“I did, but you were determined to see this through. I just don’t know if it can be done.” She furrowed her brow. “Honestly, Jack, you can’t imagine how big this operation could be.”
“I can, and in three months, I will have it dismantled. You’re going to do this with me, right?” I glanced at the clock. “Because, in a few minutes, we aren’t going to be alone anymore. So, if you want to back out, now is the time to do it before we hang an entire plan on a woman who doesn’t seem to be very reliable.”
Her lips trembled just a little, but she didn’t cry. I hoped it was because she knew that I wasn’t going to be swayed by her tears. She had a long way to go if she wanted to earn my respect.
“I’m not backing out, Jack,” she said softly. “I’m with you. If you want to do this as quickly as possible, then I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen for you. You deserve your happiness and peace of mind.”
“Good.” A message popped up on my computer from the guard downstairs, who promised to inform me when the detectives arrived. “They’re here, so pull yourself together.”
A few minutes later, Detectives Winkler and Garcia strolled in with a man and a woman. At the sight of the detectives, my stomach clenched. The city of Miami could rest assure that the partners were working for them and only them. Not that I’d tried to bribe them when they suspected me of murder, but I was surprised by their unwillingness to give me much slack in the rope.
To their credit, they worked hard for the victim and cleared me fairly, but they made it clear that my status wouldn’t do much to save me. The two of them wore the same serious expression. Both wore trademark dark suits and those stoic expressions. The woman, an attractive older blonde, had her hair pulled back in a tight bun, and the man, closer to my age, looked more relaxed as he looked around my office and smirked.
“Congressman Drayson, this is Agent Holster and Agent Krentz from the FBI. They’ll be working with us during the investigation and had some questions for you,” Garcia said as he took out a small hand-held instrument and began moving it around my office.
Winkler continued as if nothing strange was happening. “We appreciate you meeting with us. As we already mentioned, you’re no longer a suspect, but you had a relationship with the deceased, and we’d like to fill in a few holes.”
“No bugs,” Garcia announced as he pocketed the device. “Your office is clean of any listening devices or hidden cameras. We can talk freely.”
“I could have already told you that,” I said dryly. “The offices are swept every morning for listening devices.”
“Congressman, we don’t know how far the reach of these killers go. It’s better if we air on the side of caution,” Krentz said as she turned to Donna. “You’re the congressman’s mother?”
“Yes. I’m Donna Irwin.”
Holster frowned. “You took back your maiden name after you divorced?”
“It was easier that way. The Drayson name came with power and wealth, and I didn’t want my past issues to mess that up. I struggled for a while, but now I’m in a position to help, and I plan on doing just that.”
Krentz frowned as she studied my mother. I pulled up a few more chairs for everyone and then sat back down. “Are the two of you from Florida?” I asked.
“No, actually, we’re stationed in DC,” Krentz answered as she turned from Donna and sat down as well. “I have some experience with political espionage, which is why we were assigned the case. When bodies start dropping, it makes it easier for us to step in. Using women as paramours isn’t unheard of, but I’m wondering if the use of Carin was solely for your benefit, Congressman. I’ve studied your career. Not a whiff of scandal up until now. Hard to blackmail a man who does nothing wrong.”
“My son is a good boy,” Donna said proudly. “He’s destined for greatness, and the group knows it.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that you are a good man because we’re going to need your help bringing them down. Infiltrating the group is a risky move, but if you do as we say, then hopefully, everything will go smoothly. Has anyone approached you directly?”
“Not yet, but I’m hoping that it won’t be long. I’ve cut ties with my girlfriend, and my father is planning on publicly disavowing me. Once it appears that I’m floundering, I’m sure they’ll swoop in. There are several bills being introduced as we speak that will probably be of interest to them.” It still made my stomach churn to think of someone trying to use me.
Donna shifted nervously. “I’m planning on telling my contact that Jack is at a loss about what to do next. That should give them an opening.”
“You have a direct contact? Are they here in the city?” Krentz asked as she turned her head and stared at my mother.
“No, he’s not in the city. I’m not sure where he is,” Donna said softly, and even I knew that she was lying. “I met him a year ago, and after they started blackmailing me, they contacted me only by phone.”
Krenz nodded. “All right. We can work that angle while we focus on the congressman. We’ll keep you safe.”
Donna didn’t look convinced, and I could tell that’s why she’d lied. If she handed Daniel over to them, Daniel would probably kill her before the feds ever touched them. That didn’t sit well with me. I still wanted to protect her.
“Are you planning on making any big changes at the office right now?” Holster asked as he tugged idly at his black tie.
“No, not really,” I muttered as I stared at his shoes. They were so shiny that I could practically see my furniture reflected in them. Either this man was new to the bureau, or his personal appearance was highly important to him. “Oh, wait, that’s not true. I’m interviewing a public relations agent in a few days. Since the scandal with Sherry’s death and now my breakup with Blythe, my ratings are bound to dip. The guy’s name is Clarke Mason, and he’s got an excellent reputation for working with politicians. Other than that, it’s just business as usual around here.”
Krentz nodded in approval. “Good. While your mother is floating rumors of your downfall, we want the group to still see you as a strong individual. Too many changes in the office will reflect on how you’re dealing with your personal life.”
“If they think that I can’t hack it, then they’ll move on?” I asked dryly. “It’s tempting.”
“I’m sure it is. What you’re doing isn’t easy.” Standing, she buttoned her jacket. “That’s really all for now. We just flew in and wanted to get a sense of you. Once we talk to the detectives, we’ll be back in touch. Make sure to let us know if anything suspicious happens.”
“Suspicious?” I snorted as I stood to shake their hands. “People were being killed, and I had no idea what was going on.”
“You’re a man who still clings to the idea of a hopeful future. Don’t lose that, Congressman,” Krentz said softly as she shook my hand. “I wouldn’t want this to take away from all the good that you could be doing.”
She had a point. I would have to straddle my two jobs if I wanted to make this work without losing myself in the process.
No wonder my mother didn’t think this could be done in such a short amount of time.
4 Blythe
When I didn’t hear from Jack by late afternoon, I assumed that I wasn’t going to spend the night with him. He’d warned me that there would be days and nights when I didn’t hear from him, but he wasn’t even in the group yet. I didn’t think the absences would start so soon.
Annoyed that I was turning into a nagging girlfriend when we weren’t even a week into our newly illicit relationship, I went home and hoped that there was something in my kitchen that I could make for dinner. I’d skipped lunch, and my stomach was rumbling.
It didn’t surprise me to find Rachel waiting for me at my apartment with take-out. “Chinese food and wine,” she said as she lifted them.
“I could kiss you,” I grinned as I unlocked the door and ushered her inside. “I’m pretty sure I was down to crackers.”
“B
lythe, you are always down to crackers. Seriously. I think you never go to the grocery store, and your kitchen just manages to magically produce scraps for you to live on,” she muttered as she followed behind me.
Slinging my tote bag and purse on the couch, I turned to help her. “If I had a magical kitchen, it better damn well do more than just produce scraps.” We settled the food on the counter, and I opened a cabinet to pull out some plates and wine glasses. “Not that I’m not grateful, but today was your day off. What are you doing here?”
“Are you kidding? When a woman is going through a breakup, it’s the best friend’s prerogative to feed her with take-out and wine and ice cream. I just don’t have the ice cream. Whenever I eat Chinese food, I get so full that there’s never any room for anything else.”
“Agreed.” With all the takeout I’d shared with Rachel while we were working late, I knew exactly how to divvy up the food. She poured the wine, and we both settled on the couches. Rachel was great with chopsticks, but I’d never been able to manage them, so I stabbed at my rice with a fork. “You don’t have to do this, though. Things are dangerous with Jack right now.”
“And he thinks it’s safer if you’re not connected with him.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “It’s a classic excuse.”
“A classic excuse?” I couldn’t help but laugh as I stared at her. “I must have some strange ex-boyfriends because no one else has ever told me that we had to breakup because the body count was getting too high.”
Shrugging, she dug into her food and pulled her legs up under her. Dressed in pajamas, she was clearly ready for a girl’s night, but I was still in my obligatory dress pants and sweater. It was nice on the days that I had to work at the sports complex because I could go for jeans and a t-shirt, but when I was at the office, Rachel insisted that I dress professionally.
She was my assistant, but she knew how to keep me in line.
“All I’m saying is that it’s a flimsy excuse. He obviously wanted to break up with you, and this was the best way he could think of so you didn’t get all mad and go to the press.”
“You have been Team Jack since the moment he walked through the doors of our office, remember? And he is in a dangerous situation or have you forgotten about the dead bodies?” Just thinking about seeing Hirsh bleeding to death made my hands shake.
“No, I haven’t,” she said hotly, “but I think that any man in that situation, any real man anyway, would want to protect their woman and stick by her side. Instead, he’s running from you and leaving you to fend for yourself. What if someone decides to come for you?”
I hadn’t told her that Carl would soon be joining us because I wasn’t really supposed to know, so I couldn’t defend him. “He thinks that by doing this, he’ll be protecting me. When things aren’t so dangerous for us—”
“So, you’re just going to wait for him? Oh, Blythe.” Putting her plate down, she grabbed her glass of wine and stared at me knowingly. “You’re not the kind of woman to do that.”
“I’m not?”
“No. The next time a guy catches your attention, you are going to march right up to him and announce that you’re single and tell him to take you out for a good time.”
She looked so serious that I felt bad for laughing at her. “Rachel, I didn’t even do that before I met Jack. I’m certainly not going to do it now. I think it’s best that I take some time off and think about what I want. Maybe you’re right. Maybe during this break, I’ll discover that I want something that Jack can’t give me. But I will not be jumping into another relationship.”
Groaning, Rachel dropped her head back dramatically and slung her arm over her forehead. “Blythe. You obviously don’t know how to handle a breakup. That is not at all what you do. You find a cute guy. You have a hot and heavy and very physical relationship, if you get my meaning…” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes. “How could I not get your meaning?”
“A rebound fling is something you realize right away is a mistake. It will fizzle out, but you will flush Jack out of your system, and then you’ll be ready to move on.”
Picking up my own wine, I sipped from it. It was getting harder and harder not to tell her about the diamond ring resting beneath my shirt. “You’re going to be very disappointed because I’m not going to do any of these things. I’m just getting out of a hot and heavy and very physical relationship, and I’m not ready to flush Jack out of my system. I love him. I owe it to him to see how this plays out.”
“So, you’re just going to be another woman waiting for her man who is focusing on his career. Is that it?” Her voice was surprisingly snippy. That wasn’t like Rachel at all.
I bristled. “I am a woman who is also focusing on her career, and speaking of that, I’m going down to the warehouse tomorrow to talk to the contractors, so I probably won’t be coming into the office until closer to noon. I’m caught up on all the paperwork, so can you man the office in the morning and then head down to the sports center in the afternoon? I haven’t been there since the breakup was announced, and I want to make sure that things are good, but I’m stretched a little thin right now, and we’ve got Second Chance Habitats with the kids and volunteer on—”
“Breathe…” Rachel laughed. “Didn’t people warn you that this was going to happen? At some point, you have to hire someone else to help you, Blythe. I will go to the sports center tomorrow, and I will look at your schedule and rearrange things so you can visit before the end of the week.”
Tension eased out of my shoulders. In almost all things business, Rachel was my hero. “You are the best. You know that, right?”
“I do. Now if you would just take my advice on relationships…”
“Not a chance.” Shaking my head ruefully, I smiled at her over the rim of my glass. “Want to rent a movie?”
“Rom-com?”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m thinking horror film where everyone dies.”
Her eyes widened, but she understood my mood and nodded. “Sounds good.”
* * *
The next morning, despite my wine-induced headache, I managed to make myself look somewhat presentable before I drove to the warehouse to meet the contractor. On the road, my phone dinged a few times, indicating work emails. When I parked, I pulled out my phone and tried to skim the emails while grabbing my things and hurrying across the empty parking lot.
It wasn’t until I walked right into a warm, hard body that I even realized that I wasn’t alone. “Oh my god. I am so sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was…” Looking up, my voice died, and I growled. “Damn it, Carl, you did that on purpose!”
“What if I was someone who was going to harm you?” he muttered.
Annoyed, I readjusted my tote and craned my neck to glare at him. “Then you would probably be hurting me now instead of just scowling at me. How did you even know that I would be here?”
“Jack told me.”
Ah. At least there was one person I didn’t have to lie to. “Wait, how does Jack know what I’m doing? Is he looking at my schedule? Can he even do that? It’s password protected!”
“Not so loud,” he said in a warning voice as he looked around on high alert. “I don’t like you out here in the open. Let’s get inside.” He grabbed my elbow and steered me across the cracked sidewalk to the door.
“I need to start making plans for curb appeal,” I noted as I stumbled behind him. “Carl, don’t you think you’re being a little overprotective? Jack broke up with me so nothing would happen to me.”
“That doesn’t mean that we should be cautious.” Once at the door, he waited patiently while I fished out the key and unlocked. “In the future, you will have your key ready.”
No wonder Jack liked him so much. They were both so bossy.
“Carl, you can’t hover around me. People are going to either know that you’re guarding me or think that you’re dating me, and no offense, but I’m not really into the whole bodyguard-fake-boyfriend trope. When we’re out
in public, you’re going to have to guard me from afar. So, go. Far.”
Waving him away, I looked over my shoulder as the contractor pulled up. Lowenstein Builders came highly recommended from several donors and were giving me a great deal on the warehouse renovations. Run by two brothers, they’d been attentive and helpful so far. I had a nightmare of an experience with the contractors who’d worked on the sports complex, so it was a relief to be working with nice guys.
Derek Lowenstein got out with his clipboard and two hard hats. Turning around to ask again for Carl to beat it, I made a small sound of surprise when I saw that he was already gone.
Knowing Carl, he hadn’t gone far.
“Derek, I’m so sorry that I’ve been hard to get ahold of. Things have just been happening so—”
He held up a hand. “It’s all right.” The big burly man plopped a hard hat on my head and escorted me inside. “I’ve seen the news. I’m sorry about the congressman.”
I was so impressed by the amount of work that he’d already done in the warehouse, that I barely heard him. “Yeah. It’s not a big deal,” I muttered as I walked around and stared. The old, cracked walls were pulled down, and the new installation was going up. Large wooden beams squared off the new individual rooms, and sections of the floor were missing.
A few weeks ago, this looked like a warehouse that had been abandoned years ago. In my head, I could see the new rooms going in. Large windows to let in lots of light. Plants to make it look warm and cozy. Bookcases full of scores of music for the singers and players. Canvases for the sketches and painters. Could I put a kiln in? Had I budgeted that? Desks and comfortable armchairs for the writers. It was going to be the perfect oasis.
“It’s not a big deal?” he asked quizzically.
“What? Oh, Jack.” I cleared my throat. “Right. I wasn’t saying that our breakup isn’t a big deal. I’m just saying that I don’t want to make it a big deal, you know? I’m not used to public relationships, and I’m having a hard time dealing in private, so I’m just asking people not to bring it up.”
His Climb to Power Page 3