After only the briefest of pauses, Hillary asked, “Are you in touch with Cutter?”
Pam studied the delicate sterling scrollwork at the end of her butter knife.“We talk.I haven’t seen him for a while, what with Brendan being sick.But,” her voice fell, “I don’t know what I’d do if I were completely cut off from him.”She took a fast breath.“This conversation is getting maudlin.Let’s order.”She glanced at the waiter, who was quickly by her side.
But Hillary wasn’t about to let the subject drop.As soon as the waiter left, she set down her wineglass.“You have a greater axe to grind than I do, you know.”
“Against John?”
Hillary nodded.“Your life would be very different if it weren’t for him.”
After a moment’s thought, Pam propped her elbows on the arms of her chair and looked Hillary in the eye.“True.He’s not much better than scum, which is really pretty funny when you consider that he’s spent his life trying to prove what an aristocrat he is.”
“It’s time someone pointed that out,” Hillary said, thinking of her book.
Pam was thinking of it too, if her earnest tone was any indication.“But there are other ways.Less public, but more powerful ways.We’ll get him, Hillary.We’ll get him where it hurts.”
Hillary saw the purposeful set of her jaw.She had seen it before and never pursued it, but, with John’s defection,times had changed.“Is that wishful thinking on your Part?”
“Believe me.He’ll get his.”
“Inside the business?”
“Inside—outside—whatever.It’s coming, Hillary.”
“What is?”
“Justice.Sweet, sweet justice.”
Needing more than that, Hillary tried a teasing tone.“What’s going on, Pam?You’ve hinted at things before.I’ve seen that same look on your face, and it’s stronger each time I see it.You’re doing something, aren’t you?You and Cutter?”
“John’s the one who’s doing it.”
“That’s a platitude if I’ve ever heard one.”When Pam didn’t deny it, Hillary chided, “You wouldn’t have gone on20/20.You wouldn’t have stood up to him in public.”
“Television was the wrong forum.”
“So what’s the right one?”Hillary thought her book was.Clearly, Pam disagreed.
“There’s a right one.Trust me.He’ll get his.”
“When?”After several seconds of silence, Hillary asked, “How?”
Pam sighed.“I can’t say more now.But think about it.It stands to reason that when a man like John goes through life hurting the people closest to him, at some point they’ll strike back.You want to strike now—as many of us have wanted to for years—but there are ways and there are ways.Some are better than others.It may take time to do it right, but it will happen.So help me God, it will.”
Hillary wasn’t particularly reassured.She wanted to write her book.She didn’t want to wait around while Pamand Cutter and whoever else they were in cahoots with plotted revenge against John.She had her own instrument of revenge, and she wanted to use it now.
“Don’t worry,” Pam said, misinterpreting her expression.“It won’t be cheap.We’re not talking a public smear here.”
“A public smear mightn’t be so awful,” Hillary argued.“When a man goes public, he goes public.As of last Friday night, John is fair game.He wanted the good and took it, and now he has to risk the bad.”
“I doubt he sees it that way.”
“Probably not, the pompous ass.”
Pam gave a dry smile.“Now I know he’s in trouble.When you start calling him names, he’s up the creek.”
“That’s for sure,” Hillary said.“I know what I’ve felt these past few days.It has to be something like what you’ve spent years and years feeling.”
Pam gave a sage nod.“The anger.The sense of injustice.The need to lash back.I’ve felt all of those things.But you know that.You’ve seen me kicking and screaming, banging my head against the wall because of things John’s done.”
