then.”
“So how was it going back to work? Are they calling for your
head?”
“Not yet. Fortunately, Alvin Baxter is a careless bigot, so my
party has its hands full trying not to alienate an entire race of
voters.”
“But you’ve got to like his timing.”
“No kidding. Whoever took that video probably had no idea
they were doing me such a favor . . . hmm.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I just had a wild thought. Forget it.”
“So what are you doing tonight?”
“Boring stuff.”
“Me too. Why don’t you sneak back over here? I’ll make an
ice cream run and set up the backgammon board.”
“That’s tempting.”
“Does that mean yes?”
Glynn sighed. “Don’t take this the wrong way, okay?” Charlotte stiffened, bracing herself for a polite but firm
brush-off. “Okay.”
“You’re my safety net. I hate to risk just hopping into my car and driving over, because I don’t want to be followed by the
press.”
“I get that. Why did you think I’d take it the wrong way?” “Because you’re more than just a place to hide. You’re the
only person who makes me forget just for a minute that all this
crap is going on.”
“Then logic should prevail. Your things are already here.
The fire is warm and toasty. And I’m in attack mode for
backgammon.”
“And I have at least two carloads of reporters parked in front
of my house. If I drive off, they’ll follow me.”
“Why don’t you slip out the back door and hop on the Metro?
I’ll pick you up at Cleveland Park in twenty minutes. You up for
that?”
“That sounds very sneaky, Charlotte. Do you do this sort of
thing often?”
“I’ll never tell. Bring something to wear on Monday, and I’ll
take you for your treatment before work.”
“You’re a lifesaver. Can we talk about Michael’s deposition
with Sebby, or is that off limits?”
“Ferrin knows we’re friends, and he didn’t advise me not to
talk with you.”
“Good. I really want your take on this, and I promise not to
put you in the middle of my war with Mark McKee.” “I appreciate that.”
Charlotte hung up and let her head fall back on the couch.
She was gradually giving herself permission to forge ahead with
Glynn, deciding once and for all that she wasn’t breaking any
ethical rules. That didn’t mean she was going to announce their
friendship to everyone at work, but she wasn’t going to lose any
more sleep over it. Her arguments were solid—Sebby was no
longer her patient, so his care could not be compromised. And
while Glynn was emotionally vulnerable, she was mature enough
to know the difference between a real friend and an authority
figure taking advantage.
• • •
Glynn dialed nervously and waited for an answer. “It’s ringing,” she said to Charlotte, who sat beside her on the couch. “Hi, stranger. It’s Glynn. How have you been?”
After a brief moment of silence, Stephanie answered. “Hi, yourself. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“I bet.” Glynn was relieved to hear what sounded like genuine friendship in Stephanie’s voice. “Before I say anything else, you know this is all a mistake, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. But what’s up with Sebby? Your son worships you. Why is he accusing you of this?”
Glynn filled her in on the details of her son’s suicide attempt and subsequent placement in a treatment center. “According to the therapist, this is something Sebby’s been suppressing for all these years. It’s really scary what little details he remembers about the day Bas died, but then he adds the big one that never happened. I don’t have any idea where he got this or why. Anyway, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. It seems the prosecutor thinks my proclivity toward women is a decent motive for killing my husband. And your name is bound to come up during depositions.”
“Am I going to be on TV? I’ll need a haircut.”
That reaction wasn’t at all what Glynn had expected. “Are you sure you heard what I said? You’re supposed to be freaking out.”
“I talked to Edwin about it last year when things got serious with Debbie. This living-in-the-closet shit is for the birds. Edwin’s okay with it . . . my family’s okay with it. So no big deal.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in trading jobs and families.”
“No, thanks. So is that what this is all about with Sebby? Is he still upset about you and me?”
“I don’t think so. Charlotte thinks he’s scared about the breast cancer thing, and that’s why he tried to hurt himself.” She related the news of her progress with her radiation treatments. “I haven’t even had time to worry about it. I know it’s going to hit me one of these days, but right now, I can’t even think about it.”
“If you need anything at all . . .”
“The only thing I need is to know you can handle what’s coming. My lawyer’s trying to draft a statement where I basically tell them everything and let them verify it so they won’t go digging around in my personal life and calling witnesses.”
“A stipulation.”
“That’s right.”
“Just make sure you spell my name right.” Her voice was warm and teasing.
“Stephanie, you’re a jewel.”
“And if you need a character witness, I’ll tell them what a character you are.”
“Thanks. Thanks for everything.”
Charlotte folded her arms and smirked. “I get to say I told you so.”
“Told me what?”
“I told you if you asked your friends for help, they’d be there.”
“So you did. But you’ll notice my family hasn’t exactly rushed to my aid. And when the part about Stephanie hits the papers, that’ll be all she wrote.”
“You don’t know that for sure, Glynn. Give them a chance.”
Glynn sighed. “The way I look at it, I’ve got three things to worry about—my son getting his head on straight, beating breast cancer and keeping myself out of jail—in that order. I don’t need to add parental hostility to the list. Their indifference is enough.”
Chapter 16
From her office window, Glynn had a slim view of the growing crowd on the Capitol steps. The better view was on television, where political analysts were gauging the fallout from Alvin Baxter’s gaffe, and assessing if his impending resignation after thirty-four years in the House would be enough to allow the Republican party to recover.
“Glynn?” Mary Ann appeared in her doorway. “Congressman Stines’s secretary is on the phone. They want a meeting at one thirty.”
Stines was the minority leader, and now that Baxter was history, Glynn was back in their sights. “Figures. They’re not even waiting for Baxter’s body to get cold.”
She closed her office door and dialed Michael’s cell phone. “Your favorite murder suspect has been summoned to a meeting with the top dogs at one thirty. Can you be there?”
“I have a meeting with Ferrin in twenty minutes to go over your stipulation, but that shouldn’t take long. I was just watching Baxter’s farewell speech. He still doesn’t get it, does he?”
“There are more like him waiting in the wings, I’m afraid, and they’re on both sides of the aisle.”
“All the more reason to convince your party leaders not to offer you up for slaughter too. Were those reporters still hanging out in front of your house this morning?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t go home. Charlo
tte dropped me off here after my treatment this morning.”
“You might want to consider making that a permanent move, depending on how this meeting goes. With Baxter gone, the press will be looking for a new amusement.”
“Did you call David Pender?”
“Yes, he’s putting together a few more questions, and we’ll all sit down together to talk about it for a piece in Sunday’s Post.”
“My official coming out party.”
“Oh, and we had a little setback this morning with Judge Bowers.”
“You mean this can get worse?”
“She’s allowing cameras.”
“How can they do that? Sebby’s a minor.”
“It’s a big case. Ferrin wants to be on television.”
Glynn sat in her chair and spun. “When this is over, I’m having him audited every year for the rest of his life. And Mark McKee too.”
He sighed. “I can see we still need to work on your public persona.”
“You mean my public façade.”
“Call it whatever you want. Just make sure you smile and offer your appreciation for McKee’s concern.”
“If you’ll excuse me now, I have to go throw up.”
He chuckled. “I’ll meet you in your office at one.”
Glynn dialed Charlotte’s cell phone, expecting to leave a message. She was surprised when Charlotte answered.
“Do you have a minute?”
“More like . . . forty-five seconds.”
“I just wondered if I’d worn out my welcome yet.” “Of course not.”
“That’s good. Now that Baxter’s old news, Michael thinks I ought to stay out of sight for a few more days until I leave for Indiana.”
“See you tonight then. I’ve got to run.”
Glynn closed her phone and allowed herself a smile. This wasn’t going to be an easy day, but at least she had something to look forward to.
Charlotte followed her patient into the lobby and checked her mailbox. “Is Brandon back from his seminar?”
“He just came in,” Joyce answered.
Charlotte walked down the hall and tapped on her colleague’s door, then entered his office. Without waiting for an invitation, she closed his door and took a seat on the couch.
Brandon set aside the folder he was working on and looked at her with amusement. “Something on your mind?”
“I need to talk to someone and you’re it.”
He came from behind his desk and sat in a chair next to her. “Is this about Julie?”
She cocked her head in confusion. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
He shrugged. “Nothing in particular. We both tend to shut the door when we talk about personal stuff.”
Charlotte thought about it and chuckled at the irony. “But when we talk about our patients, we leave the door open.”
“That’s right. I think we subconsciously separate professional confidences from personal ones.”
“This one is both.”
He raised his eyebrows. “What’s up?”
Charlotte nervously picked at the fabric on the couch, not making eye contact. “Remember a while back when I mentioned I’d had coffee with that congresswoman?”
“The one that murdered her husband?”
Charlotte bristled. “She didn’t murder her husband. Her son’s confused, and for some reason, Mark McKee isn’t asking enough questions to get to the bottom of it.”
He held up a finger as if to caution her. “Charlotte, it’s one thing to not want to believe something, but you can’t go around questioning another doctor’s treatment plan without solid information.”
She slumped against the back of the couch and sighed. “I know. It’s just that Sebby remembers parts of the story with amazing accuracy. But other parts seem like they’re just pieced together, like they’re fabricated.”
Brandon cleared his throat and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You and the congresswoman have gotten to be friends, right?”
She nodded.
“Are you sure you aren’t just believing what you want to believe because his mom says so?”
Charlotte sighed. It was a fair question, but she was prepared. “I think Mark has taken everything Sebby said at face value, and he stopped digging too soon.”
“Have you talked to him?”
She shook her head. “I can’t.”
“That’s why you shut the door, isn’t it?”
Charlotte shifted in her seat and looked at him sheepishly.
“Christ, Charlotte. Are you involved with her?”
“No . . . not technically.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
She didn’t like his judgmental tone. “Look, Brandon . . . we’re not lovers. Are you satisfied, or did that burst your titillated bubble?”
He glared at her angrily. “I didn’t deserve that.”
Charlotte took a deep breath and calmed herself. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“So what’s going on?” he asked, all traces of disapproval gone.
“She’s been staying at my house for the past week, hiding out from the press. And on top of murder charges and almost losing her son to a suicide attempt, she’s getting radiation treatments for breast cancer.”
He looked at her a long time before responding. “She’s definitely a sympathetic figure.”
“It isn’t just that, Brandon. I’ve heard her talk about her husband. She loved him, and they had a good life. They were happy. Even Sebby remembers that, which makes the rest of it not fit.”
“So what’s the story? I haven’t seen much in the papers.”
Charlotte filled him in on the background.
“You know what it sounds like?”
“I know what I think, but I want to hear it from you.”
“Sleepwalking.”
“Exactly. Part of me hopes they turn up something in a sleep test, but I don’t know how she’ll live with thinking she killed her husband in her sleep. And I don’t know if her son will accept that explanation.”
“Maybe not, but it’s better than life in prison.”
“Yeah, and it’s probably better than being found not guilty, but everybody thinking you probably did it and got it away with it. Sebby’s the one she has to convince.”
“Can I ask a question without getting my head chopped off?”
Charlotte took in his injured-puppy look and chuckled. “You want to know about Glynn and me?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s getting to me. I like her a lot.”
“That’s what I thought.”
He didn’t sound happy, which begged a question she didn’t really want to ask. “Do you think I’m doing something unethical?”
“It’s not for me to judge.”
“I’m asking you as a friend.”
“As your friend, I can vouch for you. The Charlotte Blue I know would never do anything improper.”
“Man, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that.”
“Dr. Perdue might not be so trusting.”
Charlotte slapped her knees and stood. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Your opinion is the one that matters most.”
Michael held the door for Glynn. “Are you nervous about this?”
“Not really,” she said. “I pulled more votes in my district than either of these guys did in theirs. How did your meeting with Ferrin go?”
“He’s good with our stipulation, but he still wants to recall your staff to verify the dates you provided.”
“He can call Stephanie if he wants. She came out last year to her boss.”
Michael smiled in evident relief. “That should help us. If you’ll give me her number, I’ll pass that on.”
“Does he honestly think I offed my husband because I had a girlfriend waiting in the wings?”
“I don’t think so. He needs a theory, though, something to tie it all together. He knows the jury isn’t going to like his argument if
he can’t offer a possible motive.”
Glynn shook her head. “That’s pretty flimsy.”
“That’s why I think we should steal his thunder and get it out there before he does. Since it’s coming out in the Post on Sunday, we might as well tell your party bosses this afternoon.”
“I think they would rather I just be a murderer.”
They reached the outer office of Allan Stines, Republican minority leader, where the receptionist greeted them. “Congresswoman, they’re waiting for you.” She knocked once and opened the door.
Glynn and Michael entered the office, an expansive chamber decorated in dark mahogany and upholstered in rich masculine tones. Stines immediately stood alongside Clayton Michener, minority whip. Both were sixty-ish white men in gray suits, the staple of their party, it seemed to Glynn. Stines obviously colored his hair, perhaps in deference to the younger woman rumored to be his mistress.
Glynn made the introductions and took the offered seat on the sofa. Michael sat beside her.
“Thank you for rearranging your schedule to meet with us, Glynn.”
“I’m eager to get out in front of this, gentlemen. On the advice of my attorney, I’ve been avoiding public comment, but I believe it’s time to take a stand.”
Michener spoke up. “In light of our recent experience with Congressman Baxter, the party feels a housecleaning might be in order. We were hoping you would help us avoid further scrutiny and criticism. We believe you should resign immediately . . . for the good of the party, of course.”
“You certainly don’t beat around the bush,” she said dryly.
Michael cleared his throat. “As the congresswoman’s attorney, I have advised a different approach. A resignation at this time would be disastrous to her defense, as she has done nothing improper. Some would view her departure as an admission of guilt.”
Stines lit a cigarette, a flagrant violation of rules within the Capitol complex, but one he flaunted as a party leader. “The problem of public image is a much bigger issue than the reputation of any individual within the party, Mr. Gattison. The congresswoman understands this position and has supported it herself in the past.”
“When did I—”
He picked up a clipping. “I have a public statement from you three years ago in which you were advocating the resignation of our Democratic colleague from Florida, Congressman Winters. You said it was in the best interest of everyone—including his entire party—for him to resign immediately.”
Secrets So Deep eBook Page 18