CHAPTER FORTY

“Hi, welcome to Taco Bell,” Darcy Metcalf said, and then a look of wide-eyed shock appeared on her face. “Oh, holy cow.”

“Hi, Darcy,” Seth said. “Can we talk with you a sec?”

Darcy's eyes were huge as she stared at Jenny. Jenny gave her the best smile she could manage.

“Jeepers,” Darcy said. “Um, okay. Did you want anything to eat?”

“Six chili cheese burritos for me,” Seth said.

“Just take a booth. I'll wheel 'em right out for you. Well, not wheel 'em, I mean I'll just carry 'em,” Darcy said.

“Thanks.” Seth paid her, and then he and Jenny took a booth at the back corner of the Taco Bell.

At the counter, Darcy stacked paper-wrapped burritos onto a tray. “Hey, Ramon,” she said. “Can you cover the register? I'm going on break.”

A young Mexican man walked to the counter from the kitchen. “You going to eat all that yourself?” he asked.

“It's for my friends,” Darcy said. “Thanks for covering.”

“You know I got you covered,” he said. He spanked Darcy's rear as she walked off with the tray, and Darcy giggled and blushed. She sat down across from Seth and Jenny, and Seth immediately tore into the burritos.

“Did that guy just smack your ass?” Jenny asked.

“Oh, yeah, Ramon.” Darcy sighed, looking back at him. “Isn't he the foxiest? He's so good with Neveah, too.”

“Neveah?” Jenny asked.

“My little girl,” Darcy said. “I named her that 'cause it's Heaven spelled backwards.”

“Oh! Congratulations,” Jenny said.

“She's the best. Even my dad is nice to her. He's still being a turd about Maybelle, though.”

“Ashleigh's dog?” Seth asked.

“Yeah, she lives in my room now,” Darcy said. “Daddy hates it, but too bad, you know? He can't boss me around forever. Me and Ramon are gonna get our own place soon, anyway.”

“That's really great, Darcy.” Jenny couldn't help smiling. Darcy seemed genuinely happy. “Well, we won't take too much of your time. I just wanted to give you something.”

Jenny took out a PayPal debit card, which had a small pink Post-It note affixed to the back side, and slid it across the table. The name on the card was FALLEN OAK GIRLS' OUTREACH. Darcy's brow furrowed as she studied it.

“The password's on the back,” Jenny said. “That's all the money Ashleigh raised for the pregnant girls in town. I'm not sure how much is in there, but it might be a lot. She made the story into national news.”

“Oh, wow,” Darcy said.

“Darcy, you're in charge of this money now,” Jenny said. “Share it out with all the girls who need help.”

“Really?” Darcy gaped at her. “Why me?”

“Because I know we can trust you to do the right thing,” Jenny said.

“I don't know,” Darcy said. “That's a lot of responsibility.”

“You can handle it, Darcy. I have confidence in you.”

“Okay...” Darcy slipped the card into her pocket. “Wow. This is big.”

“One thing,” Jenny said, “Don't tell anybody we were here. Just tell them you found it on Ashleigh's desk or something when you taking care of Maybelle.”

“Why?” Darcy whispered. “Are y'all in trouble or something?”

“Don't worry about us, Darcy,” Jenny said. “Just take care of the girls.”

“I will,” Darcy said solemnly. “I promise.”

***

Representative Eddie Brazer felt a little uncomfortable as he was escorted into the senator's office. Junius Mayfield belonged to the opposition, the president's party. Still, based on the polling, it looked like Eddie might be joining the august body soon, and there was no reason to snub one of his future colleagues in the Senate. Mayfield's people had been very insistent that Eddie meet with the senator ASAP. Eddie had no idea what the man wanted with him.

“Eddie Brazer,” Senator Mayfield said, standing up to greet him. The man looked like what he was, an old backslapping politician from the Deep South, jowly and gray, the nose and cheeks of a heavy drinker. “Whiskey for you?”

“No, thanks.”

“One for me, then.” Mayfield sank into his chair and poured himself a glass. “Looks like you'll be taking over Buddy Cobden's old seat.”

“So far, so good,” Eddie said.

“Old Cobden won't last for shit in retirement,” Mayfield said. “I give him two weeks on the golf course before he's dead of boredom. Or maybe he'll have a heart attack in the arms of his favorite hooker, the way he always wanted to go. What do you think?”

“I couldn't guess, Senator.”

Mayfield cleared his throat several times, as if a thick wad of phlegm were wedged inside.

“What can I do for you, Senator?” Eddie asked.

“Hell, call me Junius, we're practically co-workers,” Mayfield said. “There's just a little mess I need your help mopping up. This damn Fallen Oak thing. I know you folks in the House aren't really planning to hold public hearings, are you?”

“We are,” Eddie said. “We have substantial evidence that the President conspired to hide information of great importance to public health and national security—”

“The President is dumber than a paper bag full of donkey shit,” Mayfield said. “Couldn't pee without Nelson Artleby holding his pecker.”

Eddie was amused to hear that from a member of the President's party. He nodded.

“Nobody really cares what the President knew or didn't know,” Mayfield said. “Hell, nobody cares much about anything, except who's diddling who. There's no good reason to raise a big stinking mess here, Brazer. You're just pulling a rabid dog's tail. You're gonna get bit.”

“Is that a threat?” Eddie asked.

“Hell, yes, it's a threat. Look, those people down in that little place in South Carolina have been through enough. Nobody needs you upsetting them.”

“I don't see how a thorough investigation would upset anyone.” Brazer grinned.

“I think you're missing the big picture here, Brazer. Our basic job is to keep the public feeling safe and secure, so they go to work, pay their taxes, and leave us the hell alone. You don't want to get a reputation as a boat-rocker.”

“That's pretty cynical.”

“Hell, yes, it is,” Mayfield said. “You don't think I survived this long in the game by believing a bunch of airy-fairy nonsense, do you? Now, look here. You're a freshman. You don't want to come in here making enemies, when you could be making friends. Why make your life harder than it has to be?”

Brazer waited to see if Mayfield was really finished. Then he said, “Okay. I'll consider your advice.”

“Oh, will you 'consider' it, you little snot? You might want to consider this.” Mayfield turned his flat-screen computer monitor to face Eddie, and then he pawed and clicked at his mouse.

Eddie watched as the monitor shifted from a PowerPoint presentation, to a couple of news websites, to an online poker game.

“Damn, I hate computers,” Mayfield muttered. Eddie couldn't suppress an amused smile at the man's bumbling.

Mayfield pressed a button on his speaker phone. “Jordan, get in here and play that video of the congressman diddling his assistant.”

The smile vanished from Eddie's face, and a jittery feeling formed in his stomach.

A stunning girl in a long, tight black skirt entered the office, smiling.

“Hey, Senator,” she said in a Southern accent. She leaned across his lap and took the mouse from his hand. While she focused on the computer, Mayfield leered at her rear end, which was just in front of his face. He waggled his eyebrows at Eddie, as though expecting him to join in the leering, but Eddie wasn't exactly in the mood.

“Here you are, Senator,” the girl said. On the monitor, a video window popped up. It showed Eddie taking Esmeralda from behind on the hotel bed, his face very clear as he grunted in pleasure.

“Oh, Daddy, oh, Daddy, oh, Daddy...” Esmeralda cried.

“‘Oh, Daddy,’ my word,” Mayfield said. “It's like she was trying hard to sink you. Don't you have a daughter about her age?”

Eddie buried his face in one hand, shaking his head.

“Ever seen one this small?” Mayfield held up a narrow, palm-sized video camera. “My first telephone was bigger than that. I tell you, the things they make these days.”

Eddie sank in his chair. Esmeralda had disappeared several days ago, and now he understood why. She really had been too good to be true—she was a spy for Senator Mayfield, or his cronies.

“That's it for now, honey,” Mayfield said to the girl, and she left the room. “Now, Eddie. This is gonna get real ugly. The kids on my staff tell me it's no trouble to put a video like this all over the Internet. They say it would take about two minutes. Can you believe that? Two damn minutes, and you're dead in the water. What would your constituents think? Your backers? How about that wife of yours?”

Eddie didn't say anything.

“Now, again, I want this little investigation of yours sealed, shredded and forgotten. Is that clear?”

Eddie nodded.

“Say it,” Mayfield said.

“The investigation’s over. It never happened.”

“Good man,” Mayfield said. “That's it for today. If you do make it to Senate, you bear in mind I've got your balls in my back pocket. Don't you think about making any trouble for me and my friends. Now don't be a stranger, hear?”

“I won't,” Eddie managed to say. He stood up and made his way to the door.