by Carsen Taite
“She knows,” Noah said.
“The whole world’s going to know unless you tell me what’s going on so I can put a lid on it.”
“I don’t understand.” The president looked genuinely puzzled.
Julia plowed ahead. “I have a feeling someone from the Times is going to be at your little photo op. Josh Gander talked to Larry Weir before he died. Larry suspected foul play, and now Gander’s sniffing around. Problem is he thinks a former law clerk may have been involved in Weir’s death.” She paused to let the words sink in. “Do you see how it might have been important to keep me in the loop now?”
Garrett sank into a chair. “Shit.” He rubbed his temples for a moment. “You really think Gander might consider Addison Riley a suspect in Weir’s death?”
“It’s ridiculous, I know, but he’s got a lead and he’s going to keep digging. I may trust him to keep quiet, but this could all blow up fast if some third-rate blogger gets wind of his investigation and they decide to get a quick and easy story out of it, truth be damned.”
“Do you have a suggestion?”
“Get Gander in here now and promise him an exclusive on the investigation if he holds off for now.”
“He won’t do it,” Noah said.
Julia shook her head. “He will if he hears it straight from the president. But it has to be right now.”
“Damn it,” said the president. “Veronica is going to kill me.”
“It won’t take long. He’s in the building.”
“Fine. Tell Diane to bring him back and I’ll talk to him. And, you two, schedule a meeting with Sue for us to talk more about this tomorrow. I want to know who killed Weir, and I want to know yesterday.”
“Mr. President, there’s one more thing.”
Julia waited as Noah delivered the news.
“Apparently, a former girlfriend of Dean Riley, a professor at her university, had an abortion.”
“What? Like just now?”
“No, about fifteen years ago.”
“Oh my God. So what? Deal with it. Now out. Both of you.”
Julia followed Noah back to his office where Reeves was waiting. She waited until they were both inside with the door shut before asking, “What’s your plan?”
“It’s not your concern.”
“The hell it’s not. Anything that could affect this nomination is my concern.”
Noah wasn’t budging. “Prepare your nominee and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Julia stared at both men, but their faces made it clear they were shutting her out. The Senate interviews would start on Monday, which meant they only had one day to prepare. Based on Addison’s mood when she’d stormed off, working with her was going to take most of her energy. She should leave the matter of Weir’s death to the professionals and focus on getting Addison ready for the senators and doing damage control with the press. “Fine, see that you do your part, and I expect you to keep me informed.”
Reeves stopped her as she reached the door, “One more thing. We need to get that journal from Ms. Riley.”
Julia started to tell him Addison had left for the night, but she didn’t want him going to her house, startling her even more than they had already. “I’ll get it and bring it to you.” She made sure her tone told him any other solution was off-limits.
When she returned to her office, Gordon and Cindy were waiting, ready to get to work. She was ready to work too, but without Addison, there wasn’t much point. It was almost six. She’d thought this day would have gone so differently. Brunch with Addison, maybe a leisurely afternoon in bed. Delivery for dinner. More champagne. More kissing, more touching, more of many things she wasn’t likely to experience with her again. If things had gone the way she’d planned, she wouldn’t be working. So why should she work now, especially since Addison had made it clear she was done for the day?
Mind made up, she started barking out instructions. “Cindy, get me everything you can find out about Eva Monroe. Gordon, we need a statement about her abortion, not directly addressing it, but talking about how the administration is not going to comment on this woman’s private life, assuming there are no skeletons we haven’t already found out about. I don’t trust the agent assigned to the vetting, so we’re going to need to follow up on everything. Get with Diane on the language since the statement will come from the press office.
“Also, tell everyone, especially Tommy, to be here at eight sharp in the morning. He makes a great Burrows, and he’s going to be Addison’s first interview on Monday. She’s going to think she has this one down because she knows the guy, so tell Tommy to prepare to be a total hard-ass during prep. Connie Armstrong may think she’s got this confirmation in the bag, but it’s going to be a brawl, and everyone needs to get ready for a fight. Understood?”
She grabbed her coat and started for the door.
“Where are you going?” Gordon asked.
“I’ve been deputized. I’ll be back, but it may be late. Call me if you need me.”
She left the White House with only a hazy plan in mind. It started with showing up on Addison’s doorstep and ended with delivering Justice Weir’s journal to Reeves. The in-between part was fuzzy, but full of possibilities and pitfalls.
Half her thoughts were occupied with seeing Addison, but the other half were full of fear that once again she was treading on fragile and familiar ground. At any moment, her inability to separate her personal and professional life would be her downfall. The confirmation process would explode into a fierce battle with stalemate the only logical outcome. The president would be forced to withdraw Addison’s name and then be forced to nominate someone weaker than even Judge Landry. She should be concerned about how such an outcome would affect her business, but she was only worried about what Addison would think. Surely she already thought she had no standards, no absolute barometer, but to have Addison think she was weak and ineffective would be even worse.
She would get the journal, but she had no idea what would happen beyond that. She wouldn’t allow herself to either hope or dread.
*
Tired of her own company, Addison decided to walk down to Shake Shack to get some food. A little grease and fat was exactly what she needed to soothe her soul. Dressed in jeans, boots, a long coat, and a knit cap, she didn’t look anything like a Supreme Court nominee, and she slipped out a side door of the building, completely unnoticed. The few blocks walk in the cool night air calmed her, and she felt almost like a normal person when she placed her order. If the place hadn’t been packed, she might have even stuck around, hung out and pretended to be like anyone else, enjoying a casual Saturday night outing.
When her food was ready, she started the walk home. She should be preparing for the Senate interviews, but she couldn’t bear the thought of spending another minute at the White House, pretending politics weren’t the only force at play, pretending Julia was just someone she worked with.
But that’s clearly all it was. Last night seemed light years away, their connection broken. Julia was distant, and she didn’t have a clue why. Whatever it was, she didn’t think it could be fixed. Didn’t know if she wanted it to be. Why did everything have to be such a struggle? Everything worth having, anyway.
Was Julia worth fighting for? Was anyone? Shouldn’t falling in love be easier than this?
The last question pulled her up short. Falling in love. Was that what was happening? Surely not. They barely knew each other. Well, not entirely true. Julia knew loads about her, probably more than she remembered herself. And what did she know about Julia?
Enough. Enough to know she was passionate about her work, she’d been hurt before and was leery about taking personal risks. But she’d taken a big one last night. What would the president think if he knew they had slept together? Julia could’ve lost everything she’d worked for. Maybe that was the reason for the cold shoulder today. Julia regretted what they’d shared. The only thing Addison regretted was that it wasn’t likely to happen again
.
About a hundred feet from where she would make the turn onto her street, she saw Julia cross the street, walking toward her. She stood still, frozen to the ground, as Julia approached. “Well, this is a surprise. Lose your way?”
Julia’s smile was tentative. “I hope there’s something in that bag for me. I’m starving.”
“I only bought enough for one. I’m not sure how I would’ve known to buy more.”
“Addison, about last night—”
Addison spoke quickly to cut her off. “Worst way to start a sentence. Ever. I’m not interested in rehashing it. It was beautiful, it was lovely, it was an experience I’ll always remember, but I don’t want to hear any excuses about how it can never happen again. Why don’t you walk on and we’ll pretend it never happened?” At that moment, her cell phone rang. She started to reach into her pocket to answer, but Julia’s hand on her arm stopped her.
“I don’t want to pretend it never happened, but it’s true, it can’t ever happen again.” Julia’s eyes were sad as she delivered the death knell to whatever might have been. She waited until Addison’s phone stopped ringing, and then said, “Today, when I got word the paper was about to print a story about your ‘girlfriend,’ I went ballistic. I have no business letting my personal feelings get in the way of this process. It’s too important. You’re too important. I can’t do my job if I’m distracted. It’ll cause us both to get ambushed.”
She was right, but Addison desperately wanted her not to be. The only solution would be for her to withdraw her name, and it was too late for that. She’d made a commitment to the president, to herself. This opportunity was bigger than both of them, bigger than any potential relationship. How ironic that the thing that had brought them together was also the thing that had torn them apart.
“You’re right. Whatever this was, it’s over, but I need a little space. I promise I’ll show up tomorrow, ready to be grilled by you and your staff. When you see me again, it will be like nothing ever happened.” Maybe by tomorrow, she’d believe the lie. The only thing she cared about now, was getting back to her apartment, away from the temptation of Julia’s presence. She started walking, but Julia reached out to pull her back.
“Wait. Look, I know you’re ready to be out of my sight for a while, but I need to get something from you.”
“What?”
“Justice Weir’s journal. Reeves wants it. I told him I would get it from you.”
So that’s why Julia was here. Was the whole talk about relationships a secondary concern? Didn’t matter at this point. Addison tucked her disappointment behind a smile. “Come up with me and I’ll get it for you.”
“I can wait downstairs if you’d rather.”
“Don’t be silly. We’re both adults. I promise not to jump you if you promise to leave as soon as you get the journal.”
“You really don’t want to share those fries, do you?”
Julia’s grin was infectious and Addison couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re impossible. And no, no fries for you.” She turned the corner onto her block and pulled up short. Two D.C. PD squad cars were parked in front of her building. She knew they could be there for any number of reasons, but her gut clenched and she pushed through the lobby doors and went straight to the concierge. “What’s going on?”
He looked up and then moved around the desk, leading her away from the center of the action. “Ms. Riley, my apologies, but it appears there’s been a situation. I called you as soon as I heard.”
Must’ve been the call she’d ignored. “Situation?”
“Yes, one of your neighbors found your door wide-open and they called the police. I tried to reach you, but there was no answer when I called.”
“The police? Do you know who called?”
“I don’t. A Detective Conland arrived with a uniformed officer. I wouldn’t have let them up, but they knew your apartment number, and you have been getting quite a bit of attention lately. I wanted to make sure we take appropriate precautions.”
His expression was nervous, and Addison was quick to put him at ease. “You did the right thing. Where are the police now?”
“They are upstairs. Would you like me to accompany you?”
“I’ll go with her.”
She’d almost forgotten Julia was right behind her. “Thank you.”
The elevator ride was interminably long. When they finally reached Addison’s floor, Julia stopped her just outside the doors. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she lied. She didn’t give a lot of thought to her personal safety. She lived in a secure building, worked on a friendly campus. She rode the Metro, walked at night, and never considered the possibility she’d be the target of crime. As she walked down the hall, she braced for the worst.
A man in uniform was standing outside her door. She held out a hand. “Good evening. I’m Addison Riley. I understand there’s been a break-in.”
“Good evening, ma’am. It’s a bit hard to tell at this point. Nothing seems to have been disturbed, but your door was open, and, well, because of the recent, you know…”
“You mean because she’s a future Supreme Court justice you thought you’d better give it special handling?” Julia stepped forward. “I’m Julia Scott with the White House. Thanks for being thorough. Can Ms. Riley have a look around inside? See if anything is missing?”
The officer responded quickly. “Detective Conland is already inside. He told me not to let anyone in, potential crime scene and all, but I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you.” He opened the door and signaled for them to wait while he went inside, but Julia pushed in behind him, leading Addison by the hand.
A moment later, a tall thin man in a suit came out of Addison’s bedroom. Addison shuddered at the second violation to her privacy. First burglars, now the police. She wanted to be alone, only not here. Anywhere but here.
The detective seemed to share the sentiment. He barked at the officer. “You thought it was a good idea to let them in here?”
“She owns the place.”
“And it could be a crime scene, not that you’d know one if it bit you on the ass.”
The officer shot a look their way as if to apologize for his superior’s behavior. Addison started to tell him it was okay, anything to get them out of here faster, but Julia spoke first.
“Excuse me, Detective Conland. Do you know who this is?” She pointed at Addison. “Ms. Riley is the next chief justice of the United States. If there’s been a break-in, it could be a matter of national security.”
“Oh, is that right? Guess they should’ve called the feds then. But they called me. Looks like she might not have shut her front door real tight. Best I can tell nothing’s been disturbed. I’ll file a report and you can get a copy from records.”
He started toward the door, but Julia stopped him. “Shouldn’t she look around? Make sure nothing’s been taken?”
Conland shook his head like it was the worst idea he’d ever heard. D.C. Police already had a bad reputation, and after meeting this guy, Addison had no doubt why. “I’ll only be a minute.” Under his watchful gaze, she wandered through her apartment, opening cabinets and doors. As she started toward the bedroom, Julia’s phone rang.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” Julia ducked outside.
Addison couldn’t explain why, but she felt a chill at being left alone with the detective. Resolved to make the ordeal as short as possible, she walked to her bedroom. When she entered, she could feel Conland on her heels. She shot him a back-off look and walked around the room, her eyes focused on the empty space on her nightstand. As she looked back toward the door, she noticed he was watching her every move, but his expression wasn’t the curious look of an officer investigating a crime. It was prurient. It was predatory. She took another few seconds to confirm her initial suspicion and then hurried to get him out of her private space.
“Well?” he asked as she swept past him.
“Looks fine. May I have your card? If I notice an
ything later, I’ll get in touch.”
He reached for his pocket and stopped midway. “Sorry, I remember now I don’t have any on me. Guess I was expecting the evening off.” He turned and motioned for the other officer to follow. “Call us if you need anything. Have a good evening, Ms. Riley.”
When he cleared the door, she couldn’t shut it fast enough. She flipped the deadbolt into place and sank into the nearest chair where she focused on processing what had just happened. Moments later, a banging at the door disrupted her thoughts. She looked through the viewer.
Julia. Damn. She’d left to take a call. Addison pulled the door open and tugged her in and then checked the hall before she shut the door. “Sorry. I guess I was distracted.”
“No problem. That was Noah. I told him I’d fill him in when I returned with the journal.”
“Well, that might be a problem.” Addison motioned for her to sit. “The journal’s gone.”
“What?”
“It was on my nightstand. It’s not there now.”
“Are you sure you haven’t moved it? Maybe you took it to your office?”
“Not a chance. I saw it there this morning.”
“What did Detective Conland say when you told him?”
Addison looked down at her lap. She didn’t anticipate Julia, or anyone else would understand how she’d handled the situation. “I didn’t tell him.”
“Seriously?”
“I don’t know how to explain this, but the guy gave me the creeps. Something’s off about this whole break-in. My door was wide open so a neighbor called the cops? Well, have you looked at my door? There’s no sign of forced entry and I damn sure didn’t leave it open. My neighbors would likely have called the concierge and let him decide about calling the cops. And why would a detective have come at the first call? Seems like they would’ve sent patrol cops and they would’ve called in a detective. And why didn’t they talk to this neighbor to find out if they saw someone leaving my place?”
“Whoa, there. Lots of questions. I’m sure there’s a reasonable answer for all of them.” Julia tapped her finger on her phone. “I think I should start by letting Reeves know that the journal is gone, and then we’ll figure out the rest.”
