The phone rang. “Would you get that for me?” Christina asked.
“What?” Ben said. “Just because you got a little bullet wound to the leg, you can’t answer your own phone?”
“I could. But I’m currently wearing a gown that exposes my rear end.”
“Well, we don’t want that,” Loving said, rushing to the phone.
There weren’t many times in his life when Ben saw his strapping investigator at a loss for words or action, but on this occasion he seemed to be lacking both.
“Loving?” Christina said. She jabbed him gently on the side. “Is it for me?”
Slowly he shrugged off his stupor and found some small measure of animation. “No. It’s for Ben.”
“Really?” Ben frowned. “Who is it?”
He swallowed. “The governor.”
“The governor? Of what?”
“Of Oklahoma,” Loving said, eyes bulging. “And he wants to talk to you!”
Ben took the phone. Loving and Lucille excused themselves, saying they wanted to check on Beatrice.
“Congratulations on a job well done, son.” Ben immediately recognized the voice of his state’s top politician. “Glad it all worked out and your assistant is going to be all right.”
“Partner,” Ben said, still dumbfounded. “She’s my partner.”
“Right, right. Listen, I don’t want you to feel like you’re getting the bum’s rush, but I have exactly three minutes until my next meeting, and this has to be dealt with, and I wanted to feel you out before I made any public announcements.”
“Public announcements? About-me?”
“Are you kidding, pilgrim? I guess you’ve been in DC. Back here-you’re the local hero.”
“I am?”
“Even The Oklahoman has had some nice things to say about you and, given your political leanings, that’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“I didn’t know I had political leanings.”
“You handled this case with class, and that closing argument you gave was brilliant. Moved me to tears when I read it in the paper. And then when it turned out you were actually right and Glancy wasn’t guilty-of murder, anyway-that was even better.”
“I still-don’t-”
“And then that heroic rescue of your girlfriend. Marvelous stuff. Marvelous. Ballsiest thing I’ve heard of in my life.”
“It was really no big deal.”
“Well, the papers are talking about it like you were James Bond. Your approval ratings are sky-high. And not just with women. Wish to God I had ratings like that. Your fame may be fleeting, but I still wouldn’t mind leaching a little positive spin off it. Which leads to the reason for my call.”
Ben was baffled. The governor was talking fast-much too fast for Ben to process what he was saying, much less anticipate what was coming next.
“There are some preliminary questions I’m required to ask,” the governor continued. “Did you vote for me in the last election?”
“Well…”
“Didn’t think so. Are you even a member of my party?”
“Well…”
“My staff was right. And you have no political experience at all, correct?”
“I was briefly at the DA’s office but… no, not really.”
“What the hell. Part of my stump speech has been that blather about overcoming petty partisan concerns and seeking out excellence. And it’s only for a year.” He paused. “You seem like a hell of a good guy, Kincaid, and the public loves you. Want to be our next senator?”
Ben’s jaw dropped with such alacrity he was surprised there was no thudding sound. “Can-can you do that?”
“Can I? I have no choice. Constitution requires it. Glancy has resigned; I have to appoint a substitute to fill his remaining term. So what about it, Ben? Are you my man?”
A thousand thoughts ran through Ben’s brain at once. “Can-can I think about it a little while?” He glanced at Christina, who was sitting in the bed staring at him with an extremely puzzled expression. “Talk to some friends and… associates?”
“Of course you can. Well, you’ve got till six o’clock. Then we have to either announce or move on to someone else.”
“I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” He took the governor’s number and hung up.
“What was that all about?” Christina asked.
“Tell you in a minute. There’s something else I want to discuss first.”
“Ben! Don’t be such a tease! Was it really the governor?”
“Yup. But-” He paused, shifting awkwardly from one leg to the next. “You know, Christina… back at Glancy’s office, when you were hurt…”
She leaned forward a bit. “Yes?”
“I know you were half out of your head and probably weren’t aware-”
“I heard every word you said.”
Ben swallowed. “You did?”
“Damn straight. And I haven’t forgotten, either.”
He looked down at her, the billowing red hair he had become so fond of, the deep blue eyes, the adorable freckles. He couldn’t imagine getting through a day without her. And didn’t want to try. “I know I’ve-I’ve-never really said-”
She reached out and took his hand. “You don’t have to, Ben. I already know.”
“Really? Really?” He laughed with relief, and she laughed, and then they were both laughing, and then all at once he crouched beside her, picked up a pair of scissors, and snipped off her hospital ID bracelet.
“What on earth are you doing?” she said. “You’re going to get thrown out of here.”
“A woman like you deserves jewelry of a higher order,” he replied. He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a two-inch-square felt-covered box. And opened it.
Under the bright fluorescent lighting, the diamond sparkled with a thousand colors.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to tell you that I made up all the information Shalimar and Morticia offer regarding real-life vampires, but of course I didn’t. For those who would like to learn more about this growing American subculture, I recommend Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today by Katherine Ramsland, and Bloodlust: Conversations with Real Vampires by Carol Page. In case you’re wondering, the epigraph by Ty King comes from “Some Assembly Required,” a second-season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, easily one of the best-written television shows ever produced. Homages to Buffyspeak and the Buffyverse permeate this book, as seemed appropriate.
I am greatly indebted to the sources who have supplied information about the workings of the U.S. Senate, but who, for some odd reason, have all chosen to remain anonymous. Special thanks to Jodie Nida and James Vance for reading and commenting on an early draft of this manuscript. Friends and readers of this quality are invaluable.
Readers are invited to e-mail me at [email protected], or to visit my official website at www.williambernhardt.com. See you next time.
– WILLIAM BERNHARDT
About William Bernhardt
William Bernhardt is the author of many books, including Primary Justice, Double Jeopardy, Silent Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, and Death Row. He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, and in 2000 he was presented the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his children, Harry, Alice, and Ralph.
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Capitol Murder Page 38