Capital Offense

“Damn it.” She hadn’t expected such strong opposition from Mark. Was he jealous of her commitment to Warner’s success? Probably, but she had to get around his emotions.

Mark was the necessary intermediary for her dealings. He’d solidified her position with the big-money men in Missouri. A critical maneuver that allowed her to demonstrate her ability as a savvy political player by influencing local government officials and accommodating the professional needs and concerns of the power brokers. So far she’d delivered on all requests, applying subtle pressure on the pulse points necessary to motivate people to cooperate with her wishes. Now, those same money men sought her out, assuring her that they supported Warner for the Senate and possibly for higher office.

She and Warner were going to have to continue to prove their political value to these people over the long haul to insure their support and Carolyn looked fond to the opportunity to do just that. It was how the game was played, and she liked the game. Liked it a lot.

***

Mark sat with the phone to his ear.

Edmund Lane answered the call himself.

“This is Mark.” he said without waiting for a greeting. “We’ve got some problems. Mort Fields included Carolyn as an investor in his software company.”

“What?”

Mark expected the outburst. “That’s the investment she’s alluded to, but until now I didn’t have any details. She owns five percent and holds it in a dummy corporation. But that’s not the worst part. She wants me to hire Cain to investigate Mort. I tried to discourage her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“Don’t worry about Cain. I’ll handle him.” Edmund said, then hesitated for a few seconds. “Mort Fields is another matter. He should have revealed his partnership with Carolyn to the Council. I don’t like secrets.”

“Or surprises,” Mark interjected.

Edmund continued as if Mark hadn’t spoken. “If he’d been honest with us, we could have planned accordingly. Now, it’s like we’ve been caught with our pants down in a convent.”

“Mort has also compromised our control.”

“A problem we can contain.” Edmund said. “We may need Carolyn as a first lady, but she can’t be allowed to broaden her support base. But we’ve got to be careful. We’ve got to operate without her knowing, because we can’t afford a power struggle with her, either.”

“Should we call a meeting to discuss the situation?”

“No,” Edmund said. “I’ll handle Mort.”

“What about Carolyn?”

“Do as she asks. For the most part she’s playing nicely into our plans.”

“Let’s just hope that Mort doesn’t tell her anything about our existence,” Mark said.

“He may be a weasel sneaking around the hen house, but he wouldn’t be that stupid. If he did, our plans to use her as a cover would be jeopardized.”

“Should we update the others?”

“Let’s just keep this between us. We still need Mort, and this may work to our advantage.”

Mark stared at the phone receiver. How far was he willing to go for a Cabinet post in Washington? He wasn’t sure, but certainly a few phone calls couldn’t hurt. He just prayed that his limits wouldn’t be tested.

TWENTY

The White Cross Charity Ball, held each year on the last Saturday of April in Missouri ’s capital, was the biggest and most important social event of the year. Carolyn and Warner arrived promptly at 8:00 P.M.

“We’ll be sitting with Governor Radcliff and his wife,” Carolyn said. “Senator Rudly, and of course, Senator Green and his wife. Meet me at the table right before dinner.” They paused at the entrance to the ballroom and were announced.

“Did you hear me?” she asked.

Warner glared at her.

“It took me four phone calls to obtain these prominent seats,” she said. “You could show some appreciation.”

“Whatever.” He didn’t like her attitude. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have anything to complain about. He was keeping up his end of the deal, more or less.

He campaigned endlessly, gave speeches to civic clubs all over the state, and sang in the friggin‘ Baptist church choir so that he would be seen on television every Sunday next to the preacher. He had even agreed to a series of thirty-second television commercials, feeling like an idiot as he confessed all of the mistakes he’d made as a senator. Then, he asked the good people of Missouri for their forgiveness. Now that had taken balls, he thought.

“You had better smile at me before someone notices us,” she said.

He responded by giving her a flash of even white teeth. God, he felt like he was teetering on his tiptoes with a noose snugged around his neck.

“I see Edmund,” Warner gestured to the left. “He’s over there talking to Bill Rudly. I think I’ll go say hello.”

Carolyn’s face flushed, but her voice remained calm. “Don’t push me. Warner. I mean it, that’s a non-negotiable part of our arrangement. I’m history if you involve your father in our lives ever again.”