by Marie Force
“I know what can happen. I understand your job is to protect our family, and we so appreciate what the agents do for us every day. My goal is not to make your jobs harder. My goal is to continue doing my job while you do yours. If the day comes when that’s truly not possible, we’ll revisit this arrangement. But until then, you’ve fulfilled your due diligence by making me aware of your concerns. I take full responsibility for the decision to keep my detail limited to two agents and to continue to drive myself on the job. I only ask that the agents be on standby for worst-case scenarios and refrain from involving themselves in any police action.”
“We appreciate your cooperation and will do what we can to make it possible for you to remain on the job while serving as first lady,” Pierce said. “I want you to know that as fellow LEOs, we admire your determination to continue working.”
“Even if it complicates things for you all?” Sam asked, smiling.
“Even if. We’ll do everything we can for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Mr. President, you’ve requested to keep Agent Brantley as your lead agent.”
“Yes,” Nick said. “He’s done an excellent job, and we’re all very comfortable with him.”
“I’ve approved his appointment to continue heading up your detail.”
“That’s wonderful.” Nick looked at the young agent who’d become such a big part of their lives since he became vice president. “Congratulations, Brant.”
“Thank you, sir, for your faith in me. I’m honored to continue working with you and your family.”
They spent the next fifteen minutes reviewing arrangements for each of the children, including Elijah, who was now under the protection of a detail at Princeton.
“We had a few challenges working out logistics for him on short notice, but we were able to secure off-campus housing for his detail and made arrangements in conjunction with Princeton’s campus police,” Pierce said. “We expect there to be a moment of adjustment for a college junior who isn’t accustomed to being surrounded by security. But so far, he’s cooperating and understands the need.”
“If that changes, please let me know,” Nick said. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. President.”
The meeting ended a few minutes later with the others filing out of the Oval Office.
Sam expelled a deep breath full of relief. “That went pretty well.”
“You were so sexy when you were telling Ambrose how it was gonna be.”
“Stop it. I was not.”
“Were too, and every guy in the room thought it was hot as fuck.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’m insanely hot for you.” He somehow managed to lift her onto his lap and into his arms in one very smooth move. “Hi,” he said, smiling down at her.
“What’ve I told you about handling me like I’m a side of beef?”
He kissed her forehead, nose and lips. “Can’t remember.”
She placed her hand on his face to encourage him to keep up the kissing. “Funny, I can’t either.” Even though she had threads to pull and more to do than she could get done in a year, she gave herself ten more minutes to be held and kissed by him. “I gotta go.”
“I know.” He made no move to release her. “Thanks for doing this, for putting up with it all, for bending over backward to make it work even when you’re freaking out all over the place, for not leaving me. All of it.”
Sam pulled back so she could see his face. “Leave you? Where in the hell would I go when the only thing I want is to be with you?”
“Even here?” he asked, his gaze taking in the room.
“Anywhere. If you’re there, I’m good.”
“That’s all it takes?”
“That’s all it takes, and you know it. Don’t add to your stress by worrying about me freaking out all over the place or leaving you. I’m handling it, and I’m not going anywhere. The kids are handling it. It’s going to be great. I keep thinking about the awesome house parties we can have with everyone we love sleeping over, watching movies, bowling, swimming. And we haven’t even talked about Camp David yet.”
“That does sound fun.”
“Right? We’ll make it fun. We’ll bring back the glamour, the entertainment, the celebrities and the music.”
“That sounds perfect, babe.”
“If we have to be here, we may as well enjoy the hell out of it, right?”
“I guess so. You know that all I need to be happy is for you to be happy.”
“I’m good. Much better after this meeting and knowing there’s not going to be pushback about my job. And I’m fully aware that I have you to thank for making sure Ambrose knew that trying to talk me out of keeping the job was a nonstarter.”
“We did have a preliminary conversation ahead of the meeting.”
“I had a feeling.” She kissed him again, making it a good one to hold them over until later. “You’re the best, and I love you. If you want to talk sexy, seeing you in this room as the leader of the free world…” She fanned her face. “That is hot as fuck.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so, and we’ll discuss this further later. Right now, I need to get back to work.”
Nick got up to walk her to the door. “What Ambrose said about threats you can’t see… Keep that in mind, okay? There’re so many ways they can come for you, babe. It’s the stuff of nightmares.”
She rested her hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart under her palm. “Don’t do that. Don’t go to worst-case. I was fine as second lady, and I’ll be fine as first lady. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Please do.”
He kissed her one more time before he let her go.
As she walked toward the reception area, a strikingly beautiful dark-haired woman wearing a red power suit and matching three-inch heels came in from the hallway. Sam took one look at her and hated her for no good reason. Her reaction was immediate and visceral.
“Oh, Sam,” Nick said. “This is Gretchen Henderson. Gretchen, my wife, Sam.”
She wanted to ask Nick who this woman was and why she was here, but she held her barbed tongue and shook the woman’s hand.
“Such a pleasure to meet you,” Gretchen said. “I’m a huge admirer.”
“Thank you,” Sam said. To Nick, she added, “I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, you will.”
Sam felt his eyes on her until she turned the corner.
Chapter Thirty
“Come in, Gretchen.” Since Terry and Derek would be joining them, Nick left the door open as he led her into the Oval Office. “Thanks for making the time.”
She laughed. “When the president calls, you make the time.”
“Have a seat.”
Nick was relieved when Terry and Derek came in to join them. Something about her put him on edge, but he couldn’t say what it was. One of the butlers followed the staffers with coffee and cookies. “Please,” he said, gesturing to the refreshments. “Help yourself.” To make her feel more at ease, he took one of the chocolate chip cookies and took a bite. Damn, that was good.
Gretchen poured herself a cup of coffee and stirred in some cream. “I’ll confess to being uncertain as to why I’m here, Mr. President.”
“We’re meeting with potential vice president candidates.”
Her face slackened with shock. “Seriously?”
“Very seriously. Your name is on our short list.”
“I, uh, well…” She made a visible effort to recover her composure. “I’m honored to be considered, Mr. President.”
He knew she was forty-three, the mother of two and a graduate of Harvard and Oxford. She was a rising star the party wanted to groom for bigger things, which was how she’d ended up on his short list for vice president.
“Before we go any further, I need to ask if you’d actually be interested in the position. As the most recent holder of th
e office, I feel compelled to share the downsides. Chief among them is suddenly being surrounded by Secret Service, which totally changes your life as well as the lives of your family. I know you have children…”
“Yes, sir. I have a daughter who’s twelve, and my son is fourteen.”
“They would have Secret Service details trailing them at school, when they’re with friends, at their activities. It’s a huge adjustment, especially for kids entering their high school years. I’m not trying to talk you out of it so much as make you aware that it’s one thing to consider Secret Service in the abstract. It’s another thing altogether to be under their protection.”
“I understand, sir, and I appreciate you sharing your personal experience.”
“I’m looking for a vice president who can be a partner to me in governing, someone I can rely on to have my back and to handle some of the travel demands for me. My preference is to spend most of my time here, and I’m looking for someone who can travel if need be.”
“I can do that. My mother lives with us and is available to help with my kids as needed. Their father lives three miles from us and is also present for them.”
“I’m sorry I have to ask about this, but the vetting process uncovered restraining orders on both sides during your second divorce.”
The question seemed to surprise her. “I’m not proud of how either of us behaved during that difficult time, but we’re in a much better place now and are able to put our kids first, which is what matters.”
“That information would be available to the media if we were to announce you as our choice. I’m not interested in this first important decision turning into a circus, so I’d like to know what other details will come out when the media digs deeper.”
“He accused me of hitting him, but I never did.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. “He’s an alcoholic, and while he was in rehab, he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That’s a potent combination, to say the least, and we struggled for a number of years to hold our marriage together. In the end, it was impossible. He’s worked hard on his sobriety and his mental health, and he’s doing very well now. I’m thankful for that, because my children love him very much.”
“I’m glad to hear he’s doing better. I’m sorry that I have to ask if there’s anything else we need to be aware of, any potential land mines that might detonate if we put you forward as our nominee.”
“Nothing that I can think of.”
“Then I’ll ask whether you’re interested in the job.”
“Yes, Mr. President. I’d be honored to be your vice president as well as your partner in governing.”
Nick stood to indicate the meeting was finished. He shook her hand. “Thank you so much for coming in. We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
Terry walked her out and then returned, closing the door behind him as he came back into the room. “Impressions?”
“I liked her, and I appreciated her candor about the difficulties with her ex-husband. But we need to dig deeper and make sure we have the full story.”
“I’ve already done some additional digging,” Derek said, “and from what I was able to learn, her story adds up. The husband has been very public on his social media about his struggles, his regrets, his recovery. He owns the demise of their marriage and speaks of her respectfully and with admiration.”
“Well, that’s good, I guess,” Nick said. “Do we like her for VP?”
Terry hesitated for a second before he said, “I like her, and she certainly has the political and policy chops to step into the role. I just liked Sanford more.”
Hearing her name triggered the memory of Chanel No. 5 and his predictable reaction to the scent his mother had worn all her life.
“What I don’t understand,” Terry said, his tone measured, “is why you’re not enthusiastic about her.”
“It’s the dumbest thing,” Nick said, mortified to have to say the words out loud.
“What is?” Terry asked.
Nick took a deep breath and let it out. “She wears the same perfume as my mother. My associations with it are… negative, to say the least. Like I said… It’s dumb.”
“No,” Derek said firmly. “It isn’t. After watching your mother put you through the wringer for as long as I’ve known you, I completely understand.”
“Sam says we just ask her not to wear it around me, but I can’t imagine actually asking that of her.”
“We’ll ask it of her,” Terry said. “If you want her to be your vice president, we’ll tell her the truth about the perfume and ask if it’d be a problem for her not to wear it. She’ll say of course not. Problem solved.”
That something so complex to him could actually be so simple…
“You tell us what you want or need, Mr. President, and we’ll make it happen,” Terry said. “Even things that seem dumb to you.”
“Thank you, Terry. Thank you both for having my back in this.”
“Always, Mr. President,” Terry said as he and Derek stood to leave. “When you decide on who you want, let us know, and we’ll get that ball rolling.”
“Will do. Thanks again.”
They left him alone to think about the biggest decision he’d had to make in a long time. After spending half an hour reviewing the two finalists, their vetting documents and reviewing his personal impressions of each, Nick was no closer to a decision. So he did what he always did when he needed outside counsel. He called Graham O’Connor.
“Mr. President,” Graham said, his tone jubilant. “To what do I owe the honor?”
Nick smiled, delighted by the older man as usual. “I’m in need of some counsel from one of my senior advisers.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m down to two candidates for vice president.”
“Sanford and Henderson, right?”
“That’s right.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
“Sanford is the more experienced DC insider, the conventional choice, but Henderson has her finger on the pulse of young people, which has been an area of interest for me, as you know.”
“Let’s dig into each one and figure this out.”
Nick sat back, put his feet up on the Resolute desk and got comfortable. If anyone could help him make the best possible decision, Graham could.
Upon leaving the White House, Sam went right back to Congress Heights, eager to speak to Calvin’s girlfriend Clarissa. In the rearview mirror, she noted Vernon and Jimmy following her in the black SUV that would be a constant presence in her life going forward. She told herself it was a small price to pay to give Nick peace of mind and herself some added security, but it rankled nonetheless.
She prided herself on her ability to take care of herself, but after the meeting, she had to acknowledge that even after chasing murderers for years, her imagination probably wasn’t vivid enough to conjure up all the scenarios the Secret Service dealt with every day. It was probably better for her mental health and anxiety level not to know that stuff.
Outside of Clarissa’s house, she spotted an open space and parallel parked. She felt giddy with excitement at the possibility of closing this case once and for all, even as she reminded herself it was never as easy as one, two, three, done. But they were further along than they’d ever been, and that was something.
She knocked on Clarissa’s door and heard children talking inside.
The door swung open to reveal a young Black woman with long braids and a child on her hip. Through the storm door, she gestured for Sam to come in.
“Sorry about the chaos and the mess,” she said.
“No worries. I have kids too. I get it.” Once upon a time, she’d wondered if she’d ever be able to say those words, and now she had three kids and a college student she’d come to love like a son. She followed Clarissa into a cozy but messy space where kids and toys were the focus, just the way they should be.
Clarissa put the little one down t
o play with her siblings. “I made coffee. Would you like some?”
“That’d be great. Thanks for taking the time to see me.”
“When Lenore called to tell me you’d be coming by to talk about Calvin’s case…” She sighed deeply. “I have to admit, I cried a little. We’ve waited so long for answers. So, so long.”
Sam sat with her at the kitchen table. “Too long.”
Clarissa took the seat that had a direct view into the family room where the children were playing and watching TV.
“Mostly what I’m looking for are any thoughts or impressions you had from around that time. We’ve found that with cases that have gone cold like this one, the smallest recollection can blow the whole thing wide open.”
“I wish you knew how often I’ve thought of Calvin and that night over the years. Even after I married my husband, who I love very much, my heart still yearns for Cal. We were the very best of friends long before we started dating in eighth grade. And by dating, I mean running around with groups of kids, going to the movies and the park and the arcade. Typical kid stuff. But my feelings for him—and his for me—weren’t typical thirteen-year-old feelings. We were very much in love.”
Sam’s heart broke for her. “I’m so sorry you lost him and that it happened the way it did.”
“It was the worst day of my life. I’ll never forget that call from Ayana.” She wiped away tears and made an effort to pull herself together. When her little one toddled into the room, she scooped him up and held him on her lap.
“What do you remember about the days and weeks leading up to the day Calvin died?”
“For the first time since his dad and uncle died, he was really happy. He’d decided to pursue chemical engineering in college and had picked classes for his junior year with that in mind. It was nice to see him excited again. It’d been really tough for him after his dad died.” She subtly wiped away more tears. “He was so smart. He would’ve been so successful in whatever he did.”