Spencer looked at his Nana curiously.
“Oh, I was just wondering where we might find you later,” Candace said honestly.
“I find the best places,” Spencer said proudly.
“You certainly do.” Candace chuckled again. Good thing you’ll be too big soon to tuck yourself away in most of them.
***
“I don’t like it,” Alex said.
“Since when do we get to like what we do?” Claire asked.
“Claire.”
“Alex, we’ve been over this. This makes the most sense. Let Krause start planting the seeds.”
Alex massaged her temples with frustration. She had spent hours with her older brother reviewing Candace’s staff files. Every person appointed to the cabinet and every individual seeking any level of security clearance endured an extensive background check. Reviewing someone’s history only revealed facts as accurate as the narrative an investigator had to follow. Narratives could be created—all types of narratives. It was in most people’s nature to approach testimony or evidence with an assumption of truth. Alex was grateful that remained human nature. Most people gave trust until they had a reason to suspect deceit. It was the job of people like Claire and Alex to approach life from the opposite perspective. When Alex sat across from any person to question them, when she looked at a resume, a biography, even a photograph, it was incumbent upon her to do so with skepticism. She required proof. Pictures could be altered, resumes could be fabricated, and testimony was often invented. If she hoped to unearth the truth, to expose the motivation of those closest to President Candace Reid and the people generally perceived as distant adversaries, Alex needed to explore every possibility. The only way to get a full picture of the competing agendas that Candace needed to address was for Alex to get closer to the underbelly of international politics again. Claire had the best chance of making believable overtures to the individuals and groups most likely to pose a threat to national security, the First Family, or the president.
Claire took a deep breath and addressed her partner. “Alex, we both know that it’s likely someone is placed close to President Reid. We both know it. You heard Jonathan. Someone is leaking information out of her cabinet meetings. Chances are someone, or more than someone, is planting information to gauge her response. We both know that we can’t trust many people. I hope you know that you can trust me.”
Alex mentally smacked herself. She did trust Claire. There were days when the reality that Claire Brackett had earned her trust still defied Alex’s logic. She wasn’t concerned about Claire deceiving her. She was worried about Claire becoming compromised.
“I can handle it,” Claire said. “I know how to talk the talk and I have—”
“I’m confident you can handle it,” Alex said. “But, Claire, it’s not exactly a secret that we’ve been working together. It might not be as easy as you think it will be to convince anyone you are open to walking between worlds again.”
Claire shrugged off Alex’s concern. People saw what they desired to see. There were more than a few groups who would jump at the chance to recruit Claire Brackett. Claire didn’t believe that. She knew it. Most people didn’t believe in redemption—not for a person with Claire’s background. It wouldn’t be difficult to market her talents and her experience to any number of dubious entities, agencies, or individuals. “It won’t be difficult,” Claire replied. “Desperate people don’t have the time to discern reality. And perfidious predators don’t look for the best in anyone. They assume the worst—always. You should know that by now.”
“Perfidious? Have you been reading a thesaurus or something?”
“Funny, Toles. I do read.”
Claire had been reading a book Cassidy was writing. Cassidy would likely use the word perfidious. Claire? Alex chuckled. “Maybe you’re right,” she conceded.
“There’s no maybe about it. People see the world with a mirror, Alex. Don’t you know that by now? Everyone sees the world the way they see themselves or the way they think people see them. You see yourself as fighting the good fight.”
“I don’t know that I’d say that.”
Claire laughed. “You do. I didn’t say you think you’re a hero. I said you think you’re fighting on the right side of things.”
“Is there a right side to any of this?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. There’s a side that wants to make things better for everyone and a side that wants to make things better for themselves. Then there’s us.”
“Us?”
“Yeah. We’re the ones always caught in the middle, trying to figure out which person plays for which team. We don’t get to be either. We just try to slow one down so the other can get a little bit ahead,” Claire observed.
“That’s depressing.”
“That’s the truth. Let Krause put me in play, Alex. He has the resources.”
“Claire, if you get discovered—”
“I know. I won’t.”
Alex nodded. “I’ll talk to Candace about planting a few seeds in the cabinet.”
“Not Tate?”
Alex shook her head.
“Don’t you trust Tate?”
“I trust him. We both know it’s best to keep the circle tight,” Alex said. “You, me, Candace, Jonathan. That’s it on this one—for now. If someone is leaking information from inside Candace’s administration, we have to assume it could be anyone for any reason. They might not even realize they are leaking it. I’ll tell her the information came directly from Jonathan.”
“And, Tate?”
“I’ll let Candace deliver the information to him.”
“He’ll suspect what you’re doing,” Claire said.
“I’m counting on it. If he is still on our side, he’ll let the information filter through the ranks. If he’s not—”
Claire nodded. “I hope he is.”
“Me too.”
***
“Jay Jay!” Spencer screamed with delight and ran toward Jameson.
“Hey, Spence.”
Candace laughed. Spencer and Jameson had always shared a unique bond. In many ways, Candace believed Spencer would always view Jameson more as another parent than a grandmother or even his “Jay Jay.” She was glad that he continued to stick with the name he’d given Jameson as a toddler. She was certain that would change soon, and that would serve as another reminder of how quickly time passed. There were days she wished she could freeze time—if only briefly—and savor the present.
“Nana says we can play hide and seek tonight.”
“She does, does she?”
“Yep.”
Jameson meandered over to Candace and kissed her on the cheek. “Looking for a hideaway?” she whispered.
“Or maybe a getaway,” Candace joked.
“Where’s the rest of the gang?” Jameson inquired.
“Scott and Maddie went into town with Pearl for dinner,” Candace replied.
“Let me guess, Coop is with Marianne.”
“They’re down in the bowling alley—with pizza, I believe.”
“You mean we get Spence all to ourselves?”
Candace raised her brow. “I thought we could have some Chinese food before Spencer tucks himself away in a corner.”
Spencer giggled. “No, Nana. You hide first!”
“You want Jay Jay and I to hide?”
Spencer nodded. “Before we eat,” he said.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Candace asked.
Spencer shook his head. “I ate a lot on the way,” he said. “Why? Are you hungry, Nana?”
“You know what, Spencer, I think your idea is right on the money,” Candace said.
“You do?” Jameson questioned.
“Yes. I need to squeeze into something if I hope to win this game, and I don’t need to be bloated.”
Jameson burst out with laughter.
Spencer’s brow wrinkled with confusion.
“Your Nana is silly, Spencer.”
Candace’s laughter joined Jameson’s. “You’ll understand in about 30 years, Spencer. Come on, let’s go find a place to start this game.”
“Why do you get to choose?” Jameson asked.
“Because you’ve explored every nook and cranny of this place. I need some kind of head start.”
“Head of State isn’t enough?” Jameson teased.
“That’s a title with more than one meaning, Jameson.”
Spencer looked between his grandparents.
“Don’t ask, Spence,” Jameson advised. “Lead on,” she told Candace.
***
“Ready or not!” Spencer called out.
Candace looked up and down the hallway. “Shit.” She needed to find a hiding place—fast.
For years, Spencer had sent her and Jameson on frantic searches to find him. She hoped to give her grandson a little taste of his own medicine tonight. Jameson and Cooper had made it their mission to discover every inch of the White House. And they meant business. That gave Jameson an advantage in this game. A month earlier, the White House Counsel, Jill Marin, had called Candace.
“Jill,” Candace answered the phone cordially. “Anything urgent?”
“I was just curious if you’d misplaced anything important?”
Candace set down the pen in her hand and leaned back in her chair. “That’s a bit cryptic. I don’t think I have, unless you are referring to my good sense.”
Jill chuckled. Candace had commented often that only someone who’d lost all good sense would attempt to do her job. “Does your good sense giggle?”
“Excuse me?”
“There seems to be some odd noise that sounds like giggling coming from behind my filing cabinet.”
Candace covered her eyes with her left hand and groaned. “Do I want to know which one of them you’ve discovered?”
“The shorter one,” Jill replied.
Candace laughed. “Thank God for small favors. I’ll be right there.”
Candace had known her closest legal adviser for thirty years. They’d squared off in court as young attorneys, and in later years, Candace had consulted her old adversary for legal opinion on various pieces of legislation. It was always wise to solicit the advice of more than one legal expert. She was glad that Jill Marin was as congenial as she was knowledgeable. Candace chuckled at the memory.
“The things I do.” Candace laughed. She opened a closet door and crammed herself inside. She forced herself not to laugh at Spencer’s voice as he called down the hallway. We’ll see who has the last laugh.
“Jay! Nana!”
Jameson ducked around a corner. Hiding was Spencer’s special gift, at least, one of them. Cooper had a knack for these games as well. Jameson wondered where her wife had sprinted off to. Candace wanted to win this game. Jameson was not going to concede easily. She’d explored every alcove, cabinet, door, and corner of the White House that she could find. There was only one person she thought might have a more knowledge of the building, and it wasn’t any of the Secret Service agents. Cooper had the ability to crawl into tiny spaces. She chuckled thinking that he might make a great consultant to the people who sought to protect their family.
“Nana! Jay!”
Candace sniggered. No one will ever look for me in a closet. She laughed harder at the irony of the thought and had to force herself to be quiet.
“Where are you?” Spencer called out. He rounded a corner into a large bedroom and gaped at his surroundings. “It’s so big! Where are you, Nana?”
“Shit,” Jameson mumbled. She could hear Spencer drawing closer. She needed to plan her escape.
Candace heard a thump outside the closet.
“Shit.”
Oh, boy. Candace covered her mouth to keep from bursting out in laughter. Jameson was close, and from what Candace could tell, running out of places to hide. She startled when the closet door opened.
“Candace?”
Candace grabbed hold of Jameson’s shirt and pulled her inside. She wiggled as far toward the back of the closet as she could. She reached for a large hanging drapery to pull it in front of them and missed.
“All you had to do was ask,” Jameson teased.
“Shh.”
“Shh? Oh, right—we’re in a closet.
“Stop.” Candace giggled.
“Nana! Jay!”
Candace started to giggle again.
“Shh,” Jameson warned her.
Jameson’s stern warning only made Candace struggle harder to remain silent.
“That’s it.”
Candace started to laugh, and Jameson silenced her with a heated kiss.
“In a closet, Jameson? Really?’
“Imagine the book you can write later.”
Candace rolled her eyes. She felt a persistent buzz in her jacket pocket and reached for her phone.
“Ouch!” Jameson groaned when Candace elbowed her.
“Sorry.” Candace managed to free her phone. She answered as quietly as she could. “Hello?”
“Mom?”
“Shell?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s going on?”
“You sound a little — strange,” Michelle noted.
“You don’t want to know; trust me. What’s going on?”
“Bad time?”
Candace chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that. Cramped time.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m in a closet.”
Jameson sniggered.
“Is that JD I hear? Why are you in a closet?”
“Don’t ask. Hide and seek.”
“I don’t want to know. I know I don’t. Tell me anyway.”
“Shell—” Candace giggled. “We’re hiding from Spencer.”
“Together. In a closet.”
“Forget it,” Candace said. “Can I call you back?”
“Uh-huh. I thought Bible Study was bad.”
“Shell!”
Michelle gave up and laughed. Nothing Candace said surprised her. Closets seemed like a new form of ammunition. Now, Jameson had lured her mother into a closet. It was perfect. “Call me when you decide to come out.”
“Very funny. I’ll call you later.” Candace groaned as she hung up the phone.
“You do know she’s never going to let this one go?” Jameson offered.
“Shh,” Candace warned Jameson. The sound of footsteps approaching caught her attention and she placed two fingers to Jameson’s lips.
“Spencer, we need to find your Nana.”
“I dunno where she is!” Spencer exclaimed. “She’s hiding,”
“She’s hiding?”
“Yep. She and Jay are hiding from me.”
Candace sighed at the sound of Dana’s voice outside her hiding place. At least, it’s Dana. She looked to Jameson apologetically. Jameson nodded and opened the door.
“Jay! Found you!” Spencer exclaimed with delight.
Candace appeared in the door and stepped through.
“Nana!”
“I’m not saying a word,” Dana commented.
“Good.”
“But there are so many I could say.”
“I’m sure,” Candace replied. “I can guess that you weren’t on a mission to play hide and seek. What are you still doing here?”
Dana grimaced.
“I see,” Candace said. She looked at Spencer directly. “Do you think you could take Jay and see if your mom and Cooper are back yet?”
Spencer nodded and grabbed Jameson’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” Candace whispered in Jameson’s ear. “I’ll make this as quick as possible.”
“I know.” Jameson turned to Dana. “Try to make it short?”
Dana shrugged.
Jameson shook her head. “Come on, Spence, let’s go see what kind of trouble your Mom and my son have caused.”
“I’m sorry,” Dana apologized again.
“I know. What is going on tha
t has you here so late?”
“I’m always here late.”
“Dana—”
“There’s a rumor—one that seems to be gaining some steam about JD.”
“There’s always a rumor.”
“Yes, but this has to do with JD meeting with Preston Birch.”
“And?”
“Did she?”
“They’ve spoken. I don’t think they’ve spoken in person.”
“Why wouldn’t you tell me that?” Dana asked.
“Why would I tell you that?”
“You don’t think that The First Lady interacting with someone who is in bed with your greatest detractors is relevant?”
“Everything in my life is relevant to someone, Dana. Jameson reached out about a program he helped to create in West Virginia.”
“Why?”
“Because she sees merit in the program, I would guess.”
“Candy—”
“Don’t.”
“This is gaining steam, and not in a favorable way.”
Candace shrugged.
“Candy—”
“Don’t, ‘Candy,’ me. I support Jameson’s decision. It will pass.”
“It’s a distraction you don’t need.”
Candace sighed. “Actually, it might be exactly the distraction we can use.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dana, there are things brewing that I can’t discuss—not even with you. For as long as I can, I’d like to keep anyone from fanning the flames of the real issues confronting this administration. Jameson’s desire to build bridges is not on that list. Let it be.”
“You don’t want to speak to it?”
“There’s nothing to say. I don’t know all of the details. I know that Jameson wants to invest some energy in a program in West Virginia, and I am aware that FVI is one of its primary funding sources. And, yes, I also know that Preston Birch is on the Board of Directors. This is Jameson’s decision.”
“Which effects your administration, whether you like that or not.”
“I don’t need to be reminded of the reality, Dana.”
“What do you want me to tell the media when they start asking questions?”
“Talk to Jameson.”
“You want me to direct them to Jameson’s office?”
“No, I want you to talk to Jameson. She’ll tell you how she wants you to handle it.”
“You’re passing the ball to JD?”
Situation Room Page 6