“What?!” Maggie exploded with anger. “This is my fault. I’m so naïve. I overheard him talking to the reporter and taking all the credit. I should have pulled her aside and set the record straight. I thought she saw through him. Well, this is just perfect!” she fumed. “Everyone is going to be furious.”
“I’m not sure anything you said would have made a difference,” Alex opined. “Haynes has made a fortune from his fast-food franchises and is well known around here as a philanthropist. He founded and funds the no-kill animal shelter, as you know. And he gives to every charitable cause. Donates gift certificates. Sponsors youth sports teams. The name Haynes Enterprises is on most of the uniforms. Haynes Gymnasium at the high school.”
“You’ve met him,” Marc broke in. “He’s shrewd and relentlessly self-promoting. Knows how to spread his money around and buy people. That’s why he always gets re-elected. So many are beholding to him.”
“So you don’t think he cares about the causes? He’s just buying votes?” Susan asked. “What about the shelter? That seems nice.”
“You know, that may be his soft spot. He loves animals. He’s known for rescuing strays, and he’s devoted to his own dog. He attends the games of the teams he sponsors and turns up at charity events, like the carnival. But I think he’s better with animals than with people,” Alex replied.
“Does he have a family?” Maggie asked.
“No. He was in a bitter divorce about ten years ago. One of my partners represented his wife. They didn’t have kids—should have been an easy matter to divide up the property, but Haynes concealed assets and was hell-bent on leaving her high and dry. It stretched on for years. He finally wore her down, and she settled for way less than she was entitled to. Told my partner that she simply had to be done with him.”
“What an odd duck. I guess the important thing is that we raised all this money for the pension fund. But it still infuriates me that he took the credit,” Maggie seethed. “Enough whining. Let’s get this wrapped up so we can all get dressed and back down here by ten thirty to put stuff in the oven.”
***
When Sam and Joan arrived shortly before eleven, everything at Rosemont was ready. The smell of baking cinnamon rolls wafted from the kitchen. The predicted rain had materialized, and the day was chilly and gray. Maggie lit a fire in the living room’s massive hearth, and Rosemont became cozy and inviting. John pulled up next, with an excited Eve in tow. He reported that she had gotten along famously with his dog.
Maggie and Susan set the food on the sideboard in the dining room. The chandelier and candles were lit, and the china and silver sparkled. It all looked spectacular, like something from the pages of Gracious Homes magazine. Susan snatched her cell phone and took a couple of photos. “Before it all gets messed up,” she told her mother.
Tim and Nancy Knudsen brought four bottles of really good champagne. They began brunch with a toast to the success of the carnival and to the restoration of health and prosperity to Westbury. Maggie later reflected that her first meal in her new dining room had been everything she could have hoped for and more. Everyone complimented the excellent food, but food alone is never enough to assure a successful party. The congeniality of the company made the day. Goodwill toward all was the underlying current. Susan whispered to her mother that she just loved these people and wanted to take them home with her.
When the meal was over, they took their coffee in the living room by the fire. The conversation turned to the investigation.
“Chief Thomas is a good, honest man,” Tim said. “He’ll get to the bottom of this. It may take time.”
“I just hope we still have some money left in the town coffers when he’s done,” Pete said. “So what happens if they arrest the mayor or some of the council? Will they have to step down or can they continue in office until they’re tried and convicted?”
“Technically, they can stay in office,” Alex answered. “Innocent until proven guilty and all that. If they think they’re going to be convicted, they may cut a plea deal and resign their seats.”
“Then what happens?” asked Tim. “Does someone assume their duties until the next election, or is there a special election?”
“If the mayor resigns, they hold a special election. If a council-member goes, the council can fill the vacant seat for the remainder of their term. Elections are expensive to hold,” Alex responded.
“Will you run for mayor again if that happens?” Maggie asked Alex. He paused and glanced over at Marc. “We’ve been discussing it,” he said. “Haven’t decided yet.”
“It’s up to Alex, of course, but I think he would be the best mayor this town ever had. He has a vision for where we can take Westbury in the twenty-first century,” Marc stated.
“If you decide to run,” Sam said, “I’ll help with your campaign however I can. Make signs and put them up, hand out flyers—whatever. I just can’t make any speeches,” he added hastily.
“We don’t have anything to run for yet, but I appreciate your offer,” Alex smiled.
There didn’t seem to be anything else to add and the conversation turned to Laura and Pete and the happy topic of the baby on the way. By the end of the afternoon, people reluctantly gathered their coats and umbrellas and headed home, restored and uplifted by the congenial day.
John hung back and offered his services as dishwasher extraordinaire to Maggie. She was about to politely decline when Susan responded with a hearty, “Sure. That would be great. Right this way.”
Marc and Alex had already started working. Maggie took charge and declared that Susan, Marc, and Alex were relieved of KP duty immediately. They had prepared most of the meal and it simply wasn’t fair to also clean up. They happily turned in their dishtowels.
Maggie tuned the satellite radio to the Sinatra station and dried and put away dishes as John washed. They worked in companionable silence for a bit, enjoying the music and the immediate gratification that washing dishes can bring. John broke the silence. “You gave a heck of a stump speech yesterday. Have you ever thought about running for office? Have you ever held political office?”
Maggie smiled and shook her head. “Absolutely not. I’ve never had the slightest interest. I’ve known a lot of politicians, though. And I’ve worked on lots of races at the local level. If Alex runs for office, I’ll help with his campaign,” she said. “How about you? Have you ever held office? Do you have any aspirations?”
John laughed. “No. Not me. My practice keeps me too busy. I work fifty to sixty hours a week right now as it is. And I used to work eighty hours, until I hired a good bookkeeper. If Alex runs for mayor or council, I’ll help him. Probably just write a check to his campaign fund. He’s a good man.”
They finished their task and Maggie fed Eve. “Thank you for taking care of her. It would have been a nightmare having her underfoot.” John took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “And I think you should head home to get a good night’s sleep before the week starts. I’ll walk you out. Come on, Eve, let’s go say goodbye.”
Maggie slipped her hand through John’s arm as they walked down the steps and across the gravel driveway to his car. “So what have you gals got organized for this week?” John asked. “Any big mother-daughter plans?”
“Not exactly. I need to work some of the time. I bought the spa package from The Mill at the silent auction yesterday, so I thought we’d do a spa day this week. We’ve been so busy that we haven’t really talked about her breakup with Rob. I’ve been letting her lead the way on that issue. Maybe it’s just as well that she’s had all of this to concentrate on. She does seem happy, doesn’t she?”
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have known she’s suffering from a broken heart if you hadn’t told me about it. Maybe she’s finding that she isn’t really as upset as she thought she would be. Sometimes distance gives us that perspective. We find that we’re sad about not having what we wanted, but that the relationship we lost wasn’t what we wanted anyway. We were just buildi
ng it up in our minds to be something it wasn’t. The person we loved wasn’t who we thought they were. That’s what happened to my wife and me. She hadn’t been the wife I wanted for many years. I mourned the loss of a relationship I never had.”
Maggie looked at John intently. “Exactly,” she said. “Very well put. I hope I can remember the way you said it if we get into that conversation. I want us to have a bit more calm, quiet time together, so she can open up to me if she wants to. Other than that, we will probably do some retail therapy. And Susan is determined to get me settled into a new gym so I can work out again. She’s right, of course. I need to do that. I’ve just been putting it off.”
“I’d still like to take the two of you to dinner. Can you work that into your schedule? Say when and I’ll make reservations. I know just the place,” John said as he pulled Maggie around to face him. She slid her arms around his shoulders and kissed him—a slow, leisurely, lovely kiss.
“Kissing me like that is not the way to convince me to leave,” John teased. Maggie gave him a playful shove toward his car, and he was on his way.
Chapter 24
Alex and Marc left the house early the next morning. Susan slept in, and Maggie tackled the backlog of work that had piled up over the past week. By the time Susan strolled downstairs at eleven thirty, Maggie had responded to all of her emails and was ready for a break. They set out for lunch and ended up at The Mill. Maggie wanted to check out the spa and schedule their treatments.
The restaurant was decked out in its Easter finery, with large urns of irises by the entry and bowls of daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths on every table. The effect was charming and cheerful, despite the drab day outside. They were both considering the same two menu choices and elected to split the Strawberry Fields salad and the garden omelet. Susan said, again, how much fun the weekend had been and how nice she thought Maggie’s new friends were. They spent the meal recapping, sharing observations that the other might have missed, and retelling stories. When Maggie finally settled the check and they wandered over to the spa, it was almost two thirty.
The newly renovated spa was tranquil and lovely. The placard by the door boasted a meditation room with ten thousand stars on the ceiling. They offered an extensive choice of facials and wraps. The well-groomed young woman at the reception desk eagerly beckoned them inside.
“Hello, ladies. Are you staying with us?”
“No,” Maggie said. “I live in Westbury. I bought a spa package at a silent auction on Saturday.”
“Oh, at the carnival at that mansion in town? Wasn’t that so much fun? My husband and I took our four-year-old and had a blast. He loved the egg hunt. I hope they do it again next year. I heard that it was all the idea of that new lady. Wasn’t that nice of her? And I read in the paper yesterday that they collected over ten thousand dollars for the pension fund.”
“That nice lady at the mansion is my mom,” Susan said, pointing to Maggie before Maggie could stop her.
“No kidding,” the receptionist said, regarding Maggie with a mixture of curiosity and respect. “That was so super-nice of you.” She turned to her computer screen and asked them if they would like to book services. “We’re almost full this week. We’ve had a lot of out-of-towners here for Easter. But after that we’re wide open.”
“Oh,” Maggie sighed. “Susan returns to California this weekend. We were hoping to get in this week.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’m going to get you in. Would tomorrow work? Say nine thirty?”
“That would be terrific,” Maggie said. “Are you sure you can do this?”
“We take care of our own around here,” the young woman replied. “Like you saw at the carnival.”
***
The next morning found Maggie and Susan being massaged, herbal-linen-wrapped, and pampered by the knowledgeable staff at the spa. By early afternoon, they were ensconced in fluffy robes and stretched out in the meditation room, Maggie leafing through the March issue of Town and Country and Susan contemplating the ceiling of ten thousand colored lights behind a screen that made them look like twinkling stars. Susan turned her head toward her mother.
“I don’t even miss him. Rob. I can’t believe it. I’ve barely thought about him while I’ve been here. I was just lying here, thinking about him and trying to feel sad, and I honestly don’t. He was such a pain in the ass for so long, and I didn’t see it.”
“Sometimes you need a change of scene to get a new perspective.”
“I know. I’m so glad I came here. I think I was clinging to him because the whole process of finding someone is exhausting. Going online, having friends fix me up,” Susan groaned. “I’m not looking forward to all of that again.”
“I know. Starting over can be daunting,” Maggie replied.
“Oh God, Mom. I’m sorry. What a tactless thing for me to say to you,” Susan replied quickly, turning on her side to face her mother.
“It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m happy in this new life I’ve chosen. And I remember that you had a lot of fun when you were online. It was always kind of exciting to see who was new out there. We spent hours analyzing people. Remember?”
“Well, that’s true,” Susan admitted. “I just want to find my someone. I want to get married and have a family.”
“You will. You’ll find each other and all the waiting will be worthwhile.”
Susan sighed as Maggie rubbed her back.
***
Across town, in the grand jury room at the courthouse, indictments were handed down charging Mayor Wheeler with fraud, embezzlement, and related malfeasance. Although evidence was presented against two other councilmembers, the grand jury failed to return indictments against them. Westbury’s finest pulled up at Town Hall, and led a vociferously protesting Mayor Wheeler off in handcuffs.
***
By the time Susan and Maggie got dressed and checked their phones, Maggie was shocked to see that she had thirty missed calls and fourteen messages, all from members of the committee. She punched in Tonya’s number before she listened to her messages.
Tonya picked up on the first ring. “Maggie—I’ve been trying to reach you. Have you heard? Wheeler has been indicted and arrested. Hauled out of here in handcuffs about thirty minutes ago. All hell is breaking loose. Are you near a TV?” she asked.
“No. Susan and I have been at the spa at The Mill all day. We just left and turned on our phones. I had a bunch of missed calls and messages. I returned yours right away. I was hoping to hear this.”
“If you’re still there, get to the bar and check the TV. I don’t think he knew this was coming. Wheeler was belligerent. I was in my office when the cops showed up. News that they were here spread through the building like wildfire. I was in the hall outside his office about thirty seconds after they arrived. He was arguing with them. I actually wondered if he was going to resist arrest. If he hadn’t been so angry, I bet they wouldn’t have put him in cuffs.”
“What a scene it must have been. We’re walking over to the bar now. Where any of the other councilmembers there?”
“Just Russell Isaac. He was quiet and had that deer-in-the-headlights look. Maybe relieved that he wasn’t arrested, too. He may be involved. I don’t know what to think about him.”
“No Frank Haynes?”
“No. He’s rarely here unless we’ve got a meeting scheduled. I know you’re mad that he took credit for the carnival, but he is a politician. Comes naturally to most of them, I think. I don’t know how
I feel about him. All of his kindness to animals makes everyone think he’s a nice guy. But I’ve always found him a bit odd and hard to relate to. He’s not well liked by the staff at Town Hall, I can tell you. I’m assuming that they didn’t have enough on any of the others to arrest them. We’ll see what develops now that they’ve got Wheeler. Maybe he’ll talk to cut a plea deal. Stay tuned.”
“What’s next? Who’s in charge down there?”
“Not too sure. I’ve been trying to find out.
I called Alex, but he’s in court this afternoon. Our town uses an outside law firm as its attorney. I know the firm has been called. I suspect we’ll have an emergency council meeting tonight. This is all happening pretty fast. Listen—I have to go. Keep your phone on you, okay?” Tonya hung up.
***
Susan drove as Maggie concentrated on listening to messages and returning calls. They flipped the TV on as soon as they walked through the door, but there was no additional coverage after the arrest and a short news conference where Chief Thomas made a statement announcing the charges. He did not take any questions. For the time being, there was nothing more they could do or find out.
Susan started dinner, and Maggie returned to her office to half-heartedly check her email. After dinner, they spent a restless evening trying to find something interesting on TV. They were watching back-to-back episodes of people buying the contents of abandoned storage lockers and making a mint off of the treasures they uncovered when Marc and Alex came home.
“Can we switch back to network?” Marc asked. “They’re about to break in with a statement from Town Hall.”
Maggie hurriedly grabbed the remote and tuned in as Chief Thomas and the remaining council filed in behind a microphone. Tonya was on the far left of the screen and didn’t look too happy. Frank Haynes was at the other end. He looked like the cat that ate the canary. A man in a well-cut suit whom she didn’t recognize stepped up to speak.
“Good evening. I’m Bill Stetson, with the firm of Stetson & Graham. Our firm represents the Town of Westbury. As you know, Mayor Wheeler was arrested this afternoon after the grand jury indicted him on charges that were detailed earlier by Chief Thomas. I’m here to address the effect of this arrest on town government. Pursuant to the town code, the mayor retains his seat but is placed on paid administrative leave pending conviction or acquittal. Mayor Wheeler may not participate in any way in town government. In the interim, the remaining council is empowered to make all decisions and is tasked with selecting one of their members to serve as acting mayor. The council voted this evening and elected Councilman Russell Isaac to serve in this capacity.”
Coming to Rosemont Page 16
