Fatal Deception (30 page)

“It’s a lobby firm representing the auto industry.”

“I’ve never heard of it. Or her.”

“So you didn’t hear this week that the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Derek Kavanaugh was murdered and his young daughter kidnapped? It was kind of a big story. I’d imagine the media in Austin and Oklahoma City and Chattanooga covered it.”

He held up a hand to stop her. “Of course I heard about her this week. I meant that I’d never heard of her before this week.”

“Oh, well, I’m glad you clarified that. So can you explain why the congressman would’ve told us that you asked him to write the letter?”

“I have no idea why he would’ve told you that. I barely know him.”

“Christian!” a woman called from upstairs. “Are you coming back to bed?”

His face heated with color. “I’ll be right there, honey.” Returning his attention to Sam and Freddie, he said, “Sorry about that. We don’t get many days together during the campaign.”

“We’re so sorry to interrupt,” Sam said, making sure to inflict her tone with a hint of sarcasm. “How long has your father been planning to run for president?”

The question seemed to take him by surprise. “Ah, I’m not sure when he first started making plans. He’s been talking about it for a long time.”

“Define ‘long time.’ Are we talking a year, two years, five years, ten?”

“Probably more like ten. It’s always been a goal of his. He’s gotten serious about it in the last decade or so.”

“Would you describe him as an ambitious man?”

That drew a laugh from Christian. “Yeah, you could say that. He’s a self-made billionaire. What does that tell you? He grew up in total poverty in Appalachia.”

“In West Virginia?” she asked, thinking of William Eldridge.

“Yes, why?”

“No reason. Just wondering.”

“He’s extremely ambitious and driven to succeed. He’s instilled those same qualities in me and my siblings.”

“How many siblings do you have?”

“Two brothers and a sister.”

“Do any of them work for your father’s campaign?”

“My brother Colton does.”

“And what does he do?”

“Same as me. Senior adviser.”

“Where can we find him?”

“He lives in the guesthouse out back, but I don’t think he’s home.”

“Where else would he be?”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t keep tabs on him.”

“Was he on the trip with you?”

“Not this one.”

“What do your other siblings do?”

“My brother Billy is a firefighter in Ohio, and my sister Tanya is married and lives there with her family.”

“Whereabouts in Ohio?”

“Defiance.”

Same town the fictional Victoria Taft was from. Bells and whistles sounded in Sam’s head as the planets slipped into alignment. It was all she could do to hide her reaction.
Play it cool
, she thought. We still haven’t proven anything.

“I’m afraid I have to ask if there’s a point to all these questions that you might be getting to sometime today? My wife is waiting for me—”

“I know, I know,” Sam said, “and you don’t get much time alone with her.”

“Yes,” he said, flushing again.

“One last question,” Sam said. “How driven are you to ensure your father is elected?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, clearly taken aback by the question.

“How far would you or your brother go to make sure he gets what he’s always wanted?”

“We wouldn’t break any laws, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m merely asking how far you’d go to help him reach his goal.”

“Well, I’ve put my own life on hold for the last year to help run his campaign. I’ve moved my wife and school-aged kids halfway across the country, away from their friends and activities, so I could be better situated. I’d say I’ve already shown how far I’d go to help him get where he wants to be.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why do all that? Why uproot the family and put your own life on hold to help your father?”

He looked at her as if she’d asked the most ludicrous question he’d ever heard. “Because he asked me to.”

“And all he has to do is ask?”

“He’s my father, Lieutenant.”

“Your brother feels the same way?”

“Of course he does. Our father did everything for us. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for him.”

Bingo
, Sam thought. He’d said exactly what she’d wanted to hear. She stood, and Freddie scampered to his feet, no doubt surprised by her sudden retreat. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Patterson.”

“You’re not going to tell me what this was about?”

“I’m not really sure what it’s about,” she said, eyeing him. She wished her more intimidating look was available, but the damned injury was impairing her. “But you can bet I’m going to find out.”

“What does that mean?”

“Exactly what I said.” She handed her card to Christian. “Have your brother give me a call.”

Leaving Christian Patterson holding her card and staring at her with puzzlement on his handsome face, Sam headed for the door with Freddie hot on her heels.

“Holy shit, holy shit,
holy shit
,” Freddie whispered as they went down the walk to the car.

“You’re swearing,” she said, making an effort to sound scandalized.

“I thought the occasion warranted it.”

“You’re damned right it does.” She got in the car and started it, relieved by the immediate flow of air-conditioning. Today was even hotter than yesterday had been, if that was possible. As she shifted the car into reverse, she noticed Christian Patterson watching them leave from a downstairs window.

“What do we do now?” Freddie asked as they drove away.

“Now we rip apart the Patterson family and figure out which one of them—or how many of them—set this whole thing in motion.”

* * *

After lunch, Nick called his top three advisers to his office, intending to share the news about the keynote and start work on the speech. Christina Billings, his chief of staff, who’d arrived late that morning due to a babysitting crisis with her fiancé’s son, was the first to come into the office.

The petite blonde looked uncharacteristically flustered. “I’m so sorry about this morning, Nick. Angela wasn’t due for another week, so Tommy’s mother isn’t here yet to help us with Alex while Ang is on maternity leave.” Sam’s sister Angela watched Gonzo’s son while he was working.

Nick had never seen Christina so undone. She was usually the picture of cool competence. “It’s no problem. You worked late last night.”

“Still, I feel bad being out without prior notice. Tommy couldn’t miss the morning meeting at HQ, so I stayed home until Celia called and offered to take Alex. She saved our lives.”

“She’s pretty awesome,” Nick said. “Take a deep breath, Chris. Everything’s fine.” He was shocked when Christina’s chin began to wobble.
Oh shit
, he thought. “What is it?”

“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said softly. As chief and deputy chief of staff to John O’Connor they’d formed a tight bond that had only deepened since John died. When Nick took office, he’d promoted her to the top spot on his staff.

“Do what?” he asked, sitting next to her.

“Something’s got to give. I can’t have this job and a family too.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I constantly feel pulled in a thousand different directions. I never feel like anything gets enough of my attention. I feel like I’m staying one step ahead of disaster at all times.” She stopped herself and looked up at him, seeming horrified. “God, what am I thinking? You’re my boss, for God’s sake. You’re the last person I should be having this conversation with.”

“I sort of thought we were friends too. We’ve been through an awful lot together, you and me.”

“Yes, we have,” she said as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Terry O’Connor knocked and stuck his head in. “You wanted to see me, Senator?”

“Give me ten minutes. Tell Trevor too.”

“Okay.”

Terry closed the door when he left.

“Talk to me as your friend—not your boss,” Nick said.

“Kinda hard to separate the two,” she said with a wan smile.

“Try.”

“Well, if you insist... I love Tommy and Alex. I love them both so much, and we’re so happy together. But no matter where I am, I feel like I need to be somewhere else.”

“Have you talked to Tommy about it?”

She shook her head. “How can I when he certainly feels the same way? Ever since Alex came into our lives, we’ve both been going a mile a minute. We never get to take a breath.”

“A year ago, I might’ve told you you’re crazy to be talking this way. I would’ve reminded you how lucky we are to have such kick-ass jobs, and said you’d be crazy to even think about giving that all up to stay home with a baby who isn’t even technically yours.”

“And now?”

“Now everything is different, and I get it. Some things are more important than work. I’d hate to lose you on my team, especially right when things are starting to get interesting, but you have to do what’s best for you and your family.”

“What does that mean, ‘when thing are starting to get interesting’?”

Nick told her about the conversation he and Graham had had with Brendan Halliwell the night before.

“Oh, Nick...” Her eyes widened. “I mean, Senator. I’m sorry. I still forget sometimes.”

Nick laughed. “So do I, and you’re talking to me as my friend, remember? I’m Nick to you. I’ll always be Nick to you.”

New tears spilled down her cheeks. “I hate myself right now. I hate women who cry at work. I’ve spent my entire adult life thinking less of women who make fools of themselves over men and consider giving up amazing careers to take care of babies, and would you look at me now? Crying all over my boss, who’s a freaking United States senator, and considering doing all the things I disdain?”

He knew he shouldn’t laugh, because she was dead serious, so he curbed the impulse. “Things change, Chris. Shit happens. Who knows that better than I do? I really do get it.” Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward and took her hands. “Look at me.”

Her watery gaze met his. “You said something has to go, right?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“Is giving up Tommy and Alex an option?”

“No.”

“I’d venture to say giving you up isn’t an option for him either, so if you’re torn and stretched so thin and it’s not working, one of you has to give up your job. If it has to be you, I’ll understand. I’ll miss you like hell, but I’ll certainly understand.”

“Do you think Sam would say the same to Tommy?”

“Absolutely not,” he said without hesitation. “In fact, I’d guess that she’d be somewhere beyond furious, and in the end, it would turn out to be all my fault for having the audacity to invite you to the New Year’s Eve party where you met him.”

Christina laughed, as he’d hoped she would. “I can so see her pinning that on you.”

“It might be better for both of us if you were the one to give up your job.”

“I make more money than he does.”

“You
have
more money than all of us put together,” he reminded her.

She grimaced. “I never should’ve told you my family has money.”

Smiling at the face she made, he said, “You’ve made your own way your entire adult life and had a successful career doing something you love. If you use some of those resources now so you can focus on your family for a while, that doesn’t make you less successful. It means you’ve got your priorities straight.”

Christina squeezed his hands and released them. “Your wife is a lucky woman. I hope she knows that.”

“Um, thanks... I think she knows.”

“You might run for president,” she said fretfully. “I want to be part of that.”

“So go home for a few years, get your family launched and come back when and if that pipe dream ever comes to pass. Unless the voters have a huge change of heart between now and November, I’m not going anywhere, and there’ll always be a place for you on my team.”

Christina stood and leaned in to hug him. “Thank you for being an amazing friend. I’m sorry for the meltdown.”

“No apologies needed. Take a few minutes, and when you’re ready, get Terry and Trevor in here. We’ve got a speech to write.”

After she left, Nick went around his desk and dropped into his chair. While he really did understand Christina’s dilemma, he couldn’t imagine this place without her guiding his team. The thought of starting over with someone new was nearly unbearable.

He glanced at the photo of him with John that sat on the credenza. Nick scooted forward and picked up the picture, which had been taken shortly after John took office. Studying the two young men, Nick wondered what they might’ve done differently in life if they’d known what awaited them. Nick wouldn’t have accepted silence from Sam as an answer, and John would’ve been more considerate of the son who’d killed him in a fit of rage. Things could’ve been so different for both of them.

Returning the photo to the credenza, he picked up the other one he kept close by—of him with Sam on their wedding day. She was so stunningly beautiful, he thought as he ran a finger over the glass. That he got to go home to her every night was the single best thing about his new life. All the rest of it was noise when stacked up against their marriage.

Nick wished he had more time to spend with her, and more than anything, he wanted to give her the baby she wanted so badly. He wanted it pretty badly too, not that he’d ever admit that to her. She was under enough pressure on that subject as it was. He refused to add to her burden by sharing his own desire to be a father. They’d get there. One way or the other. And they were already pretty darned lucky to have Scotty in their lives. Hopefully, he’d come to visit this summer and decide to never leave.

A knock on the door preceded Christina, Terry and Trevor into the room.

Nick put down the photo and turned to them.

“Christina said you have some news,” Trevor asked. “What’s going on, Senator?”

“The Democratic National Committee has asked me to deliver the keynote speech at the convention.”

Terry’s face slackened with shock. “Wow, that’s amazing. Congratulations.”