Family Jewels

51

Stone got up a little early the following morning to greet his next person of interest for the Big Court. This was Congressman Terrence Maher, the bane of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Stone found him drinking coffee and reading a Washington Post (his own) on the sofa in his office. Bob watched him carefully from a respectful distance.

“Good morning. I’m Stone Barrington.”

“Terry Maher,” the man said. He was short, thick, and pugnacious-looking, with short, thick, graying hair and a poorly reconstructed broken nose.

“Can I get you more coffee?”

“You don’t want to experience me on two cups of coffee,” Maher replied.

Stone picked up the Maher folder on his desk and sat down. “Let’s see — City College of New York, BBA in accounting, Columbia Law and law review. Eight years with the late, great accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co., then ran for Congress in the Tenth District, formerly the home of Ed Koch and Carmine DeSapio. If I hadn’t grown up and moved uptown, you’d be my congressman.”

“And you would be a lucky citizen,” Maher said.

“You look like a former pug.”

“U.S. Marine Corps middleweight champion. I’ve put on a little tonnage since those days.”

“What was it like being gay in the Marine Corps?”

“It would have been hell on earth and probably fatal, if they had found out, but I managed to keep it quiet until I ran for Congress, then the Post unearthed an old lover — not even a very good one — and almost blew me out of the water. I think the gay vote in the Village saved me, and I’ve been eternally grateful to them ever since. I even tried to get the Stonewall Inn made a national monument — nearly drove the Republicans crazy.”

“You living with anybody now?”

“Hell, I’m married to a really sweet guy, another ex-Marine, nearly a year, now.”

“Congratulations. Does that leave anything in your personal life that might embarrass the President during the confirmation hearings?”

“Oh, the Post dragged all that out years ago. I’ve got some scar tissue, but no sucking wounds.”

“How do you see the hearings going? Any hope of getting confirmed?”

“As long as I don’t make an ass of myself while testifying, I don’t think they’d dare give me much trouble. The tide has turned and come roaring in, and they know that a vote against me would cause demonstrations in their districts. On the other hand, a vote for me would give them a leg to stand on come election day.”

“What about questions on more substantive issues?”

“All they can say is that I don’t follow their ideology, and I’ve voted on the moderate-to-conservative side of enough issues to give me some shade to stand in. Also, I’ve helped out every member of that committee in one way or another over the years. They’re not going to treat me as an embarrassment. I might even make it easy for them — get a suit made and grow a better haircut for the hearings.”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Stone said. “Remember, they’ll be showing all that on TV for years to come — might as well look good.”

“Let me ask you something,” Maher said.

“Shoot.”

“How’d I end up getting vetted in your office. I didn’t even know who the hell you were until I asked around.”

“What did you hear back?”

“Lawyer at a top firm, used to be married to the widow of a movie star — that’s about it.”

“To answer your question, the President asked me to meet you and report back.”

“Yeah, but why you?”

“I understand you’re meeting four people, and I don’t know who the others are, but I would guess they’re people she knows well and from whom she can expect a straight answer to her questions.”

“Fair enough. Are you seeing Tiffany Baldwin?”

“Yes.”

“Would you believe that she once tried to put the make on me? How crazy is she?”

“An excellent question. Maybe she doesn’t read the Post.”

“I guess not. I wouldn’t want to go three rounds with her, either. I’m not sure I’d walk away.”

“Your instincts are good, Terry.”

“What else do you want to know? I’ve got a record — the President knows what I’m for and against.”

“What’s likely to come up in the hearings that might surprise her?”

Maher thought about that. “I’m one hell of a good cook,” he said. “French, Italian, anything you like.”

“Well, that surprises me.”

“I’ve often thought that when somebody finally unseats me — not that that’s possible — I might open a restaurant.”

“I’ll be your first customer.” Stone stood up and offered his hand. “Good to meet you.”

“And you.” Maher left; Bob watched him go but didn’t move.

“And what’s the matter with you, Bob? That guy scare you?”

The tail did the talking.

Joan buzzed. “Tiffany Baldwin in half an hour. I tried to get her to do it in public, but she wouldn’t budge.”

“All right. When she gets here I want you to come in here with a steno pad.”

“You know I don’t do shorthand.”

“Pretend, and don’t leave her alone with me for a second.”