not exactly what happened. But when I push that aside, when I compartmentalize, I still trust Brawny down to my toes. Like tonight. We’re out here, taking our time, deciding her fate, but we haven’t once worried about the boys even though they have a tummy bug. I wouldn’t have that level of confidence with a teenager or most babysitters.”
“That’s a good point. Look, if we decide to keep her that doesn’t mean we can’t ever let her go. It’s not like we’re making a lifetime commitment.”
Fatal, Family, Album Page 10
