the first ring. Nikki figured it was lonely in the woods. “So how’s it going out there in the piney forest, Jack?”
“I’m not in the piney forest,” Jack said.
“Liar! You’re up in a tree spying on us. You aren’t the only one with high-powered binoculars. We’ve got the night vision ones. You know the kind where everything looks green. You get yours at Radio Shack?”
“Smart ass! I’m home in my living room.”
“Liar! I’m calling to invite you to tea tomorrow.” When there was no response, Nikki said, “Well?”
“You must have me mixed up with someone who would be impressed with an invitation to Pinewood for tea. You know I hate tea.”
“OK, coffee. What? You’re afraid of me all of a sudden?”
“Hell, no, I’m not afraid of you. The woman hasn’t been born who can scare me. I don’t trust you or Myra. By the way, I’ve got a dossier on all those fine women visiting out there all the time. A real mixed bag, Nik. The bunch of you are up to something. I can smell it, and you know damn well I have excellent instincts.”
Nikki sucked in her breath. Her hand holding the phone to her ear was shaking. “So, is that a no or a yes?”
“Like I’d allow myself to get within ten feet of you, counselor? Did I say I don’t trust you?”
“Yeah. Yeah, you did say that. Ten feet, huh? I remember when we were molded to each other. You were my second skin if I remember correctly, but that was when you loved me, right?”
“Get off it, Nik. I’m not going down that road. Don’t think you can sucker me in with an invitation to a tea party. I gotta go, time for bed.”
Nikki snorted. “Be careful you don’t fall out of your tree, there, Mr. ADA.”
“You’re a hateful woman, Nicole Quinn, and yet I still love you.”
Nikki looked at the dead phone in her hand and started to cry. “And I still love you, too, Jack.”
Five
Charles served breakfast on the patio to a group of somber, sleepy-eyed women who also looked angry.
“Ladies, ladies, how can you look so glum on such a beautiful spring morning?” Charles asked as he held the wrought-iron chair for Myra who was all smiles this morning. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Voices carry,” he said, waving his arms to the thick forest that surrounded Myra’s estate. “Generalities, ladies.”
Nikki looked toward the piney forest wondering if Jack was still out there. She couldn’t help but wonder if Jack really did have some hightech equipment that would allow him to overhear their conversation. She struggled for something to say. “The patio flowers are so pretty this year, Myra.” The others, taking their cue from her, concurred.
Myra was still smiling. “Lu Chow, the gardener, brought them over yesterday. They look like a veritable rainbow, don’t you think? I’m thinking I should dispose of this overhead sun umbrella and get one of those retractable awnings. Yes, I’ve made up my mind. Isabelle, dear, can you design something so that it doesn’t look new? You know, have it blend with this old farmhouse?”
“Of course. What color would you like?”
“Green and yellow. Outdoorsy, if you know what I mean.”
And so the conversation went until the girls cleared the table and trooped back inside. Myra closed the patio doors and drew the blinds.
A whispered conversation followed as Charles instructed Julia to drive back to Georgetown. “It’s imperative that you find out as much as you can from your husband. If possible, you can return here this evening or tomorrow. Once Crawford makes his formal announcement that your husband will be his running mate, the Secret Service will move in and you will be under a microscope.”
Julia looked stricken. “I never thought of that, Charles. How…what…I’ll be a liability to all of you if that happens.”
“No, you won’t dear. Charles will figure out something. This is your mission and nothing is going to stop us from carrying it out, not even the Secret Service.
“I’m not in the piney forest,” Jack said.
“Liar! You’re up in a tree spying on us. You aren’t the only one with high-powered binoculars. We’ve got the night vision ones. You know the kind where everything looks green. You get yours at Radio Shack?”
“Smart ass! I’m home in my living room.”
“Liar! I’m calling to invite you to tea tomorrow.” When there was no response, Nikki said, “Well?”
“You must have me mixed up with someone who would be impressed with an invitation to Pinewood for tea. You know I hate tea.”
“OK, coffee. What? You’re afraid of me all of a sudden?”
“Hell, no, I’m not afraid of you. The woman hasn’t been born who can scare me. I don’t trust you or Myra. By the way, I’ve got a dossier on all those fine women visiting out there all the time. A real mixed bag, Nik. The bunch of you are up to something. I can smell it, and you know damn well I have excellent instincts.”
Nikki sucked in her breath. Her hand holding the phone to her ear was shaking. “So, is that a no or a yes?”
“Like I’d allow myself to get within ten feet of you, counselor? Did I say I don’t trust you?”
“Yeah. Yeah, you did say that. Ten feet, huh? I remember when we were molded to each other. You were my second skin if I remember correctly, but that was when you loved me, right?”
“Get off it, Nik. I’m not going down that road. Don’t think you can sucker me in with an invitation to a tea party. I gotta go, time for bed.”
Nikki snorted. “Be careful you don’t fall out of your tree, there, Mr. ADA.”
“You’re a hateful woman, Nicole Quinn, and yet I still love you.”
Nikki looked at the dead phone in her hand and started to cry. “And I still love you, too, Jack.”
Five
Charles served breakfast on the patio to a group of somber, sleepy-eyed women who also looked angry.
“Ladies, ladies, how can you look so glum on such a beautiful spring morning?” Charles asked as he held the wrought-iron chair for Myra who was all smiles this morning. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Voices carry,” he said, waving his arms to the thick forest that surrounded Myra’s estate. “Generalities, ladies.”
Nikki looked toward the piney forest wondering if Jack was still out there. She couldn’t help but wonder if Jack really did have some hightech equipment that would allow him to overhear their conversation. She struggled for something to say. “The patio flowers are so pretty this year, Myra.” The others, taking their cue from her, concurred.
Myra was still smiling. “Lu Chow, the gardener, brought them over yesterday. They look like a veritable rainbow, don’t you think? I’m thinking I should dispose of this overhead sun umbrella and get one of those retractable awnings. Yes, I’ve made up my mind. Isabelle, dear, can you design something so that it doesn’t look new? You know, have it blend with this old farmhouse?”
“Of course. What color would you like?”
“Green and yellow. Outdoorsy, if you know what I mean.”
And so the conversation went until the girls cleared the table and trooped back inside. Myra closed the patio doors and drew the blinds.
A whispered conversation followed as Charles instructed Julia to drive back to Georgetown. “It’s imperative that you find out as much as you can from your husband. If possible, you can return here this evening or tomorrow. Once Crawford makes his formal announcement that your husband will be his running mate, the Secret Service will move in and you will be under a microscope.”
Julia looked stricken. “I never thought of that, Charles. How…what…I’ll be a liability to all of you if that happens.”
“No, you won’t dear. Charles will figure out something. This is your mission and nothing is going to stop us from carrying it out, not even the Secret Service.
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