Crime & Punishment: The Prequel Ch. 08

"I'll need to think about this?"

"Take all the time you need, but give me your answer tomorrow."

"Can I take this?" Lynda said holding up the file.

"Yes, but it doesn't leave the office, and you keep it locked and discuss it with no one."

"Ok."

"First thing tomorrow," Nancy Ross Jordan said and dismissed her.

****

The dinner was just the four of them at the Pool restaurant: the Majority Leader Jose Martin-Prez; his wife, Ema; Counsel to the Majority, Ray Emerson; and his fiancé Carrie Wilson, the governor's assistant. The chosen restaurant was small and very expensive with its stark white tablecloths, modern art, and extravagant seafood menu. Many of the diners had names that were well known. It was one of those places the Paparazzi watch on the chance of a notable photograph.

The Martin-Pres party served as targets for the photographers in lieu of more notable subjects. Ema was a beautiful woman, a high fashion model. At thirty-two she was getting a bit old for her occupation, but John aka Jose was her backup plan. From her attentiveness to her husband, no one would know that she did not share his bed. From agreement, the couple slept apart, and she only slept in another's bed when she was far enough out of the country to avoid the photographers.

Carrie was playing a similar game to Ema. Pretending an intimacy with her fiancé that could not exist. In fact, her charade was getting hard to maintain. Carrie knew it needed to end, but she had resolved to maintain it until she had convinced Jimmy O'Reilly to dispense with his unfaithful wife and make an honest woman of the female who actually loved him.

"So, Carrie is your bosses re-election campaign on track," Jose asked.

It was the evening before the off-year elections.The following November the governor must run for re-election, but this year the local races were on. Mayors, city councils, and D.A.s.The governor was about to announce that he was standing for re-election, but everyone on the inside and most on the out knew he was really gearing up for a presidential bid.

Carrie's and Ema's presence at the dinner table was mere window dressing so the actual lovers Ray and Jose could dine out without raising comment. By common agreement, Carrie scrupulously avoided talking about her bosses business and usually Jose/John respected her loyalty to Governor Kincade. She wouldn't speak of Kincade even if pressed. Tonight, however, Carrie was Kincade's mole as well as Ray's beard, " Everything is well on track. We just wish these false rumors of a presidential run would stop," she said loud enough to be overheard.

Jose merely gave a small laugh. He knew this game, but that night he had one of his own, "I hear he's hired a PR consultant. Now, why would he need a spin doctor with his re-election campaign going so well."

Now Carrie was a bit disconcerted and looked at Ray sitting beside her, but he didn't meet her eyes.

"You mean Susan Singleton?" she asked.

"Yes," Jose whispered.

"Good public relations never hurt—"

"Nothing to do with her husband? " Jose said clearly fishing for information.

Carrie looked at her fiance. Clearly, he had let her confidences slip to his lover, but why was Jose interested in Fitzgerald. He wasn't involved in any way, was he?

"Fitzgerald has no involvement with the governor."

"Really, and O'Reilly is doing what?"

Now Carrie was flustered. How did the majority leader know about O'Reilly? Ray must have been eavesdropping on her.

"The governor has many interests. Jimmy is looking into some juvenile justice issue for him while we see how the campaign may develop.

"An odd man to keep in reserve. A lawyer with a truly disreputable reputation. People may think the governor has a scandal he wants to sweep under the rug."

"Jimmy has a bad rap because of his clients. Don't confuse the message with the messenger."

"But now Ed. Kincade is the client?" Jose pressed.

"Sorry, but I think it's time we got the check and called it an evening," Carrie said.

By prior agreement, the couples would leave together, but Ema and Carrie would split off for Raymond's apartment, and Ray would go home with Jose. It was a game they had played versions of before. Tonight Carrie was anxious to find out why Jose was asking about O'Reilly. Ema was not in Jose's confidence, but she might know something.

"Ema, what were those questions regarding O'Reilly and Fitzgerald about?" Carrie asked Ema who was seated on Raymond Emerson's sofa eating Hagden Dazs rum raisin from the container. The two women were dressed in designer PJs. The fashion model who had managed to eat and drink nothing at dinner was splurging on dessert. Carrie wondered once again how someone could live like that.

"You want to have sex?" Ema replied putting down the ice cream.

"Not tonight. I rather know what the dinner conversation was about."

"How should I know. You should ask Ray."

"I'm asking you, and I thought we were friends."

Ema frowned and hesitated, "I know only that there is something this Fitzgerald has done that is upsetting John," she said and then quite purposely went back to eating her ice cream.

"And O'Reilly?" Carrie demanded but received only a shrug in reply.

Carrie knew only one issue currently linked Fitzgerald and O'Reilly. Did Assemblymen Martin-Prez know about the governor's problem or did he just suspect something? She tried to recall every conversation she had that her fiance Ray might have overheard. But she could recall nothing she had said that could have given anything away. Was Jose guessing? What might he want? The speaker was getting ready to step down was he seeking to blackmail the governor for support? That made no sense since as majority leader Jose/John was first in line.

Carrie needed to call the governor and probably O'Reilly, but she couldn't do that while Ema sat eating ice cream on Ray's couch. Ema wouldn't leave until Ray returned with the Martin-Prez limousine in the early morning. Carrie wouldn't be alone until she headed into the governor's Manhattan office in the morning. It would have to wait till then. She figured it could. She was wrong.