Iwouldbe lying, however, if I said part of me isn’t relishing this confrontation with Benchley. We both have similar goals—get Susa elected governor. But I need to get Owen elected first, because I refuse to allow Susa to run on the GOP ticket, either.
Benchley will, of course, argue that she should simply register GOP, problem solved, and she can ride on his coattails.
Except…no. Because that would sink her into the morass of dark money pouring in over the transom with little way to control it or even vet it properly.
I don’t want that.
Not for her, and definitely not for Owen. Despite being Benchley Evans’ daughter, Susa has scruples and integrity she must have inherited from her mother. While Owen’s secret dream was to be governor, Susa’s secret dream is to make a name for herself.
The best way to do that is run her as an Independent instead of GOP.
Also, it’s a way for me to give afuck youto Benchley, success outside his precious party.
What intrigues me even more is what will I find as I dig deeper into Benchley’s past? How many otherliteralbodies might I uncover as I start exploring?
Rightnow, I need to let Benchley know I have this info. It’s a tricky balance, though. Could go either way. If I over-play my hand, he might decide to retaliate in ways that can’t even be traced to him. Benchley is as much of a bastard as I am. More, even, because he has money, power, and a history in county and state government.
I want to tweak him just enough to force him to reluctantly do my bidding, and yet allow him to still lie to himself that it’s his idea.
I meet with Benchley at their Brandon house while Michelle is out. In fact, I set up the appointment yesterday so he could send her out, allowing us to talk in private. Probably for the best. Michelle only tolerates me because she knows her daughter’s happy. I hold no illusions that she “likes” me.
She wants to wring my neck with her own hands for how I married Susa.
I’m sure Benchley is wondering what this meeting is about, and maybe he even privately hopes I’m coming to offer him some sort of buyout deal in exchange for divorcing Susa.
Okay, the way I worded my request to meet with him—keeping it secret from Susa, implicating it’s to do with Susa, and wasn’t a meeting I really wanted to have but knew I had to—mighthave led him to think that.
#yesImabastard
“What’s this about?” Benchley asks once we’ve settled in his home office.
I waste no time metaphorically smashing his hopeful expectations that I want money in exchange for a divorce or annulment. “Tell me about Morgan Wheedon.”
He’s good, but not better than I am. I catch the twitch in his left eye. “Who?”
I melodramatically sigh and save us at least ten minutes of his bullshit and bluster by pulling out my phone and playing the video for him. When it ends, I return the phone to my shirt pocket, where it sticks up, just a little.
“Yes, I’ve backed it up in multiple places, Benchley. And yes, I’ve taken precautions. Anything happens to me, this and other stuff ends up all over the place.”
He glares at me even as he’s reappraising me. It takes him the better part of five minutes to speak, and I wait him out. “What do you want?”
I smile and lace my hands behind my head. “I want you to publicly support and endorse Owen’s county commission run for your old seat. As a senior member of the state GOP, I want yourofficialendorsement for his run as an Independent. I want you to twist arms and put bugs in ears and call in favors. I want every applicable ratfuck you’ve got used to his benefit. I want you campaigning for him, showing up at town halls to introduce him, shaking hands and filming endorsement ads. I want the local branch of the GOP to support Owen,notthe GOP incumbent or any of the other primary candidates. I’m talking from theprimaryon, not just in the general.”
His gaze narrows. “You’re insane. How’s that going to look?”
“The incumbent is a dirty shithead, and you know it. How’s it going to look if I start stirring up ghosts and Susa puts together the fact that you used her as your alibi to murder that guy?”
“You’ll destroy her chances to be elected governor if you do that!”
I shrug. “Won’t hurt Owen’s chances, though.”
His eyes widen. “You’d throw her under the busjustto get me out of the way?”
I smile. “In a heartbeat.”
“Wheedon was a rapist!”
“And Susa might be cutthroat, but she also has very strong ethics. Her father or not, she’d still go to the police with this evidence, even at the cost of her own political aspirations, and you damn well know it. So you’re going to go along with our plan. You’re going to help us get Owen elected to the county commission as an Independent. Then, in four years, he’s going to run for state Senate, for what will then beyourold seat, and you’re going to endorse him there, too. From the primary on.”
