The senator jumped. His assailant looked daggers at me, which moved up the scale to full-sized swords as the senator turned and flashed his best magazine-cover smile my way. Of course, Miss Mason, he said. He deftly twitched his fingers free of the handshaker, saying, If you wouldnt mind excusing me, Councilman Plant, I need to confer with a member of my press pool. Everyone, Ill be right back with you.
Fighting into the throng had taken almost five minutes. Getting out of it required nothing but the senators hand at the small of my back, propelling me along as we made our way to the clear space to the left of the dais. Not that I mind the save, Georgia, since I was starting to worry about the structural integrity of my wrist, but what are you doing here? asked Senator Ryman, his voice pitched low. Last I checked, youd stayed at the Center, which is why your brothers been here annoying the staff and eating all the shrimp canapés all evening.
I did stay at the Center, I said. Senator, I dont know if youre aware of this, but Someone shouted congratulations to the senator, who answered it with a grin and a broad thumbs-up. It was a perfect photo-op moment, and I snapped the shot with my watchs built-in camera before I even thought about what I was doing. Instincts. Clearing my throat, I tried again. Buffy was working for someone who wanted to keep tabs on your campaign.
Youve told me this before, he said, more briskly. I recognized the impatience in his eyes from dozens of media briefings. Its all some big shadow conspiracy looking to bring me down. What I dont understand is why this is suddenly so pressing that you need to rush over here and risk making a scene on what might be one of the most important political evenings of my life. There are a great many movers and shakers here tonight, Georgiaa great many. These are the men who could hand me California, as youd know, if youd bothered to read the briefing papers and attend my speech. If youd bothered to do your job, said his subtext, so clearly that it might as well have been spoken aloud. Id let him down. My reporting, which hed come to depend on as one of the tools of his campaignthe objective reporter, won over by his politics and his rhetoricwas supposed to have been there, and it wasnt.
The senator had heard my excuses with increasing frequency in the time since Buffys death, and it was clear that he was getting tired of them. More than tired; he was getting frustrated with them, and by extension, with me.
Talking faster now, in an effort to keep him from shutting me out before I could finish, I said, Senator, Ive had two of my people running traces for weeks now on every bit of data we could find. Theyve been following the money. Thats what it always comes back tothe money. And theyve managed to find
Well talk about this later, Georgia.
But Senator Ryman, we
I said wed talk about this later. He was frowning now, his stiff, political smile, the one he used during debates, or when chastising recalcitrant interns. This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion.
Senator, we have proof Tate was involved in what happened to Buffy. The senator froze. Finally sensing that he might listen, I pressed my case. Weve had audio for a while, but my team found the payments. We found the contacts. Buffy wasnt the start. Eakly was the start. Eakly and the ranch
No.
The word was soft but implacable. I stopped dead, run up against the side of that refusal like Id just slammed into a wall. After a frozen moment, I tried again, saying, Senator Ryman, please, if youd just
Georgia, this is not the time, and its not the place, especially if those are the accusations youve come here to make. His face was cold. Id never seen him look that cold toward anyone who wasnt a political rival. David Tate and I may not have always seen eye to eye on this campaign trail, and God knows, Ive always known there was no love lost between the two of you, but Im not going to stand here and listen to you say these things about a man who spoke at my daughters funeral. I cant have that.
Senator, that man was just as responsible for your daughters death as if hed infected her himself.
Senator Rymans shoulders tensed, and his hand actually rose several inches before he forced it down. He wanted to hit me; that truth was written so clear across his face that even Shaun could have seen it. He wanted to, but he wouldnt. Not here, not in front of all these witnesses.
Its time for you to go, Georgia.
Senator
If the three of you arent off the premises in the next fifteen minutes, youll be spending tonight in the Sacramento County jailhouse, as Ill have had your press clearance pulled. His tone was calm, even reasonable, but there was no kindness in it, and kindness was the thing I was most accustomed to hearing from him. When I get back to the Center, Ill come by your trailer, and youll show me every scrap of proof you think you have.
And then? I asked, despite my own better judgment. I needed to know how seriously he was willing to take this.
And then, if I believe you, Ill back you up when we call for the federal authorities, because what youre saying, Georgia, what youre accusing is terrorism, and if that accusation gets made without absolute proof behind it, well, theres more than one mans career it could destroy.
He was right. If it got out that the Ryman campaign had been harboring a man whod use Kellis-Amberlee as a weaponhell, that a man whod use Kellis-Amberlee as a weapon was actually on the ticketit would ruin him. His political enemies would never let the scandal die. Some of them would probably say hed supported Tates actions, even to the point of killing Rebecca, for the votes it bought him.
Fighting into the throng had taken almost five minutes. Getting out of it required nothing but the senators hand at the small of my back, propelling me along as we made our way to the clear space to the left of the dais. Not that I mind the save, Georgia, since I was starting to worry about the structural integrity of my wrist, but what are you doing here? asked Senator Ryman, his voice pitched low. Last I checked, youd stayed at the Center, which is why your brothers been here annoying the staff and eating all the shrimp canapés all evening.
I did stay at the Center, I said. Senator, I dont know if youre aware of this, but Someone shouted congratulations to the senator, who answered it with a grin and a broad thumbs-up. It was a perfect photo-op moment, and I snapped the shot with my watchs built-in camera before I even thought about what I was doing. Instincts. Clearing my throat, I tried again. Buffy was working for someone who wanted to keep tabs on your campaign.
Youve told me this before, he said, more briskly. I recognized the impatience in his eyes from dozens of media briefings. Its all some big shadow conspiracy looking to bring me down. What I dont understand is why this is suddenly so pressing that you need to rush over here and risk making a scene on what might be one of the most important political evenings of my life. There are a great many movers and shakers here tonight, Georgiaa great many. These are the men who could hand me California, as youd know, if youd bothered to read the briefing papers and attend my speech. If youd bothered to do your job, said his subtext, so clearly that it might as well have been spoken aloud. Id let him down. My reporting, which hed come to depend on as one of the tools of his campaignthe objective reporter, won over by his politics and his rhetoricwas supposed to have been there, and it wasnt.
The senator had heard my excuses with increasing frequency in the time since Buffys death, and it was clear that he was getting tired of them. More than tired; he was getting frustrated with them, and by extension, with me.
Talking faster now, in an effort to keep him from shutting me out before I could finish, I said, Senator, Ive had two of my people running traces for weeks now on every bit of data we could find. Theyve been following the money. Thats what it always comes back tothe money. And theyve managed to find
Well talk about this later, Georgia.
But Senator Ryman, we
I said wed talk about this later. He was frowning now, his stiff, political smile, the one he used during debates, or when chastising recalcitrant interns. This is neither the time nor the place for this discussion.
Senator, we have proof Tate was involved in what happened to Buffy. The senator froze. Finally sensing that he might listen, I pressed my case. Weve had audio for a while, but my team found the payments. We found the contacts. Buffy wasnt the start. Eakly was the start. Eakly and the ranch
No.
The word was soft but implacable. I stopped dead, run up against the side of that refusal like Id just slammed into a wall. After a frozen moment, I tried again, saying, Senator Ryman, please, if youd just
Georgia, this is not the time, and its not the place, especially if those are the accusations youve come here to make. His face was cold. Id never seen him look that cold toward anyone who wasnt a political rival. David Tate and I may not have always seen eye to eye on this campaign trail, and God knows, Ive always known there was no love lost between the two of you, but Im not going to stand here and listen to you say these things about a man who spoke at my daughters funeral. I cant have that.
Senator, that man was just as responsible for your daughters death as if hed infected her himself.
Senator Rymans shoulders tensed, and his hand actually rose several inches before he forced it down. He wanted to hit me; that truth was written so clear across his face that even Shaun could have seen it. He wanted to, but he wouldnt. Not here, not in front of all these witnesses.
Its time for you to go, Georgia.
Senator
If the three of you arent off the premises in the next fifteen minutes, youll be spending tonight in the Sacramento County jailhouse, as Ill have had your press clearance pulled. His tone was calm, even reasonable, but there was no kindness in it, and kindness was the thing I was most accustomed to hearing from him. When I get back to the Center, Ill come by your trailer, and youll show me every scrap of proof you think you have.
And then? I asked, despite my own better judgment. I needed to know how seriously he was willing to take this.
And then, if I believe you, Ill back you up when we call for the federal authorities, because what youre saying, Georgia, what youre accusing is terrorism, and if that accusation gets made without absolute proof behind it, well, theres more than one mans career it could destroy.
He was right. If it got out that the Ryman campaign had been harboring a man whod use Kellis-Amberlee as a weaponhell, that a man whod use Kellis-Amberlee as a weapon was actually on the ticketit would ruin him. His political enemies would never let the scandal die. Some of them would probably say hed supported Tates actions, even to the point of killing Rebecca, for the votes it bought him.
