Bad Girls Finish First
Page 29
Michael looked at Sweeney and saw trouble in his eyes. The politician in him wanted to exploit whatever was going on, to say he couldn’t make an adequate rebuttal because Sweeney hadn’t answered the questions. Michael looked into the audience, at Grace. He couldn’t do anything for her now except set a good example for their sons.
“I don’t know who Richard Altoona is,” Michael said.
David turned to Erika. “You know everybody who’s anybody,” he whispered. “Do you know this Altoona guy?”
“Shit! How did Minshew dig that up?” That was all Erika said, and all the answer David needed.
It was C.T. White’s turn to ask a question. He’d planned to throw Michael a hardball question on reparations, but he changed his mind. “Mr. Sweeney, how do you know Richard Altoona?”
“He was my wife’s, uh, friend. She knew him from college.” Sweeney looked a mess. He looked at his wife, who sat on the front row. Her tiny rounded shoulders slumped.
Lucille VanHoffer ceded her questioning time to Minshew.
“Mr. Sweeney, isn’t it true Richard Altoona was a physician who used to supply Mrs. Sweeney with Oxy-Contin?” Minshew asked accusingly.
Sweeney visibly cringed. “Leave my wife out of this!”
“Two years ago Richard Altoona was found dead. His nostrils were clogged with congealed blood and cocaine, were they not? And his, uh, private parts were bound by rubber bands. Isn’t that true?” Minshew was so excited, he shot the questions at Sweeney without giving him a chance to answer. But Sweeney tried his best; he kept shouting, “Leave my wife alone!” but he couldn’t drown out Minshew.
Minshew dealt the final blow. “Wasn’t Mrs. Sweeney questioned about Richard Altoona’s death?”
“Those records are supposed to be sealed,” Sweeney said quietly and walked off the stage.
Throughout, Michael bowed his head rather than witness the public disembowelment of a man he respected.
As soon as the lights went up, David turned in the opposite direction from Erika and made his way down the aisle.
“David!” When Erika called his name, there was no command in her voice, but there was a pleading urgency. When he turned, she didn’t say anything, but her eyes asked the question: Is this it? Are we done?
He smiled at her kindly, turned around and kept walking, making his way toward Raven.
Michael stood with Christopher and Evan, accepting the congratulations of well-wishers. It wasn’t the way he wanted to become governor of Texas, but hey, that’s politics for you. Michael expected Raven to be at his side, but when he looked around the auditorium, he saw her turning her face up to accept a congratulatory kiss from David. Raven turned and waved but she didn’t seem in a hurry to join him.
Michael asked Christopher, “Where’s your mother?”
“There she is.” Christopher pointed to where Grace stood talking to one of the professors from Monroe’s business college. “She and Professor Dupas are going to dinner, then he’s dropping her at home.”
“Looks like your friend’s finally leaving,” Raven said as she watched Erika walk out. “Oh, she looks sad.” Raven gave Erika a wave and a so sorry look.
“Now’s not the time or the place,” David said, “but I’ve been doing some soul searching. We need to talk.”
“Sure thing, but my time is going to be tight over the next few weeks.” Raven smiled radiantly. “Can you believe it? I’m going to be the governor’s wife! This is just the beginning for Michael and me. I tell you, David, this has to be the happiest day of my life,” she said, accustomed to being able to tell him anything. Raven was oblivious to the pain in David’s eyes.
“I love you, Raven,” he said.
“Yeah, I love you, too,” she said absently, her eyes roving the room. She pinched David’s butt and left his side to be with her husband.
“Come back here!” Michael said early the next morning as Raven got out of bed. She playfully slapped his hands away. “Please, no more. After last night it’s a miracle I have the strength to move.”
Michael lay back on his pillow and cradled his head in intertwined hands. “It was like when we were first married, or when we were dating.” He looked at her with awe. “I’ve never seen you so . . .”
“Reckless?” Raven pulled on sweats and put her hair up in a ponytail. “I know, Mr. Governor-elect. And you loved every minute of it.”
“That I did,” Michael said as he recalled how Raven had climbed all over him as soon as they got into their limousine after the debate. She sexed him during the entire ride from Dallas to Austin. That Raven was something else.
“You really think Sweeney is finished?” he asked.
“Of course. You won the debate anyway, but Sweeney’s meltdown ended the governor’s race.” She put on a baseball cap and pulled her ponytail through the back. “I’m headed to Starbucks, back in a minute.”
Raven lingered in Starbucks, drinking coffee with a dozen newspapers by her side. The headlines were all the same: JOSEPH WILL BE TEXAS’ GOVERNOR! SWEENEY WITHDRAWS AMID SCANDAL.
Raven flipped through the paper until she found another, smaller headline: MAN FOUND DEAD. POLICE SUSPECT SUICIDE.
The latter article said, “Last night patrons of a Sixth Street bar called the police when a man walked in with a sawed-off shotgun. The man reportedly announced, ‘This is my last bugle blow,’ put the gun in his mouth, and fired. Police are withholding the man’s identity pending notification of next of kin.”
David’s going to take this pretty hard, Raven thought as she sipped her latte and read the article again. He’s going to need me. She thought about it some more and decided that David didn’t really need her. It wasn’t like she could do anything. Michael’s going to be upset too, maybe even more than David. Now that he’s practically the governor I really must put him first.
Raven picked up the Los Angeles Times, which featured her and Michael on the front page. She sighed and said aloud, “Life is good.”
“Is it, now?” a man replied.
Raven’s blood froze in her veins. She turned and found herself staring into the gold-flecked eyes of Omar Faxton.
“You look surprised,” he said. “You had to know I’d turn up sooner or later.” He sat down across from her.
“But I thought—” Raven blurted and abruptly stopped.
Omar shook his head. “I’ve got more lives than a cat. You of all people should understand that.” He thumped Raven’s newspaper. “Congratulations. Word to the wise—enjoy it while it lasts.”
“What do you want?” Raven asked, trying to sound tough.
Omar’s smooth voice stayed even, but his eyes turned cruel. “I thought about letting bygones be bygones, but I couldn’t do it. I changed my last name, but I guess I’m still the same old Omar, and you know how I roll.”
He leaned toward Raven, and when she flinched, he grabbed her ponytail to hold her close. Omar’s lips brushed against her ear. “I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere until we’re even,” he whispered. “I hope for your sake you’re prepared.”
Omar stood and threw Raven the smile that used to drive all the women nuts back when they were law students.
“See you around,” he said, and walked away.
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