“Time to go, Jack, this guy has the meter running,” Abner called out.
“Nik?”
“No, Jack, she wasn’t invited. Go, they’re waiting for you, and, no, I am not judging you or the others. Call me when you get to Philly.”
Jack kissed his wife and sprinted for the van. The women stayed silent until the red dots of the van and the cab’s taillights could no longer be seen.
Visitors walked around them, chatting as they rushed to get inside out of the blustery wind.
“I’d like to make a suggestion, girls. We all came in separate cars, so let’s leave now and meet up at the Daisy Wheel and have some dinner. We can talk there. We do need to talk. I think we all agree on that, don’t we?” Myra said quietly, but still loud enough to be heard over the gusting wind. There were nods, but no one said as much as boo as they separated to head for their cars.
Chapter 5
The Daisy Wheel was a hot spot in Georgetown, off a side street with little to no parking. Guests were known to park elsewhere and walk for blocks to be seen eating at the famous Wheel, as customers called the eatery. It was a favorite of Myra and Annie’s. The menu was limited to four specials: one meat, one fish, one poultry, and a veggie dinner. The food was always perfectly seasoned, bountiful, and doggie bags were under the dinner plates, colorful bags with a large white daisy on both sides of the bag.
The owner, a flower child of the past who still looked the part, greeted her guests, smiled, then went back to her kitchen to cook each and every meal herself. She did, however, have four assistants. Starry Knight, as she called herself, and no one knew if that was her real name or not, greeted Myra and Annie with a huge smile and a hug. Myra and Annie were the only people Starry Knight ever hugged. “How many tonight?” she asked.
“Seven, and can we have the table in the back?” Myra asked.
“Of course, of course. Follow me, girls.” Anyone under the age of eighty was a girl to Starry Knight.
The sisters trickled in, one by one, and made their way to the back of the eatery, where Myra and Annie were already sipping on Starry’s famous homemade sangria, which had the kick of a mule, a very stubborn and strong mule.
“I ordered shrimp scampi and garden salads for all of us,” Annie said in a no-nonsense voice, which meant, Do not change the order. No one disputed the order. They would either eat their meal or go hungry.
Annie took the lead. “Let’s get to it, girls. This is not a good night. Nor was it a good day. One of our own is in the hospital. Having said that, I want all of us to think about why we’re even here. Prior to . . . to what happened, we were all prepared, and I think I speak for all of us, to throw Maggie to the wolves because of her involvement with the boys and their . . . um . . . various . . . um . . . projects. There are some of us who have questioned Maggie’s loyalty. I am not one of those persons. So let’s get to it, air your grievances, whatever they may be, and we’ll deal with it and move on.” No one spoke for a moment as each of the sisters looked at the others, trying to decide who was to lead off. In the end, it was Nikki who spoke first.
“What happened to Maggie is a terrible thing. As you can see, we all rushed here to do whatever we could, even if it was just to be near her. Yes, we were having a meeting this evening to discuss Maggie’s loyalty to the Vigilantes. I confess that a time or two of late, I myself wondered whose side Maggie is on. That’s where I went wrong, because there are no sides. We’re all one group, one family seeking justice. So the guys splintered off and are doing their thing, just the way we are. It keeps them busy. Let’s face it, girls, we’re all selfish. We want to do things our way, and we only called in the guys when we needed them for one thing or another. The show was ours to run, and we did. They sucked it up. None of them complained. But now they want more, so more power to them.
“Maggie somehow got downwind of all of that. She did what she does best, she investigated, and they included her. From their standpoint, it was a wise choice, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The guys did not swear her to secrecy as far as we were concerned. So why do we have to swear her to anything?
“The answer is, we don’t. Maggie is a free agent. An honorary member of the Sisterhood. She adopted our cause after trying her damnedest to expose us to the world. That was her job. And that’s the part we all forgot. We wanted all of her. We thought, wrongly so, that she belonged to us and should not be aligning herself with our counterparts.”
“Nikki’s right,” Yoko said. “I love Maggie, and yet today, I lied to her. And you know what? She knew I was lying. I’m just sick over this. She called the rest of you, too, didn’t she?” The others nodded, shamed looks on their faces. “I just know in my heart that’s why she told the doctor she didn’t want any visitors. It’s just heartbreaking that we can’t be there for her when she needs comfort the most.” Yoko swiped at the corners of her eyes with her napkin.
“This hits me right between the eyes,” Isabelle said. “It’s just like when the boys turned on Abner. I saw firsthand what that did to him. I’m not ever going down that road. I will not do to Maggie what I saw done to Abner. Nor should any of you want to travel that road. There is nothing worse in this life than someone betraying your trust. Once trust is broken, it’s broken. We have to fix this and make it right.”
“I have an opinion, if anyone wants to hear it,” Kathryn said quietly.
“By all means, share your opinion,” Alexis snapped. “You never worried about voicing your opinions before, so why are you suddenly worried about whether we want to hear it or not?”
“Knock it off, Alexis. Meanness does not become you. That’s my forte, and I’m working on that. I think we were all jealous of Maggie’s being the only female in that newly formed boys’ club. Being the superior force we think we are, not one of us asked or questioned her, now did we? We were waiting for her to volunteer information, which she did not do. I believe one hundred percent that had we asked her, she would have told us whatever we wanted to know.
“I know Maggie. She would never screw us over, and I feel like a pile of horse dung that I lied to her on the phone today. I agree with Yoko—she knew damn well that I was lying.”
“I guess that leaves Myra and me to weigh in. Neither Myra nor I talked to Maggie, but had she gotten through to us, we would have lied also. I am ashamed of all of you, but I am more ashamed of myself, and I know Myra feels the same way. We are NOT divided. We are a whole. A whole family. Through a lot of hard work, we, all of us, girls and boys, made a family. There are always little skirmishes in families, little jealousies that have to be worked through, but in the end, the family pulls together and is stronger and healthier for the effort. That’s all I have to say.”
“That’s good, dear, because our food is here. It does look delicious. I wish I were hungry, but I’m not,” Myra said pitifully.
The others looked at their food, then at the daisy doggie bag under their plate. As one, they held out their glasses for Alexis to refill from the fresh pitcher of Starry Knight’s homemade sangria.
“So what’s our game plan here? Do we even have a game plan?” Kathryn asked as she poked at a pink shrimp on her plate. She looked at Alexis, when she said, “I, for one, vote to forget this whole Maggie-loyalty bit and move on.”
“I agree,” Yoko said, relief ringing in her voice.
“Me too,” Nikki said. “I also think this is a good time to come to some kind of agreement where the boys are concerned. I would like us all to agree that we are not rivals. Let’s also all agree that Maggie is indeed Miss Switzerland and is neutral. Before you agree or disagree, I want you all to ask yourself if you would trust Maggie to watch your back. If you answer yes, we’re home free. Any dissenters? No! That’s good.”
“How are we going to get to Maggie to make this right?” Isabelle asked. All eyes turned to Annie.
Annie smiled. “I’ll do my best. When an apology comes from the heart, it is usually accepted. Maggie Spritzer is no
fool. Now, if we aren’t going to eat, I suggest we pack up and go home. It’s been a very trying day for all of us.”
Because she was sitting next to Nikki, she was the only one to hear the low, guttural expletive that emerged from between her teeth. Annie looked to see what or whom Nikki was staring at. Nikki was glaring daggers at the Speaker of the House, who had entered with four other gentlemen, all of whom were being seated at a table at the front of the room. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“That’s Buzz Lambert, the Speaker of the House. Those four with him are the Chessmen. You’ve heard me talk about them. The Speaker doesn’t know it yet, but he is about to be served divorce papers. As soon as I draw them up, that is. I imagine the Chessmen will be the ones to represent him in the divorce.”
“Oh, dear Lord. Are you saying you are going up against those four?”
“Yep. I don’t like that look I’m seeing on your face. Who are you putting your money on, Annie, me or them?”
Annie sucked in her breath. “Why, you, of course, my dear. Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Nikki?” Annie whispered gleefully.
“Oh, yeah,” Nikki drawled.
Nikki led the parade out of the Daisy Wheel, with Annie and Myra the last in line. It was Annie who stopped at the table, and said, “Well, hello there, Wilson. Fancy seeing you here at this hour of the evening. How is Livinia these days? Give her my regards, and tell her I’ll call.” At the stupefied looks on the Chessmen’s faces at the introduction, Annie wished she were wearing her tiara. “A pleasure to meet all of you. This lovely lady next to me is Myra Rutledge. Well, enjoy your dinner, gentlemen. Try the shrimp scampi. It’s delicious.”
Starry Knight appeared out of nowhere in her flowing robes and halo of fresh flowers wrapped around her hair, which hung down to her waist. She glanced with disdain at the men as she walked Myra and Annie to the door.
“It would not bother me or Myra one little bit, Starry, if all of those five gentlemen came down with a case of . . . something or other. Eating fish can be so unpredictable these days.”
“You are shameful, Annie. I’ll see what I can do. I so love your boots,” Starry said, then cackled.
“Well, you aren’t getting them, so there. Play your cards right, and I might, I say I might, loan them to you.” Annie’s rhinestone cowgirl boots were a standing joke between the two women.
Starry laughed. “One little question, Countess. How . . . um . . .”
“I think one bad week of sitting in the bathroom will do it.” Annie laughed softly. “Pull it off, and I promise to at least let you try them on.” Both women knew it would never happen; it was just a game they played.
“Promises, promises,” Starry laughingly said.
“Get it in writing, Starry,” Myra chirped.
Outside, huddled under the colorful awning, the girls were kissing each other and waving good-bye. Myra, Nikki, and Annie were the last to leave.
“I have an idea, girls. Let’s stay in town tonight. The Georgetown Inn is just a block away. It’s a long drive out to McLean, and it is getting late. I’ll call my dog sitter, Steve, to run out to the farm to stay with the dogs. Neither Annie nor I have anything pressing for the morning. Nikki, you look whipped. You can go in late to the office.”
Nikki pointed to her sweats and sneakers. “This is hardly office attire.”
“Just announce that it’s a casual day. I doubt if any of your clients will care what you are wearing. If we stay the night, we can check on Maggie first thing in the morning when the shift changes, then head out to the farm.”
Nikki and Annie thought about it for all of two seconds, then quickly nodded in agreement.
Thirty minutes later, the threesome was ensconced in the last available suite in the small inn. Nikki took the couch, and Myra and Annie each got one of the two double beds.
“I can’t remember the last time I slept in my clothes,” Nikki said. “Good thing their treasure trove of amenities is plentiful. I can’t go to sleep unless I brush my teeth. Who is going to call the hospital to see how Maggie is doing?”
“I’ll do it while you two take turns in the bathroom. This really is a cozy little inn. I’ve never been here before, have you, Annie?” Myra asked.
“A time or two, back in the day,” Annie drawled. “Don’t look at me like that, Myra. I did have another life before I got married, then after I joined up with you girls. Well?”
“It was Nurse Handley, the head nurse. She said Maggie is sleeping and is being monitored constantly. She said she expects her to sleep through the night. At least she talked to me, so I guess Maggie’s request for no visitors doesn’t include phone updates, or maybe she didn’t think about that. I just wish there was something we could do for that poor child. I feel terrible. She’s there all alone. It’s not right. It’s just not right.”
“Myra, there’s nothing we can do right now. Tomorrow is another day. Let’s just try to get some sleep and, hopefully, the morning will be better, and Maggie will have a change of heart. If she doesn’t, we can always write her a note. I’m sure the nurses or the doctor will give it to her. If she still doesn’t want to see us, then we’ll have to abide by her wishes. Good night, Myra. Oh, look, Nikki’s already asleep.”
“Poor thing, she’s worn out, and she’s taking full responsibility for this mess, and it is a mess. I am hopeful we can make it all right for Maggie. I don’t want to dwell on Maggie right now, Annie, or I won’t be able to sleep. What do you think about Livinia’s finally getting a divorce from that bloviating hypocrite? That will set this town on its ear for sure. Wilson is so big on family values, and the two of them have been married about thirty years, I think. You don’t suppose he’s been fooling around on her, do you?” Myra asked.
“Good Lord, no. He’s so much into money and power that he has no time for dalliances. What bothers me, Myra, is his relationship with the Chessmen. It stands to reason he’ll use their firm for his divorce, and they will rip Livinia to shreds. We cannot have that, Myra. I’m thinking we are going to have to be preemptive here where Livinia is concerned.”
“There’s a little matter of Livinia’s not having asked for our help, Annie.”
“Oh, pooh, Myra. She doesn’t know what we do, so how can she ask us? We’re going to help her out of the goodness of our hearts.”
“Just like that, eh?”
When there was no further comment, Myra craned her neck to see why Annie hadn’t responded, but Annie had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly. Myra smiled to herself as she drifted into her own peaceful sleep.
* * *
It would be another hour before the sun crept to the horizon, when Maggie Spritzer woke to a world of pain coursing through her body. She knew she was whimpering and hated herself for doing it. Every bone, every ounce of flesh on her body, hurt. Her head was beating like a war drum. She then cried out and was immediately rewarded with a soft hand clutching hers. “Just press the button and you’ll get some relief. Dr. Latuda has you on a morphine drip, honey.”
Maggie did as instructed. She felt some immediate relief. “How bad off am I?”
“Bad enough, but you’re here among the living. You’re alive,” the voice said softly. “The headache will ease soon. You have a concussion. Do you remember what happened?”
“Don’t you know?” Maggie mumbled.
The soft voice held a hint of laughter. “Yes, I do know, but I want to know if you know. Like I said, you have a concussion. Try to remember.”
“I got hit by a silver car that jumped the curb. There was a boy . . .”
“With a skateboard. Yes, he is here in the hospital, too. He has a broken clavicle, but he’ll heal. He was very concerned that his skateboard got ruined.”
“Tell him . . . tell him I will get him a new one. He tried to push me out of the way, I think.”
“No, honey, that’s totally wrong. You tried to push him out of the way. That’s why your injuries are so much worse than his. You took the
brunt of the collision. There were witnesses, I’m told, who backed up the boy’s account.”
“How often can I push this button?”
“As often as you want. It’s time for some meds. I’m going to raise your bed a little.”
“When can I go home?”
“You just got here, honey. Impatience does not work in this hospital. You can ask the doctor when he makes rounds. He said if you were up to it, you could have some Jell-O and tea. Would you like some?”
The Maggie of old never ever turned down food because of her whacked-out metabolism. “No thank you.” Just the thought of swallowing set her into a panic.
“That’s fine, perhaps later. Now take these pills like a good girl, and before you know it, your headache will start to dissipate.” Maggie dutifully swallowed the pills and knew immediately that she had made the right decision to pass on the Jell-O because even the pills hurt sliding down her throat. God, even her hair hurt. So did her eyebrows. And her toenails. How was that possible? When she was all better, she was going to research all of this, so it would make sense. She was so tired. But before she allowed herself to drift into sleep, there was something she needed to . . . do . . . say . . . ask. She struggled to remember. “My cat. Is . . .” She was asleep before the nurse could tell her the cat was being taken care of by someone named Ted Robinson.
Chapter 6
Nikki flexed her neck muscles, then rolled her shoulders to get relief from the sudden tightness she was feeling in her upper body. She’d been at the computer from the moment she entered the office, at a little after eight. She looked at the clock on her desk and saw that it read 2:10. She’d worked through lunch and had had no breakfast. The coffee in her cup, one of six cups she’d consumed so far, was cold, with the cream congealing on the top. Sighing, she gulped it down and winced at the bitter taste it left in her mouth. She had taken only one brief break, and that was to take a call from her husband, Jack, who had informed her he’d be home no later than nine, and to ask if there was any news on Maggie.
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