Dark of the Night Page 15

  “You’re talking in riddles again.”

  “No. I’m just talking common sense, based on years of political experience. I know how the game is played. And if you want to find out what drove Michaels to suicide, then you need to understand whose palms he was greasing.”

  “So why aren’t you investigating this?”

  “Because I don’t give a rat’s ass. I’ve got bigger fish to fry. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s an election to cover. And I’d say things are heating up quite nicely.” She smiled up at him. “So tell me why you wanted to talk.”

  “I’m not sure now is the time.”

  “I hardly think Michaels will care, Jacob. And other than that, who gives a damn?”

  “Well, it’s about Riley. I need your help.”

  Her smile broadened to a grin as they walked to the church. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Riley sat in the church, trying to look pious, but the truth was, she didn’t feel the slightest bit reverent. She felt more like a hypocrite. She hadn’t known Douglas Michaels that well, and though she was sorry he’d died, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the fact that he’d killed himself.

  Seemed like sort of an easy way out. A coward’s solution. But then, who was she to be talking about cowards? She’d run out on Jake this morning, and she’d avoided telling her father the truth.

  And now both of them were here in the church with her. Well, not “with her” exactly. She was sitting three people down from her father and half a church away from Jake. Only it felt like he was only inches away. She could literally feel his eyes on the back of her neck.

  Damn the man.

  She blew out a breath and pretended to concentrate on the service. Michaels’s wife was giving the eulogy. What would it feel like, Riley wondered, to tell a church full of strangers about the man you loved? What would it feel like to wake up in an empty bed, knowing he was never coming back?

  Maudeen was crying softly into a handkerchief. Her father’s, probably. Maudeen and Julia Michaels had gone to school together. Shared their hopes and dreams. Now Julia was alone. And Maudeen was going to be mistress to the President.

  Riley bit her lip, ashamed of her bitter thoughts. Her father had the right to be happy. It’s just that she wanted to be happy too—with Jake. Despite herself, she turned to look behind her. He didn’t turn away. Didn’t pretend he hadn’t been watching her. Instead, he boldly met her gaze, his blue eyes full of questions.

  Questions she couldn’t—wouldn’t—answer.

  But God, how she wanted to.

  “So you want to tell me what this is all about?” Jim Bartlett leaned forward, eyes narrowed, his hands steepled together on his desk.

  “I appreciate your meeting with me on such short notice. I’m doing a piece on Douglas Michaels and I thought maybe you could help me clear up a few points.”

  “I’ll help if I can.” The mayor eyed him warily, his look contradicting his words.

  “Michaels’s rise through the ranks of the police force was nothing short of meteoric.”

  “I don’t know that I’d say that. He had something like thirty years with the force.”

  “Most of it fairly undistinguished. But he was still appointed chief. According to my sources, Michaels wasn’t your first choice for the job.”

  “That’s true. I wanted Abramson. I don’t think there’s any secret in that.”

  “But the council wanted him too. So how did Michaels wind up with the job?”

  “Look, Mr. Mahoney, there’s a lot of under-the-table deal-making involved in political appointments. Even something as seemingly low level as a police chief.”

  “So you’re saying there was pressure to appoint Michaels.”

  Bartlett leaned back, his gaze hardening. “I’m not saying anything. I’d be careful who you push, Mr. Mahoney. There are people out there who don’t take kindly to having their motives questioned, and they tend to come out fighting when challenged.”

  “Are you threatening me, Mr. Bartlett?”

  The mayor’s smile did not extend to his eyes. “Absolutely not, Mr. Mahoney. This just isn’t your usual turf, and I wanted to make certain you understood how the game is played.”

  “Oh, I know how the game is played, Mr. Bartlett. I just don’t know who all the players are. But I will, and when I do—I promise you, I’ll be the one who comes out fighting.”

  Chapter 13

  “SO HOW WAS it?” Edna sipped her iced tea, keeping her voice low, so the other restaurant patrons couldn’t overhear their conversation.

  “God.” Riley choked on her salad. “I might as well have taken out a full-page ad in the AJC. I suppose you talked to Adelaide?”

  Edna shrugged, not looking the slightest bit apologetic. “She mentioned it.”

  “Well, she’d just as well not have said a thing. There’s nothing going on between Jake Mahoney and me.” Riley leaned forward, waving her fork to emphasize her point. “I spent the night there. I probably shouldn’t have, but I did. And although it was wonderful, it was a huge mistake. And I can promise you, I will not be making it again.”

  She stopped, out of breath and angry at herself for revealing so much.

  “It doesn’t sound like a mistake at all.” Edna speared a piece of lettuce and dipped it in dressing.

  “Are you crazy?” Riley’s voice came out on a shriek, and she quickly reined it in, lowering it to a whisper. “Being with Jake is inviting disaster.”

  Edna held up a hand. “Look, why don’t we agree to disagree. In my humble opinion, he’s a good man.”

  “I believe that too.” Her eyes met Edna’s, and Riley found herself wishing her father was a shoe salesman or something. Anything that meant his life wasn’t subject to intense public scrutiny. “But the fact remains that my life isn’t my own. And the daughter of the President cannot cavort with a journalist.”

  “Cavort?” Edna’s eyebrows rose above the top of her glasses.

  “Daddy’s word. But he’s right, Edna. I can’t have a relationship like that. Truth is, I can’t have a relationship at all.”

  “Your father said that?”

  “No, not in so many words. But it’s true. I need to focus on my father’s campaign right now. And later, if we win the election, on what’s best for the country. There isn’t time for anything else.”

  “Sounds like a load of horse manure to me.” The older woman studied her, frowning. “You look tired.”

  “I guess I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Things have been tense at home, between the campaign and the publicity surrounding the bombing and Douglas Michaels’s suicide.”

  “I saw the picture in the paper. Have they really been hounding you?”

  “Considering the magnitude of the situation, they’ve actually been amazingly reserved. But you know Daddy—any press is bad press unless he’s the center of it all.”

  Edna nodded, taking a sip of tea. “I guess that’s understandable under the circumstances.”

  Riley sighed. “I suppose so. But it gets rather tiring. I can’t do anything without examining the potential for repercussions, and sometimes I just wish I could be a regular person and live an ordinary life.”

  “I’m not sure that any of us really lead ordinary lives, Riley. It’s all a matter of perspective.”

  “Now there’s a cheerful thought.” Riley attempted a smile, but she missed by a mile.

  “Honey, you’ve got to start living for yourself. And maybe Jake Mahoney is a good way to start.”

  “You sound like Adelaide. But the answer is still no. I have to put this campaign before anything else. And the simple fact is that Jake’s job is always going to put him in the middle of trouble . . . trouble that could ultimately bring bad press for my father. I just can’t take that kind of chance. I owe Daddy better than that.”

  “Sometimes it’s more important to put your own needs first.” Edna’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her purse, flipping it open. �
�Winston here.”

  She listened for a moment, the lines of her face softening as she smiled. “We were just talking about you, Jacob. I’ll bet your ears are ringing.”

  Riley tried to look disinterested, but her heart rate ratcheted up a couple of notches.

  “Yes. She’s right here. Would you like to talk to her?”

  Riley shook her head, waving her hands to fend off the phone.

  Edna shot her a look. “Here she is.”

  There was no way to refuse without being rude, so she took the phone, justifying her actions by telling herself it was the polite thing to do.

  “Riley? You there?” His voice was smoky and deep, sending a shiver racing through her as memories of last night tumbled over each other in her brain.

  “I . . . I’m here.” Her gaze met Edna’s, and the older woman nodded approvingly.

  “I missed you this morning.” There was a lazy curl of something sensual in his words, and her heart threatened to leave the building altogether. “You ran out on me.”

  “I had a meeting.” It sounded lame even though it was the truth.

  “I saw you at the funeral.”

  “I know.” She trailed off lamely, words deserting her.

  “Riley? We need to talk.”

  She shook her head, taking a deep breath for fortification. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Jake.” She closed her eyes, relieved that she’d managed to force the words out.

  “I don’t think we have a choice. Too much happened last night for us to ignore it.”

  “Nothing happened.” The words had become a mantra she was repeating to everyone.

  “That’s bull and you know it.” He was angry now. “What we had last night was incredible.”

  “It was just sex, Jake.” God, she hated lying. Last night had been amazing. Beyond her wildest dreams. But she couldn’t tell him that. She shouldn’t even be admitting it to herself.

  “It was a hell of a lot more than that.”

  “Maybe we just don’t feel the same way about it.”

  “Riley, I was there, remember? You’re lying to me and you’re lying to yourself.”

  Her stomach lurched. Now he was reading her mind.

  “I need to see you.”

  “I’ve already said that’s impossible.” She looked to Edna for support, but the woman was pointedly ignoring her, sipping her tea, keeping her attention focused on the restaurant crowd.

  “Look, it’s about more than just last night. It involves something I found concerning Caroline.”

  “What?”

  “Your sister. I have something here I think you ought to see.”

  “You’re investigating my sister?”

  There was silence for a moment on the other end. “No, sweetheart, I’m not. I’ve just found something that I think you should see. All right?”

  The endearment hit her with the power of a tidal wave, washing away much of her anger, leaving her struggling to hold on to at least some of it. He sounded sincere, and she wanted to believe him, but she’d been raised to distrust the press, and Jake was first and always a journalist. Still, he wanted to share information. That was something, wasn’t it? And if she was honest with herself, she had to admit she did want to see him.

  She covered the phone with her hand, her gaze meeting Edna’s. “He wants to meet with me. Something to do with Caroline.”

  It was Edna’s turn to frown. “And that’s all he said?”

  Riley turned a vivid shade of pink. “Well, no. There was other,” she waved her hand in the air, “stuff.”

  Edna sipped her tea, brows drawn together in thought. “Then I think you should go.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Riley, you spent the night with the man. Surely you have some sense as to whether you can trust him.”

  She did trust him. And that was what scared her. She blew out a breath, moving the phone back to her mouth. “I don’t want to meet anywhere publicly.”

  “You could come here.” There was a smile in his voice.

  She swallowed nervously, a fire sparking deep inside her. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “All right then, how about by the river? The park at Akers Mill.”

  Riley sighed, realizing she had never stood a chance. Between the sound of his voice, the memory of last night, and her own desire to see him, it had been a losing battle from the start. Throw in Edna and her obvious matchmaking, and that was the ball game.

  Reporters 1. Candidate’s daughter 0.

  “I’ll meet you in an hour.”

  The Chattahoochee River was known for its rafting, but you couldn’t tell it from this particular stretch. The water was slow here, brown and lazy, the banks swollen by the recent rain. Trees lined the river, some dipping low, branches trailing the water.

  Riley picked her way around the rocks to the water’s edge, finding a seat on a large boulder. She’d come here often as a kid—with Caroline. They’d skipped rocks, waded, fished, even run a trot line once. They’d pretended the old mill was the ruins of a grand plantation, and refought the battles of the Civil War among the towering beeches and oaks.

  She’d learned history, and discussed the ways of life. Read fairy tales and dreamed. Always with her big sister watching over her.

  Tears welled.

  She threw a rock into the river, watching as it skipped over the rolling water. It would be so nice to run to Caroline. To tell her about everything that was happening. To ask her about Jake. To get her advice. But that wasn’t going to happen. Caroline was gone. And life had continued. Without adventures at the river.

  Without dreams.

  She lifted her arm to throw another rock.

  “Penny for your thoughts?”

  The rock spun out into the river, sinking without a bounce. “Jake.”

  He held out a hand and helped her up. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s all right, really.” She let her hand linger longer than necessary, taking comfort from his touch. “I was just lost in thought.”

  He frowned, reaching out, one finger tracing the plane of her cheek. “You’ve been crying.”

  “I was thinking about my sister. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.” Ducking her head, she struggled for control. “We used to come here when I was little.”

  He dropped his arm back to his side, moving away from her. “I’m sorry. If I’d known, I would have suggested somewhere else.”

  “It’s fine. Kind of apropos, really.” They started walking along the river’s edge, shoulders brushing as they moved, each touch sending sparks of fire dancing across her skin.

  “Did you come here a lot?”

  She nodded, letting the velvet timbre of his voice wash over her. “I wasn’t a planned child. My mother wasn’t supposed to be able to have more children.”

  He reached for her hand. “They must have been delighted.”

  “Not really.” She looked out at the slow moving water, watching a branch caught in an eddy. “It wasn’t that they didn’t want me. But they were used to things as they were. I think the idea of a baby was more than my mother could handle. So she did what she did best—ignored the problem.” His hand tightened on hers. “My sister took over taking care of me.

  “It was a lot to ask of a ten-year-old. But she didn’t seem to mind. I guess I was sort of a real life doll to her. Anyway, I can never remember a time when she wasn’t there.” They stopped, and Riley turned to face him. “We used to come here on ‘adventures.’ Caroline had a fertile imagination, and it was heaven for me.”

  Jake laid a hand against her cheek. “You must miss her very much.”

  “I do. Always will, I guess.” She forced a smile and continued walking. “So, do you have brothers and sisters?”

  “No.” He tossed a stick into the water, the current carrying it away. “There was only me and my dad.”

  “You said your mother was buried in Texas. Is that where you’re from?”<
br />
  “A million years ago.” She thought she heard a touch of bitterness in his voice, but it was gone before she could be certain. “I’m from Freeport. My dad has a shrimp boat.”

  “He’s still living?”

  “Yeah.” Jake smiled. “He doesn’t go out on the boat much anymore, but he still goes down to the dock every day.”

  “So who takes the boat out?” They stopped again, and sat down on a fallen log.

  “My cousin Hector. He runs the operation now. Just don’t tell that to my father.” He laughed, and she relaxed in the moment, the intimacy of sharing with another person. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d just sat and talked with someone.

  “Did you ever go out on it?”

  “The boat? Yeah. Every summer until I was grown. It wasn’t the easiest of jobs, but my father believes hard work makes the man.”

  “And does it?”

  “Well, you be the judge.” His smile was intimate, and she shivered with pleasure. “All I can tell you is that I dreaded those summers.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “So you left.”

  “As fast as I could. I couldn’t wait to get the smell off my shoes, and I still can’t stand to look at a shrimp, let alone eat one.”

  “But why Atlanta?” She tilted her head, allowing herself the luxury of studying his face.

  “By default, I guess. I went to the University of Georgia. Football scholarship.”

  “Wait, let me guess.” She closed her eyes, pretending to concentrate. “Tight end.”

  He smiled. “Safety. But that was pretty close. How’d you guess?”

  “Loads of experience. My sister loved football. We used to watch games together.”

  And just like that the moment faded. They’d come full circle. Back to Caroline.

  She turned to face him. “You said you’d found something about Caroline.”

  He reached into his pocket, producing two pieces of paper, and handed them to her. “It’s not so much what I found. It’s what found me.”

  Riley stared at the autopsy report in her hands, rereading it, her thoughts reeling. “This says that my sister was pregnant.”