The First Counsel

* * *

"And you believe that load of horse crap?" Trey asks.

"Trust me, she was really upset."

As we leave the confines of the OEOB, Trey throws me the rub. Not a slow one--just fast enough to tell me I should be careful.

"Now you don't trust Lamb?" I ask as we cross 17th Street.

"Lamb I love--Nora's the one I'm worried about."

"You really think she knows Vaughn?"

"Actually, no, but I think she's lying about the drugs. I've heard too many rumblings to believe she's clean."

"Forget about the drugs. The more important question is: How does Simon know Vaughn?"

"So now you're convinced Simon's the one who let him in?"

"Look at the facts, Trey. Caroline died during the exact same time period that an accused murderer was walking the halls. You think it's all still coincidence? Simon sensed the opportunity the moment he saw me following him. Instead of continuing to pay Caroline, he decides to kill her. He knows I have the money; he knows I won't use my alibi; he knows he can blame it on me. It's the best way to shut me up--invite Vaughn in under my name, then stand back and watch the fireworks."

"And how'd he know you had the money?"

"He could've double-backed and seen us--or maybe Caroline called him when she realized the payment was short."

"I don't know. It's a lot to plan in one night."

"Not when you consider what's at risk," I shoot back. Trey steps out across Pennsylvania Avenue, leaving me two steps behind. I race to catch up as quick as I can.

Reaching the pay phone across the street from the OEOB, Trey pulls out Vaughn's phone number and a handful of change.

"Are you sure this is a smart idea?" I ask as he picks up the receiver.

"Someone's gotta save your ass. If I'm the one talking, they can't trace it to you"--he punches in the first three digits--"and this way, it's not coming from your line."

"Screw the trace--I'm talking about the call in general. If Vaughn's the killer, why's he contacting me?"

"Maybe he has a guilty conscience. Maybe he wants to make a deal. Either way, at least we're doing something."

"But to call him at home . . ."

"No offense, Michael, but you asked for my help and I'm not gonna let you sit on your hands--even if Lamb can delay everything until after the election, you still have the same problems as right now. At least with Vaughn, there's a chance of finding an answer."

"But what if it's just a sucker bet? Maybe that's the trap: They link us together, Vaughn turns state's evidence, and bam, they send me away."

Trey stops dialing. Paranoia cuts both ways.

"You know it's possible," I say.

We both look down at Vaughn's number. Sure, it's creepy for Vaughn to reach out to me. And yeah, it's got me thinking that there's something else at play. But that doesn't mean we can just solve it with a phone call.

"Maybe you should talk to Nora," Trey finally suggests. "Ask her again if she knows him."

"I already did."

"But you can still ask her--"

"I told you, I already did!"

"Stop shouting at me!"

"Then stop treating me like a moron! I know what I'm dealing with."

"See, that's where you're wrong. You don't know her, Michael. You don't know anything about her--all you've seen are the highlight reels."

"That's not true. I know lots abou--"

"I'm not talking flirty political chitchat. I'm talking the real stuff: What's her favorite movie? Or favorite food? How about her favorite author?"

"Graham Greene, burritos, and Annie Hall," I rattle back.

"You're trusting the old article from People magazine? I wrote those answers! Not her! They wanted funky and downtown, so I gave it to them!"

Seeing the rising anger in each other's eyes, we both take a moment and look over our respective shoulders. Eventually, Trey breaks the silence. "What's this really about, Michael? Saving yourself, or saving Nora?"

The question's so dumb, it doesn't deserve an answer.

"It's okay to want to be a hero," he says. "And I'm sure she appreciates the loyalty . . ."

"It's not just loyalty, Trey--if she takes a hit, I go down with her."

"Unless she cuts you loose and you go down alone. So here's the news flash, my friend: I don't care if Pam had a nice encounter in the elevator, I'm not gonna watch you get clobbered as the most likely suspect."

Stepping around Trey, I head back to the OEOB. "I appreciate the concern, but I know what I'm doing. I didn't work this hard and get this far to just give up and lose it. Especially when it's in my control."

"You think you're in control?" He jumps in front of me and blocks my way. "I hate to break it to you, loverboy, but you can't save everyone. Now, I'm not saying you should turn her in--I just think you have to pay a bit more attention to the facts."

"There are no facts! Whoever did this, it's like they've created a whole new reality."

"See, there's the mistake. However you want to delude yourself, there're still a few eternal truths left in the universe: New shoes hurt. Khakis are evil. Bad things happen at air shows. And most important, if you're not careful, protecting Nora is going to blow up in your f--"

"You two doing okay?" a male voice interrupts behind us.

We both spin around.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Simon adds. "Just wanted to say hello."

"Hi," I blurt.

"Hey," Trey says.

Wondering how long he's been there, both of us start the dissection. If he knows what we're up to, we'll see it in his body language.

"So who were you calling?" he asks as he slides a hand in his left pants pocket.

"Just paging Pam," I reply. "She was supposed to meet us for lunch."

Simon glances at Trey, then back at me. "And how'd your meeting go with Adenauer?"

How'd he know about--

"If you want, we can talk about it later," he adds with just enough force to remind me of our deal. Simon still wants to keep this quiet--even if he has to make me look like a killer to do it. Stepping off the sidewalk, he toasts us with a cup of recently bought coffee. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do."

Chapter 15

I wake up Friday morning feeling like I've been smacked in the back of the head with a skillet. Seven days after Caroline's death, my anxieties are raging and my eyes feel swollen shut. The week of restless sleep is finally taking its toll. Frankenstein-shuffling to the front door, I open my eyes just long enough to pick up my newspapers. It's a couple minutes past six and I still haven't called Trey. It's not going to be long now.

I take two steps toward the kitchen table and the phone rings. Never fails. I pick up without saying hello.

"Who's your momma?" he croons.

I answer with an impossibly long yawn.

"You haven't even showered, have you?" he asks.

"I haven't even scratched myself yet."

Trey pauses. "I don't need to hear that. Understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, yeah, just tell me the news." I pull the Post from the top of the pile and lay it flat on the table. My eyes go straight to the small headline at the bottom right of the page: "Sperm May Be Real, but Government Says Benefits Aren't."

"What's with the sperm, Trey?"

Again, there's a pause. "You better hope no one's taping these calls."

"Just tell me the story. Is this that lady who was artificially inseminated by her dead husband's frozen sperm?"

"The one and only. She keeps it on ice, has herself a kid after the husband dies, and then applies for the dead husband's Social Security benefits. Yesterday, HHS denied the request since the baby was conceived after the parent's death."

"So let me guess: Now they want the White House to reevaluate the agency's decision?"

"Give the dog a bone," he sings. "And believe me, this one's a dog if ever there was one. Now it's just a question of who's going to get stuck with it."

"Ten bucks says we will." Flipping through the rest of the paper, I add, "Anything else interesting?"

"Depends on whether you think losing a bet is interesting."

"What?"

"Jack Tandy's media column in the Times. In an interview with Vanity Fair that hits the stands next week, Bartlett says--and I quote--'If you can't take care of the First Family, how can you possibly put family first?'"

I wince at the verbal stab. "Think it's going to stick?"

"Are you kidding? A quote like that--I hate to say it, Michael, but that's a winner talking. I mean, you can feel the shift. Unless the country throws a hissy fit, it'll be in the stump speech by the next news cycle. Voters don't like bad parents. And thanks to your girlfriend, Bartlett just got a brand-new applause line."

Instinctively, I reach for the Times. But when I unfold it on the table, the first thing I notice is the front photo: a nice shot of Hartson and the First Lady talking to a group of religious leaders in the Rose Garden. But in the back right corner of the picture, lurking in the last row of the crowd, is the one person without a smile: Agent Adenauer.

I break out in an instant sweat. What the hell is he doing there?

"Michael, you with me?" Trey yells.

"Yeah," I say, turning back to the receiver. "I . . . yeah."

"What's wrong? You sound like death."

"Nothing," I reply. "I'll talk to you later."