Sweet Revenge
Chapter 21
Previously: Charlie told Jed he saw him wiping off the gun that was used to kill Emma, Leo overheard Jed and Charlie talking about evidence-tampering, Charlie told CJ that there's no way Annie could have been in Boston the night of the murder.
Summary: Leo confronts Jed with his suspicions.
CJ stared at Charlie, still trying to comprehend the ramifications of his suspicions. "Just because she had some dreams, you think she witnessed a murder?"
"It's not just the dreams. It's the discrepancy in where she was, it's her behavior since that night, it's the fact that she didn't go home with her mom and dad and that the President is keeping her so sheltered."
"He's always protective of his family."
"From the press. Not from his staff," he countered. "When was the last time you spoke to Annie?" Her silence was his answer. "Mrs. Bartlet won't let her anywhere near any of us and neither will the President."
"In fairness, I haven't really tried to talk to her."
"Yeah, well, I have and trust me, something isn't right."
When the President returned to the Oval Office, Leo was waiting for him. Up until now, he had kept the discussion about the murder to a minimum, knowing Jed was being bombarded by the legal hassle. Leo's information was given on a need-to-know basis and he was fine with that, but now things had changed. Overhearing Jed and Charlie's conversation convinced Leo he needed more details than Jed was voluntarily willing to give.
Jed knew he'd eventually start asking questions. So when he came in from the portico and found Leo sitting in a chair in his office, he figured the time had come.
"Is CJ still here?" Jed asked.
"No, she went back to her office. She said she'd talk to you later."
Jed began filing papers into his briefcase, trying to avoid eye contact with Leo. "Sorry I had to take off so quickly."
"Mr. President, are you sure there's nothing I should know?"
"No, there's nothing you should know. Everything's fine."
"Then why did Charlie say you wiped off the gun you found next to Emma's body?" Jed continued filing his papers, ignoring him. "Jed, if you tampered with evidence, I need to know about it now."
"You're not my lawyer, Leo," he snapped.
"But I'm your Chief of Staff. And more importantly, I'm your friend." Jed walked from one end of the office to the other, mindlessly picking up extra files to organize or sift through, in hopes of ending the conversation, but Leo continued. "Do you want to know what I think?"
"Could we end this discussion right now if I said no?"
Leo placed his hands on Jed's desk trying to force him to make eye contact. "I think Jed Bartlet wouldn't lie about a murder. He wouldn't tamper with evidence. No, he'd want to find out who did it and he'd want that person brought to justice, no matter who the victim was."
He succeeded. Jed was now looking him in the eye. "Leo."
Unaffected by the tone in his voice, Leo continued. "And if he did it, he'd cop to it. His conscious wouldn't let him live with the lie." Leo turned his back to Jed, walking away from the desk, but finishing his hypothesis. "Other than his children, who by the way, were safely tucked in bed at the time of the murder, the only person that Jed Bartlet would lie for is his wife." He turned to face Jed, who was now staring him down with coldness in his eyes. "Abbey killed Emma and you're covering for her."
It took Jed a moment to collect his thoughts and decide how to proceed. "That's what you think?"
"That's what I think."
"You're wrong."
Leo approached Jed once again, but this time held back a little further. "Yes, I am. Abbey didn't kill her."
Jed's demeanor slightly changed, not knowing what kind of mind games Leo was playing. "You just said you think she did it."
"I think that's what you think. I think you think Abbey did it and that's why you've been covering this up. But what if I told you that I know Abbey didn't kill Emma?"
"I already know she didn't," Jed insisted as he finished shoving papers into his briefcase.
"Charlie says Abbey was gone five minutes before he went after her. She didn't have time..."
"Leo, I said I know! Just drop it, okay?" Jed blurted out.
"If you're not protecting Abbey, then what the hell are you doing?" he asked, his voice rising to meet Jed's.
"What I'm doing is getting ready for a day full of meetings."
"Your mind isn't at work today. You're packing your briefcase for God's sake."
Jed looked down at his half-finished task. "Yes, I am." He ignored the obvious chore and sat down at his desk. "I have a lot of reading to do. So if you'll excuse me..."
Leo left without another word. Jed watched him walk out, then took off his reading glasses and sighed. All the lying was tearing him apart. The only person he was being completely truthful with was Abbey. She was the only one he could count on right now, the only one who knew what he was going through and was willing to go through it herself. Throughout their marriage, they had always been a team. They frequently joked that it was them versus the rest of the world. At no other time was it more true than it was right now.
TBC
Chapter 21
Previously: Charlie told Jed he saw him wiping off the gun that was used to kill Emma, Leo overheard Jed and Charlie talking about evidence-tampering, Charlie told CJ that there's no way Annie could have been in Boston the night of the murder.
Summary: Leo confronts Jed with his suspicions.
CJ stared at Charlie, still trying to comprehend the ramifications of his suspicions. "Just because she had some dreams, you think she witnessed a murder?"
"It's not just the dreams. It's the discrepancy in where she was, it's her behavior since that night, it's the fact that she didn't go home with her mom and dad and that the President is keeping her so sheltered."
"He's always protective of his family."
"From the press. Not from his staff," he countered. "When was the last time you spoke to Annie?" Her silence was his answer. "Mrs. Bartlet won't let her anywhere near any of us and neither will the President."
"In fairness, I haven't really tried to talk to her."
"Yeah, well, I have and trust me, something isn't right."
When the President returned to the Oval Office, Leo was waiting for him. Up until now, he had kept the discussion about the murder to a minimum, knowing Jed was being bombarded by the legal hassle. Leo's information was given on a need-to-know basis and he was fine with that, but now things had changed. Overhearing Jed and Charlie's conversation convinced Leo he needed more details than Jed was voluntarily willing to give.
Jed knew he'd eventually start asking questions. So when he came in from the portico and found Leo sitting in a chair in his office, he figured the time had come.
"Is CJ still here?" Jed asked.
"No, she went back to her office. She said she'd talk to you later."
Jed began filing papers into his briefcase, trying to avoid eye contact with Leo. "Sorry I had to take off so quickly."
"Mr. President, are you sure there's nothing I should know?"
"No, there's nothing you should know. Everything's fine."
"Then why did Charlie say you wiped off the gun you found next to Emma's body?" Jed continued filing his papers, ignoring him. "Jed, if you tampered with evidence, I need to know about it now."
"You're not my lawyer, Leo," he snapped.
"But I'm your Chief of Staff. And more importantly, I'm your friend." Jed walked from one end of the office to the other, mindlessly picking up extra files to organize or sift through, in hopes of ending the conversation, but Leo continued. "Do you want to know what I think?"
"Could we end this discussion right now if I said no?"
Leo placed his hands on Jed's desk trying to force him to make eye contact. "I think Jed Bartlet wouldn't lie about a murder. He wouldn't tamper with evidence. No, he'd want to find out who did it and he'd want that person brought to justice, no matter who the victim was."
He succeeded. Jed was now looking him in the eye. "Leo."
Unaffected by the tone in his voice, Leo continued. "And if he did it, he'd cop to it. His conscious wouldn't let him live with the lie." Leo turned his back to Jed, walking away from the desk, but finishing his hypothesis. "Other than his children, who by the way, were safely tucked in bed at the time of the murder, the only person that Jed Bartlet would lie for is his wife." He turned to face Jed, who was now staring him down with coldness in his eyes. "Abbey killed Emma and you're covering for her."
It took Jed a moment to collect his thoughts and decide how to proceed. "That's what you think?"
"That's what I think."
"You're wrong."
Leo approached Jed once again, but this time held back a little further. "Yes, I am. Abbey didn't kill her."
Jed's demeanor slightly changed, not knowing what kind of mind games Leo was playing. "You just said you think she did it."
"I think that's what you think. I think you think Abbey did it and that's why you've been covering this up. But what if I told you that I know Abbey didn't kill Emma?"
"I already know she didn't," Jed insisted as he finished shoving papers into his briefcase.
"Charlie says Abbey was gone five minutes before he went after her. She didn't have time..."
"Leo, I said I know! Just drop it, okay?" Jed blurted out.
"If you're not protecting Abbey, then what the hell are you doing?" he asked, his voice rising to meet Jed's.
"What I'm doing is getting ready for a day full of meetings."
"Your mind isn't at work today. You're packing your briefcase for God's sake."
Jed looked down at his half-finished task. "Yes, I am." He ignored the obvious chore and sat down at his desk. "I have a lot of reading to do. So if you'll excuse me..."
Leo left without another word. Jed watched him walk out, then took off his reading glasses and sighed. All the lying was tearing him apart. The only person he was being completely truthful with was Abbey. She was the only one he could count on right now, the only one who knew what he was going through and was willing to go through it herself. Throughout their marriage, they had always been a team. They frequently joked that it was them versus the rest of the world. At no other time was it more true than it was right now.
TBC