The Reluctant First Lady

by Venita Ellick

  During the drive back to Manhattan, she constantly wrestled with her conscience. Had she done something to encourage Geoffrey’s behavior? Clearly he had intended to add another trophy to his already long list of female conquests.

  Ashley believed everything happened for a reason. Starting with Ted’s devastating car accident, Rick’s heart attack, and Geoffrey’s incredible ego and horrendous bad judgment, she realized she must reassess her priorities and put her plan in action. She rested her head on the back of the seat. She felt confident that what she was about to do was necessary although she was aware there would be consequences. Nevertheless, she believed the price was worth it.

  Geoffrey knew he needed to return to his guests. He couldn’t leave them alone much longer, or they’d begin to question where he and Ashley were; tongues would start to wag, and rumors would be born. Naturally he would need to explain Ashley’s sudden departure. That would be easy enough. He would cite Robert’s son’s heart attack as the reason; everybody knew how close Robert and Ashley were.

  He wanted to analyze what had happened and where his plan had failed. Most probably, he’d made his advance too fast. He should have given her more time and planned a few more get-togethers to win her trust before pursuing her more overtly.

  God, she’d been incredible. He smiled, thinking about her hitting him on the jaw, destroying the hand-blown glass vase, and throwing his glass sculpture at the fireplace. In that moment, he had seen both a siren and an Amazon warrior. His financial sacrifice was minimal. He would gladly wager that it hurt Ashley far more than him to destroy his precious artwork.

  What he needed to decide was how best to proceed. She most likely would be indignant and shun or ignore him. Proof, in his opinion, that he had successfully scaled the walls she had so carefully built around herself.

  There was always the money collected from this weekend’s event to use as bait to meet with her again. It would be necessary to contact her to arrange for the transfer of funds to the museum. He bet that Ashley wouldn’t back down from another meeting with him, if for no other reason than to prove to him that what had occurred between them had no effect on her in any way.

  Ah, a proud woman was usually a good target, especially one who prided herself on being able to handle everything that came her way. Ashley’s traits would work to his advantage. Yes, the next phase of this very tricky undertaking should be both interesting and entertaining.

  38

  As soon as Ashley said goodnight to Matt and Dave, she turned her attention to executing the escape strategy she’d been working on for months. It was time to get away and do some uninterrupted thinking. She needed to be alone, completely alone with no pressure and no one else trying to influence her or distract her.

  She’d gone over and over her plan for months to see where she might get tripped up if she decided to activate her scheme. She knew ditching Matt and Dave would be far more difficult than getting away from the agents assigned to her at night. Matt and Dave seemed to be continually suspicious of her.

  She also had given a great deal of thought about how to let her loved ones know she was okay and safe after she left. She knew they’d be worried initially, but she hoped her plan would minimize the amount of stress they would have due to her actions.

  In the bedroom, she packed a black canvas backpack with two changes of clothes and the necessary toiletries. She changed into a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, walking shoes, and a hooded sweatshirt, all in black. She needed to blend into the night.

  She’d been putting aside small amounts of cash for months so she wouldn’t have to use her credit cards. She knew she could be traced through those. She’d probably seen too many spy movies. Still, it was better to be paranoid than to be blasé.

  She’d lived for months with the Secret Service always being one room away, but during that time, she’d been able to study their patterns and habits. It was helpful information as she began formulating her scheme; it led her to the time that would most likely be the best window of opportunity for her getaway.

  Ashley sat down on the bed and called Mavis’s direct line at the museum. Since it was after hours and Mavis had gone home, her voice mail would pick up. She left specific instructions for Mavis, explaining what she was doing and letting her know who to contact and what to tell them. She wondered again if she’d thought of everyone who needed to be reached: Michael, Robert, her kids, and Sienna.

  They must know she was leaving town of her own free will and would be gone about three days to an undisclosed destination. She promised she would be safe and asked Mavis to ask Michael to try to keep her absence a secret. No good could possibly come from the media getting wind of her departure. She promised she would be in touch soon. She also asked that Michael talk to the head of Homeland Security to run interference for the Secret Service agents who were on duty when she left. She didn’t want them blamed for her actions.

  Probably very few people could understand her need to be completely alone. She’d thought of every possible scenario before settling on this drastic measure. Every other solution she’d entertained brought with it some kind of interruption. How could she possibly make a good decision if she didn’t take the necessary time and space to make it?

  She called Robert next. She wanted to hear how Rick was doing before she left. The hospital receptionist came on the line immediately, and Ashley relayed her request to speak to Robert.

  While she waited, she tried to imagine how completely helpless she would feel if one of her kids was in the ICU under similar circumstances. It was every parent’s nightmare. You just didn’t expect anything to happen to your children, especially for them to die before you did. It just wasn’t the natural order of things.

  “Hello, this is Robert.”

  “Hi, it’s Ashley. How’s Rick?”

  “As good as can be expected. The cardiologist will be taking him into surgery soon. There was some damage, but they tell us they’ll be able to repair it. They’ll also be doing a double bypass on him. We’re all scared to death.”

  “How could you not be? Robert, I’m so sorry about Rick. It’s further proof that none of us can take anything for granted. How are you and Audrey holding up?”

  “As well as can be expected under the circumstances. Rick’s wife is here and all of the other kids, too, so we’re all supporting one another.”

  “I’m glad you’re all together. I’ll let you go. I know you need to get back. Please give my love to Rick and Audrey and all the rest of your family.”

  “I will. Before you go, how was the open house?”

  “There were a lot of people there, so I think we can expect a healthy chunk of change from the event; however, we won’t know until Mr. Carruthers calls and transfers the money over to the museum.”

  “It was certainly generous of him to do this for us. I hope you realize it was your influence that triggered this whole affair.”

  “I’ve argued that point with you before, but now I know that’s true.”

  “I’m glad you’ve quit being so modest about your influence on him.”

  “I need to run for now, Robert. I’ll check back with you later about Rick’s condition.”

  “Ashley, thanks for calling.”

  “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Ashley had covered everything she could think of before she took off. Only two more things to do: put on her disguise and deactivate her cell phone. She opened the drawer where she’d been hiding a black wig and a pair of black horn-rimmed glasses. She quickly put them on, and when she looked in the mirror, she saw a studious-looking woman with a short black bob. She didn’t look anything like herself. She smiled to see if it made a difference. Yes, smiling made her look a little more like herself, so she needed to remember not to smile.

  Now for her phone. It could lead them to her, but she wanted access. She removed the battery and quickly stored it in one of the zippered pockets in her backpack.

  Time to leave. Ashley walked through
the apartment, turning off lights and making the usual sounds she made before going to bed. The next part was the hard part. She needed to disarm her security alarm in order to open the bedroom window through which she intended to escape.

  She put on the backpack so she’d be ready for action once she deactivated the alarm. She didn’t know how long it would be before the agents noticed the alarm was off. They were sharp, but she didn’t need a lot of time, just a few minutes. She pressed the necessary buttons to disarm the security system and then took off toward the bedroom as quietly as she could.

  She opened the window she’d been oiling for weeks to assure it would glide easily and silently and climbed out onto the fire escape. She didn’t hesitate for even a second. The minute she was on the metal platform, she started her descent down the ladders as silently as possible. So far, so good.

  When she reached the bottom, she knew she’d have to drop to the ground. The drop was farther than she liked risking, but there was simply no other way. She hung from the bottom rung of the metal ladder and tried to balance her body so that when she landed, her weight would be evenly distributed on her knees, ankles, and feet to absorb the shock. She didn’t need a twisted or sprained ankle right now.

  She took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then let go. When she landed, the impact on her ankles and knees caused a shudder to run through her body. She took another breath and assessed the strength of her ankles. Not bad. Her heart was beating like a war drum—or was the sound she heard the footsteps of the Secret Service coming her way?

  She concentrated on bringing her breathing under control while she shifted her position from under the fire escape to the wall of the building. Breathe in, breathe out slowly; that’s all the time she had. She began walking away from her building through the alley to the next street over. She walked for about ten blocks before she flagged a cab and asked to be taken to the Port Authority bus terminal.

  All the time she’d been walking, she expected to hear sirens or footsteps pounding on the pavement. She hadn’t heard anything to suggest they were aware she’d given them the slip, but surely by now not only were the agents aware she was gone, but so was the head of Homeland Security and her husband.

  She knew the anger Michael would be feeling and his sense of helplessness. She hoped he wouldn’t make a connection between her disappearance and the open house she’d attended at Geoffrey’s home. He would be furious and crazed though very soon he would hear the real reason for her disappearance.

  When she returned home, she’d try to calm everyone and make each one understand the necessity of her actions. Still, she wasn’t free and clear yet. The taxi pulled up in front of the bus terminal, and she paid her fare. Fortunately the driver was completely unaware of who his passenger was. Luck was with her so far; she hoped it would hold. She hated feeling like a fugitive, but unfortunately that was what she was for now.

  39

  When the Secret Service agents noticed the alarm was off in Ashley’s apartment, they took immediate action. They knocked on the door and, after receiving no response, drew their weapons, barged through the door, and yelled her name. They did a thorough search of the apartment and found it empty with one bedroom window open—the one leading to the fire escape.

  One agent climbed down the fire escape; the other one rechecked the apartment. Both came up short; Mrs. Taylor was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of a struggle, just an open bedroom window.

  They knew time was of the essence, so although they’d rather take a beating than make a call to their boss, they called him and explained what happened. Their boss, in turn, called the president, who was due to return from Europe the next day.

  After hearing the details of his wife’s disappearance, Michael knew Ashley had deliberately taken off on her own. Still, he worried that someone was trying to make it look as though she’d skipped out. The first person he thought of was Geoffrey Carruthers, but even he wasn’t brazen enough or stupid enough to pull off something like this.

  Michael’s first call was to Robert Cameron. He and Ashley were supposed to attend the open house in the Hamptons tonight. Maybe Robert could shed some light on Ashley’s disappearance. No answer. Hmmm . . . It seemed like it was late enough for the two of them to have returned to New York, but maybe not.

  His next call was to Geoffrey Carruthers.

  “Mr. Carruthers’s residence.”

  “Hello, this is President Taylor. I’d like to speak to Mr. Carruthers immediately.”

  “Of course, Mr. President. I’ll get him for you. Please hold.”

  Michael was impatient for Geoffrey to pick up the line. Fortunately he didn’t have long to wait.

  “Hello, Mr. President. To what do I owe the honor of this call?”

  “I need some information. Wasn’t tonight the night of your open house?”

  “Yes. Tonight was the open house, and it was quite successful. I was sorry Robert was unable to attend; however, given the circumstances, who would have expected him to?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, I assumed you had talked to your wife; I guess you haven’t. Robert was unable to attend the festivities tonight because his son Rick had a heart attack and was rushed to one of the New York hospitals.”

  “So, Ashley came to the open house without Robert?”

  “Yes, naturally.

  “I hope you remembered the conversation we had in relationship to my wife.”

  “Absolutely. Business is business. Is there a reason you’re calling?”

  “Just wanted to speak to my wife, and since Ashley and Robert weren’t home yet, I thought they might still be at your place. Goodnight.” Michael hung up before Carruthers could ask any more questions. Ashley had gone alone to the open house. He wondered if she intended to tell him about that little turn of events.

  It was a long shot, but maybe Robert could shed some light on Ashley’s disappearance. Since his earlier call to Robert hadn’t been answered, either he didn’t have his cell with him or had turned it off while he was in the hospital. Michael instructed his secretary to call all of the hospitals in Manhattan and find the one where Rick had been taken. Once she had Robert on the line, she transferred the call to Michael.

  “Hi, Robert. It’s Michael Taylor. I heard about your son; how is he?”

  “Oh, did Ashley tell you about Rick? Bless her heart. He’s in surgery right now. Thank you for caring enough to call.”

  “I do care about your son, and I did know about him having a heart attack, but it was Geoffrey Carruthers who told me. Robert, Ashley’s missing. I’m sorry to add that to your troubles.”

  “Missing? What do you mean missing? I just talked to her.”

  “It looks as though she’s deliberately ditched her Secret Service detail.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Ashley called me after she got home to check on Rick. Have you thought of calling her secretary?”

  “No, I hadn’t, but that’s a very good idea. Thank you, Robert, and my prayers are with you and Audrey, and of course, Rick. By the way, please don’t mention this to anyone. I’ll get back to you when I know more.”

  “You can count on me to be discreet. I know you must be worried. You know how she is regarding the Secret Service. If she wanted to get lost for a while, she’s capable of masterminding an escape. Michael, I’m sure Ashley’s safe.”

  “God, I hope so. Goodnight, and I’ll be in touch.”

  The next call was to Ashley’s secretary. “Hi, Mavis. It’s Michael Taylor. Sorry for the late phone call, but I need your help. Ashley’s missing. In fact, it appears she’s deliberately ditched her Secret Service agents, and I’m trying to locate her. By any chance, would you know where she is or where she might have gone?”

  “I know she was going to Mr. Carruthers’s tonight, but she didn’t tell me about any other plans. Knowing Ashley, if she decided to take off and she wanted some lead time, she wouldn’t have told me because she knows I wou
ld have tried to talk her out of it. I’ll bet she left a voice mail on my machine at work so when I went back to work, I’d get the message.”

  “Good thinking. Would you please check your voice mail and get back to me? I’ll transfer you to Georgia, and she’ll give you the number where I can be reached.”

  “I’ll check right now, and I’ll call you right back.”

  “Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

  After Mavis hung up, she said out loud, “For God’s sake, Ashley, what have you done now?”

  Michael was thankful for Mavis’s quick thinking. She and Ashley were close, and Mavis was right; if Ashley wanted a head start, she just might have left a message that she knew would be picked up later.

  Michael was handed an intelligence report. Ashley had not been located, but her fingerprints were all over the windowsill and the fire escape ladder. Michael swore. That woman was going to be the death of him yet. He’d always loved how unpredictable she was, but she’d gone too far this time. He was going to kill her for this stunt, and then his next thoughts were please God, keep her safe.

  True to her word, Mavis checked her messages at work. She skipped through them quickly, hoping she’d been right about Ashley leaving a message for her to find. Just when she was beginning to think she hadn’t, Ashley’s voice came on the line.

  “Hi, Mavis; it’s me. By the time you get this message, hopefully I’ll be long gone. I just can’t take it anymore. I need to get away by myself to think things through. After Ted’s horrible accident and not knowing if he’s going to recover, and then tonight Robert’s son had a heart attack, it got me to thinking even more about my family and my priorities. I’ve talked to Robert, and it looks like Rick is going to be okay, but would you call the hospital and check on his progress for me?

  “Anyway, I need to take an honest look at my life and re-evaluate my goals, and for that I need to be completely alone. Actually I’ve been planning on how to get away from the Secret Service for some time. When I get off the phone, I’m taking off. Wish me luck even if you don’t want to.