Chapter Twenty
CHAPTER TWENTY
O n the way home, Sam took a call from an unknown number. “Holland.”
“This is Collins Worthy.”
Her stomach turned at the sound of the smooth, cultured voice belonging to her mother-in-law’s attorney, or lover, or whatever he was. “How’d you get my number?”
“Does that matter?”
“Yeah, it kind of does.”
“When Nicoletta was in the hospital some time ago, Nick gave her both your numbers in case of emergency. His doesn’t work anymore, so I called yours.”
“Oh right, you mean the time she threw herself down a flight of stairs so she could call her kindhearted son to Cleveland to shake him down for money?”
His silence spoke volumes.
“Did she tell you about how she crashed his wedding, knowing full well that the sight of her would ruin the biggest day of his life? Or did she tell you how I got in her face and kicked her out, which would be her version of what took place? I’m sure she’s made me out to be the source of all her problems where her son is concerned. The fact of the matter is that she’s the reason her son wants nothing to do with her, not me.”
“I understand that you’re not the problem.”
“Does she?”
“We’re working on that.”
“Let me ask you something, Mr. Worthy. You seem like a decent enough kind of guy—at least on the surface. What’s your game plan with her? You must realize that she’s probably using you the way she uses everyone to advance her own agenda.”
“Do you believe in love at first sight, Lieutenant?”
Sam rolled her eyes so hard, it was a wonder she could still see. “Didn’t you meet her when she was incarcerated?”
“I did, but from the first second I laid eyes on her, I was captivated.”
“Do you have a family?”
“I have three adult children.”
“What do they think of their dad cavorting with a criminal?”
“They’re not too happy about it.”
“Take my advice. Run. Run for your life as far from her as you can get. She’s a grifter, a taker, a loser. She has no idea what really matters in this life, and she doesn’t care about anyone but herself. She’s done nothing but hurt her son from the day he was born.”
“She regrets that very much.”
“Of course she does,” Sam said with a harsh laugh. “Her beautiful, brilliant, handsome, loving son grew up to be president of the United States through absolutely no thanks to her, and she wants a piece of that action. If you’re seeing any other motivation for this renewed interest in him and us, then you’re missing the lead story.”
“While it may seem that way, I’m the one who’s encouraged her to make amends with her son and with you.”
“Why? ”
“Because I’m a softie that way. My children are the most important people in my life. I wouldn’t have survived losing their mother to cancer without their love and support. I want Nicoletta to have a relationship with her son, to have a chance to repair the hurt and to go forward together as a family.”
It was all Sam could do not to laugh out loud at the idea of Nicoletta suddenly figuring out how to be a mother at fiftysomething.
“I’m not sure what you expect me to say. My number one priority is protecting my husband and family from things that can hurt them. Your girlfriend, or whatever you want to call her, lives at the top of the things-that-can-hurt-my-family list.”
“She wants the chance to know her son and grandchildren. And you, too, of course.”
Sam laughed. “Of course. She can’t wait to get to know me. I’m not sure if you two are watching the news from your love nest, but Nick and I both have much greater concerns right now than whether or not he has a relationship with his deadbeat mother.”
“We’re aware of what you’re both dealing with. We were very sorry to hear that his young aide was murdered.”
“If you want to know who Nicoletta’s son is… He’s the kind of man who would weep for a junior officer who’d become his friend over the last few months when friends have been few and far between. That’s the man into whose already very complicated life you want to bring a woman who’s never once cared about anything but her next mark. It seems as if she’s found a good one in you. I hope you’ve locked up the family silver and valuables. I wouldn’t put it past her to cut and run as soon as you’ve used up your usefulness to her.”
“Long before I met Nicoletta, I admired your husband and how he handles himself.”
“That’s nice to hear, but it doesn’t change anything. I have no issue with you except to question your judgment in who you choose to associate with. ”
“I’ve stepped out of character with this relationship, but I can’t seem to help myself. I see something in her, something beyond the grift and the hustle and the con. I see a woman who’s never had anyone truly love her or care about her. Did you know her mother disowned her when she became pregnant with her son?”
“Did she tell you that?”
“No, I learned that when I contacted a childhood friend of hers when I was considering whether to take her on as a client.”
“How did you find this friend?”
“I asked her for three personal references. Dorinda was one of them. She told me how Nicoletta’s mother was so outraged and embarrassed that her teenage daughter was pregnant that she put her out on the street to figure it out for herself. She never again had anything to do with Nicoletta. She was sixteen, Lieutenant.”
Sam would never admit to feeling a tiny bit sorry for teenage Nicoletta.
“Luckily, a school counselor took mercy and helped get her placed in a home for young mothers until the baby was born. Hours after the birth, the paternal grandmother showed up at the hospital, took the baby and left Nicoletta to fend for herself. She did the only thing she could and figured out how to survive on her own. Did she make some unfortunate choices? Absolutely. Did she fail her son during those years? She certainly did. She has many, many regrets, most of them centered on him. What she doesn’t regret is doing what it took to keep a roof over her head and food on her table.”
“People have their struggles, Mr. Worthy. No doubt about that. But that doesn’t justify going on live TV to tell horrible lies about her son for money. It doesn’t justify shaking him down for money or taking advantage of his caring heart time and time again. Do you know what it does to him when she swoops in, acting like she finally wants to be his mother, only to realize it’s just another con?”
“No, I can’t imagine what that must be like.”
“Do you know that the scent of Chanel No. 5 triggers trauma for him? On the rare occasions when she visited him as a child, he’d refuse to shower for days to retain the scent of his mother. If he encounters that scent anywhere at any time, it sends him spiraling, regardless of where he is or what he’s doing. That is her legacy with him.”
“I can understand how upsetting that must be for him—and for you.”
“And for everyone who loves him, which is a lot of people, and not one of those people yearns for him to have his mother in his life. If anything, we yearn for her to go away and leave him alone.”
“Nicoletta is trying to change. She desperately wants to make things right with him and you and to know her grandchildren.”
“Again, I keep coming back to the same question. Why? ”
“She’s witnessed the close bond I have with my children, and she wants that with her son, and his family.
“And it has nothing at all to do with the fact that he’s the president of the United States, and a close bond with him would be good for whatever scam she’s running next?”
“She’s out of business, Lieutenant. As a condition of her release, she’s not allowed to do business in the state of Ohio.”
“I’m sure she’ll relocate to one of the other forty-nine states when she tires of trying to please you.”
“I hope that doesn’t happen. I’ve made it clear to her that I want us to be together, and I believe in her ability to change her life.”
“I wish I shared in your belief. I need to get going to be with my family. Thank you for calling.”
“Will you consider talking to her? We’re both well aware that you’re the gateway to making things right with her son, and she’s very interested in speaking to you one-on-one.”
“I’ll have to think about it. Unlike you, I don’t believe a tiger changes her stripes. You’ll understand my reluctance to let her anywhere near my husband or children, knowing what she’s capable of.”
“I do understand. I’m asking you to give her a chance. That’s all. Just a chance.”
“I’ll think about it. No promises. You’ll either hear from me, or you won’t. Please don’t call me again.”
“Thank you for your time, Lieutenant.”
“Have a nice evening.”
“You do the same.”
For fuck’s sake, Sam thought as Vernon held the door for her.
“Everything all right?”
“Never better. Just another day in paradise.”
Vernon smiled. “Try to have a nice evening with the family.”
“Oh, I will. Don’t worry. Best part of the day.”
“Are we bright and early tomorrow?”
“You get to sleep in, my friend. I have an early meeting here, so let’s plan to leave around eight thirty.”
“See you then.”
“Thanks for everything.”
“A pleasure, ma’am.”
Sam shot him a scowl over her shoulder that made him laugh. Ma’am. Worst title ever.
“Evening, ma’am,” Harold the usher said. “Hope you had a nice day.”
Sam held back a laugh at yet another ma’am . “My day was busy and often not so nice, but it sure is good to be home.”
“The president and the children are upstairs in the residence. I believe they just sat down to dinner.”
“Hope they made enough for me. ”
“I’m sure they did.”
As Sam took the stairs two at a time, she was relieved to note that her hip was now fully recovered from the break she’d suffered after a fall on the ice over the winter. It’d been a while since she’d raced up the stairs, and it felt good to be strong again. She had no time or patience for the injuries that seemed to strike her far more often than they did most people.
Upon reaching the residence, she followed the voices to the family dining room, stopping short when she heard Aubrey saying that Scotty ate too many eggs, and if he wasn’t careful, he was going to have a chicken.
Scotty’s laughter was the best thing she’d heard since breakfast.
The twins let out a shriek of excitement when Sam walked into the room. They got up from their chairs to come hug her. “Hello, my loves. How was your day?”
“Collin ate paste at school and threw up in the cafeteria!” Alden reported.
“Gross. Why did he eat paste?”
“He said it tastes good.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I think he figured that out.”
Laughing, she scooted them back to their seats and dropped a kiss on Scotty’s head as she made her way to Nick for a different kind of kiss.
“Children are watching,” Scotty said.
“Mind your business,” Sam said as she smiled at her husband.
“Your business is happening right in front of me.”
“When is he going to get a girlfriend?” Sam asked Nick.
“Any day now, and I can’t wait.”
“Me either. Where’s my mom?” Her mom, Brenda, had been filling in with the kids after school while Celia was on her trip.
“Out for dinner with her girlfriends,” Nick said .
“Ah, okay.” She leaned in to see what they were eating. “What’s for dinner?”
“Chicken,” Scotty said with a grin.
Sam sputtered with laughter. “Oh damn.” She took a seat next to Nick and helped herself to roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and a bit of gravy while trying not to think about carbs or calories. “How was everyone’s day besides the paste incident?”
“I got an eighty-two on my algebra quiz,” Scotty said.
“Holy crap,” Sam said. “That’s amazing!”
“I thought so, too. I was kinda shocked, actually.”
“I would be, too. I think a sixty-five was my high score in algebra.”
“Sam.”
“What? It’s true.”
Nick’s expression conveyed disapproval even as a smile tugged at his lips.
“He doesn’t want you telling me how mediocre you were in school,” Scotty said.
Nick pointed to Scotty. “That. Exactly that.”
“Why? It’s the truth, and it wasn’t my fault. I was battling dyslexia, and no one knew that. I was thrilled to get a sixty-five under those conditions.”
“What’s dys… dys… lexa?” Aubrey asked.
“Dyslexia. It’s a learning disorder that makes reading difficult.”
“Do I have that?” she asked.
“No, my love, you do not have it. You’re an awesome reader.”
Aubrey beamed with pleasure at the compliment. “Do you still have dys… dys… What is it again?”
“Dyslexia. Yes, I’ll always have it. Reading is a struggle for me, especially when I’m tired. That’s why I prefer audiobooks and let you guys read to me.”
“I prefer audiobooks, too,” Scotty said. “Especially for things like The Canterbury Tales .” He shuddered. “Horrendous. ”
“You were supposed to read that, Scotty,” Nick said. “Not listen.”
“I did both at the same time. It helped me survive it, as did the CliffsNotes thingies Mom got me.”
“I suppose that’s okay, then.”
“It’s all about survival in the eighth grade, Dad.”
Nick, who’d been a rock-star student, laughed at the face Scotty made. “Oh, the drama.”
After dinner, Sam and Nick supervised the kids clearing the table and loading the dishwasher. The White House staff had told them they’d clean up, but they wanted the kids to know how to take care of themselves and to have some responsibility for chores. More than anything, they didn’t want them spoiled by the staff. When their time in the White House ended, they’d go back to normal life and would have to fend for themselves.
“Anyone who quickly takes a shower and puts on pj’s can watch a little TV before bed,” Nick said.
The twins took off running. They’d recently begun taking showers rather than baths and preferred to do so privately. Their Littles were growing up quickly.
“Is your homework done?” he asked Scotty.
“Yep. Gonna go shower so I can watch TV with the twins.” With a cheeky grin, he added, “Gotta follow the rules set by POTUS.”
“That’s right.”
After Scotty left the room, Nick reached for Sam and gave her a proper kiss. “Hi there.”
“How’s it going?”
“Best thirty minutes of my day, hands down.”
She smiled. “The bar is set pretty low these days.”
“True,” he said with a chuckle. “I can never wait to get back upstairs to real life.”
“How was the rest of your day?”
“Terrible, but who cares about that now that my best girl is in my arms? ”
Sam couldn’t tell him about Worthy’s call. Not now, anyway. Not when he was finally getting a break from a day of nonstop bullshit. “Any word from Andy about the situation?”
“Not yet, but he told me not to lose any sleep over it. The Armstrongs’ will is crystal clear in its directions for custody of the twins.”
“Have you talked to Eli?”
“Not since this morning, but we texted a bit. He’s trying to stay calm.”
“How’s that going?”
“Not so great, as you can imagine. I’m glad Candace is there with him.” Eli and his now-wife were thrilled to be back together after her parents had gone to extreme lengths to keep them apart for years.
“Yeah, me, too.” Sam couldn’t bear to think about any threat to their family, let alone another volley from Cleo’s parents. They’d shown little interest in the kids since their daughter’s murder and resurfaced only when they needed money, or so it seemed to her.
“How was the rest of your day?” Nick asked.
“Not terrible. We’re working the new case, making some progress.”
“Any suspects?”
“Not yet, but it’s early days. Speaking of early days, I have a seven o’clock meeting with Roni to figure out my eulogy for Tom.”
“That’s on Wednesday, right?”
“Yes, at the National Cathedral.”
“I’m hoping to attend before I leave for the West Coast.”
“Stop reminding me that you’re leaving.”
“It’s only for a couple of days.”
Sam shook her head. “Lalalala, I can’t hear you.”