2. Charlotte
CHAPTER TWO
Charlotte
I stumbled into my condo, tossing my work bag in one direction and kicking off my shoes in another. The couch cushions bounced as I landed on them, facedown.
For several minutes, I soaked in the quiet and the darkness. Bliss .
Until a weight landed beside me and an insistent meow became impossible to ignore. I turned my head to see a puffy cloud of gray fur two inches away from my face.
“I am not getting up yet,” I mumbled against the cushion.
Cleo’s tail flicked. A small movement, but I was sure I detected judgment.
I held out as long as I could. Then I groaned, sitting up. “Alright, I’m coming, I’m coming. You’re so spoiled.” She acted like I didn’t have a pet-sitting service come by every afternoon.
Cleo led the way into the kitchen, tail in the air. On days like this, it was a contest to see which of us was surlier.
Guess who always won?
Meanwhile, my personal phone rang. I gave it a quick glance, but I didn’t recognize the number, so I ignored it.
I was less than a year into my term as lieutenant governor. I loved serving the people of my state. Yet too often, I felt like I was navigating the rapids of oversensitive personalities and petty politics. You’d think I’d be used to it, having served as a representative in the General Assembly for two terms. I also had my master’s in public policy. All those academic egos to deal with.
But some days were more exhausting than others.
Cleo rubbed against my ankles as I pulled a container of food from the fridge. “Oh, now you’re sweet?” I laughed. “Because I’m doing what you asked? At least you’re honest about it, babe.”
She knew exactly what she wanted, and she didn’t give up until she’d gotten it. Had to admire that.
Once Cleo had her dinner, I poked around in the fridge for something to feed myself. I had some meals pre-prepped, but I wasn’t in the mood for those. I’d just bitten into an apple when my phone rang again. But this time, I answered.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, sweetheart. Am I interrupting dinner?”
“Cleo’s dinner, maybe. I was just rummaging in the fridge. How’s grandma life?”
She gushed for a few minutes about my sister Megan’s newborn. The first grandchild of the family.
I’d been out to Grand Junction to visit a couple of weeks ago right after the birth. My parents were spending a month there, which was a big deal for them. Leaving their idyllic spot in the mountains for a city, even a small one.
I was the only McKinley who’d made the move to our state capital. Instead of a forest outside my door, I had hundreds of neighbors in my high-rise condo building. Great view of the continental divide, though. At least there was that.
“How’s the new initiative going?” Mom asked .
“It always takes a while to get a program off the ground,” I hedged.
“I read those statistics on trafficking you sent. Gave the legislative report to everyone in my crochet club, and trust me, they’ll be making phone calls to help get the ball rolling. Same with your dad and his fishing buddies.”
“We had a lively debate,” my dad chimed in cheerfully.
I smiled despite the darkness of the subject matter. “Thanks guys. I really appreciate you spreading awareness.”
Just recently, my office had announced a renewed initiative to fight human trafficking within our state. I’d pushed hard to get it this far, against surprising resistance. Yet I kept facing more. That was the reason for my frustration today.
My parents hadn’t always been fans of my role in politics. When they were younger, they had both been free spirits. Non-conformists who chafed at anyone telling them what to do. My dad owned a business leading whitewater rafting expeditions, while my mom had homeschooled me and my younger sisters, supplementing our family’s income by selling her original art and homegrown vegetables at farmers’ markets.
But they’d still encouraged and supported me in my career. And here they were, turning into policy wonks. I loved it.
My phone buzzed, and I glanced quickly at the screen. That same unfamiliar number from before was calling again. Strange, but if it was work, they’d use my official phone. Probably an overzealous reporter.
“Speaking of my fishing buddies,” Dad said, “Ralph told me his son is back in Denver. He works for one of those techno companies.”
“I think you mean tech.”
“Whatever. That crap is made up, but I’m sure you’d still have a lot to talk about. Ralph showed me his picture. He’s a good-looking guy.”
I rolled my eyes, opening the fridge to grab some containers of olives and cold cuts. “That’s very interesting, Dad. But if you’re trying to set me up with a tech bro, please don’t. No matter how hot you think he is.”
My dad sputtered. “It’s just been a while since you and Jud broke up. The two of you were such a good match. So much in common. That’s hard to find.”
Oh, wow. I glanced at Cleo, and she gazed cooly back at me. On this subject, we were in perfect agreement.
Unfortunately, my parents adored Jud Hale.
Jud was from Hartley, a town not far from where I grew up. I’d met him when we were both representatives. He’d been older, confident, oh so charming. On paper, he was the kind of man my parents should’ve hated. My dad had always been skeptical of authority figures, especially politicians. Yet Jud had talked fishing with him. He’d tipped his cowboy hat at my mom.
He’d charmed me too. Until I’d finally seen through it.
“I haven’t seen Jud in months,” I said. “He left Denver. I don’t have a clue where he is or what he’s doing.”
“He sent Megan a baby gift after he saw the birth announcement on Instagram!” Mom added. “Wasn’t that thoughtful?”
I closed my eyes, praying for patience. “Jud was always great about those kinds of gestures. Not much else.”
“I didn’t mean you have to date him. That’s not why I brought it up. Just want you to be open to meeting someone new.”
“I have no interest in dating anyone right now. In fact, I’m officially on hiatus for the next six months as far as men are concerned. You can tell Ralph and his son that. ”
“No need to be dramatic,” my mother said. “We want to see you happy, that’s all.”
“I have a great life. I’m the lieutenant governor! I think that’s pretty impressive for thirty-four years old.”
“So do we,” Mom said soothingly.
I probably could’ve ranted for longer. But I was tired, and my parents didn’t deserve it. They meant well. They were amazing ninety-five percent of the time. “I gotta go. I should eat and get to bed. Give my love to everyone? I miss you all.”
After my parents hung up, I finished putting together my makeshift dinner and went to eat in the living room, propping up my feet while I read news on my laptop. Such a glamorous life.
I really was happy, though. Wasn’t I? This was the political career I’d been dreaming of since high school. The chance to make a real difference. No one had said it would be easy.
I’d been ad-libbing the whole hiatus-on-dating thing. But it was a good idea. A chance to focus entirely on my job and detox from the men I didn’t need in my life. The kind who showed up for me only when it was convenient.
“Only you can get away with being that obnoxious,” I said to Cleo. She was tucked into her favorite spot on the window sill, cleaning her paws. She continued to ignore me. Which, let’s be honest, was the way we both liked it.
I returned to perusing the latest news. I looked for anything new from Genevieve Blake, but aside from a handful of freelance pieces, she hadn’t published another story since her exposé on a group called Stillwater a couple of months ago. I’d paid very close attention to the Stillwater story as soon as I’d heard about it.
Suddenly a pop-up window appeared on my screen, blotting out my view of what I’d been reading. I was mildly annoyed for a split second. Until my brain actually processed what this new window said .
Answer your phone Charlie
I gasped and reared back from the computer. The movement jostled my laptop, making it tip over the side of my couch. I dove to grab it.
At the same moment, my cell rang again.
Another burst of shock jolted me. Immediately, my heart started to race. I stared at the tilted screen in my hands. Someone had hacked my computer. The same someone who must be calling.
Charlie …
Very few people had ever called me that nickname. And only one had an uncanny ability with computers. But that wasn’t possible. Didn’t make any kind of sense.
I hadn’t spoken to him in… How long had it been? Five years?
The phone was still ringing. Numbly, I reached for it. Pressed accept. Both hands cradled the device against my ear.
“Hello?”
“About damn time.”
“ River ?”
“You’re in your condo right now. Correct?”
I glanced around at the empty room. Cleo was sound asleep. Everything else was normal. “Y-yes. Why? How’d you even know that? What’s this about?”
“I need you to listen to me, okay? You’re in danger.”