On The Road With Danny Concannon: DC

"The Red Herring"

The snow on the ground was that of a snow only a few days old. It looked as if it had just snowed, but there was not a fleck in the air. It was cold and listless, if air can be listless, as the President's entourage followed him down the snow covered old railroad road. CJ gave an eye and nod to Toby and she stood still, falling back while the tour made its way further forward. Annabeth looked back for a moment noticing CJ had fallen back, but continued her way forward with the group. She tried not to look back again, but she found it strange.

CJ had a serious look on her face. She peered her eyes to the left to see Danny standing next to one of the towers. He nodded his head in a "hey." CJ had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Danny wore a large heavy snow jacket and he held his hands together, one of which held his pen, and the other his notebook. She knew it was time to talk. He knew it was time to talk. That was why he asked for her time and she had asked him to meet her here.

CJ lowered her head and walked toward Danny. They took each other's gaze as she reached Danny and the doorframe.

"In here." CJ spoke with sternness. Danny let her walk in front of him, taking a look to one side before finding her.

CJ walked up the stairs first and took sight of the large open area, a window without glass. She took a breath and found herself in the small corner next to the window. Danny could see her mood and he tried not to give her that look he always gave which told CJ he knew what was going on in her head. He pretended there wasn't enough tension in the air to cut with a sharp knife.

Danny coughed and stood next to the open window, which due to the length and size of space of the area put a square of sky between then. CJ leaned against the opposite corner, between the window and the wall, and adjusted her coat under her.

"Okay, I'm here." CJ said still adjusting her coat before looking up at Danny with a flip of her hair.

"We couldn't meet in your office?"

"This is when I have the time, Danny. You said you needed to talk to me. I'm here. What's going on?"

"I didn't want it to be this way, CJ."

"Hey, it's not my fault you got Eileen pregnant."

"Have you been Googling me?"

CJ didn't laugh or give any sort of reaction.

"Listen, that's not why I'm here." Danny got to the point. He opened his mouth and didn't know what or how to say it. It just came out.

"I didn't want to—I mean not like this."

'Danny, just say it. You –me. That isn't gonna happen. Not now, not ever. I've moved on. You've moved on. Congratulations. Mazel tov. If you want closure, you have it. Now I have a job to do."

"Why do you have to make this so difficult? You always need to make it so difficult. I'm sorry you resent me. I'm sorry you resent me because we met at the wrong time at the wrong place—you don't think I resent that?. I did. I got over it. I had my time. I got over it. I just want us to be adults about this. Can't we…..ahhh….That's all I ask. You, me. We go back to the way it was eight years ago—"

"You can never go back eight years."

Danny took a breath, "Yeah." They looked at each other for a long time. "But, like I said. That's not why I'm here. It's like I said on the phone."

"Why are you here?"

"I have it."

"Have what?"

"A list." Danny took a long folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and held it up to show her. "And I think you know what I'm talking about--I wanted to come to you first…"

"I'm not the press sec—"

"I wanted to come to you first—because of our relationship." He paused. "Because of our history. I felt I needed to. Out 'a courtesy." He paused. It was obvious this was very hard for Danny. "It's a list—a list of events—times and places of things used to bribe John Hoynes into not putting certain things in his book."

"I still don't--"

"Cause it came from your office, CJ---from the communications office when you were the Press secretary--" CJ reached for the paper and Danny pulled it away. They exchanged looks.

"I'm smart enough to know you made more than one copy." CJ demanded. Danny agreed with his eyes and reached his arm forward to let CJ grab the paper.

"I have proof that you, yourself brought this paper to the John Hoynes after the New York Times magazine article was published. I don't know who wrote it, but I can pretty much guess it was put together by Josh, Toby, you and Leo--"

"Danny—"

"I have the proof. "

"That's all you have?" CJ seemed to be panicked in her own controlled way.

"I have it, CJ."

"No... no..." She paused trying to regain herself. Danny only saw her anger. "This is it—this is all you're writing---a story about the White House threatening the Vice President not to reveal certain things in his book. This is the only story you're chasing."

"Yeah?"

"Nothing else?"

"No? Why?"

"You need to bring this to Toby or Annabeth." She handed it back.

"I don't know Annabeth, I know you. I'm bringing it to you—"

"You'll get a comment from them."

"I'm not looking for a comment." He stressed.

"You don't bring these things to me anymore—you bring them To—"

"I really don't have to bring it to anyone—I'm bringing it to you as a favor—as a favor…."

"Because of our history?"

"Yes," he stressed again under baited breath.

"Okay." She paused. "Give me some time."

"I've been down that road before. I need an answer." Danny put the paper back in his pocket.

"I need time—I need to talk with some people…I need some time." She looked into his eyes.

"I'm not holding on to this story to just have it get trampled on---"

"Oh, yeah and look how badly that turned out for you last time. That second Pulitzer not make such a great paper weight then?"

"CJ!" He took a breath.

"What?"

"Don't do this." His eyes seemed to almost have a held back emotion to them. Danny was hurt.

"What?"

"Don't do this. Don't make me angry right now. Or else I'm gonna go back to my laptop and write a story both of us will live to regret. I don't wanna do that, you don't want me to do that and…."

"What?"

"Nothing---I lost my train of thought."

"You lost your train of thought?"

"Or more like I'm a little tired right now and I think I was just about to…reveal something I just don't. This is ridiculous." He turned around for a moment to regain his thoughts. "I'm gonna write this story no matter what happens. I'm gonna do the research and I'm gonna write the story. Even if it has to do with you. I have to, CJ. This is my job. So why don't you help me make it as painless as possible."

"You want an exclusive?" She asked calmly.

"Hey, if it ends up---"

"Have you done any preliminary research on this?"

"You want—"

CJ have him a look.

"I've talked to a few people—I won't say—"

"And you have more."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you would wouldn't you?" She paused. You always get the story." She said listlessly. Her train of thought seemed to go off and Danny could see it.

"CJ?"

"My office---after hours—you'll get your exclusive—just be in my office."

"Okay." Danny said like he always did. At her command.

After Danny left, CJ made her way out of the tower just as the end of the group was making their way back. She took a deep breath and rejoined the back end of group.

"What was that about?" Toby asked CJ.

"He has the paper." She leaned in and said in an almost-whisper.

"I'm sorry?"

"The paper we made up for Hoynes." They continued walking.

"How did he get ahold of that?"

"How did he get ahold of Mandy's memo seven years ago."

"Alone it proves nothing, we're fine."

"He has proof I brought it over to his office."

"It's nothing." Toby tried to brush it off.

"This is Danny. He'll keep looking and he'll find something. One thing will lead to another." She paused. "This is how it'll start." She almost said to herself. She stopped in the cold and the group kept on walking. Toby stopped with her.

"How far has Brock got?"

"Not far—he doesn't know what he has." He looked in CJ's eyes. "Pretty close. He knows there were more women—he's close. This article won't help." She saw Toby thinking. "What?" Nothing from Toby. "What?"

"What did you tell Danny?"

"I told him to meet me in my office tonight." Toby just stared her, and CJ got it. "No."

"We beat it to the punch."

"No, not Danny—"

"CJ."

"Not Danny, anyone, but Danny."

"Why?" Toby took her off to the side.

"Because.

"And what, let Brock tell your story for you?" He paused "You need someone!" He lowered his voice. Toby felt bad and he looked down for a moment. "You let it out first—you tell your story from your point of view—we won't need to spin it and you know it. You need someone who knows you—who'll tell your story. He has it, CJ. If he doesn't he'll have it sooner or later. We need to leak it."

CJ took a moment and slowly and silently she agreed.

"So what do you fear, CJ?" the psychologist asked. "Are you still afraid it'd come out?"

"No, I'm not in the book."

"We've covered this in many different ways in this session, CJ. But this dream is different from the others. How long has it been since you had the others?"

"I'd say since Christmas. Not since a little before Christmas."

"But, you're still afraid it will come out. You need to get this out of your head, CJ. You didn't do anything wrong. This regret you feel can't be eating you up inside."

"No, I'm not afraid of that. I mean I am, but not like I was. He calls them out—I'll be there." She stared to wring her hands. "I'm just afraid he'll find out." She turned toward her doctor. "They found that woman so easily. They could find me. And if they do, I'll have to own up to it like everything else in my life."

"You're still afraid the cards will come tumbling down?" CJ turned away and looked out the window. "What do you think the dream means?" There was a small silence as CJ was caught off in an image for a moment.

"I'm afraid he'll find it. I'm just afraid he'll be the one to find it."

Danny got back to his office very late at night. No time to stop at home, he was closer to his office than his apartment and it always made the most sense, in a multi-tasking way, to stop off at the office. He turned on a desk light, dropped his bag, and made his way to his safe and turned the combination. Inside the safe sat one small, red zip disk.

Danny slipped the disk into his computer and sat back in his chair, not at all relaxed, as the white light of the screen shown on him. He leaned on his fist and watched the bars on the screen slowly move from left to right as it displayed the words: File Claudia Jean loading.

"I'm afraid he'll be the one to find it." CJ repeated.