by Marie Force
“Where will we find her during the day?”
“She works for an interior design firm in Germantown. Let me grab my phone to get it.”
While she left the room to do that, Sam looked to Freddie. “Impressions.”
“Motive everywhere we look.”
“Finding this killer will be like locating a needle in the proverbial haystack.”
“Unless we get lucky with prints that are already in the system.”
“I don’t think we will. I think this might’ve been a first-timer in the heat of the moment. Maybe the person who did this didn’t go there intending to kill her. Maybe they just wanted their money back, and when Ginny told them that wasn’t possible, they snapped and reached for the first thing they could find and went for her. This was months of impossible stress boiling over into a single moment. It’s possible our killer has no record, maybe has never had so much as a speeding ticket.”
“You’re good at this. You should consider a career in law enforcement.”
He was too funny—and he knew it. “So you like my theory?”
“I do, and I agree it was most likely heat of the moment after a long buildup once the scheme came to light.”
Clarissa returned with a piece of paper that she handed to Sam. “That’s the name of the company Alison works for.”
“Got it, thank you.” Sam gave her a business card and stood to leave. “If you think of anything else we should know, please give me a call. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry this happened to you.”
“Thank you.”
Clarissa walked them to the foyer. When they reached the door, Freddie returned the weapon and ammunition to her.
“Take the gun and go upstairs,” Sam said. “We don’t turn our backs on weapons. We’ll see ourselves out.”
Clarissa took the gun and went up the stairs.
Only when she was out of view did Sam open the door.
“She can still nail us from an upstairs window,” Freddie said as they made their way down the front stairs.
Sam cast an uneasy glance at the second-floor windows, but didn’t see Clarissa. However, she did walk a little faster than she normally would have to get back to the car. She was putting on her seat belt when her phone chimed with a text from Nick.
Can you do 1 p.m. at WKLA?
Sam checked the time, saw that she had enough to get to Germantown and then back downtown by one. See you then.
Can’t wait.
She smiled at the way he managed to make her feel loved even with a two-word text.
“What’re you smiling about?”
“A nooner with my husband.”
“Ew.”
“Not that kind. The kind where we pay a visit to the WKLA reporter who asked when we’re going to have ‘children of our own’ to tell her how our thirteen-year-old wants to know what it means to be a ‘real’ child because some kids in school apparently told him he isn’t one.”
“Come on. No way.”
“Way. So we’re going there to have a talk with her.”
“Does she know that?”
“Nope.”
He laughed. “Can I please come and watch and bring popcorn? I promise to be so quiet, you won’t even know I’m there.”
“Sure,” she said, laughing with him. “Knock yourself out.”
“This is gonna be epic.”
Nick had texted retired senator Graham O’Connor, his political mentor and adopted father figure, as well as Brandon Halliwell, chair of the Democratic National Committee, asking them to come to the White House as soon as they could. Graham arrived first and was shown into Nick’s office and offered coffee.
“I’d rather have bourbon,” Graham said, “but coffee will work if bourbon isn’t an option.”
“Coming right up, Senator,” Tanya, one of the receptionists, said. “For you too, Mr. Vice President?”
“Yes, please, Tanya. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Graham had actually combed his thick white hair before leaving his farm in Leesburg to come into the city. “I hope you’ve got good news for me, Nick.”
“I have news, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
Graham’s face fell. “Are you going to break my heart, son?”
Nick loved that Graham considered him a son, not that he could ever replace John, the son Graham had lost. Senator John O’Connor had been Nick’s best friend and his boss. His murder had been one of the most devastating things to ever happen to Nick. “I’m afraid so.”
The older man grimaced but held his tongue when Tanya returned with coffees she set on the table in front of Graham. “Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you, Tanya,” Nick said. “Send Mr. Halliwell in when he arrives, if you would.”
“Yes, sir.” The door closed behind her with a faint click.
Nick got up from behind his desk and went around to sit across from Graham on the other sofa.
“Why?” Graham asked softly. “It’s within reach. All you have to do is toss your hat in the ring. You’d barely have to campaign.”
Nick took a sip of the coffee. “I don’t want it. That’s the God’s honest truth. We both know I’d have to campaign—hard—for eighteen months. I don’t want to be away from Sam and the kids. I also don’t want to be surrounded by security for possibly the rest of my life. My term would encompass high school and college for Scotty. I don’t want that for him. I don’t want it for any of us. Until you’ve lived with round-the-clock Secret Service protection, you can’t begin to know how confining it is.”
Graham drank his coffee while listening intently.
“I know how badly you want this for me, and I love you for that and a million other things over the last twenty years. You’re the primary reason I’m sitting in this office right now, and I don’t want you to think I’m not grateful for all of it. I am.”
“I know you are,” he said with a sigh. “One of the proudest days of my life was seeing you sworn in as vice president. I have no doubt whatsoever you’d run away with the election.”
“I appreciate your faith in me. I always have.”
“It’s not faith, Nick. It’s certainty. You’d win.”
“Maybe so, but I think the American people deserve a president who really and truly wants the job. That’s not me. Don’t get me wrong. If I had to do it in an emergency, I would without hesitation. But to spend eighteen months campaigning? I’m not doing that.”
Graham put his cup on the table and leaned in. “Hear me out on this… What if you didn’t do the usual amount of campaigning? What if you gave it one weekend a month or something through the primaries? I think people would appreciate that you’ve got your priorities straight and are keeping the focus on your young family.”
“I don’t want to miss even one weekend a month with my kids, Graham.”
“Take them with you. Show them life outside of DC.”
“And when Scotty doesn’t want to go because his friends are having a sleepover or a birthday party or fill in the blank? It’s not that simple. They have lives too, and I’ve disrupted Sam’s and Scotty’s lives enough. The twins are just starting to feel comfortable with us. I can’t disappear from their lives for days on end when they’re used to having me around. It wouldn’t be fair.”
Graham let out a loud groan. “You’re killing me.”
“I know. I’m sorry. But my mind is made up.”
“About what?” Halliwell asked when he came into the room, a ball of nervous energy, as usual.
“He’s not going to run.”
Chapter Eight
Halliwell stopped short a few feet from where they were seated, his face losing all expression. “You gotta be shitting me.”
“I’m not.”
Halliwell looked to Graham, who only shrugged. “All due respect, but what the fuck, Mr. Vice President? Have you lost your mind?”
“Um, not that I know of.”
“He doesn’t want to be away from his family,” Graham said, sounding resigned now that Nick had explained it to him.
“Take them with you!”
Nick looked the other man dead in the eye so there could be no misinterpretation. “I’m not going to run, Brandon.”
Halliwell pushed a hand through his hair, seeming to take a minute to get himself together. “There’s nothing we can do to change your mind?”
“No. I’m sorry. I wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can make other plans.” While the election was three years away, the primaries would begin in just over eighteen months, so they had the time to figure out their options now that he was out of the mix.
Brandon sat in one of the other chairs, looking as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him.
“Surely you aren’t entirely surprised,” Nick said. “I haven’t exactly been jumping for joy at the thought of running.”
“No, you haven’t,” Brandon said. “But I thought when push came to shove, you would. I mean, no one has poll numbers like yours. People are going to be very disappointed when they hear this news.”
“They’ll move on to the next guy before we know it. It’ll be fine, and of course I’ll do everything I can to get our candidate elected.”
“I came in here hoping to get a green light, and instead…”
“I know how you feel,” Graham said. “But having known Nick since he was eighteen, I also understand his reasoning. He has what he’s always wanted, his own family, so of course that’s more appealing than traveling all over the country without them, doing something he hates doing.”
Nick sent Graham an appreciative smile. It meant the world to him that Graham understood, even if he was disappointed. “I met with my team this morning to tell them my decision. Trevor is working on a statement now. I’d like to put it out as soon as possible, but I wanted to coordinate with you before we do it.”
“We’ve invested a lot of time and effort into getting you where you are now,” Brandon said. “You were chosen to be VP as the potential future leader of the party. The American people need you, Mr. Vice President. Without you, we could lose the White House. The ramifications of this decision are much bigger than your family. We’re talking about the well-being and stability of the entire republic.”
“As you well know, the Democrats have a diverse pool of extremely qualified men and women who could rise to this moment,” Nick said. “Everyone is replaceable, Brandon.”
“I don’t know if you’re as replaceable as you think you are.” Seeing that Nick wasn’t budging, Brandon took a deep breath and let it out, sagging into his chair. “This puts us back to square one.”
“I realize that, and I’m sorry.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Brandon turned his formidable gaze on Nick. “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do to change your mind?”
“I’m very sure. There’s one thing I want to be clear about in the messaging on this decision. I’ve directed Trevor to include this in the statement we’re going to release. As vice president, I remain ready, willing and able to step up to serve my country should the need arise. I will not, however, seek the office of president in the next election. I don’t want anyone to think I’m flaking out as VP. I’ve got this job for three more years, and I intend to do it to the best of my ability.”
“Are you prepared for the firestorm that’ll erupt when you release that statement?” Brandon asked.
“What firestorm?”
He huffed out a laugh tinged with disbelief. “People will be crushed, Mr. Vice President. They’ve pinned their hopes on you as a beacon of youthful energy and enthusiasm for the future.”
“I’m sorry to let them down, but they should have a president who truly wants the job more than anything. The jobs I most want are dad and husband.”
“I won’t lie to you,” Brandon said. “This breaks my heart. I was so looking forward to a Cappuano administration. But I do admire your priorities.” He stood and leaned in to shake Nick’s hand. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks for everything, Brandon.”
Nodding, he released Nick’s hand and strode from the room with slightly less pep in his step than he’d had coming in.
“He’s devastated,” Graham said when they were alone. “As am I.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Like he said, I admire your priorities. Maybe things would’ve been different for my son if I’d had mine straight when he was growing up and fathering a child and…” His shrug belied a world of heartbreak when it came to John, his youngest son.
“We do the best we can, Graham. That’s all anyone can ask of us.”
“I could’ve done better. I’m not without regrets when it comes to my family. Terry and all his troubles… Being around Lizbeth’s kids reminds me of what I missed with my own while I was chasing almighty ambition. It’s a rare man who can put aside his own desires for the betterment of his family.”
“My fondest desire is to be with my family. You were always far more interested in me being president than I’ve ever been.”
“I can’t deny that,” Graham said with a chuckle. “You’ve fought me every step of the way. And I know that’s in large part because you feel you have this career because we lost John.”
“I do have this career because we lost John. But I’d like to think we’ve made him proud in the nearly two years he’s been gone.”
“He’d be proud of you, for sure. He always said you were the brains of the operation.”
“We were a good team. I miss him all the time.”
“I know you do.”
“He’d be proud of you too,” Nick said. “He always was.”
A knock on the door interrupted them. “Come in,” Nick called.
His communications director, Trevor Donnelly, came in. “Pardon the interruption, Mr. Vice President, Senator.”
“Come in,” Nick said to his curly-haired aide.
“I’ve prepared the statement you requested.” He handed a printed page to Nick, who scanned it.
Today I’d like to inform you of my decision not to seek the office of president in the next election. I have given this decision careful thought, and while I’m delighted to serve as your vice president—and ready, willing and able to step up should the need arise—I plan to devote my attention and time to my young and growing family once my current term ends.
As many of you know, I was the product of young parents and raised by my grandmother. All my life, I’ve yearned for the family I have now, and I don’t want to miss a minute with my wife, Samantha, or our children Scotty, Alden and Aubrey as well as the twins’ older brother, Elijah, who’s also become part of our family. This was not an easy decision or one that I took lightly. I’m aware that many of my fellow Americans were hoping I would run and were prepared to support my candidacy. I appreciate the faith you have in me as vice president and the support you would’ve given my campaign. However, I wanted to give the DNC plenty of notice so they have the necessary time to plan for the next election cycle. I’m fully prepared to support the eventual Democratic nominee and will, to the best of my ability, offer advice and counsel to whomever that nominee may be.
It’s the greatest honor of my life to serve as your vice president, and I look forward to the next three years with enthusiasm and excitement.
“This is perfect, Trevor. You captured exactly what I was looking for.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I suppose the next step is for me to inform the president of my plan to release this statement imminently.”
“I’ll let you get to that,” Graham said as he stood and offered a hand to Nick.
Nick took his hand and then stepped in to hug the older man who meant so much to him. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Love you, son.”
“Love you too.”
“Bring the kids out to the farm to ride soon. It’s been too long.”
“We�
��ll do that.”
“I’m going to see my other son now,” Graham said as he headed for Terry’s office, no doubt to commiserate with him about Nick’s decision.
That was fine. Nick had expected disappointment from his closest supporters and had mentally prepared for that.
Taking the statement Trevor had prepared with him, he walked the short distance to the president’s suite and asked if President Nelson had a minute for his vice president.
“Of course, Mr. Vice President,” one of the assistants said. “Go right in.”
“Thank you.”
Nick knocked on the door to the Oval Office and stepped inside. “Pardon the interruption, Mr. President.”
“Come in, Nick.” A handsome man in his late sixties with silver hair and sharp blue eyes, Nelson had aged noticeably in the weeks since his wife had left him to return home to South Dakota after his affair with Tara Weber became public.
The president had become much more cordial and friendly to his vice president after surviving two scandals that’d rocked his administration to the core. He was lucky Nick and everyone else who worked in the West Wing hadn’t quit when they found out he’d had the affair while his wife, Gloria, was going through cancer treatments she’d kept private during the last campaign. That news had revolted Nick and many others.
Nelson came around the Resolute desk and gestured for Nick to have a seat on one of the sofas in the middle of the Oval Office. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to let you know I’ll be releasing this statement today.”
Nelson took the paper from Nick and quickly read it, before looking up at him with a stunned expression. “I have to admit I didn’t see this coming.”
“I understand it’s a surprise, but I’ve been coming to the decision for quite some time now, and I thought it was only fair to give the DNC and other potential candidates as much time as possible to make their plans.”
“You have to know many people believe you would’ve walked right into this office if you wanted it.”
