by Lynn Ames
Jay snorted.
“Or at least that’s the rationalization for his silence.”
“That’s more like it.” Jay started to rise to clear the empty dishes, but Kate put a hand on her arm.
The Cost of Commitment
“You cooked, sweetheart. I’ve got the dishes.” She took the plates to the sink. “In any event, Sampson started feeling guilty after he’d come back stateside about leaving that woman over there with a child to raise on her own.”
“Well, bully for him.”
“Yeah,” Kate breathed, shaking her head. “None of this sounds like the man I know. Anyway, he managed, through his intelligence contacts in country, to find her. He started sending her money as a means to assuage his guilt.”
“Harmph.”
“And,” Kate continued, “because the idea of having a daughter appealed to him. I think he thought that somehow he could stay in her life.”
“Without his wife being any the wiser, right?”
“Right.”
“Jackass.”
“Well, Scoop, it doesn’t sound to me like he thought any of this through very logically. So that last part doesn’t surprise me.”
“What now? Did you talk to him after you got back tonight?”
“Yeah. As you can imagine, it’s a mess. She’s distraught and spitting bullets. He’s beside himself and has no idea how to make it right.
They’re taking off tonight to get away from the media and to take some time to sort through all of this.”
“And you’re left holding the bag,” Jay said bitterly.
Kate dried her hands on a towel and circled behind Jay, putting her arms around her and kissing her on the cheek.
“It’s not that bad, sweetheart. Since he doesn’t work for DOCS
anymore, I can simply tell the media that they’ll have to talk to him if they want answers. It’s not within my purview any more.”
“What did the governor say?”
“He and Sampson are good friends. I think he was in shock, for starters. He trusts Sampson, so he had no problem following his recommendation for a successor. Redfield was named the new commissioner immediately.”
“That’s not good for you, right?”
“I don’t know, honey. There’s something about him that doesn’t sit right with me. And then there’s the way he blew me off when I wanted to fire Marisa.” Kate shrugged.
Jay put her hand on top of Kate’s where it rested on her shoulder.
“Are you going to be all right in all this?”
“I’d like to think so. I talked to the governor myself. He told me in his discussion with Redfield he made it clear that he wanted me to stay.”
“Well, that’s good, anyway.”
Lynn Ames
“Yeah, but something’s bothering me about all this.”
“Yeah? Like all of it.”
“No, Jay. I mean something’s bothering me about the way this all came about.” She sat down at the table again. “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that this story should come out right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s look at this.” Kate started ticking things off on her fingers. “A series of bullshit stories and editorials blasting me come out. Then we find out that Breathwaite is the source and is using Marisa as a mole—or worse. Redfield refuses to let me do anything about it. Next, it escalates and we get direct proof that Breathwaite isn’t just feeding stories to the press anymore but is blackmailing reporters into trashing me. When that doesn’t work, he tries the head-on approach, threatening to expose you.
We thwart that by coming out ahead of him. And now this.” She looked over at Jay.
“You think this is tied in with us.”
“It seems awfully coincidental, doesn’t it?”
Jay thought for a moment. “Okay, I can agree with that. But what’s the angle? Breathwaite wants to come back, but he’s certainly not coming back as commissioner. So what’s in it for him?”
“Maybe he thinks Redfield will fire me and bring him back.”
“He can’t do that,” Jay huffed indignantly, “he’s got no grounds.”
“He doesn’t need any, sweetheart. I serve ‘at the pleasure.’ That means he doesn’t need a reason to fire me, he just can. Maybe he says he wants his own spokesman in there—somebody he’s hired.”
“Well, the governor took care of that by telling him he wanted you to stay, right?”
Kate pondered. “So it would appear. The governor has the ultimate authority. I can’t imagine Redfield would defy him. After all, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
“What next?”
“I don’t know, Jay. I wish I did. I guess we’ll just have to sit tight and see what happens. I can tell you this, though—I don’t trust Redfield. It’s possible that he’s just benefiting from the fallout here and has nothing to do with anything that’s come before.”
“But you don’t believe that.”
“I don’t know what to believe, but there’s something about him that just doesn’t sit right with me. That, and his reaction to the Marisa thing.”
“Mm.”
“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“I hate that part.”
Kate laughed. “Yeah, me too.”
The Cost of Commitment
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ell, gentlemen, it seems that something good has finally happened.” Hawthorne turned to his good friend.
W
“Congratulations, William. Your new position suits you.”
“Thank you, Robert.”
Breathwaite couldn’t stand it. “Oh, no need to thank me,” he chimed in. “Never mind that none of that would have happened without me.”
Hawthorne smiled thinly. “And thank you, David, for managing to get this one right.”
Breathwaite’s growl was audible.
“I felt certain you wouldn’t fail to remind us of your role. I’m glad you didn’t disappoint me.”
Vendetti snickered.
“Michael,” Hawthorne intoned, “it would have been nice if you could have been more helpful here. It seems our boy Charlie is determined to keep the dyke in her current role. What happened there?”
Vendetti straightened up even more rigidly in his chair. “He and Sampson had a conversation before the resignation became public.
Apparently, Kyle’s status was among the topics of discussion. There was nothing I could do about that.”
“That makes our job a bit more difficult. What do you think, Bill?”
“Hyland made it a goddamned condition of employment that I keep her on. I couldn’t very well object—he just would have passed me over for someone else. I figured it was better to get in there first, then figure out a way to get it done.”
“Agreed,” Hawthorne nodded. “But we don’t have a long window.
What’s our boy’s social schedule with the witch these days, Michael?”
“It looks like he’s got her on his calendar for dinner next week. I’ve been chatting up his social secretary.”
Lynn Ames
“We have to stop her from getting to him. It’s too dangerous. Every single damn time he comes out of one of those dinners he throws out some idea from left field that’s bound to jeopardize his position with both moderate and conservative democrats. The friggin’ election’s going to be close enough without having to worry about him alienating important constituencies.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Vendetti said calmly.
“See that you do.” Hawthorne looked at him dangerously.
“Bill, how long before you think you can safely take care of dyke wonder?”
The new DOCS commissioner laughed unpleasantly. “Give me a few weeks.”
“A few weeks?” Breathwaite exploded.
Redfield turned to him slowly. “Yes, David,” he said patronizingly.
“If I move too quickly it will seem as though I’m defying the governor.
; And if that happens and I fall out of favor, you have no chance of coming back. Perhaps if you hadn’t called so much attention to her in the first place—well, let’s just say your lack of subtlety has made the task that much more difficult.”
“If it wasn’t for me, you two-bit bureaucrat, you wouldn’t be sitting in the commissioner’s seat right now.”
Unconcerned with Breathwaite’s outburst, Redfield answered dismissively, “I would have gotten there eventually, and with a lot less scrutiny, I might add.”
“Okay, boys. Enough jawing. Bill, let’s look at a three-to-four-week horizon. That puts us,” Hawthorne consulted a calendar, “just around Thanksgiving or the beginning of December.”
Breathwaite, on the verge of objecting, thought better of it, sitting back in his chair instead and pressing his fingers together underneath his chin. He tried for calm practicality. “That puts us behind schedule.”
“A little bit,” Hawthorne admitted grudgingly, “but not fatally so. The nominating convention isn’t for another eight months. I think we’ll be all right, as long as we can keep her away from Charlie so that he doesn’t self-destruct.” He looked pointedly at Vendetti.
“I told you,” the press secretary said curtly, “I’ll take care of it.”
“Class dismissed,” Hawthorne said breezily. “See you all in a month or so.”
“Where are we going?” Jay was practically bouncing up and down in the passenger seat.
“I’m not telling,” Kate said playfully.
“Can I take this blindfold off?”
The Cost of Commitment
“Nope.”
“What if I get carsick?”
“You won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Jay, have you ever gotten carsick before?”
“When I was a little girl,” Jay whined.
Kate looked at her lover appraisingly. “You’re still little, but you’re sure no girl.”
Jay didn’t need to see her face to know that the blue in Kate’s eyes had gone black with desire.
“No,” she answered in her sultriest tone, “I’m not.”
Kate reached over the center console of her BMW and took Jay’s hand in hers. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“That’s it? You’re still not going to tell me where we’re going?”
Kate laughed. “Nice try, love, and the seduction almost worked, but no, I’m not telling you anything else.”
Jay thumped against her seat, much like a child pitching a fit. “You’re no fun at all.”
“That’s not what you said last night, princess.”
“That was then,” Jay pouted, “this is now.”
“I promise you’re going to like it.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
“Don’t you trust that I know you by now, baby? I’m sure you’re going to be thrilled.”
In fact, Kate had gone to great lengths to make sure everything was in place. It seemed like forever since they had gotten away, even for a day.
Both of them were in desperate need of some unfettered fun. Jay was losing weight and her eyes were shadowed with lack of sleep. Kate was a little worried about her.
“Will I need to keep my coat on where we’re going?”
“What is this, twenty questions?”
“Well, nothing else seems to be working, so...”
“You, my curious love, are incorrigible.”
“And you, my mysterious brat, are infuriating.”
“But you still love me, right, Jay?”
“Sadly, yes. Even though you torture me continually, I still love you with all my heart.”
“Good. Then you can wait to find out the answers to your questions.”
“Argh! You are the most frustrating woman alive.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“So I see, or don’t see, as the case may be.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll tie your hands, too.”
“Why Katherine Ann, I didn’t know you were into bondage.”
Lynn Ames
“I didn’t either, so don’t tempt me.”
“You take away all my fun.”
“In case you’re interested, half-pint, we’re almost there.”
Jay calculated. It had been at least a couple of hours since they’d left the house, and, judging by the sounds, they must have been on the highway most of that time. “Yeah?”
“Yep. Just a few more minutes.”
Jay listened more closely. The sounds of traffic were increasing. And their pace had slowed.
Kate watched her lover as she cocked her head to the side inquisitively. She shook her head. “You are something else, you know that?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re sitting there trying to puzzle out where we’re going. I can see it.”
“Well, since someone hasn’t been particularly helpful—yes, I’m curious. That’s what we reporters do, you know, try to solve mysteries.”
“Oh, is that what you do? Thank you for clarifying that for me. I feel much better now.”
Jay tried to slap Kate playfully on the arm. Kate, however, had the advantage of sight and managed to evade the attempt.
“Hey, where’d you go?”
“Gotta be faster than that, princess.”
“Grrr.”
“I love it when you make animal noises. It’s so sexy.”
Jay, who was about to do it again, swallowed hard instead, unwilling to give Kate the satisfaction of making her growl a second time.
Kate simply laughed and steered the car to the left, into the private parking lot where she had arranged to meet a friend of hers.
When it was clear to Jay that the car was not going to move again, she said excitedly, “Are we here?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep.”
“Then why am I still wearing a blindfold?”
“Because I’m not ready to take it off you yet.” Kate came around the car and gently helped Jay out.
“Why not? The deal was that I had to wear it until we reached our destination. We’re here now, so I should get to take it off.”
“Nope.”
“When?”
“In another minute.” Kate watched as her friend approached, carrying an adorable bundle.
The Cost of Commitment
Several seconds later Jay sniffed the air. “What’s that smell?”
“Nothing wrong with her nose, I see.”
“Nope, that works fine,” Kate greeted her friend with a hug. “Hi, Deb. Thanks for doing this.”
“Doing what?” Jay asked, exasperated.
Kate and Deb laughed, and Deb leaned forward, bringing her into close proximity to Jay’s face. The bundle she’d been carrying reached forward and removed the blindfold.
Jay blinked and looked delightedly into the face of a very cute, very curious, chimpanzee. “W-wha?”
Kate beamed. “Jamison Parker, meet Zippy. Zippy, this is my friend Jay.”
As if he understood the conversation, the chimp stuck out his hand for Jay to shake.
Hesitantly, Jay took the proffered hand. She laughed heartily as Zippy shook it enthusiastically.
“That’s enough, Zip. Let’s leave her arm intact, okay?”
The chimp let go of Jay’s hand and put his arms out instead for a hug.
“Aw.” Jay reached out her arms and the chimpanzee jumped into them. “You are just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Ahem.” Kate cleared her throat.
“You, my dear, are gloriously gorgeous. He,” she indicated the chimp she still held, “is adorable.”
“Glad we cleared that up,” Deb chuckled. “I agree.”
“Oh—I...”
“Jamison Parker, this is Deb Nellissen. Deb, meet the love of my life, Jay.”
“You have the most endearing blush. Kate is right.”
Jay looked from Kate to Deb and back
again, confused.
Kate smiled. “I was just describing you, sweetheart, and explaining the many reasons why I fell in love with you, when I wouldn’t even give her,” she jabbed her thumb in the other woman’s direction, “the time of day.”
“I’m lost. What am I missing here?”
“Deb and I met a few years ago,” Kate explained, “when I was doing a special report on evolution, and whether we humans were any smarter than the apes from which we descended.”
Deb picked up the story. “Even though I badgered her incessantly, she wouldn’t succumb to my considerable charms. Can you imagine?”
“Hey, I let you be my friend.”
Deb slugged her in the arm affectionately. “That was big of you.”
“I know.”
Lynn Ames
“Anyway, honey. When Deb saw on the news that I had a fantastically perfect-looking fiancée, she called to congratulate me.”
“And to commiserate.”
“Not to mention get the inside scoop.”
“Well, there was that, too.”
“So I talked her into putting this little jaunt together for us, knowing how much you love zoos and animals.”
Jay looked around her. “Oh my God. We’re at the Bronx Zoo!”
“Very good, Sherlock.”
“I thought you said she was smart.”
“Normally, she’s pretty quick on the uptake. You’ll have to excuse her; she’s been blindfolded for the last several hours and it seems to have dulled all her senses.”
“Grrr.”
“And I thought the animals here were bad.” Deb shrank back in mock fear.
“Jay, Deb is a handler here. She has kindly moved heaven and earth in order to give us a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo.”
Seeing the light in Jay’s eyes was more reward than anything Kate could have asked for. She nodded a silent thanks to her friend, who smiled knowingly.
“Let’s get going. We’ve got a lot to see before the gates open to the general public.”
Jay turned to Kate. “Is that why we had to leave so early in the morning?”
“Yep. It would be too hard to do this with all those screaming kids around.”
“Although, at this time of year,” Deb put in, “it’s not so bad.” She shrugged. “Only the really hardy types come out in November. Which is a shame, since there’s still so much to see.”
Kate thrust her hands in her pockets. “As days in late fall go in New York, it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
