"That's for the IRS to deal with," Robin said. "I'll file a report and have a buddy of mine check up on it. What about Saunders?"
"The first step is complete. They funnel money into his Political Action Committee. Now you must examine his personal finances and prove that he is skimming some from the top for himself. It is legal to donate to Political Action Committees, but not to private individuals for their personal expenses."
Robin considered that for a moment. "All right. I guess I need to do some snooping into People's Voice and follow the money." But first she had a date with an attractive blonde and some serious kissing up to do.
* * *
"So, do you forgive me?" Robin asked, shifting awkwardly in her seat. Despite the short sleeves she had worn beneath her jacket, she felt uncomfortably warm under the power of Tess's gaze. The agent crossed and uncrossed her legs, waiting for Tess to say something – anything. The politician had offered her the obligatory smile and hello when she entered her office with the promised Thai food as repayment for her transgressions, but after that first greeting, she remained silent.
For her part, Tess was still confused and trying to work through all of her emotions. After Samantha left the night before, she had spent the early hours of the morning swinging from anger to confusion to grief and back again. By the time she went in to work, she was too tired to be upset anymore. Instead, she found herself cheering up a little as her lunch hour approached. She forced herself not to read too much in to the shift in her mood.
"Maybe. I'll think about it," Tess said, trying to keep her expression serious, but there was a hint of a smile around her lips anyway.
Despite the bravery and confidence she usually projected, Robin felt a little intimidated. Briefly, she wondered why she cared so much about Tess's opinion of her. "Hey, I bought you lunch.... again," the agent protested, pouting a little. "You have to forgive me. I'm sorry about your car, though."
"It wasn't your fault. In fact, you probably saved my life. I guess I should say thanks for that."
Robin grinned, feeling a little more cheerful. "I did kind of go 007 on that guy," she admitted.
"Just a little. Anyway, I forgive you for lying to me. You were just doing your job. I do have a few questions for you, though, if you don't mind."
Robin shook her head. "Sorry, ma'am, but that's classified." She held her 'government agent' face for a few seconds, and then broke it with a wink. "No, seriously, I'll answer any questions as long as I don't think it's going to jeopardize my investigation."
"You're not investigating me or my staff for criminal activities, right?"
"Nope. I just thought you were very interesting to talk to, and I wanted to see you again." She almost regretted the private admission after she made it, but it was too late to take the words back.
Tess's eyebrows rose in surprise and pleasure. "That was a very flattering thing to say. Are you sure you're not trying to coax national secrets from me? I'm sorry to say that I don't know any. You'd have to ask my father."
"Don't feel bad. All my national secrets are out of date by now."
A very noticeable growl from Tess's stomach made her blush. "Sorry, but I can smell the food and it's making me hungry." She decided not to mention that she had been too nauseous to eat breakfast that morning. Fortunately, Robin's presence had improved her mood, and her appetite, exponentially.
"I hear ya." Robin reached for the bag and pulled out several square containers, placing the food between them on Tess's desk. "I'm eating this American style again," she said, proudly brandishing a plastic fork she had unearthed from the very bottom of the bag.
"Just don't spill any sauce. I like that jacket on you." Tess couldn't help flashing back to Samantha's comment from the previous night. It really did make Robin look 'Butchy McFabulous'.
Robin smiled and draped the leather jacket over the back of her chair. The temperature in Tess's office was warm enough for her to take it off for a while, but the October weather outside required some protection. "Old Faithful there has been with me for years," she admitted. "I need to get a new one, but it's just so comfortable, and it fits perfectly..."
"I know what you mean. I have some jeans like that tucked in my bottom drawer at home."
The agent gave a fake gasp of surprise. "You wear jeans?"
"I think I mentioned it the other night before all the excitement happened at Over-the-Rhine."
"You're right. I'll have to catch you in a pair sometime."
Tess moaned in pleasure and Robin quickly glanced up to see her lunch companion with her head tilted back, eyes closed as she savored her first bite of food. The noises of approval caused Robin to resume shifting in her chair, although she was uncomfortable for an entirely different reason this time.
Noticing that Robin was staring at her, Tess swallowed her mouthful of food and blushed. "I, uh – really like Thai?"
"Apparently! Didn't you eat breakfast?"
A knock on the door interrupted their conversation before Tess could answer. "Tess? It's Brian, open up."
With a reluctant sigh, she stood up to answer the door. "Sorry," she mouthed in Robin's direction, urging the agent to stay in her seat.
Robin stood anyway and beat Tess to the door, holding it open for the impeccably dressed and fastidiously shaved campaign manager. "Thank you," he said, acknowledging Robin with a nod. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Brian Tisdale, Tess's campaign manager."
"Special Agent Robin Hart. A pleasure."
He offered his hand, and Robin shook it. "I owe you a handshake and maybe even a beer for saving Tess's life. If you hadn't been there, I might be out of a job and the Ohio Republican party would be losing a wonderful candidate."
Robin was about to respond, but she took a moment to glance at Tess's face and stopped, noticing the glassy texture of her eyes and the practiced smile. Apparently, Tess had put her face back on. Robin released Brian's hand and patted Tess softly on the upper arm. "I'm glad you're all right too," she said, addressing the politician directly. Tess immediately reconnected with reality, and warmth filled her face, making Robin slightly breathless.
"I already told you that I don't want to make a big fuss about this, Brian," said Tess, and although her words were as crisp and sharp as usual, the lines were gone from her face. Robin felt strangely pleased that she had been able to remove them with a touch. A little gentleness could go a long way.
"And I already told you that I respect your decision."
Tess raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Really? Then why are you here?" she said, the comment barely on the edge of rudeness.
"Because someone left a strange message for you at the security desk."
Robin immediately noticed Tess's face harden. "What kind of message?" she asked.
"A phone message. Mike was listening to it when I came back through the front door. He had a strange look on his face, so I asked him what was going on, and he said someone had left a robotic call for you."
"A robotic call?" Usually, campaign offices made robotic calls themselves instead of receiving them. As much as she had been enjoying her lunch with Robin, Tess decided that the situation warranted her attention. "I'm sorry," she said, sincerely regretful that she had to end things so abruptly, "but I should probably find out what this is about. Do you want to wait for me, or should we reschedule?"
"I'm not in a hurry," Robin reassured her concerned looking lunch date. "I can survive on my own for a few minutes."
Tess smiled. "All right. Don't you dare snoop on my laptop. The last thing I need is a sneaky reporter going through my secrets." That made Robin laugh with relief. If Tess was feeling comfortable enough to joke about her initial deception, that meant she was truly forgiven.
With one last glance back at Robin, Tess slipped out of her office and into the hallway, Brian one step behind her. "Okay, I told a little white lie in there. I didn't want to make a scene in front of your... guest." Tess did not like the way that her campaign manager emphas
ized the word 'guest', but tried not to give him a reaction. "The call didn't come through to the front desk. I got a message on my cell phone instead. Here, listen." Brian pulled out his phone and held it up to Tess's ear, replaying the message.
"Congresswoman Daubney," There was a pause, and Tess used it to recover from mild shock. She hadn't won the election yet, and the way that the deep voice modulator had addressed her, combined with the eerie lack of inflection, made her spine stiffen. "If you want to stay in this race instead of dropping out in shame, begin by moving two million dollars into your checking account. You will receive further instructions."
The message ended just as abruptly as it began, but even the following silence seemed to ring painfully in Tess's ears.
"So, you listened to all that?" Tess said slowly, unsure of her words.
"Is there anything you want to tell me?"
There was no hesitation in Tess's next answer. "Nothing new. Apparently, some criminal thinks they can intimidate me into either paying them off or dropping out of the race. Obviously, they don't know me very well." Even though the politician was afraid that her supposed blackmailers might know about Samantha and their 'arrangement', she wasn't going to automatically assume the worst without proof. Until she knew more, Brian didn't need to be let in on that little secret.
"Maybe they do," Brian countered. "Maybe this isn't about the money at all and they want to see your campaign crash. I don't know. What I do know is that you had better be keeping your nose clean. The last thing we need right now is for this to hit the papers."
Not in the mood to listen to Brian's suggestions or complaints, Tess considered handing him back his phone, but didn't offer it to him. "Do you mind if I keep this for a few minutes?" she asked. She didn't bother explaining what she intended to do, knowing that her campaign manager would most definitely disapprove.
Normally, the thought of going about even a small part of his day without his cell phone would have been unthinkable to Brian, but he relented, considering the strangeness of the situation. "The number that made the call is in the phone's history. If you see that number again, don't answer it. We need time to figure out our next move." For some reason, his use of the word 'our' grated on her nerves, but she had been conditioned from an early age to keep her opinions to herself.
Tess didn't bother to say anything else. She just turned and walked back in to her office, Brian's cell phone still clutched tightly in her hand. Her heartbeat had sped up, and her stomach seemed to toss and twist itself into knots with every step. Just thinking about what might happen - the press, the photographers, the shame-filled explanations to her family and colleagues... it was almost unbearable.
Chapter 17
"What was that about?"
Tess flinched slightly at the sound of Robin's voice, not surprised but rather annoyed that the FBI agent had decided to follow her into the privacy of her office. She had hoped that Robin would take the hint and leave, but she supposed that was wishful thinking on her part. "Come on," Robin said when Tess made no move to answer her question. "Someone is harassing you. I can tell. What's going on? I do work in law enforcement. Maybe I can help?"
"I'm fine," Tess said, forcing the words out through tightly clenched teeth. "Just some bad news."
Robin tapped her foot, and the sound echoed through Tess's office even though there was some carpeting to muffle the noise. "That wasn't just bad news. I saw the look on your face. I know you have no reason to tell me anything, but I do want to help, and..."
"And?" Tess echoed the word, her voice strained and slightly higher than usual.
"And even though I lied to you at first, I can be a good friend, if you give me the chance. I want to help."
"I don't have any friends," Tess said flatly, even though that wasn't quite true. "I can't afford that luxury. Too easy for them to betray me."
Robin frowned. "Will you let me listen to the phone call?"
"No!" Tess snapped, but then she finally turned around, letting Robin see the full extent of the worry on her face. "Well..." Truthfully, she wanted to confide in someone. Robin had deceived her, but it was because of her job. She couldn't deny that the FBI agent cared about her at least a little, since she had tried so hard to make up for her deception. Not to mention she saved my life, Tess reminded herself.
"Tess Daubney, if you don't give me that phone, I can and will take it from you." She half expected Tess to frantically delete the message, but instead, she handed it over to Robin with a resigned expression.
"I'm in over my head anyway," she sighed. "I might as well tell somebody."
She watched as Robin replayed the message, shifting her weight from foot to foot in a nervous habit that she had abandoned years ago. The agent's face darkened as she hit the 'End' button.
"How many times has this person contacted you?" she asked.
"This is the third message. First was a note that said 'We Are Watching', and then a second message came with a bouquet of rhododendrons."
Robin handed the cell phone back to Tess. "What have they got on you?"
Tess backed up a few paces and sagged against her desk, resting her hip against it and looking away. She was unable to meet Robin's eyes. "Can I trust you?"
Robin did not even pause to think about her answer. "Of course you can."
Tess pressed her lips together into a thin white line. For a moment, Robin did not recognize the expression that graced her classically beautiful face. In the short time that they had known each other, she had seen Tess laugh, she had seen Tess cry, she had seen Tess triumphant, and she had seen her angry, but she had never looked quite like this.
"I know I can trust you with my safety, Robin. It's part of that annoying hero complex you have. The question is can I trust you with my political career?"
Robin did a double take. In some ways, Tess's career meant more to her than anything else. Suddenly, the agent recognized the emotions that flickered across Tess's face like unsteady shadows. Fear. Cautiously, waiting to see if the contact was acceptable, she reached out to place her hand on top of Tess's. "Yes."
Tess took in a deep, shuddering breath. Slowly, she opened clear blue eyes, and Robin saw the fierce internal struggle behind them. "What I'm going to tell you can't leave here," she began, allowing Robin's hand to remain on hers even though the touch burned. "No one can know, especially anyone else at the Bureau. Most important of all, I don't want your opinion of me to change."
Robin read between the lines. "My opinion of you would never change, no matter what. And I promise not to tell the Bureau, unless you want to confess to aiding and abetting terrorists," she teased, trying to break the tension.
"It's legal," Tess hedged. "Uh, mostly." Finally, she realized there was nothing else for it. Either she trusted Robin or she didn't. Logically, she knew that Robin would never do anything to hurt her on purpose, but emotionally – that was another story.
"Did you skimp on your taxes and get caught or something? I thought all politicians did that."
While she appreciated Robin's attempts to make her feel at ease, Tess really just wanted to get this uncomfortable conversation over with now that she had made her decision. "I said it wasn't illegal. Someone has uncovered sensitive information about my past and as you heard, they want hush money. I have enough to pay them, but I have no reason to believe they wouldn't release the information to the press afterward. It would ruin my political campaign. Not to mention I have no intention of parting with two million dollars unless I have no other choice."
"Tess, this is serious. You need to let me contact –"
"No!" Tess said, too harshly. "The more people who know, the more likely it is that I'll see my face on every TV channel I flip to. Maybe even 'People'. Oh God, my grandmother would die. I would be disowned. I would lose my political campaign, my friends, all of my credibility – I would lose everything, Robin..."
Robin removed her hand from Tess's as the woman seemed to wilt in front of her, retreating in
to herself. "Calm down." Robin wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that she would make sure nothing bad happened, but she knew that it would be a false promise. Tess didn't need that. What she needed was help – help from a friend and help from a law enforcement officer. Robin only hoped that she could be both. "What has this person got on you?" Why do you look so broken? she thought.
"I was in an intimate relationship with – someone. The blackmailer claims to have evidence of our... um."
Robin noticed the lack of pronouns immediately. "A woman?" The downward tilt of Tess's chin and her pale complexion were answer enough. Instantly, Robin saw the problem. Her party, her supporters, and the media would rip her apart. She felt a wave of sympathy. "Was she – are you –?"
"A lesbian?" Tess sighed. "Are you asking as a federal investigator or – or as my friend?" Tess had hoped that she and Robin were headed in that direction, but she needed to be sure.
"As your friend."
"Then the answer is yes." She paused. "I've always wanted women."
Robin's natural instincts as an interrogator took over as she began to question Tess. "Many?"
"Not many. I had to be discreet." Tess said the word bitterly, as if it tasted foul on her tongue.
"So, you're worried this blackmailer is going to out you?"
"Not just as a lesbian. If it was only that, I might risk it. I could always deny the claims and say my opponents were using the old 'career-woman-equals-lesbian' slur." Tess swallowed nervously, going even paler than before, and Robin realized that she was not done disclosing. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out, and she blushed, completely ashamed that her words had deserted her. "I – I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be a politician, but I just can't... find the words."
All The Pretty Things Page 10
