by Julie Hyzy
“I have no idea-”
“Ollie!” Kap called as he and my mother made their way around a group of stroller-pushing parents. “Wonderful party.”
I gave him an auto-pilot response: “Thanks.” Then collected my thoughts. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Do you have grandkids participating?”
He laughed. “No, unfortunately. I have a little business to take care of today.” Well, wasn’t that cryptic. “It’s amazing what events you can attend when you pull a few strings. But I am delighted to see you again.” At that he tugged my mom’s arm tighter into his. “This has been a most pleasant surprise.”
Nana nudged me. What she wanted me to say or do, I had no idea. “Mom, I want to be able to take you inside later,” I said, and then turning to Nana, “Both of you.” So as not to appear too rude to Kap, I added, “My family has never been inside the White House.”
“Then you are in for a treat,” he said. He looked about to say more, but his eyes tightened. I followed his gaze. Phil Cooper and his wife had just struck up a conversation with Ruth and Joel Minkus. Why Kap should be distressed by this, I had no idea, but I read his concern as clearly as if there were a neon sign above his head advertising it. “Will you excuse me?” he asked. With that he turned and walked away.
“That was strange,” Nana said.
The Coopers and the Minkuses looked to be engaged in lighthearted conversation, but when Cooper leaned forward to say something to Ruth, she instinctively leaned back. Body language rarely lied, and I wondered what vibe she’d gotten from this man that made her want to keep her distance. No matter. I found it more interesting that when Kap approached, all conversation stopped. So, why not join the happy little party to find out more?
“Let’s go say hello,” I said, and led Mom and Nana closer.
“Good to see you, Ruth. You, too, Joel,” Kap said, shaking Joel’s hand. Ruth murmured politely.
Kap held a hand out to Cooper and introduced himself. Cooper obliged and both men acted as though they had never met before. What was up with that?
Kap shot me a look that reminded me of my promise not to mention his presence at the White House the other day. But none of this made any sense. D.C. was a small enough town. They could have run into one another any number of ways-and they had both been at Minkus’s wake. Their charade made me curious and the hairs on the back of my neck began to prickle.
“It’s good to see you, Ollie,” Ruth said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “This event is so cheerful. And we needed something to cheer us up. We’re very glad we came, aren’t we, Joel?”
Joel put his arm around her. “Very glad.” He turned to me. “My mom needed a break. She’s been staying in the house by herself all the time.”
“Look over there,” she said excitedly. “Senator Fredrickson. Go say hello.”
He shook his head. “I’m here for you today, Mom.”
I was close enough to hear her whisper, “And the whole reason we came out was for you to network. So get going. You will never win that senate seat without help.” She pushed at him. “Go on.”
He obliged, clearly under duress.
“Now that the crowds have died down, maybe you ladies would like something to eat?” Kap asked. “How about we sample these lovely buffets?”
“That sounds wonderful,” Mom said. She and Nana joined Kap. And, much to my surprise, the Coopers and Ruth followed.
“Help yourselves,” I said, “while I make sure everything is under control.”
I checked in with Henry, who waved me off. “We’re doing fine,” he said with a wink. “I have done this before, you know.”
Cyan called me over. “Henry is enjoying his time in charge again. Take advantage of it. Go enjoy your family. We’re fine.”
Mom and Nana had gotten in line in the right-hand buffet behind Ruth Minkus and Francine Cooper. Kap and Phil Cooper went to the left. As I passed behind the two men, I heard Cooper whisper, “I told Ruth we were getting close.”
Kap’s reply was tense. “You didn’t tell her what was missing?”
“No, of course not. She still thinks it was an inside job.”
“She doesn’t suspect?”
Cooper almost laughed. “I think she suspects you.”
Kap kept his voice low. “She despises me. But I understand why. And if Joel has political aspira-” He stopped himself when he saw me. “Ollie, what can I do for you?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you finding everything you need?”
Kap gave me a puzzled look. I could tell he was wondering whether I’d overheard them. What did Ruth not suspect? That her husband had been poisoned by some missing tetrodotoxin?
Cooper seemed unfazed by my sudden appearance. He smiled, and brought his face close enough to mine that no one nearby would be able to hear him. “Thank you, Ms. Paras, for not mentioning our visit the other day.” He glanced around. “At least not to those outside the White House.”
“I will be the first to admit I don’t understand,” I said. “But-”
“Yes, thank you,” Kap said, cutting me off.
Just then Mom and Nana joined the group, looking for a place to sit. “When you’re finished,” I said to them, “I can take you on that tour.”
Because I didn’t think it appropriate to sit and eat with the guests, I meandered over to watch an egg roll race, reflecting on how this was exactly the sort of family event that our nation was famous for. I talked with a couple of volunteers and then made my way back to the buffets. Ruth was waiting for me. “Why is Kap sitting with your mother?” she asked.
I shrugged, not thrilled about the situation myself. “They’ve been seeing each other,” I said. “Socially.”
Her lips tightened into a thin line. “I don’t trust him. I don’t think you should, either.”
“Why not?”
She gave me a meaningful look. “He is not who he seems to be.”
Instinctively, I moved closer. “What do you mean?”
“I shouldn’t tell you this,” she said, her eyes wide. “Because I’m not even supposed to know…” Her words came fast, as though she were afraid she might get cut off. “But my husband found out that Kap”-she gestured toward the crowd with her eyes-“was selling U.S. secrets to China.”
My heart skipped a beat, then began to race. Ruth grabbed my arm. “Kap only pretends he was my husband’s good friend now that he’s dead. But Carl saw through him.”
“Do you have proof?”
She squeezed my arm hard. “No, of course not. Don’t you think I would come forward if I did?” Looking morose, she glanced to where Joel was chatting up a senator from Illinois. “Carl had proof. He told me he did. And Carl was about to blow the whistle on Kap.” She swallowed, glancing around yet again. “So Kap had him killed. And Cooper was the one who did it,” she said. “Right under my nose.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I need your help. And Howard Liss trusts you.”
Liss, I thought. That’s when the light dawned. Ruth was the confidential source he kept talking about.
“Ollie!” Nana called to me from about twenty feet away. “We’re ready.”
I waved. “I’ll be there in a minute.” I was trying to process Ruth’s revelation. “What does Liss have to do with this?”
“He knows the whole story,” she said. “He’s the one who figured out the connection between Cooper and Kap. Howard Liss has been following this story from day one and keeping me updated. I help him, too, a little bit. I trust him. And he trusts you.”
I shook my head. “I don’t trust Liss.”
“Whether you do or not,” she said, “we need your help. We need to uncover their treason before they kill anyone else.”
Nana called me again. “I really have to get going,” I said, inching away.
Ruth’s eyes narrowed as she looked at me. “Don’t you care about your country?” she asked.
That irked me. “Of cou
rse I do,” I said, with more than a little spirit. “But if you’re depending on Liss for your information, I want no part of it.”
She looked stricken, then resolute. “Listen,” she said, talking quickly, “Kap plans to kill Cooper. Did you know that?”
I didn’t want to continue this conversation and tried again to make excuses, when she said, “You didn’t believe that those two just met today, did you?”
So she knew. Stunned silent, I waited for her to continue.
“Cooper and Kap pretended they didn’t know each other. That was for my benefit,” she said, pointing her finger hard into her chest. “Cooper killed my husband. Now Kap needs to get rid of that loose end. He’s going to do that by killing Cooper.”
I waved to Nana and Mom, who were still waiting. Next to them, Kap stared at me with an odd expression on his face. I turned to Ruth. “What do you need me to do?”
CHAPTER 24
RUTH WAS ABOUT TO ANSWER, BUT KAP TOOK that moment to steer my mom and nana over. “We’re ready for our tour,” Nana said cheerily. “If you have a few minutes.”
What I wanted to do, more than anything, was show my family the China Room, the kitchen, and take them into the heart of the White House. But here I was, asking them-again-to wait just a little bit longer. “I’m sorry,” I said, “something came up.”
“What’s going on, Ollie?” Mom asked.
Ruth excused herself, shooting Kap a hateful glare as she left.
Kap watched her leave before speaking. “You were talking with her for quite a long time there.”
I nodded. “She’s having a tough day. Holidays, you know.”
“Anything else?”
“Why do you ask?”
Kap’s expression was unreadable. “Just making conversation.”
Oh, sure, Kap. Claim you’re striving for inane conversation while the world crashes down on me. Ruth’s allegations were nothing short of explosive, and I needed to sort facts from conjecture. “Hang on one minute,” I said, and raced over to where a giant pink bunny leaned over to pat an adoring toddler on the head. When the bunny righted himself, I sidled up. I was pretty sure who was inside this suit. “Agent Guzy?” I whispered.
The bulky head turned toward me, blocking my view of anything beyond its fat fuzzy grin. I tried to look behind the screen-printed eyes, but couldn’t see inside the darkness. The head moved up and down slowly, nodding. I knew that bunnies were instructed not to talk to the children, but I hoped he could hear. I whispered, “I need your help.”
Waving a pink-pawed good-bye to the children who had gathered around him, the Guzy Bunny followed me away. As we walked, I explained what little I could. “Listen, I don’t know exactly what to expect, but the gentleman I am about to introduce you to may bear watching.”
Guzy Bunny leaned his giant head close to mine. One of the bent ears grazed the side of my face. His voice was nearly inaudible. “What do you need me to do?”
I leaned up, pulling the plaster and fur face closer, hoping to be heard over the high-pitched squeals of children playing tag nearby. Hoping to not accidentally tug his head off.
“Just keep an eye on this guy, all right? I’ll hurry back as soon as I can with more information.”
The big head nodded again. Guzy Bunny followed me to the table’s edge.
“Look who came to visit,” I said with forced cheer.
Mom and Nana looked up at me, painfully unimpressed. Detritus from the day’s event littered the tabletop, and the other empty chairs were tilted and angled, as though their occupants had just tumbled out of them. Kap sat on the edge of his folding chair and studied the grounds, looking ready to bolt at any moment.
“This is…” I thought fast. “Fuzzy. He’s going to take you around the grounds and show you the gardens.”
Mom shifted in her seat. “We don’t mind waiting for you, Ollie.”
Nana patted the big pink paw. “No offense, Fuzzy.”
Fuzzy Guzy stayed silent, obviously waiting for them to stand and join him. When that didn’t happen, he lowered his cotton-tailed bulk into the nearest empty chair-right next to Kap. Without saying a word, the big rabbit patted the table in front of him, and folded his paws one on top of the other. “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Ollie.” Kap started to get up. “Do you need help?”
“No, not at all,” I said and sprinted away before he could argue.
Leaving Mom and Nana with him seemed wrong somehow. Ruth had said that Kap wasn’t who he pretended to be, and I believed that. In fact, I’d sensed that from the start. But in this crowd, with all of those kids running around, and with Fuzzy Guzy watching over them, I didn’t know how much safer they could be.
I spotted Ruth about a hundred feet away. She was leaning against a tree trunk, in conversation with Phil and Francine Cooper. Damn. Another delay. “Ruth,” I called. She turned and waved. I hadn’t expected her to be with Cooper. Could she be warning him about Kap’s alleged plans?
I slowed my pace, striving to appear casual. “Did you all have enough to eat? How was the food?”
Francine smiled and told me how wonderful everything tasted. Cooper distractedly agreed. Ruth made eye contact with me and raised her brows. What did that mean?
“When you have a few minutes, Mrs. Minkus,” I said, “I wouldn’t mind a chance to finish our conversation.”
“Maybe later,” she said. “I’m not feeling so well.”
Phil Cooper was instantly solicitous. “Do you want to sit down? Can I get you something?”
The offer seemed to stun her. “No, I’m just a bit unsettled,” she said, her voice shaking. “I’m not used to eating-I haven’t had much appetite over the past several days. Please don’t trouble yourself. I’ll be fine.”
As though drawn by the tug of a magic umbilical cord, Joel rushed over from out of nowhere. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
She smiled up at him. “Nothing, honey. Maybe you should call for the car. Would you, please? I’d like to go home now.”
Joel ignored her request and instead grabbed the nearest folding chair, pressing his mother to sit. As Ruth lowered herself onto the seat, she shooed Phil and Francine Cooper away. “I’m fine,” she said. Her voice seemed to have regained its strength. “You two don’t need to worry about me. Joel is here now.” The Coopers left, albeit reluctantly.
One of our volunteers came over and asked if there was anything she could do. Although Ruth tried to assure us all, I knew it was too late. This was the White House. No one got light-headed around here without it becoming a federal case. This little incident-forgettable in most any other environment-had just shattered my hopes for continuing our conversation.
When one of our on-site paramedics arrived “just to make sure,” I left Ruth in good hands and decided on the best approach to extricate my mom from Kap’s company.
Phil Cooper saw me walking rapidly across the lawn, and changed his trajectory to intercept me. “Is she okay?”
“I think she’ll be fine,” I said, slowing. “The medic is checking her out. And Joel’s there.”
Phil nodded. Francine joined us. “She seemed okay five minutes ago,” she said. “It’s like something came over her all of a sudden.”
I turned back to look at Ruth again. All of a sudden? Like… Carl Minkus?
Oh my God.
“What was she doing right before I came up?” I felt panic rise up in my chest. Ruth’s rantings about Cooper’s involvement in her husband’s death started to solidify. But I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Did she eat anything?”
Cooper looked at me like I had bay leaves shooting out my ears. “We all ate,” he said, clearly confused. “And it was very good.”
“Did she complain about tingling in her lips?”
Phil had unscrewed the cap of his water bottle and drained what was left before he answered. “No, she didn’t complain about anyth-” In that instant I knew he understood the nature of my question. His
face lost all expression and he stared at the area where the medics were now talking with Ruth. “You don’t think her food was tainted…”
My limited research on the toxin led me to understand that victims had tingling mouths and numb tongues, which quickly spread into paralysis of the diaphragm. Unless the victim was given immediate and constant CPR, the toxin led to death.
“She said she was feeling light-headed. That isn’t what Carl Minkus complained of, is it?”
Cooper touched his fingers to his lips. “No,” he said. “Carl was different. But… I can’t help thinking…” He scanned the crowd.
“What?” I asked.
From behind us, Kap appeared, deftly moving into the space between me and Cooper. “What’s happening?” he asked. Turning to the large pink bunny behind him, he said, “Get away from me. Go find some kids to entertain.”
Cooper was pale. “They might have struck again. Let’s get over there.”
Without a backward glance to me, Kap and Cooper headed toward Ruth Minkus, the pink bunny trotting faithfully behind. Ruth was seated on the grass now, surrounded by her son, a medic, and several volunteers. I heard her protesting that she was just fine and that she and Joel would like to leave.
“She sure sounds better,” I said.
Francine’s pretty face twisted with concern. “Ten minutes ago she was hurrying around-busy. In fact, I thought it was strange that a woman still grieving for her husband should be shuttling food and drinks for other people.”
That got my back up. Guests should not be working at this event. “You mean she fixed a plate for Joel,” I said for clarification.
“No,” Francine said. “Actually, it was kind of strange. Phil and I were getting ready to leave and she came over with a couple bottles of water. She said we looked thirsty.” Unscrewing the bottle in her hand, Francine took a swig, emphasizing her point.
Francine had used the word strange to describe Ruth, twice in the same conversation. The back of my neck and shoulders began to prickle again. Thoughts began to formulate. I excused myself and jogged toward the small group gathered around the woman on the grass. Francine followed me.
