credit. I know very little about Mr. O’Reilly, just what I’ve heard through the grapevine, from William and from the newspapers.”
“You seem very confident that Eugene’s confession to William about his having an affair was false,” Anatoly pointed out. “And you know his position on gun control. You even seem to have some insight into what he was like as a person. You said that he was an awful man with no scruples. Surely you didn’t make that assessment based solely on the little bit of information William was able to share with you.”
Anne’s eyes narrowed. “I must say, Anatoly, you are the most inquisitive photographer I have ever met.”
Ha! Anatoly had just blown his cover, big-time! I, on the other hand, was playing out my role perfectly.
“I’m actually a photojournalist. It’s a job that requires a certain amount of inquisitiveness.”
And he had recovered. Damn it all to hell.
“I see. Anatoly, the political world is a small one. I may not have had the chance to converse with Eugene personally, but I certainly am acquainted with a number of people who have. Everyone knows about Eugene’s selective adoption of biblical ethics.”
“‘Selective adoption of biblical ethics’?” I repeated. “I’m not sure I know what that means.”
“It means that he had a reputation for being very dedicated to his wife, or at least to his marriage vows. However, he doesn’t pay any heed to Jesus’ suggestion that we refrain from throwing stones at one another.”
“Maybe he didn’t think he lived in a glass house,” I suggested.
“We all live in glass houses, Sophie,” Anne said with a tone that hinted at a superiority complex. “If you can’t see inside it’s because the glass is tinted, but if you pound on it with enough force it will break.”
“That’s very true,” Anatoly agreed, “and eloquently stated. I wonder, do you think O’Reilly was the only one responsible for leaking the reports about your supposed infidelities? What about the reports of your previous drug use and the abortion?”
“That was a long time ago,” Anne snapped.
“I am well aware of that,” Anatoly said soothingly. “As far as I’m concerned your ability to kick an addictive habit is a tribute to your personal strength and courage.”
Wow, he was laying it on thick.
“But I was just trying to figure out if Mr. O’Reilly might have had help in his attempts to slander you.”
“I’m sure Fitzgerald encourages his team to share any information that could potentially hurt my campaign, but I have a hunch that Mr. O’Reilly was the only one who made a career out of it.”
“I see. And before he died…do you have any reason to believe that he was trying to expose anything other than all of your past affairs?”
“ All of my past affairs? I’ve had two. That’s it! They were a long time ago and I’ve apologized for them!”
“Forgive me, I misspoke. I’m just trying to get a handle on how low Fitzgerald is willing to go in the name of winning.”
Anne leaned forward and lowered her voice to a kind of growl. “Fitzgerald would do anything to win. He may like to pretend that he’s the perfect Christian, but I guarantee you he’s not a kindhearted man. If I was the one who had been shot instead of Mr. O’Reilly, Fitzgerald would have offered the gunman a job on his campaign.”
When the interview was over, Anatoly snapped a few pictures of Anne standing next to her campaign volunteers and talking on the telephone to a nonexistent person. Unlike some people, I didn’t feel the need to play both photographer and journalist, so I stood aside as they did their thing.
“What is this for?”
I looked up to see a pleasant-looking salt-and-pepper-haired man looking down at me inquisitively.
“It’s just a photo shoot for Tikkun magazine.”
“Tikkun?” The man released a low whistle. “Impressive. I’m surprised they’re interested in a small district race.”
“It’s an
“You seem very confident that Eugene’s confession to William about his having an affair was false,” Anatoly pointed out. “And you know his position on gun control. You even seem to have some insight into what he was like as a person. You said that he was an awful man with no scruples. Surely you didn’t make that assessment based solely on the little bit of information William was able to share with you.”
Anne’s eyes narrowed. “I must say, Anatoly, you are the most inquisitive photographer I have ever met.”
Ha! Anatoly had just blown his cover, big-time! I, on the other hand, was playing out my role perfectly.
“I’m actually a photojournalist. It’s a job that requires a certain amount of inquisitiveness.”
And he had recovered. Damn it all to hell.
“I see. Anatoly, the political world is a small one. I may not have had the chance to converse with Eugene personally, but I certainly am acquainted with a number of people who have. Everyone knows about Eugene’s selective adoption of biblical ethics.”
“‘Selective adoption of biblical ethics’?” I repeated. “I’m not sure I know what that means.”
“It means that he had a reputation for being very dedicated to his wife, or at least to his marriage vows. However, he doesn’t pay any heed to Jesus’ suggestion that we refrain from throwing stones at one another.”
“Maybe he didn’t think he lived in a glass house,” I suggested.
“We all live in glass houses, Sophie,” Anne said with a tone that hinted at a superiority complex. “If you can’t see inside it’s because the glass is tinted, but if you pound on it with enough force it will break.”
“That’s very true,” Anatoly agreed, “and eloquently stated. I wonder, do you think O’Reilly was the only one responsible for leaking the reports about your supposed infidelities? What about the reports of your previous drug use and the abortion?”
“That was a long time ago,” Anne snapped.
“I am well aware of that,” Anatoly said soothingly. “As far as I’m concerned your ability to kick an addictive habit is a tribute to your personal strength and courage.”
Wow, he was laying it on thick.
“But I was just trying to figure out if Mr. O’Reilly might have had help in his attempts to slander you.”
“I’m sure Fitzgerald encourages his team to share any information that could potentially hurt my campaign, but I have a hunch that Mr. O’Reilly was the only one who made a career out of it.”
“I see. And before he died…do you have any reason to believe that he was trying to expose anything other than all of your past affairs?”
“ All of my past affairs? I’ve had two. That’s it! They were a long time ago and I’ve apologized for them!”
“Forgive me, I misspoke. I’m just trying to get a handle on how low Fitzgerald is willing to go in the name of winning.”
Anne leaned forward and lowered her voice to a kind of growl. “Fitzgerald would do anything to win. He may like to pretend that he’s the perfect Christian, but I guarantee you he’s not a kindhearted man. If I was the one who had been shot instead of Mr. O’Reilly, Fitzgerald would have offered the gunman a job on his campaign.”
When the interview was over, Anatoly snapped a few pictures of Anne standing next to her campaign volunteers and talking on the telephone to a nonexistent person. Unlike some people, I didn’t feel the need to play both photographer and journalist, so I stood aside as they did their thing.
“What is this for?”
I looked up to see a pleasant-looking salt-and-pepper-haired man looking down at me inquisitively.
“It’s just a photo shoot for Tikkun magazine.”
“Tikkun?” The man released a low whistle. “Impressive. I’m surprised they’re interested in a small district race.”
“It’s an
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