by B Ivy Woods
Conspiracy in the Capitol
B. Ivy Woods
Bretagey Press
Copyright © 2020 by B. Ivy Woods
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. For more information, visit: www.bivywoods.com.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The subject matter is not appropriate for minors. Please note this novel contains profanity and sexual situations.
Book Cover Design: Red Leaf Book Design
First Digital Edition: June 2020
Created with Vellum
For my daughter, may you always go after your dreams.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by B. Ivy Woods
1
If she walked faster, she just might make it. Could running across the street result in her death? Potentially.
As the seconds decreased on the timer, Rachelle “Rae” Carter turned and fought the urge to burst into a sprint. After all, she had spent too much time getting ready for tonight for it all to be for naught. She knew she could make this light.
Focusing on her stride, Rae darted across the street before the walk sign’s hand became steady. She was almost at the other side, but that thought came to a halt when a loud beep startled her just before she reached the sidewalk.
Rae swung around, looking for the offender, and realized the driver was beeping at another car that had pulled out of their parking space and into a busy intersection. She turned around and strolled down the street to a place that she knew all too well. The Green Hat had been her after-work spot for several years now. Rae sidestepped a couple that was exiting the establishment and made her way into the bar. Feeling the immense amount of heat radiating from the room, she took off her jacket that had come in handy while she was out in the cool early fall evening.
“Rae, we’re over here!”
Rae turned around and waved at the three women at a table close to the bar. She shoved her way through the crowd to make her way to them. “I’m sorry I’m late!” she exclaimed while pulling out the only chair left at the table. She glanced at the bar and made eye contact with John. John was the owner of The Green Hat, and it had been in his family for decades. He took over ownership a few months before Rae and her friends started coming in for their happy hour. John had taken a liking to them and would often laugh at their funny stories. She waved at John and smiled when he returned the gesture.
“I’m not surprised that I could hear you, Liv, across a crowded bar.”
“They don’t call me boisterous for nothing.” Rae admired Olivia “Liv” Nicholls for her ability to own her labels and use them to her advantage.
“Where have you been?” The question had come from Evelyn “Eve” Jackson, who sent a curious glance Rae’s way.
“I got held up at work. My boss pulled me into a meeting at 5:00 p.m., which is a crime in many countries. I’m glad y’all started without me.” She placed her coat on the back of her chair and smoothed down the little black dress she’d worn to work. Rae worked as a policy advisor for an environmental nonprofit named Wild Parks, Wild Lands in Arlington, VA. The organization’s mission was the protection of public spaces. She had only been there for a few weeks but was enjoying it immensely.
Rae smiled at each woman at the table, and when her eyes reached Juliana “Jules” Cartwright, the woman held up her drink in solidarity before taking a sip. She and her friends got together biweekly to relax, vent, and to catch up on each other’s lives in person.
Rae and Eve met in college. The two met Jules and Liv when they moved back to Washington, DC, at a barre studio they frequented. Their friendship grew over time, and now the women were closer than ever. Being there for one another through the good times, the bad times, the joyous occasions, and the midlife crises—yes, there were multiple—meant that their friendship hadn’t wavered and was stronger than ever.
“Do you have any more dating stories to tell us today?” Jules asked Liv. Liv smiled coyly and placed her drink down on the table. Although they had many interests, the one thing that they all could agree on was that dating in the DC area was a nightmare. Liv went out on the most dates by far and the other women usually listened to her adventures.
“Nope. Everything is as dry as a desert on that front. In every sense of the word.” Eve rolled her eyes, Rae shook her head, and Jules just stared at Liv after her comment.
Rae picked something to drink off of the menu before flipping it over. “I’m shocked and appalled that you’re not holding to your normal standard of several dates in a week, sometimes multiple dates in a day. Is everything all right? Are you sick?” Rae reached over and touched Liv’s forehead with the back of her hand before Liv batted her away. The women chuckled before turning their attention back to their drinks.
“How is everything going with y’all? How is work?” Rae took a sip of her water and debated making her way to the bar.
“You know nothing ever stops when it comes to the news. I’m mentally preparing myself for the election cycle that’s about to ramp up.” Eve was a reporter for a local DC newspaper that covered local and national politics. This connection kept Rae informed about the ins and outs of politics, which was helpful to her in a personal and professional capacity.
“People love to throw events. Business is not hurting, and I’m so glad that I have coworkers who help share the load. Wedding season is here and is in rare form. I think we have eleven weddings over the next week?” Liv was an event planner for The Kennedy in Georgetown. She had missed some of their last few happy hours because of having to help when her coworkers were out for personal reasons.
“Fundraisers are the name of the game around here.” Jules worked for her family’s foundation as a manager of marketing and communications. She also sometimes attended events on behalf of the foundation.
“We need to get away. Did we ever decide when we’re going to Bermuda?” Rae asked. Eve fist-bumped Rae at the mention of the trip. Liv had brought up going on vacation and the women had wholeheartedly agreed that it was a good idea.
“Finding a time when we’re all free might be a challenge,” said Liv. She picked up her phone and scrolled through her calendar.
Rae nodded. She pulled her phone out and did the same. “I’m free after this month. We’re preparing for our midyear board meeting, and everyone is scrambling to get things together.”
“That’s understandable,” said Jules. She cast a hesitant glance at Rae twice, both of which Eve caught. Eve raised an eyebrow, while Jules shook her head.
“And now that I’m looking ove
r my schedule, why did I decide to move this month?”
“Rae, I said you were crazy for deciding to move this month, given what time of year it is. This might be the craziest thing you’ve done in all the years we’ve known each other.” Eve glanced at Rae before grabbing her beer.
“I know, I know. But the perfect apartment came on the market, and it would have been silly to pass it up.” Rae was preparing to move into a new apartment in Arlington in a few weeks to be closer to her job and her parents. “Although it isn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, I’m riding the wave.” Eve rolled her eyes before she smiled at Rae. She always told the girls that they should “ride the wave” whenever they were hesitant to take a chance on something they deep down wanted to do.
Rae cleared her throat. “How’s dating going for everyone else? I think we got sidetracked by Liv’s answer earlier.”
There was an audible groan from both Eve and Jules.
“Don’t even ask.” Eve gulped down the rest of her beer.
Liv had just drained the rest of her rum and coke before she stood up. “I’m going to head up to the bar to get another. Do you want your usual? Eve, do you want another beer? Jules, anything else?” Both Eve and Rae nodded their heads as Jules shook hers. And with that, Liv was on her way.
The girls were silent as they waited for Liv to return. Rae studied an email on her phone before looking back up. She noticed that Eve was staring at Jules, and Jules was doing everything she could to avoid Eve’s gaze.
“Why are you staring at Jules?” Rae asked Eve.
“I think she might have something to tell us.” Eve raised her eyebrow again at Jules, receiving a sigh in return.
“I’ll wait until Liv gets back,” Jules said as she played with her hands. Rae could feel the nervous energy bouncing off of her and was wondering how long she’d been keeping whatever she wanted to tell the group to herself.
“I’m here,” Liv announced. She handed Rae her red wine and Eve her beer before she sat down in her seat. Rae took a long sip from her glass and sighed as the liquid went down her throat.
“So, you know how I attended a fundraiser with my dad because my mom couldn’t make it last night?” Everyone nodded, remembering the text conversation they’d had about it. “Well, you’ll never guess who I ran into.” Jules reached over to grab her blond hair, which was draped over her shoulders and played with the ends for a few seconds before folding her hands in her lap.
“The President of the United States?” Liv smirked. Eve laughed, and Rae smiled in response.
“Nope, but I’m not sure that would have been more exciting. I saw Flint West.”
The whole table was silent. Jules looked down at her hands, while Eve and Liv stared at her.
Rae’s face was blank, but her mouth was agape, revealing how she felt about the news. Was Flint back in town? Since when? She swallowed hard before speaking. “You saw Flint? How is he?”
The thought of him still made her heart race and she couldn’t decide if she liked that or not. The last time she and Flint had spoken to each other had been cordial, but the couple of months that had led up to them ending their relationship had been tense. But when they were good, everything was fantastic. That included them being long-distance for most of their relationship. The plans they’d made, the dreams they’d shared had gone away several years ago, but sometimes Rae would think about him and wonder what could have been.
“He looked well. He asked about you.”
“That’s great.” Rae made sure that her expression remained unchanged. She took another long sip from her drink. She wouldn’t go down that road again.
“What did he ask about her?” Eve asked, turning her attention to Jules. Unsurprisingly, Eve was the one to follow up with a list of questions.
“Well, we didn’t have much time to talk because we saw each other just before the speeches began. He asked how Rae was doing and if she still lived in the area.” Rae showed no emotion when Jules said her name.
“Interesting.” Eve leaned back in her chair and thought for a second. “I didn’t realize Flint was back in town.”
“He’s been back for a few months. His law firm transferred him to the DC area. He lives in Arlington too.”
He would. Arlington was a nice size, but it wasn’t that big. The probability of them running into each other was high. The thought of that made her nauseous. Their breakup wasn’t the cleanest, but it had been for the best at that point in their lives. She hadn’t even given much thought to the idea that she might run into his parents too.
“That’s good for him. It sounds like he’s doing well for himself.”
Jules mumbled a reply that no one at the table could catch.
“What was that, Jules?” Liv leaned in closer.
“I said he asked if Rae’s phone number was still the same.”
Liv turned to face Jules, and her eyes darted from Jules to Rae and back. “He asked if Rae’s phone number changed? You have to be kidding. Did he say anything about trying to contact her?”
Jules shook her head and Rae let out a deep breath as she glanced down at her own hands. She could feel someone’s eyes on her, and when she looked up, her gaze connected with Eve’s.
“I was a little worried about telling you, but I knew you had to know.”
Rae’s emotional state after the breakup had been rough for weeks. She wasn’t surprised that Jules debated telling her because she had seen the toll the breakup had taken on her. Her friends were there to help her pick up the pieces. Rae knew how lucky she was to have their friendship.
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for telling me.” Rae downed the rest of her wine before placing the glass back down on the table. She knew that she finished her drink too fast, but she didn’t care. She looked around and noticed that Jules was close to finishing hers, too. “Do you guys want something else? I’m paying.”
Jules nodded, and Rae stood up from her seat. She felt every bit of that wine when she stood up. Every step toward the bar helped her shake off the thoughts and feelings that came flowing back after the news about Flint. She ordered the drinks and was waiting for them. Rae was thankful that John was busy with a customer and couldn’t make their drinks because she didn’t want to be friendly or polite. The longer she stood there waiting, the more tension she felt in her temples. Cursing herself for getting worked up enough to cause a headache, she paid for her order, pocketed her credit card, and carried the drinks back to the table.
The conversation had changed since she’d left, and for that, she was grateful. About an hour later, the women finished their drinks, paid any tabs they had opened, and left the bar. Satisfied that the happy hour ended somewhat quickly, Rae sat in the back of a taxi, rubbing her temples. She checked her phone and saw she had no new messages or any notifications and that helped relieve some of the tension that had formed in her head. When she opened her front door, she shook her head and walked to the bathroom. The only thing she wanted to do for the rest of the night was to grab a quick dinner, take a shower, and go to bed.
She took some leftovers from her fridge, placed them in the microwave, and started loading dishes into the dishwasher as she waited for the food to warm up. Once the microwave beeped, she let the food cool down a bit while she finished up her task. When she finished, she scarfed down her food, placed those dishes into the dishwasher, too, started the dishwasher, and headed to her bedroom. Rae texted her girlfriends to let them know she was home and began her bedtime routine.
When she finished up and wandered into her bedroom, her eyes lingered on her laptop. Fighting the urge, Rae gave in and powered it on. There she pulled up her photos application and found photos from five years ago, pictures that she and Flint had taken together. Some images that had been for his eyes only and he had returned the favor.
Rae knew of a way she could get rid of the tension that involved rummaging into her bedside table, but denied herself that right. Getting annoyed with herself for even di
gging up those old photos, she closed the laptop, grabbed her phone, and wandered over to her bed. Putting her phone on do not disturb, she placed it next to her on her bed and passed out.
2
“Did you find anything in that rack?”
Rae turned around to face Jules and shook her head. The two were out shopping for clothes on a beautiful early fall afternoon. Rae knew the heat would come back for a second round, but was taking advantage of a cool day in the DC area. The women had already found a couple of things, but they had not accomplished their main goal of picking up a few professional outfits for work on sale.
Leaving the store in a huff, Rae and Jules strolled past more stores before deciding they should take a break to eat. They settled on a seafood restaurant, and while they were waiting for their food, Jules’s phone rang.
“I wonder who this is,” muttered Jules as she picked up the phone. Rae tried not to pay attention to the conversation, but the tide changed when Jules looked at her wide-eyed.
“What’s up?” whispered Rae. Jules motioned for her to give her a second as she returned her attention to the conversation. Her curiosity piqued, Rae tried to control her annoyance due to her lack of patience. It was something she was working on, but she threw her efforts out the window in her present state. Was this conversation about her? If so, why?
Rae couldn’t help tapping her fingers on the table while she waited for Jules to wrap up her call. The waiter returned with their food and set the plates in front of them.
