On The Road With Danny Concannon '04-'05: Vermont & Houston
"Pink Elephants and Off White Flamingos"
Companion Piece: A Change is Gonna Come
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ALMOST A MONTH BEFORE FRIDAY NIGHT:
"Well, Peter, I'm just up here helping out a friend—he asked me to give a lecture and I was happy to give it—and as I remember, Vermont isn't in New Hampshire —or Iowa for that matter---unless I didn't read the paper today." John Hoynes laughed, as did the small group of reporters in the hotel ballroom as tape recorders and so forth were thrown in his face. "You can see it all next month when I go on Diane Mathers---but that's all I'll say for now---I think that's enough boys." He noticed a woman. "And lady. This is really just a vacation for me and my family. I just did this lecture as a favor to a friend. Thank you all. I'll see you all again at the book launch, I'm sure." Hoynes waved with his hand for the reporters to disperse and they did; all but Danny.
"Mr. Vice President—can I have a few words with you." The reporters all dispersed, but Danny was still present.
"Danny Concannon." Hoynes turned to welcome Danny in his own way. "Just when my dreams of killing you subsided—there you are---and please call me John," he said with his politician smile.
"Nice to see you to, Sir." Danny said straight.
"Suit yourself." John poured himself a glass of ice water. "But then again, I should say you've been more of a pain in the ass to the Bartlets than me over the last few years and for that I am thankful." He turned and offered Danny a glass of water. "Off the record of course." Danny acknowledged with a no thank you to the water. John gave Danny another suit yourself look and placed the water pitcher back to its place. Danny tapped his pencil on the top of his notebook. "What do you want, Danny?" John took a drink and set the glass back next to the pitcher.
"Sir?"
"You obviously have something you didn't want to ask me in front of the crowd. Something only you want to know? What is it?"
"The book, sir?"
"What about the book—?" He motioned to a woman with long legs. "Gladys, can I get a glass of tomato juice." The woman nodded her head and walked off. The room was now empty. "Do you want any?"
"No, thank you."
"You sure? Tomato juice-- good for the digestion. Drink it all the time now." Hoynes circled toward the door.
"The book, Sir?" Danny tried to get him back on topic.
"The Book? The Book? Well, it's about to come out—I've leaked it to every news outlet in the country---you wanna copy—I can get you a copy—Patricia." He called to another assistant outside the door.
"No, no sir, I've read it."
"I see." He paused not knowing, or pretending he didn't know where it was going." Then what's the trouble, Danny? You want an exclusive, 'cause I think about forty or fifty news outlets got one over you on that one."
"I have a report you heavily cut your book before it went to press."
"All books have their amount of editing, Danny. You of all people should know that."
"Yes, sir. It was about what was cut out—several things you said in the Times magazine article--- that aren't in the book."
"I was very angry at the time, Danny—I said some things I shouldn't have—decided they were already out there---I didn't write a book for gossip, Danny." Hoynes took another drink from his glass of water and set it down.
"The cuts sir? I heard it was more than that?"
"I don't think I get what you're getting at, Danny?"
"I think you do, sir."
Johns looked like he would explode in anger at any moment. He stepped close to Danny, speaking in a hushed and angry voice. "See that much sass as a reporter would have gotten you into a trouble when we were in the White House." He held in his anger and calmed himself down with breathing through his nose. Danny stood his ground.
"No disrespect sir, I just wanted an answer to my question."
"I think I answered it." John walked away and looked toward the door, looking for an exit.
"I don't think you did, sir."
Honyes turned back toward Danny. "Well, I think that's your problem."
"Not if I write about it, sir." Danny never lost his cool.
The woman from before entered the room with Hoynes's glass of juice. The two men stopped as they noticed her entrance into the room.
"Danny," John said in his condescending way and secured the bottom of his suit down. "Yes, there was a great deal of cutting before the book went to press—" Hoynes took the drink from the woman. "Thank you, Gladys." He took a gulp as the woman left. "Hummm, I mean really good, Danny—I'm not kidding—you should really try it."
"No, thank you—you were saying, sir." Danny heard the door close behind him as Gladys exited.
"How good of you to remind me." John said with sarcasm. " As I was saying----As with any book---as with any good book with a great publisher… a certain amount of cutting can occur---as for what was taken out—well that's just private, Danny. And private not because it's about anything lurid or nasty—but because it's well-- none of you damn business." One of John Hoynes's great talents was his ability to say the nastiest things with the greatest of charm. "It's private things, Danny---- I chose—last minute—not to tell the public—something that's my right, Danny."
"Depends what it is, sir."
Honyes laughed, "You know what, Danny, I should have had you help me as a ghost writer—because you really do have a way with words—now in person you can take that as sarcasm, but in print I actually mean that." He took a drink of his juice. "Danny, I took out certain sections of my book 'cause it just wasn't any good—among other reasons---you can ask my publisher." An male aid entered the room holding a folder in one hand and the door opened with other hand. The aid and John exchanged eyes. "Is that enough for you—I have to get going." He smiled.
"Yes sir." Danny said in his very polite way, but he didn't mean it.
"Good. Great." Hoynes walked past Danny smiling and patted him on the back.
Danny watched John Hoynes start to leave when he motioned toward his aide to wait a moment.
"Danny?" John motioned with his finger for Danny to come closer. "Just a little advice." He leaned down and whispered in his ear. "I'd be careful." He paused leaning in even closer because one day—someday. You're gonna dig so deep you'll be sorry what you'll find." Hoynes nodded and walked out the door. Danny leaned in.
"Are you telling me to look for something, sir?"
"I'm just telling you to be careful, Danny. As a friend." John smiled and turned toward the door. "I'm telling ya, Danny, try more tomato juice." He yelled with his back to Danny as photo flashes entered the room onto Danny's face from the hallway and John Hoynes was gone; for now.
Danny was left wondering if he had just been threatened or he had just been directed toward a story.
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FRIDAY NIGHT
In the present, Danny watched the end of John Hoynes's Diane Mathers interview with the same questions in his head, as he remembered, from his time with the ex-Vice President. The TV light glared on his questioning face as he began to roll his prize major league baseball around his palm and fingers. John Honyes book sat next to him on the coffee table.
A relieved CJ raised her glass to Toby in the back of the ballroom. For the first time in a long time she was able to breathe. Danny's mind, the mind of a reporter, the mind of the man who found Shariff, Danny's reporter's mind, that figured out and hunted down mysteries -- like the way he went after CJ – Danny's mind, once a question was planted in it he could never get it to leave. Danny sat in front of the television's cold glow, deep in thought. CJ and Toby listened to the music.