American tabloid

JEH
58

She’d been crying. Tear streaks had ruined her makeup.

Kemper stepped into the foyer. Laura cinched her robe and stepped away from him.

He held out a small bouquet. “I’m going down to the Inaugural. I’ll be back in a few days.”

She ignored the flowers. “I figured that out. I didn’t think you put on that tuxedo to impress me.”

“Laura…”

“I wasn’t invited. Some neighbors of mine were, though. They donated ten thousand dollars to Jack’s campaign.”

Her mascara was running. Her whole face looked off-kilter.

“I’ll be back in a few days. We’ll talk things over then.”

Laura pointed to an armoire. “There’s a check for three million dollars in the top drawer. It’s mine, if I never contact the family again.”

“You could rip it up.”

“Would you?”

“I can’t answer that question.”

Her fingers were cigarette-stained. She’d left overflowing ashtrays out in plain sight.

Laura said, “Them or me?”

Kemper said, “Them.”