Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Mr. President, Mr. Kavanaugh would like a minute.”
“Send him in, please.”
Nick stood and walked around the desk to greet his deputy chief of staff and longtime friend. It was such a comfort to him to have people like Derek, Terry, Christina and Harry with him on this journey.
“What’s up?”
They sat on sofas facing each other.
“With Terry out, I wanted to check in to see if you need anything other than all the usual madness of nonstop meetings, briefings and other fun stuff.”
Nick laughed. “It’s nonstop fun around here. I have been thinking about Fort Liberty and the aftermath of the shooting. What are we hearing from General Stern about the situation there?”
“I’ll check in with Secretary Jennings and ask for an update.”
“It doesn’t feel right to me that we didn’t visit after the shooting.”
“I understand and will see what can be done.”
“Thank you. Now, about this upcoming travel schedule…”
“It’s a beast.”
Nick was leaving the following week on a West Coast fundraising trip in support of the upcoming midterm elections. He’d be in six cities in three days, with stops to meet with labor leaders in Detroit and Chicago on the return trip. He was already dreading four days away from home.
Had he told Sam about the trip? He couldn’t recall. That needed to be taken care of as soon as possible. What did it say about him that the thought of being away from his wife for a few days made him as depressed as he’d been in a while? Since assuming the presidency in late November, he’d stayed close to home in an effort to show the American people he was doing the job.
“You have time blocked on the schedule for Friday afternoon. Will you need staff support for that?”
Nick grunted out a laugh. “No. I’m afraid to tell you where I’m going.”
“Uh… Not sure what to say to that…”
“Sam and I are meeting with my mother and her attorney at Ninth Street.”
Derek’s expression went flat with shock. “You’re doing what?”
“You heard me correctly. She requested a meeting, and I agreed to see her.”
“Why?”
Nick wasn’t surprised by Derek’s reaction. His longtime friend had witnessed the pain and suffering Nicoletta had inflicted upon her only child over the years. “Apparently, she wishes to make amends.”
Derek stared at him without blinking.
“I know what you’re thinking…”
“Do you?” He cleared his throat. “I apologize, Mr. President.”
Nick frowned at the formality. “Keep it real with me, Derek. I know what you’re thinking, and I’ve thought the same things myself, but I want to hear what she has to say.”
His friend finally blinked and looked away.
“Say what you want to say.”
Derek hesitated before he finally spoke up. “I hate how she treats you and how her behavior affects you. I hate how she’s never given so much as half a shit about you unless there was something you could do for her. I hate how she’s let you down your entire life and how you still hope she might someday change. She’s not going to change. She’s a grifter and a user and an asshole.” He stopped himself and seemed embarrassed by his outburst. “Sorry. That was probably too much.”
“You’re fine, and you’re right. About all of it. Of course you are, and I know all that. And yet…” Nick shrugged, feeling mortified by how he’d never outgrown his need for her love and attention.
“She’s still your mother.”
“Yeah.”
Derek sighed. “I’m sorry I was so blunt.”
“It’s fine. I always want to hear what you have to say.”
“It’s hard for those of us who care about you to see her hurt you over and over again.”
“I know, and it’s hard to be hurt, but something about this time feels different.”
Derek eyed him skeptically.
“And yes, I can hear myself, and part of me doesn’t believe it either. It’s possible her time in jail humbled her, and this lawyer guy seems very invested in her.”
“What’s his motivation?”
“Not sure, but he’s encouraged her to try to make amends with me.”
“Why? Is he trying to get to you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Nick… Mr. President… Let me look into him and make sure he’s legit.”
“If you think that’s necessary.”
“I absolutely do.”
“Fine, go ahead. His name is Collins Worthy from Cleveland. Let me know what you find out.”
“I will.”
“Don’t look at me like you’re worried I won’t like you anymore because you spoke your mind to me. You know how much I value that, especially now.”
“I do, but I also know you love your mother, even if she doesn’t deserve it.”
“She’s but one small annoyance in an otherwise blessed life. Ever since I’ve had a family, people of my own who love me unconditionally, she doesn’t get to me the way she used to. Don’t worry about me, okay?”
“I’ll try not to.”
“I want to hear more about you and Roni. Tell me everything. Well, the PG parts.”
“It’s all PG so far, which is fine. She only lost her husband about six months ago, and neither of us was looking for anything…” He shrugged and gave a sheepish smile. “At first, I thought she was stalking me.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, and she kinda was. Apparently, I look a bit like her late husband from behind, and she started following me. After everything with Vic, I’m extra paranoid and confronted her at the coffee shop we both like. That’s when she told me I look like her late husband from behind and that being a widow has made her weird, which I certainly understood. I ran into her at a meeting of a widow group I’ve belonged to for a while now, and then she showed up here as Sam’s communications director. After all of that, how could we not be friends, you know?”
“I love that for both of you. Sam does, too.”
“It’s been… well, kind of amazing, actually. Maeve is crazy about her, and Roni is so great with her. It’s all quite effortless, even if it’s probably way too soon for her. But it’s not like we were out there looking for this. It just kind of happened.”
“That’s the way it should be. No one deserves happiness more than you two do.”
“I’m feeling truly optimistic for the first time since Vic died.”
“I love to hear that.”
“Life is so very strange sometimes.”
“And wonderful, too.”
“Yeah, for sure. It’s nice to have some of the wonderful after a whole lot of awful.”
“I hope you know how much we all admire you for the way you’ve survived the unimaginable.”
“What choice did I have? Maeve needed me, and I had to step up for her.”
“You and I both know if you’d told your parents that you couldn’t handle it, they would’ve been there.”
“That never occurred to me, although I wouldn’t have survived without their help.”
“I can’t wait to dance at your wedding.”
Derek laughed. “Don’t get too far ahead of me. Roni has me strictly in the friend zone until at least October, which will be the one-year anniversary of her husband’s death. In the meantime, I’m supporting her through her pregnancy and becoming more captivated by the day.”
“She’s not going to suddenly balk when she decides it’s all too soon, is she?”
“I don’t think so. We’ve talked a lot about it, and she seems pretty committed. That’s one of the things I love best about her. We talk about everything. Nothing is off the table. She’s made me realize how little I gave to Vic.”
“That’s not true. You gave her everything.”
“No, I really didn’t. I thought I did, but with hindsight, I see that I held back a lot because I was too focused on work and not present enough with her.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true. I’ve had a lot of time for self-reflection since I lost her the way I did, and it makes me sad to realize how disconnected I was in so many ways.”
“I think you’ve always done the best you could.”
“Roni has helped me to see that I can do way better. I like who I am with her.” He stood. “I’ll let you get back to work. Thanks for listening.”
“I’m glad we got a chance to catch up.” Nick stood to give his friend a quick hug. “I’m so, so happy for you and Roni.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know what I hear from Jennings and look into Worthy.”
“Keep that on the deepest possible down-low.”
“Will do.”
After Derek left, Nick returned to the Resolute Desk and sat in his chair, marveling at what his friend had told him about his romance with Roni. There’d been a time after Derek’s wife, Victoria, was murdered—and later found to have been doing the bidding of one of President Nelson’s rivals—when Nick and their other friends had feared Derek might never recover from the shock and betrayal. A letter from Vic, provided by her attorney, had professed her profound love for Derek, which had helped to soothe some of the hurt. But it had been a long, difficult journey for Derek and his daughter, Maeve. Nick was delighted to hear Derek speaking so effusively about Roni and their relationship.
He spun around to look at the family photos Sam had put on the credenza behind the desk. He picked up the one of all of them from Christmas and smiled at the gorgeous family they’d created for themselves. As long as he had them, whatever his mother had in store for him would be nothing he couldn’t handle.
Or so he hoped.
Sam wentinto her office to call Judge Sawyer.
“She’s due in court in five minutes,” her clerk said.
“I only need one minute.”
“Please hold.”
Sam listened to the annoying music that played as her mind raced with a million details that would need to be seen to ahead of this plan coming to fruition.
“Hi there. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No problem. Tell me more about your church.”
“We go to Citizens Community in Northwest. It’s a lovely nondenominational service focused on better understanding Scripture.”
“What’s the address?”
“It’s on 16th. I’m not sure of the street number.”
“I can find that. What time is the Sunday service?”
“Ten o’clock.”
“Do you go every week?”
“Every week that we can. Sometimes a kid’s game will interfere, but we usually divide and conquer, with one of us taking some of the kids to church while the other parent goes to the game. I always choose church if I can. My husband prefers the games.”
“And the pastor’s name?”
“The Reverend Eleanor Simpson.”
“Do I have your permission to reach out to her to set something up for this Sunday?”
“How will you protect the regular attendees?”
“We’ll plan for that and everything else.”
“Okay.”
“I understand your trepidation, and I promise you we’re working it from every possible angle to ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
“I spoke to my husband about this, and he’s concerned, naturally.”
“My greatest concern is Harlan Peckham getting to you before we can set this up.”
“The sheriff deputies are taking my security and that of my family very seriously.”
“As they should. Please be careful, Cori. Every minute of every day.”
“I’m scared, Sam.”
“I know, and I’m sorry to put you through this.”
“You’re not putting me through it. You’re trying to end this madness.”
“I hope it’ll be over by Sunday. In the meantime, we’ve put out a departmentwide alert for all officers to be on the lookout for Harlan Peckham, and it’s possible someone will spot him before Sunday and spare us from having to go through with this plan.”
“That’d be good.”
“I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks for all you’re doing. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I won’t be happy until this scumbag is handcuffed and on his way to life in prison.”
Sam was leaving her office when six people wearing civilian clothes came into the pit with Deputy Chief Jeannie McBride. Sam’s heart nearly burst with pride every time she saw the former detective in the same uniform Sam’s father had once worn.
Jeannie smiled when she saw Sam in the doorway to her office. “Sam Holland, our lieutenant in charge of the Homicide division, needs no introduction.”
The people on the tour went bug-eyed when they realized they’d come face-to-face with the first lady. As they started to reach for their phones, Jeannie sternly said, “No photos, no videos.”
Sam recognized one of the men in the group but couldn’t immediately recall his name. She remembered him as the bartender she’d met while investigating her brother-in-law’s death from fentanyl poisoning. He’d told her how he’d been on the job in Baltimore. “I know you.”
“Tim Child. We met at Zénitude.”
Sam shook his hand. “Right! I did a reference for you.”
“And I got the job because of it. Thank you.”
“Welcome aboard.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s continue on straight ahead,” Jeannie said.
One young woman stopped to speak to Sam. She was petite with dark hair and eyes. “If I may… I just want to say… I so admire your career. I hope I can be just like you someday.”
It was all Sam could do not to laugh in her face, but she was so sincere that Sam wouldn’t dare. “You can probably do better than being like me.”
“I don’t think so. Thank you for the inspiration you’ve provided that brought me to a career in law enforcement.”
“Best of luck to you. Be safe.”
“Thank you. You, too.”
Gonzo stood in his cubicle, pretending to wipe away tears. “I wanna be just like you.”
“Shut up,” Sam said, laughing.
“That was so sweet.”
“If only she knew what a red-hot mess she’s aspiring to be.”
“What’d you do now?” Freddie asked as he came into the pit.
Gonzo filled him in. “Some new recruits were coming through on a tour, and one of them was gushing to the LT about how she wants to be just like her.”
Freddie’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline.
“Whatever you’re gonna say, stuff it. We need to go to church.”
“Do you have a fever?” Freddie asked.
While Gonzo laughed, Sam said, “No, we’re going to speak to the pastor about setting a trap for Harlan Peckham.”
“Oh good, because I thought hell had finally frozen over.”
“Nope. Hell is safe for another day. Let’s go.” As they headed for the morgue exit, Sam said, “Do you want to take your own car so you can go home after this?”
“Nah, I’ll ride with you and hop on the Metro after.”
“Are you getting spoiled by my chauffeured ride?”
“Maybe?”
“Don’t do that. I can’t have you going soft on me.”
“Soft… Whatever. Ask Elin if I’m soft.”
Sam spun around, in a state of total shock. “Did you just make a penis joke?”
“What? No! I meant in general! What the hell is wrong with you?”
Sam lost it laughing. She laughed so hard she saw stars.
Freddie pushed her out the door ahead of him.
Vernon jumped out of the SUV when he saw them coming. “What’s so funny?”
“She’s ridiculous.”
“I thought he…” She couldn’t even say it without losing her shit all over again. Even seat-belted into the SUV, she continued to laugh so hard, it was a wonder she didn’t wet her pants.
“I need to know what’s so funny,” Vernon said.
“She said she doesn’t want me going soft, and I said, ‘Soft, ha! Ask Elin if I’m soft,’ and she thought I meant?—”
“Say no more. I’ve got the picture.”
That set Sam off all over again.
“She’s like a twelve-year-old who just heard her first D joke.”
“He can’t even say it.”
“Because I’m an adult with decorum, unlike someone I could name.”
“This might be the funniest thing that’s ever happened in my entire life.”
His disdainful expression was frosting on the funny cake.
She wiped away tears and made a Herculean effort to pull herself together. There was work to be done and a delicate plan to put together. She had no time for tomfoolery.
“Are you done now?”
“I think so.”
Sam took a deep breath and released it slowly, hoping to reset herself to focus on more important things than whether her once-innocent partner had turned into a heathen on her watch.
“Can someone tell me where we’re headed?” Vernon asked.
Freddie gave him the address of the church that Sam had written down.
She took a call from Captain Malone. “Hey, Cap. What’s up?”
“Park Police in Rock Creek spotted someone matching Harlan Peckham’s description this morning, but he managed to elude them. They found a campsite they believe might belong to him. I’m sending Crime Scene there now, but I thought you might want to take a look, too.”
“You thought right. We’ll head there now.”
“I texted a pin to Cruz with the location, and we’ve dispatched multiple units to assist the Park Police in the search for Peckham.”
“Okay.”
“Be careful, Sam. If he’s feeling cornered, you’d be a really nice prize.”
“I hear you.”