“Did you inform the police at the time that the money had been stolen? After all, it belonged to the customers of Russell’s Bank and not to you,” continued the questioner.
“No, because we had every reason to believe that the cash had been transferred abroad, so we knew that there would be no possibility of retrieving it.” Nat realized as soon as he had finished speaking that his answer would not placate the questioner or several others in the audience.
“If you were to become governor, Mr. Cartwright, would you treat the taxpayers’ money in the same cavalier fashion?”
Elliot was immediately on his feet. “Mr. Chairman, that was a disgraceful suggestion and nothing more than innuendo and slur; why don’t we move on?” He sat down to loud applause while Nat remained standing. He had to admire the sheer nerve of Elliot setting up the question and then being seen to come to his opponent’s defense. He waited for complete silence.
“The incident you refer to occurred over ten years ago. It was a mistake on my part that I regret, although it is ironic that it turned out to be a massive financial success for all those involved, because the three point six million the bank invested in the Cedar Wood project has been a boon to the people of Hartford, not to mention the city’s economy.”
The questioner still wouldn’t sit down. “Despite Mr. Elliot’s magnanimous comments, may I ask him if he would have reported such a misappropriation of funds to the police?”
Elliot rose slowly. “I would prefer not to comment without knowing all the details of this particular case, but I am happy to take Mr. Cartwright’s word when he says that he did not commit any offense, and bitterly regrets not reporting the matter to the appropriate authorities at the time.” He paused for some time. “However, if I am elected governor, you can be assured of open government. If I make a mistake, I will admit it at the time and not ten years later.” The questioner sat down, his job completed.
The chairman found it difficult to bring the meeting back to order. There were several more questions, but they were not listened to in silence, as those seated in the body of the hall continued to discuss Nat’s revelation.
When the chairman finally brought the meeting to a close, Elliot left the room quickly while Nat remained in his place. He was touched by how many people came up and shook him by the hand, many agreeing that the Cedar Wood project had proved beneficial for the city.
“Well, at least they didn’t lynch you,” Tom said as they left the room.
“No, they didn’t, but there will only be one subject on the voters’ minds tomorrow. Am I a suitable person to occupy the governor’s mansion?”
43
The Cedar Wood Scandal was the headline in the Hartford Courant the following morning. A photograph of the check and Julia’s real signature had been placed side by side. It didn’t read well, but luckily for Nat half the voters had gone to the polls long before the paper hit the streets. Nat had earlier prepared a short withdrawal statement should he lose, which congratulated his opponent, but fell short of endorsing him for governor. Nat was in his office when the result was announced from Republican headquarters.
Tom took the call and rushed in without knocking. “You won, you won, 11,792 to 11,673—it’s only by a hundred and nineteen votes, but it still puts you in the lead in the electoral college, 29–27.”
The next day, the leader in the Hartford Courant did point out that no one had lost any money by investing in the Cedar Wood project, and perhaps the voters had made their intentions clear.
Nat still had to face three more caucuses and two more primaries before the candidate was finally selected. He was therefore relieved to find that Cedar Wood quickly became yesterday’s news. Elliot won the next caucus 19–18, and Nat the primary four days later, 9,702–6,379, which put him even further ahead as they approached the final primary. In the electoral college, Nat now led 116–91 and the polls were showing him seven points ahead in the town of his birth.
On the streets of Cromwell, Nat was joined by his parents, Susan and Michael, who concentrated on the older voters, while Luke and Kathy tried to persuade the young to turn out. As each day passed, Nat became more and more confident that he was going to win. The Courant began to suggest that the real battle lay ahead for Nat when he would have to face Fletcher Davenport, the popular senator for Hartford. However, Tom still insisted that they take the television debate with Elliot seriously.
“We don’t need to trip up at the final hurdle,” he said. “Clear that, and you’ll be the candidate. But I still want you to spend Sunday going over the questions again and again, as well as preparing for anything and everything that might come up during the debate. You can be sure that Fletcher Davenport will be sitting at home watching you on TV and analyzing everything you say. If you stumble, he will have issued a press statement within minutes.”
Nat now regretted that some weeks before he’d agreed to appear on a local television program and debate with Elliot the night before the final primary. He and Elliot had settled on David Anscott to conduct the proceedings. Anscott was an interviewer who was more interested in coming over as popular than incisive. Tom didn’t object to him as he felt the occasion would act as a dry run for the inevitably more serious debate with Fletcher Davenport scheduled for some time in the future.
Reports were coming back to Tom each day that volunteers were deserting Ralph Elliot in droves and some were even switching over and joining their team, so by the time he and Nat arrived at the television studio they both felt quietly confident. Su Ling accompanied her husband, but Luke said he wanted to stay at home and watch the debate on television so he could brief his father on how he came over to the larger audience.
“On the sofa with Kathy, no doubt,” suggested Nat.
“No, Kathy went back home this afternoon for her sister’s birthday,” said Su Ling, “and Luke could have joined her, but to be fair he’s taking his role as your youth advisor very seriously.”
Tom came rushing into the green room and showed Nat the latest opinion poll figures. They gave him a six percent lead. “I think only Fletcher Davenport can now stop you becoming governor.”
“I won’t be convinced until the final result has been announced,” said Su Ling. “Never forget the stunt Elliot pulled with the ballot boxes after we’d all assumed the count was over.”
“He’s already tried every stunt he can think of and failed,” said Tom.
“I wish I could be so confident of that,” said Nat quietly.
Both candidates were applauded by the small television audience as they walked out onto the stage for a program billed as “The Final Encounter.” The two men met in the center of the stage and shook hands, but their eyes remained fixed on the camera.
“This will be a live program,” David Anscott explained to the audience, “and we’ll be going on air in around five minutes. I will open with a few questions, and then turn it over to you. If you have something you want to ask either candidate, make it short and to the point—no speeches, please.”
Nat smiled as he scanned the audience, until his eyes came to rest on the man who had asked the Cedar Wood question. He was sitting in the second row. Nat could feel the sweat on the palms of his hands, but even if he was called, Nat was confident he could handle him. This time he was well prepared.
The television arc lights were switched on, the titles began to roll, and David Anscott, smile in place, opened the show. Once he’d introduced the participants, both candidates made a one-minute opening statement—sixty seconds can be a long time on television. After so many sound bites, they could have delivered such homilies in their sleep.
Anscott began with a couple of warm-up questions which had been scripted for him. Once the candidates had given their replies, he made no attempt to follow up anything they had said, but simply moved on to the next question as it appeared on the autocue in front of him. Once the interviewer had come to the end of his set piece, he quickly turned it over to the audience.
> The first question turned into a speech on choice, which pleased Nat as he watched the seconds ticking away. He knew Elliot would be indecisive on this subject, as he was willing to offend neither the women’s movement nor his friends in the Roman Catholic church. Nat made it clear that he supported unequivocally a woman’s right to choose. Elliot, as he suspected, was evasive. Anscott called for a second question.
Watching from home, Fletcher made notes on everything Nat Cartwright said. He clearly understood the underlying principle of the education bill and, more important, he obviously thought the changes Fletcher wanted to bring about were quite reasonable.
“He’s very bright, isn’t he,” said Annie.
“And cute too,” said Lucy.
“Anyone on my side?” asked Fletcher.
“Yes, I don’t think he’s cute,” said Jimmy. “But he has thought a great deal about your bill and he obviously considers it an election issue.”
“I don’t know about cute,” said Annie, “but have you noticed that at certain angles he looks a little like you, Fletcher?”
“Oh no,” said Lucy, “he’s much better looking than Dad.”
The third question was on gun control. Ralph Elliot stated that he backed the gun lobby and the right of every American to defend himself. Nat explained why he would like to see more control of guns, so that incidents like the one his son had experienced while at elementary school could never occur again.
Annie and Lucy started clapping, along with the studio audience.
“Isn’t someone going to remind him who it was in that classroom with his son?” asked Jimmy.
“He doesn’t need reminding,” said Fletcher.
“One more question,” said Anscott, “and it will have to be quick, because we’re running out of time.”
The plant in the second row rose from his place right on cue. Elliot pointed at him in case Anscott was considering anyone else.
“How would the two candidates deal with the problem of illegal immigrants?”
“What the hell’s that got to do with the governor of Connecticut?” asked Fletcher.
Ralph Elliot looked straight at the questioner and said, “I’m sure I speak for both of us when I say that America should always welcome anyone who is oppressed and in need of help, as we have always done throughout our history. However, those who wish to enter our country must, of course, abide by the correct procedure and meet all the necessary legal requirements.”
“That sounded to me,” said Fletcher, turning to face Annie, “overprepared and overrehearsed. So what’s he up to?”
“Is that also your view on illegal immigrants, Mr. Cartwright?” asked David Anscott, a little puzzled as to what the questioner was getting at.
“I confess, David, that I haven’t given the matter a great deal of thought, as it has not been high on my priorities when I consider the problems currently facing the state of Connecticut.”
“Wrap it up,” Anscott heard the producer say in his earpiece, just as the questioner added, “But you must have given it some thought, Mr. Cartwright. After all, isn’t your wife an illegal immigrant?”
“Hold on, let him answer that,” said the producer. “If we go off the air now we’ll have a quarter million people phoning in to find out his response. Close-up on Cartwright.”
Fletcher was among those quarter of a million who waited for Nat’s reply as the camera panned across to Elliot, who had a puzzled look on his face.
“You bastard,” said Fletcher, “you knew that question was coming.”
The camera returned to Nat, but his lips remained pursed.
“Wouldn’t I be right in suggesting,” continued the questioner, “that your wife entered this country illegally?”
“My wife is the Professor of Statistics at the University of Connecticut,” said Nat, trying to disguise a tremble in his voice.
Anscott listened on his earpiece to find out how the producer wanted to play it, as they had already overrun their time slot.
“Say nothing,” said the producer, “just hang in there. I can always run the credits over them if it gets boring.” Anscott gave a slight nod in the direction of the head-on camera.
“That may well be the case, Mr. Cartwright,” continued the questioner, “but didn’t her mother, Su Kai Peng, enter this country with false papers, claiming to be married to an American serviceman, who had in fact died fighting for his country some months before the date on the marriage license?”
Nat didn’t reply.
Fletcher was equally silent as he watched Cartwright being stretched on the rack.
“As you seem unwilling to answer my question, Mr. Cartwright, perhaps you can confirm that on the marriage license your mother-in-law described herself as a seamstress. However, the fact is that before she landed in America, she was a prostitute plying her trade on the streets of Seoul, so heaven knows who your wife’s father is.”
“Credits,” said the producer. “We’ve run out of time and I daren’t break into Baywatch, but keep the cameras running. We may pick up some extra footage for the late-night news.”
Once the monitor on the stage showed credits rolling, the questioner quickly left the studio. Nat stared down at his wife sitting in the third row. She was pale and shaking.
“It’s a wrap,” said the producer.
Elliot turned to the moderator and said, “That was disgraceful, you should have stopped him a lot earlier,” and looking across at Nat added, “believe me, I had no idea that…”
“You’re a liar,” said Nat.
“Stay on him,” said the director to the first cameraman, “Keep all four cameras rolling, I want every angle on this.”
“What are you suggesting?” asked Elliot.
“That you set the whole thing up. You weren’t even subtle about it—you even used the same man that questioned me on the Cedar Wood project a couple of weeks ago. But I’ll tell you one thing, Elliot,” he said, jabbing a finger at him, “I will still kill you.”
Nat stormed off the stage and found Su Ling waiting for him in the wings. “Come on, little flower, I’m taking you home.” Tom quickly joined them as Nat put an arm around his wife.
“I’m sorry, Nat, but I have to ask,” said Tom. “Was any of that garbage true?”
“All of it,” said Nat, “and before you ask another question, I’ve known since we were first married.”
“Take Su Ling home,” said Tom, “and whatever you do, don’t talk to the press.”
“Don’t bother,” said Nat. “You can issue a statement on my behalf saying that I’m withdrawing from the race. I’m not having my family dragged through any more of this.”
“Don’t make a hasty decision that you may well later regret. Let’s talk about what needs to be done in the morning,” said Tom.
Nat took Su Ling by the hand, walked out of the studio and through a door leading into the parking lot.
“Good luck,” shouted one supporter as Nat opened the car door for his wife. He didn’t acknowledge any of the cheers as they drove quickly away. He looked across at Su Ling, who was thumping the dashboard in anger. Nat took a hand off the steering wheel and placed it gently on Su Ling’s leg. “I love you,” he said, “and I always will. Nothing and no one will ever change that.”
“How did Elliot find out?”
“He’s probably had a team of private detectives delving into my past.”
“And when he couldn’t come up with anything about you, he switched his sights onto me and my mother,” whispered Su Ling. There was a long silence before she added, “I don’t want you to withdraw; you must stay in the race. It’s the only way we can beat the bastard.” Nat didn’t reply as he joined the evening traffic. “I just feel so sorry for Luke,” Su Ling eventually said. “He will have taken it so very personally. I only wish Kathy had stayed on for another day.”
“I’ll take care of Luke,” said Nat. “You’d better go and collect your mother and bring her back to our place for the nig
ht.”
“I’ll call her just as soon as we get in,” said Su Ling. “I suppose it’s just possible that she didn’t watch the program.”
“Not a hope,” said Nat as he pulled into the driveway, “she’s my most loyal fan and never misses any of my TV appearances.”
Nat put his arm around Su Ling as they walked toward the front door. All the lights in the house were off except for one in Luke’s bedroom. Nat turned the key in the lock and as he opened the door, said, “You phone your mother, and I’ll pop up and see Luke.”
Su Ling picked up the phone in the hallway as Nat walked slowly up the stairs, trying to compose his thoughts. He knew Luke would expect every question to be answered truthfully. He walked down the corridor and knocked gently on his son’s door. There was no reply, so he tried again, saying, “Luke, can I come in?” Still no reply. He opened the door a little and glanced inside, but Luke wasn’t in bed and none of his clothes were laid out neatly over the usual chair. Nat’s first reaction was that he must have gone across to the shop to be with his grandmother. He turned out the light and listened to Su Ling talking to her mother. He was about to go down and join her when he noticed that Luke had left a light on in the bathroom. He decided to switch it off.
Nat walked across the room and pushed open the bathroom door. For a moment he remained transfixed as he stared up at his son. He then collapsed onto his knees, unable to get himself to look up a second time, although he knew he would have to remove Luke’s hanging body so that it wouldn’t be the last memory Su Ling would have of their only child.
Annie picked up the phone and listened. “It’s Charlie from the Courant for you,” she said, handing the phone across.
“Did you watch the program?” the political editor asked the moment Fletcher came on the line.
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