dad.”
“That’s Richard’s dad,” I repeated. The
implications weren’t lost on me. I could see the red-coated blonde
and his father, both descending on Hammie, expecting explanations
about the strange woman he’d been with.
“That dress looks exceptionally good on you,”
Moose said. “Richard did a nice job picking that out. I wonder what
Paris would say if she knew he picked it out for you.”
“Paris? The blonde red coat?”
Moose laughed.
“That’s good,” he said, “but she probably
thinks he’s the red coat, sitting with another woman at the
concert.”
“If she knows the Senator, then she knows he
had no choice.”
“That won’t stop her from holding it against
him. Paris is used to getting what Paris wants.” Moose glanced out
of the window, got his body in motion and was out of the car in an
instant.
I glanced out to see Wallace, flanked on one
side by Hammie and the other by the red coat. Paris’s face was
stony, Hammie looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, but
Senator Wallace was smiling and talking animatedly. Hammie slid in
beside me as the Senator skillfully guided Paris to another
car.
Chapter Five
Hammie normally sat in the front with Moose
unless we were handcuffed. His presence beside me left me wondering
if Wallace had requested it or if Hambecker felt the senator would
have expected it. Hammie sat back and closed his eyes. He looked
relaxed, but a twitch at the outer corner of his eye made me think
the stress was getting to him.
“Your girlfriend doesn’t look happy,” I said,
and Moose snorted in the front seat.
Hammie opened his eyes and scowled at
Moose.
“It’s going to take some time to convince her
that this wasn’t my idea,” he said. “Meanwhile, my ass is grass.”
He shrugged. “I’ve lived through worse.”
“Too bad she’s not more understanding.” I
wondered if he would notice that I was pumping for information.
“Paris? She’s all right. She doesn’t want
some other woman holding hands with her guy. I kind of appreciate
that in a woman. It would make me nervous if she was okay with
it.”
We drove back into the parking lot under the
hotel, and the men escorted me up to my room. Moose tossed me an
oversized T-shirt with “Sacramento” emblazoned across the front,
and I went into the bathroom to change out of the swishy dress and
feet-numbing shoes. Moose had picked up a toothbrush and toothpaste
earlier, and I took care of the usual nighttime routine before I
walked back into the room. The T-shirt covered all the essentials
with a couple of inches to spare, but I was self-conscious anyway,
so I slipped under the covers and sat propped against the headboard
with the TV remote.
Hammie turned from the window where he’d been
looking out on Sacramento.
“Not much to see, is there? Sacramento is a
pretty small town,” I said.
“I wouldn’t say Sacramento is small.” He
looked down at the street below. “Used to be a much smaller
town.”
“Compared to say, Boston or Chicago, it’s
still pretty small.”
“At least they don’t roll up the sidewalk at
seven any more.” He looked at the remote in my hand. “I suggest you
keep your viewing down to a minimum. We have an early wake-up
tomorrow.” He looked at Moose and tilted his head toward me before
he stepped through the adjoining door.
Moose got up and walked over to me. He fished
around in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a couple of zip
ties.
“Sorry about this,” he said. “We can’t risk
you taking a walk in the night.” He pulled back the covers and slid
the zip ties around my ankles, linking them together. Then he left
through the adjoining door, leaving it cracked open.
“Hey!” I shouted. “What if I need to pee in
the night? What if there’s a fire?”
“That’s why I left the door open, so I could
hear if you call out. Don’t worry, if there’s a fire the sprinkler
system will kick on. You’re more likely to drown than
“That’s Richard’s dad,” I repeated. The
implications weren’t lost on me. I could see the red-coated blonde
and his father, both descending on Hammie, expecting explanations
about the strange woman he’d been with.
“That dress looks exceptionally good on you,”
Moose said. “Richard did a nice job picking that out. I wonder what
Paris would say if she knew he picked it out for you.”
“Paris? The blonde red coat?”
Moose laughed.
“That’s good,” he said, “but she probably
thinks he’s the red coat, sitting with another woman at the
concert.”
“If she knows the Senator, then she knows he
had no choice.”
“That won’t stop her from holding it against
him. Paris is used to getting what Paris wants.” Moose glanced out
of the window, got his body in motion and was out of the car in an
instant.
I glanced out to see Wallace, flanked on one
side by Hammie and the other by the red coat. Paris’s face was
stony, Hammie looked like he wanted to be anywhere else, but
Senator Wallace was smiling and talking animatedly. Hammie slid in
beside me as the Senator skillfully guided Paris to another
car.
Chapter Five
Hammie normally sat in the front with Moose
unless we were handcuffed. His presence beside me left me wondering
if Wallace had requested it or if Hambecker felt the senator would
have expected it. Hammie sat back and closed his eyes. He looked
relaxed, but a twitch at the outer corner of his eye made me think
the stress was getting to him.
“Your girlfriend doesn’t look happy,” I said,
and Moose snorted in the front seat.
Hammie opened his eyes and scowled at
Moose.
“It’s going to take some time to convince her
that this wasn’t my idea,” he said. “Meanwhile, my ass is grass.”
He shrugged. “I’ve lived through worse.”
“Too bad she’s not more understanding.” I
wondered if he would notice that I was pumping for information.
“Paris? She’s all right. She doesn’t want
some other woman holding hands with her guy. I kind of appreciate
that in a woman. It would make me nervous if she was okay with
it.”
We drove back into the parking lot under the
hotel, and the men escorted me up to my room. Moose tossed me an
oversized T-shirt with “Sacramento” emblazoned across the front,
and I went into the bathroom to change out of the swishy dress and
feet-numbing shoes. Moose had picked up a toothbrush and toothpaste
earlier, and I took care of the usual nighttime routine before I
walked back into the room. The T-shirt covered all the essentials
with a couple of inches to spare, but I was self-conscious anyway,
so I slipped under the covers and sat propped against the headboard
with the TV remote.
Hammie turned from the window where he’d been
looking out on Sacramento.
“Not much to see, is there? Sacramento is a
pretty small town,” I said.
“I wouldn’t say Sacramento is small.” He
looked down at the street below. “Used to be a much smaller
town.”
“Compared to say, Boston or Chicago, it’s
still pretty small.”
“At least they don’t roll up the sidewalk at
seven any more.” He looked at the remote in my hand. “I suggest you
keep your viewing down to a minimum. We have an early wake-up
tomorrow.” He looked at Moose and tilted his head toward me before
he stepped through the adjoining door.
Moose got up and walked over to me. He fished
around in the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a couple of zip
ties.
“Sorry about this,” he said. “We can’t risk
you taking a walk in the night.” He pulled back the covers and slid
the zip ties around my ankles, linking them together. Then he left
through the adjoining door, leaving it cracked open.
“Hey!” I shouted. “What if I need to pee in
the night? What if there’s a fire?”
“That’s why I left the door open, so I could
hear if you call out. Don’t worry, if there’s a fire the sprinkler
system will kick on. You’re more likely to drown than
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