I wave him down and sit, quickly catching him up.
He blinks back tears and looks as stunned and gutted as I feel. “I…shit.”
“You, Angie, Tim Bayard. My study, five minutes. Postpone the staff meeting, donottell anyone yet what’s going on.”
He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
I stand. “Listen, Lauren would fricking wring our necks if we bungle this. All we can do right now is honorher by doing what we can do, the best we can do it.”
“Yes, ma’am. You’re right.” He reaches for a tissue from the box of them on his desk.
As I head back to my study, I realize there’s another call I need to make. I buzz my secretary and ask her to send Elliot in as soon as she can locate him. I’m in my study with my three stunned staffers when he knocks.
“Come.”
He opens the door, reactingwith understandable shock when he sees Angie sitting there and sobbing, with Tim trying to comfort her.
“What’s going on?”
I wave him in, already feeling exhausted. “Come in, Elliot. We need to talk.”
* * * *
Four hours later, Leo is filling me in via text. It was definitely her. Kevin is the one who called her parents to break the news to them. Now, Kev and Leo are at her townhouse with theDCMP, going over things to see if there’s any evidence.
But it looks like she never made it home, nothing out of place, and Kevin even showed them how to pull the alarm log for her house.
She armed it yesterday morning and it wasn’t disarmed until Kevin arrived with the detectives.
They found one security camera that showed someone in a black hoodie walking behind her approximately five minutesbefore she was killed, but it’s impossible to tell the person’s gender or race. It looks like they were wearing sweats, so it’s also impossible to accurately guess their age or build, either.
Once the news breaks, we are hammered. I send Elliot on to the campaign event without me. It’s a large one, or I would’ve cancelled it. I beg the Senate Majority Leader to go with him, because she’s notup for re-election this year and not engaged in her own campaigning, and she agrees.
The kids are devastated.
I clear my calendar for the rest of the day and spend it with them and Chris.
For security reasons, Chris orders Kev be brought back to the White House for tonight. Once he’s here, after the kids get to hug him, Chris takes Kev into our bedroom and closes the door. They know he’s Chris’best friend, and that he’s close to both of us, but I also know that, one day soon, we’ll need to have a conversation with them about privacy, and not talking about family business, and, oh, yeah, some people have more than one partner.
Not today, though.
It’s bad enough I find out Rep. Markos made an impassioned speech on the floor of the House today, tearfully recalling his “fond memories”of his former daughter-in-law and insisting that this is proofmorepeople in DC need guns, so they can defend themselves.
I know from taking office that there are no hidden aliens in Area 51, the CIA didn’t kill JFK, and yes, we did land on the moon.
Unfortunately, I also know that I cannot order a hit on Edwin Markos.
Even though I really,reallywish I could.
* * * *
Despite our shockand grief, we have a country to run. Chris’ staff helps Kevin plan a memorial service for her here in DC, and I order flags flown at half-staff.
I send Air Force One to bring her parents to DC, and they’ll be staying at Blair House. I wanted to put them up here in the White House, but Kev said it’d be better to let them stay there so they can have a little privacy.
I defer to my Sir.
Over thenext couple of days, I don’t get to see much of Kev. Chris and the kids get to see him more than I do, and once again I’m reminded how much parts of this job of mine suuuuuuck.
