by Carsen Taite
“Fine.” Addison watched while Julia made the call. Julia probably thought she was nuts, but her gut told her something was off. Very off. Par for the course.
*
While they waited for Reeves, Julia resisted the urge to ask Addison one more time if she was sure she hadn’t left the journal at her office or anywhere else. She might not know Addison well, but she knew enough to know she wouldn’t jump to wild conclusions without cause.
After a few moments of silence, Addison excused herself to the bedroom, leaving Julia on her own in the living room to process what was happening. Addison was obviously upset. She would be too if her home had been violated. She wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but she sensed it wouldn’t be a good idea. Lately, she didn’t have any good ideas when it came to dealing with Addison, personally or professionally.
When she heard the knock on the door, Julia rushed to answer it, relieved to have something to do. After confirming it was Reeves, she opened the door and looked around. “You came by yourself?”
“Pretty sure I’m capable of handling this on my own.”
“Someone needs to talk to the concierge. And the neighbors.”
He glanced around the room and whispered. “We need to keep this as quiet as possible for now. You don’t want to start a shit storm for your special little friend over there, do you? Word gets out that her apartment was broken into, the media will go crazy. And if they find out Justice Weir’s journal was the thing they were after, Josh Gander is going to have a front page spread, and he’s not going to wait for the president’s okay.”
Julia heard all the words, but only certain ones stuck. “Special little friend.” Not just the words, but his tone implied he knew there was more to their relationship than the professional connection. Well, he could just file any details he and his FBI friends had gathered away with the dossier of all of Addison’s other past relationships. All she cared about right now, all she could care about right now, was Addison’s safety.
She pressed a finger to Reeve’s chest. “You keep it quiet, but you better be thorough. I don’t care how you do it, by yourself or with a team of suits, but we need some answers and we need them now. And if you don’t think I’m serious, you should know I have a direct line to the president. How many hoops do you have to go through to get direct access?”
“I’m sure he’ll do his job.”
Julia looked up to see a very tired Addison holding a small suitcase. “I’m sorry.” She directed the words at Addison to make sure she knew the apology was meant for her. “Where are you going?”
“I imagine Agent Reeves will want to get some information from me, but then I’m headed to a hotel. Just for a night or two. Until the locks are changed.” She handed Reeves a sheet of paper. “I made some notes. My neighbors’ names and phone numbers. The name of the concierge on duty, everyone else I could think of who might have seen or heard something, and I’ll answer all your questions, of course.”
Julia looked at Reeves, willing him to vanish in a puff of smoke. All she wanted right now was to have a conversation alone with Addison. Soothe her fears, pull her into her arms, and tell her everything would be okay. But she couldn’t do any of the things she wanted. Not in front of him. Instead she said, “Why don’t you go ahead and talk to her? I have to make a phone call, but I’ll do it outside.”
Once outside the door, she called Gordon. He barely got a hello out before she said, “I need you to find out from Gander who else he’s talked to about the Larry Weir story. Do it quickly and quietly and call me back. Okay?”
“Everything okay?”
“Better if you don’t know. Don’t want him to read anything from your end. If he asks why you want to know, tell him it’s just for background, so when the president gives him an exclusive, he’ll be prepared for the interview. Be nonchalant, like it doesn’t really matter. You’re just filling in the details.”
“Okay, but, Julia, it does matter, doesn’t it?”
She sighed. “Yes. It matters a lot.” She said good-bye and hung up before he could read anything else into her request. Noah would be pissed if he knew she’d sent Gordon to mine information, but she wasn’t confident Noah would press hard enough to get answers, so she’d get them on her own. Next, she dialed his number.
“What’s going on?”
“Do you always answer the phone like that?”
“I do when the president’s freelance help is mucking up our work.”
“Your work? If you had your way, we’d have a gutless wonder heading the Supreme Court.”
“Not like you to care either way, as long as you win. A successful confirmation should be your only concern.”
Julia bit back a retort. Fighting with Noah wasn’t a good use of her time right now. She focused on the reason she’d called him in the first place. “Addison’s leaving here to check into a hotel. I need you to get a detail assigned to her.”
“A detail of what? Apparently, she doesn’t trust the D.C. cops enough to tell them she’s been robbed. The Secret Service isn’t authorized to guard judicial candidates, and she doesn’t get security from the Supreme Court cops unless she’s confirmed.”
“FBI then. I don’t care, but I don’t want anything happening to her between now and the time your pal Reeves figures out who stole the journal from her apartment.”
“And if word gets out we have her under guard? That news will eclipse any play you’ll get from the interviews next week. No one’s going to confirm a nominee who’s got security problems.”
“Noah, you need to put aside your single-minded political hat for once or I’ll go directly to the president. I don’t care if I have to camp outside the residence to get his attention. I want a detail outside her door or I’ll go to the press myself.” She hung up before he could reply.
When she walked back into Addison’s apartment, Reeves was standing, apparently finished with his interview. He offered to have an agent escort Addison to her hotel, but Julia interrupted. “Could I have a word with Ms. Riley in private?”
He looked between them and then stepped outside. File that away with the rest of your personal information, Agent Busybody. Once they were alone, she asked Addison to sit down. “They’ll provide you with a detail. They’ll be discreet.”
“Thanks.”
“You could come home with me.” As the words fell out of her mouth, Julia searched for a spot on the wall, the ceiling, anywhere but Addison’s face, where she would surely see rejection.
Seconds later, she felt Addison’s hand on hers. “That was dumb. Forget I said it.”
“I won’t forget. It was sweet, but you know I can’t. If we’re over, we’re over. I’m not strong enough to share your house and not want more.”
Julia nodded. None of the words she wanted to say mattered. It was too late. She couldn’t believe they were over when they’d barely begun.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Addison stifled a yawn and looked around the room. Tommy, Gordon, and the others all looked hatefully energetic despite the fact they’d been at this all day. Only she and Julia showed signs of wear. She knew the reasons for her exhaustion: apprehension, an unfamiliar bed, longing for something, someone she couldn’t have. What was Julia’s excuse?
“Is that the only thing you have to say, Dean Riley?”
She tuned back in and faced Tommy, who she was beginning to wish would fall into a hole in the floor. His Jeff Burrows’s imitation was spot-on. “I’m sorry. I think I need a short break.”
Tommy looked puzzled, like he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to respond as the senator or himself.
Gordon took over. “Not a problem. We’ve been at this for hours. I’m sure we could all use a break.” He stood and hustled everyone out of the room, leaving Addison alone with Julia. Not exactly the relaxing break she’d had in mind.
“Are you okay?” Julia’s voice was gentle, her question tentative.
“I’ll be fine. I’m staying at The Ha
y-Adams, but it’s not home.” Addison instantly felt stupid. Julia likely already knew where she was staying, probably knew her every move since they’d parted ways last night. She’d read in this morning’s paper a short bit about how she’d moved into the hotel because of a plumbing issue at her apartment. One of the building managers was even quoted as saying they were sorry for the future justice’s inconvenience, but they were doing everything they could to get things back in working order. No doubt, Julia had worked into the night to seed the story, but as focused as Julia was on her business, she hadn’t called to check on her, hadn’t shown up to make sure she was okay. They’d had no contact until they met here at the White House this morning, in the company of a half dozen others.
The distance was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She should be grateful Julia was backing off since the alternative was painful proximity that could lead nowhere. All she had to do was get through the next month or so. Interviews, holiday break, confirmation hearings, swearing in. One day at a time until she was wearing a black robe and Julia was on a flight to the islands. Excellent outcomes for both of them. So why did she feel so empty at the prospect of an end to whatever was left of their relationship?
“I’ll do everything I can to get you back home as soon as possible. I promise.”
Addison met her gaze. She saw caring, comfort, but she knew it was all business, or at least it had to be. She answered with a simple, “Thank you.” She rotated her neck to work out some of the stress. “You know I really think I can handle myself with Jeff. Maybe we could move on to some of the other members of the committee.”
Julia smiled. “You about ready to punch Tommy in the face?”
“I might be a little beyond that.” Addison laughed and enjoyed the ease at which they could slip back into playful banter. They could be friends, couldn’t they? Maybe keep in touch after this was all over. Go out for drinks, share a movie.
No, she’d always want more. Before she had a chance to process the difference between what she wanted and what she could have, Gordon stuck his head in the door.
“Julia, Noah needs to see you. Said it’s urgent.”
Addison looked between them, hoping for a clue. Had they found out more about the case? Would Julia tell her if they did?
Julia told Gordon she’d be right there and he ducked back out of the room. She turned to Addison. “I’ll be right back. I promise I’ll let you know whatever I find out. Just wait here for me, okay?”
Addison nodded and watched as Julia walked away. She wanted to say she’d wait even longer. She’d wait until after the confirmation. After the inauguration. She’d wait until whenever Julia was free from feeling like she had to balance work and play, but the words seemed hopeless and she stayed silent. Better to keep the memory of the intimacy they’d shared. The reality of Julia’s political life loomed large. There would always be conflicts, from off limit topics to hectic cross-country campaigns. She hadn’t wanted to settle for the lukewarm commitments Eva was willing to make. She’d be crazy to let the leftovers of a life with Julia be enough, no matter how much she wanted her.
She boxed up her feelings and prepared for the next round of inquisition, but one thought stuck with her. The one night with Julia soared over anything she’d shared with anyone else. Ever.
*
“You’re telling me that Senator Burrows might be involved in Justice Weir’s death?”
Julia watched as Reeves and Noah tried to figure out how to respond. Noah finally nodded at Reeves who started talking. “What we know at this point is limited, but there is no record of a call to D.C. Police Department about a possible break-in at Ms. Riley’s apartment. We’ve spoken to her neighbors, and none of them observed or reported any suspicious activity. And Detective Conland has close ties to Senator Burrows. In fact, he recently transferred to the D.C. Police Department from the Capitol Police. We pulled Conland’s phone records, and he placed a call to Senator Burrows yesterday, shortly after he left Riley’s apartment building.”
Julia didn’t bother asking what kind of strings they had to pull to get phone records so quickly. “Holy shit. What are you going to do next?”
“If it was anyone besides a U.S. senator,” Reeves said, “I’d show up and start asking questions, but we have to be very careful, or ranks will close and we won’t get any information. We’re pursuing a few other leads, but in the meantime, we should keep a tight lid on this so he doesn’t suspect anything.”
“And the journal?” She asked. “What if Conland already took it to him and he’s destroyed it?”
“If that’s already happened, it’s too bad, but you can bet if we push him into a corner, he’ll definitely destroy it. And we have to consider the possibility that Burrows didn’t have anything to do with Weir’s death. What if he got the journal just so he could use it against Ms. Riley? Make it look as if she had something to do with Weir’s death.”
“Bullshit.”
“Julia, settle down,” Noah said. “Of course, it’s bullshit, but we have to account for everything.”
She sank into a chair. They were right, of course. Gordon had come to her first thing this morning and told her that Gander, the reporter from the Times, had talked to Burrows as part of his investigation. If Burrows knew about the journal entry, no doubt he would try to pin the law clerk connection on Addison, especially since he would do just about anything to keep her from the bench. But what if he was involved in Weir’s death? She focused on the timeline. When Weir died, everyone was certain, her included, Garrett wouldn’t be reelected. It would have been nearly impossible for him to get a nominee confirmed, which would have left the decision about Weir’s successor to Briscoe. And if Briscoe had won in a landslide, the Democrats probably wouldn’t have held on to their majority, which meant Jeff Burrows would start the next term as the majority chair of the Judiciary Committee, perfectly positioned to ensure a conservative nominee made it to the bench.
If Burrows was behind Weir’s death, Addison could be in danger. The very idea sent waves of horror through Julia. Here she was spending the day preparing to send Addison to meet with the man who at best wanted to ruin her and at worst wanted to see her dead. “Addison’s supposed to meet with Burrow’s first thing tomorrow.”
“What time?” Reeves asked.
“Does it matter? No way is she going, not if you think he’s in any way involved with all of this.”
“She has to go or you’ll tip him off,” Reeves said. “And you can’t tell her about any of this. He gets wind that he’s under investigation, there’s no telling what he’ll do.”
“There’s no telling what he’ll do either way. At least if we cancel the meeting, you can be sure of her safety.”
“She’ll be safe. She’s going to be in his office, not in a back alley. What’s he going to do? Stab her with a letter opener?”
Julia shook her head. “I’m not sending her in there unless she knows what she’s going into.” She owed Addison that much.
“Bad idea,” Noah said. “You tell her about Burrows and she’ll do something to tip him off. She won’t be able to help it. Then she either gets hurt or she winds up being a witness against him. Talk about a conflict. Your nominee will be tied up in Senate hearings, but they’ll be about Burrows and his crimes. Her confirmation will be permanently derailed. Is that what you want?”
Failure. No, that wasn’t what she wanted. Not for her, not for the president, and especially not for Addison. But above all else, she wanted Addison to be safe. If Addison knew what she was headed into the next morning, she would likely feel compelled to draw Burrows out, expose him for any part he might have played in killing her mentor. Office setting or no, a man backed in a corner would come out swinging. She stared at Noah and willed him to feel her resolve. “Fine. But nothing better happen to her, and you both better make sure of it.”
On the walk back to her office, she decided they would call it a day. She could pretend the decision was because she knew
how tired Addison was, but the truth was she didn’t think she could be in the same room with her and keep this information to herself.
Besides, she should start getting used to not spending time with her. If all went well, Addison would be confirmed just after the New Year, and their paths would split. Addison would spend her time in the company of legal scholars and she would hit the road. With luck, she’d get hired for a campaign far enough away that she wouldn’t run into Addison and politically bloody enough that she wouldn’t have time to think about her.
The odds were against her.
Chapter Twenty-nine
The entire day had gone terribly and it was only eleven a.m. Addison glanced around the expansive waiting area outside of Jeff Burrows’s office and considered making a break for it. Surely there was a food cart somewhere, or maybe she could just catch the Metro, ride back to The Hay-Adams, and order room service. Anything would be better than sitting here, waiting to be grilled, and trying to ignore Julia who was obviously trying to ignore her.
From the moment they’d met that morning, she’d known something was off. Julia had barely spoken to her, leaving all the explanation about how the morning would go to Gordon and Tommy who had both accompanied Landry on a similar journey just weeks ago. Now the four of them had been kept waiting in a hostile senator’s office while he had pressing business at the Capitol building. His secretary kept insisting he would be right back, but now their schedule was completely off the rails. She didn’t care, but Julia had become increasingly agitated at the prospect of waiting.
Addison wanted to go to her, find out what was really wrong, but she couldn’t. They couldn’t have a personal conversation in front of the rest of the group, but mostly she held back because she didn’t trust that her concern would be well received. Instead she just watched as Julia paced the carpet and texted messages into her phone with ferocious finger punching. Finally, the outer door opened and a young woman ushered them into Senator Burrows’s inner sanctum.
