Chapter 25. The Fallout
When Fitz enters the diner he is immediately struck by the rich aroma of coffee wafting through the air and the number of people sitting at the counter and in booths eating food at this hour of the morning. As his eyes dart around the dining room looking for Darius, he thinks he could sure use a cup of that coffee right now.
"Darius", he says, sliding in the booth at the back of the restaurant where the not-too-happy Councilman is sitting.
"You'd better have a damn good reason for getting me out of bed at this ungodly hour Fitz", Darius says as he stirs cream into the decaffeinated coffee.
Fitz does not care about the hour and he sure does not care that he has interrupted Darius' sleep. He wants answers and he wants them now. He rests his forearms on the table top, leans forward, and looks the Councilman squarely in the eyes.
"Did you know what Marla was doing – what she's been up to?" He demands with sweat beading on his forehead and spittle flying from his mouth
"What are you talking about, Fitz?" Darius asks tiredly, not picking up on Fitz' agitated demeanor. Darius shakes the pink packet of sugar, slowly tears it open, and then dumps it into the mug.
"Don't play innocent with me, Darius. You know what the fuck I'm talking about", he says angrily, which gets Darius' full attention.
Usually an easygoing and fun-loving man, Darius is immediately angered. He stops stirring the coffee, tosses the spoon onto the table, and glares at his agitated candidate. He does not know what has the man sitting across from him so riled up but right now he does not care. No one uses that tone of voice with him, not even Fitzgerald Grant.
Darius Moton does not have many rules to guide his life, but he does require, no, he demands to be respected. For years Darius watched his father come home from work, slump into his recliner, and stare off into space with a look of despair etched into his face. This is how his father handled the humiliation of being disrespected by the white men on his job. His father never spoke up on the job to defend himself, nor did he talk to his family about the degradation he experienced almost daily, but Darius knew, and his mother and sister knew as well. But, it was just one of the many things the Moton family did not talk about. Whether the family discussed the unmentionable or not, Darius promised himself way back then he would never be that man, he would never allow another man to disrespect him.
Ever the political operator, he glances around the room to check if Fitz' outburst has drawn attention to their table. Confident no one is looking in their direction, Darius mimics Fitz' posture, leaning forward in his seat and resting his forearms on the table. He rocks his head from side to side like a prizefighter warming up for a 15-round boxing match. With face set hard, he glares into the blue eyes staring at him.
"I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you Fitz, but I don't take that kind of shit from nobody", he says through clenched teeth. "So if you have something on your mind then just say it. Don't beat around the fuckin' bush."
Fitz does not back down. His family is at stake and he needs answers. So, with nostrils flaring and chest heaving, he returns Darius' glare.
"I don't beat the around the fuckin' bush. I asked you a direct question and I expect a goddamn direct answer", banging his fist on the table, causing the silverware to rattle and water to splatter from the glasses. This time they do attract the attention of the other diners.
Now keenly aware of the scene they are causing, the two men shoot their last daggers at each other, take a breath, and slowly retreat to their corners. The last thing they need is for some citizen reporter with a camera phone to record their interaction and post it online. So Darius picks up the mug by its handle, takes a sip of coffee, and then slowly sets the mug back onto the table. He slides the paper napkin from the tabletop and wipes his mouth. He is tired of the shadow boxing.
"What the hell is this all about, Fitz?" Balling up the napkin and tossing it onto the table.
"I just found out from a reliable source that the Feds will be raiding Marla Briggs' office and her home later this morning to seize all of her files."
"What?"
"They will be looking for evidence of embezzlement. Apparently Marla Briggs has been using government funds as her goddamn personal bank account."
"Damn."
Fitz looks at the man in surprise, now realizing Darius knows what Marla has been doing.
"You mean you've known all along?" He asks, stunned by Darius' response.
"No – no. I didn't know a damn thing – not for sure anyway."
"So you had suspicions then?"
"I'm the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Fitz. I get to see all of the numbers at some point.
"God. I can't believe this", running a hand through his already tousled hair. "I'm not going to let my wife take the fall for this shit, Darius. Tell me everything you know."
Darius leans forward on his elbows, folds his hands, and looks around the diner. This time checking if anyone is within earshot of hearing what he is about share with Fitz. With lips pressed into a thin line, Fitz leans across the table and listens closely as Darius relays the sordid details of Marla Briggs' activities.
"Marla never lived an extravagant lifestyle, that's why none of this is adding up. But I guess on her salary alone she really couldn't afford to. By the way, you should know the Council President doesn't make a lot of money."
Fitz gives Darius an I-don't-care-about-a-salary-right-now look.
"Well anyway, when Marla got ill - had a stroke - I had to review all of her budget expenses, and I found some – well I found some discrepancies", he says, looking around the diner again.
"What kind of discrepancies?" Fitz frowns as he leans forward, straining to hear Darius, who is close to whispering.
"It appears that Marla has been skimming money from the city's coffers for quite some time. She had three accounts where funds were being deposited as payment for the services of three different ghost vendors."
"This is just incredible."
"I thought the same thing. I worked with the woman for years, and I would never have dreamed the woman I knew was capable of doing something like this."
Fitz shakes his head in disbelief.
"The strange thing about this whole thing is the money went out of the dummy accounts as quickly as it came in."
"What do you mean?"
"The city pays all of its vendors of record on the last day of the month - like clockwork. City funds were deposited into Marla's dummy accounts on the last day of each month, but the funds were then withdrawn electronically on the first day of the following month. The next damn day, man."
"Do you know where the money was going? Was she depositing it into another account? Perhaps an offshore account?"
"I don't have a clue. I was planning to confront her about it but she never returned to work after the stroke. So I just stopped looking."
"You stopped looking? How could you just stop looking?"
"Fitz, Marla is very popular in this city. She has done a lot of good for the people and I didn't want anyone to think I was trying to take down the woman for political gain while she is in the hospital and unable to defend herself.
Fitz frowns, nodding as he tries to process everything he has heard.
"But now that the Feds are involved …" Darius shakes his head. "Well this changes everything. I don't want any parts of the Feds, Fitz. I don't want anyone to think I was involved in some kind of cover-up."
"And I don't want my wife to get caught up in this mess either."
Darius looks down at his watch and sucks his teeth.
"Thanks for the heads up, but I gotta get back home. Yvonne was wondering where the hell I was going at this hour of the morning."
"One more thing Darius", holding up a hand to halt the man's movements." Are the funds still being deposited into those accounts?"
"In and out", he says, pulling a few bills from his wallet and throwing them onto the table. It won't take the Feds long to find out where that money has been going, Fitz. The fallout from this is going to be huge. Marla didn't get away with this for all of this years without help – without more people being involved."
Deep in thought, Fitz nods slowly as he watches Darius walk quickly from the diner. He leans back against the booth and sips the flavorful coffee, thinking this is some of the best coffee he has ever tasted. He looks out the window and watches the sun begin to rise over the horizon. He shakes his head and takes another sip, wondering how he is going to break the news to Olivia.
XXX
As she changes Jolie, Olivia smiles brightly when she thinks about last night, just the two of them reconnecting over and over again. With him, every day is Christmas and every night is New Year's Eve because he put a spell on her. And she remembers the exact day, the exact hour, and the exact moment it happened. She knows it was an unconscious and unintentional act, for he did not go into his kitchen and boil a pot of exotic roots and chant some magical words over it. But he captured her heart nonetheless, and the spell has never been broken. When she hears the security system chime, she covers Jolie with the blanket then walks downstairs to find her husband.
"You left me all alone", smiling as she walks across the room, sits on his lap, and wraps her arms around his neck. "You wore me out last night, Mister. Broke. My. Back."
She kisses down his neck, running her tongue around the rim of his ear, and gently sucks the lobe.
"Not now Olivia", he says distractedly, opening and closing the desk drawers as if he is looking for something important.
"It's early, JoJo and Cee are still sleeping, we can pick up where we left off last night", unbuttoning his shirt.
"I said no, Olivia", he snaps, grabbing her hands to stop her from unbuttoning his shirt.
Stunned by his outburst, her eyes widen and she climbs off his lap and slowly backs away from him.
"Liv, I'm sorry. I didn't mean –"
"No – no", putting up her hands to stop him from talking.
"Olivia. Wait"
He jumps from the chair and runs across the room to stop her before she can leave the room.
"Liv ", grabbing her arm.
"Take. Your. Hand. Off. Of. Me."
"Liv –"
"Don't Liv me. Go back to wherever you sneaked off to before the sun had a chance to rise."
"I can explain."
"I don't want to hear it."
"Just listen to me. Just give me a minute", he shouts in frustration.
She folds her arms across her chest and sneers at him.
"One. Minute", she says through clenched teeth.
He rakes a hand through his hair and begins to pace around the room.
"I'm sorry – I didn't' mean …"
Uninterested in his apology, she rolls her eyes and stares out the window at the early morning sun.
"I went to meet with Darius", he says quickly.
"Darius? Before sunrise? Why?" Furrowing her brow.
"Sit down Liv", he says anxiously.
"I don't want to sit down. Why couldn't you wait to meet with Darius at a decent hour? What's going on, Fitzgerald?"
Stunned by her use of his full name, he stares at her angry face trying to figure out how to tell her the woman she idolizes is going to be accused of being a thief.
"I got a call last night – after we …"
She rolls her eyes again and turns her head away from him. She does not want to remember the beautiful time they spent together last night, at least not right now, not while she is angry with him.
"Don't you remember me telling you to go back to sleep?"
She furrows her brow trying to recall, but she honestly cannot remember because he wore her out last night.
"No", she says flatly.
"Well I did", looking at her pleadingly.
"Why did Darius call you so early this morning?"
"What?" He asks in confusion.
"Why did Darius call you?"
"It wasn't Darius who called."
"Then who was it?"
"It doesn't matter", waving his hand in the air dismissively.
Tired of his vague responses, she turns to walk from the study.
"There's going to be an investigation, Olivia. A criminal investigation."
She stops abruptly and turns slowly, trying to comprehend what he said.
"A criminal investigation? What did you do?"
"Me?" He says in surprise. "I've done nothing."
"Then who – who's being investigated?"
"Liv, the FBI has gotten a warrant to search Marla's home and office at City Hall."
"What?"
"She's being investigated for embezzling government funds."
"You're a liar", she says quickly and without hesitation. And he flinches, as if she has just slapped him hard across the face.
"Liv, sit down. Please."
"I don't want to sit down. I want to know why you're fabricating these lies about Marla – why you're attacking her character."
"There's evidence, Olivia - lots of it", rubbing his forehead as he paces around the office.
"Stop it! Stop saying that."
"Do you think I want this to be true? Do you think I get some kind of sick pleasure out of telling you these things? It all just fell into my lap. Marla Briggs is being investigated for corruption, Olivia. And anyone she's done business with is going to be investigated too."
He looks at her to check if she understands what this means, but she is unable to process what he is saying. Her mind is racing so fast she can hardly collect her thoughts. And her heart is pounding equally as fast, as if it is going to explode from her chest. She does not believe any of this. She does not believe him, not until she looks into his eyes, the eyes she loves and trusts more than anything.
"Oh my god", bringing a hand to her lips. "This is true. You're telling the truth."
She is in shock and the room is spinning; she feels dizzy, lightheaded. He rushes to her side and guides her over to the chair in front of the desk.
"Put her head between your knees, Liv."
After a few minutes of letting the blood flow to her brain, she feels better, somewhat stable.
"Drink this", holding the glass of water to her lips. And for the next few minutes she clenches the glass of water as she listens to her husband tell her about the illegal activities of her friend and mentor.
"None of this makes any sense Fitz", letting the tears roll down her face.
"There are going to be questions about all of her activities Liv", taking the glass from her hand and setting it onto the desk.
"What do you mean?" She asks, still befuddled by what she is hearing.
"Liv", dragging a hand down the side of his face. "There are going to be questions about all of her political and business dealings – including those she had with you", and her eyes widen.
"What? I had no idea what Marla was up to."
"I know - I know. But Liv, they're going to want to look at every dollar of city money Marla spent, including the grants and contracts awarded to you. We have to get ahead of this. I have to get you an attorney. This thing isn't going away, Olivia."
"An attorney? Are things that serious?"
"I don't know, but we need to be prepared."
"You're an attorney. Can't you handle this?"
"I can't represent you Liv", shaking his head as he bites down on his bottom lip.
"Why not?" Looking at him with fear in her eyes.
"Because I'm your husband. Besides, I'm a litigation attorney, you're going to need a criminal defense attorney."
"A criminal attorney?"
He stands up straight, reaches into his pants pocket, and pulls out his phone.
"Who are you calling?" She asks weepily.
"John", looking down at his watch as her presses the phone to his ear. "He's one of the best damn criminal defense attorneys in the state. Maybe I can catch him before he leaves for the office."
XXX
After dropping Cena off at school, Fitz drives them to John and Abby's house to share with them the unfolding situation with Marla Briggs and to get legal advice for Olivia. Alternately pressing and releasing the clutch and gas pedals while angrily shifting from first to second gear to accelerate the car, he navigates through the morning rush-hour traffic. Olivia stares straight ahead, expressionless, watching the pedestrians go about their daily routine, seemingly without a care. She thinks just a few hours ago she was one of those people. Everything was perfect.
She chews the inside of her bottom lip, trying to fight back the tears that have been threatening to fall since they dropped off Cena at school. She silently takes slow and shallow breaths to steady her nerves as Fitz approaches thetraffic light. He pushes down on the clutch pedal in with his left foot and shifts down to second gear while pressing the brake pedal with his right foot. As the car slows down, he pushes the clutch pedal in again and shifts down to first gear, pressing the brake pedal to stop the car at the red light.
"I'm scared Fitz", she says softly, almost imperceptibly, as she continues to stare straight ahead.
"I know", bringing her hand to his lips. "We're going to get through this - together. I promise. Okay?"
Continuing to look out of the window, she nods as the light turns green. He rests her hand on his lap, releases the clutch pedal and presses the gas pedal, while shifting into first gear. Twenty minutes later he pulls the car into the driveway, next to John's huge SUV. Fitz still wonders why his brother needs that monster truck. It is not like he hauls equipment or supplies from The Home Depot every day or even every week. He looks over at his frightened wife, brings her hand to his lips again and gives her an encouraging smile before sliding from the driver's seat.
"You go inside. I'll get Jo."
Olivia nods, opens the car door, and slides from her seat.
XXX
"Olivia", Abby says with open arms when she sees her obviously distraught friend standing on the step.
"Abby …" Olivia cries out, stepping into Abby's open arms.
"This is all so horrible, Olivia."
"I don't understand any of it, Abby."
"I know. I know. Come on in and have a seat."
Abby glances at Fitz as he struggles to unbuckle the car seat, shaking her head when she sees the worried look on his face. She leaves the door slightly ajar so Fitz can come in with Jolie, then walks back to the family room to join Olivia and her husband.
"Liv", John says, walking across the large family room to hug his agitated sister-in-law. "How are you doing?" He asks with concern.
"I don't understand why any of this is happening, John. It's all so surreal."
"We're going to get to the bottom of this. Sit down. Sit down."
Fitz enters the room carrying Jolie and Abby quickly takes the baby carrier from his hand.
"Fitzgerald, I see you brought me a little gift", Abby says, trying to make light of a dire situation.
"Good morning Abigail", giving his sister-in-law a peck on the cheek. "John, thank you for seeing us on such short notice", hugging his brother before sitting on the sofa next to Olivia, who looks like she is going to unravel in any minute.
"So tell me everything you know", John says, looking at his brother who is obviously upset.
Fitz spends the next 15 minutes telling John everything he knows about the developing scandal.
"Why do you think this is coming out now? Marla Briggs has obviously been stealing money for years. Why now?" Abby asks, sliding off Jolie's knit hat.
"Good question, Abigail. You might've missed your calling", John says with a smirk.
"One mouthpiece in this house is enough", Abby says, rolling her eyes.
"Fitz, do you think this is political - has something to do with the election?" John asks.
"I don't know. At this point anything is possible."
"Well, sometimes you walk into a cafeteria and there's a food-fight already going on."
Abby and Olivia look at John who has an annoying habit of using odd expressions.
"According to early news reports, the FBI and State Attorney General have started a criminal investigation into the actions of Miss Briggs. The Attorney General is using words like fraud and racketeering. Kotch is thorough, he doesn't use those kind of words lightly. He has evidence."
Tears roll down Olivia's cheeks and Fitz gently squeezes her hand.
"When the FBI comes in and seizes your records – well, let's just say that's never a good thing. So tell me everything you know, Olivia."
"I only know what Fitz told me – what he heard from Darius", looking at her husband.
"And who is this Darius person?" John asks.
"He's a Councilman – Chairman of the Finance Committee. He and Marla are friends", Olivia says.
"He's also working to get me elected."
"I see", John says. "So why did Darius come to you with this information, Fitz?"
"Well, he didn't - exactly", shifting in his seat uncomfortably. And Olivia looks at him because she now realizes he never told her who called him last night.
"So who gave you this information?" John asks, now in full attorney mode, and Fitz knows it.
"I can't reveal their name", he says curtly.
John knows what that means so he moves on, but Olivia and Abby look at Fitz suspiciously.
"So did you meet with Darius?"
"Yes. At the diner this morning."
"And what did he tell you?" John asks as Olivia and Abby look at Fitz.
"Well, after I told him what I found out, he admitted to having suspicions about Marla's – about Marla's activities. He said after Marla was hospitalized, he came across documents showing she had been funneling government funds into three different bank accounts. He said on the last day of each month, when the city pays it vendors, $10,000.00 was deposited into each of those accounts."
"Thirty thousand dollars?" Olivia exclaims. "Every month?"
Fitz nods.
"For how long?"
"Years, Liv. Six years to be precise.
"Oh my god. I don't believe this."
"And on the first day of the month, the funds are withdrawn electronically."
"Did Darius say where the money is going?" John asks, leaning forward in his chair and looking closely at his brother.
"He doesn't have a clue. He stopped looking after Marla had a stroke", giving Olivia's hand a gentle squeeze. He understands, regardless of what his wife has learned about Marla's activities, she is still fond of the woman.
"Well it shouldn't be too difficult to find out where the money has been going for all of these years", Abby says, removing Jolie's sweater.
"Are you sure you're not an attorney?" John asks in jest and she rolls her eyes again. "But Abigail is right, the Feds won't have any difficulty tracking down who is on the receiving end of those funds."
Olivia shakes her head in disbelief.
"Olivia", John begins again. "I need to prepare you for what could potentially come your way."
She nods slowly, not quite sure what could be coming her way.
"It's protocol for the Attorney General to interview everyone with whom Miss Briggs has had a relationship – political or otherwise."
She continues to nod slowly, finding it difficult to process what her brother-in-law is saying. She cannot seem to focus.
"You might have to give a deposition, Liv."
"What?" Giving Fitz a frightened look. "John, I don't know anything about any of this."
"Sweetheart, it's just a way to get witnesses to cooperate, lifting her hand to his lips and giving her a reassuring smile.
"Witness. I didn't witness anything."
"Liv, the AG – Attorney General - can also examine the foundation's tax returns. Do you have copies of your tax returns?"
"Of course I do. Foundations are required to always keep three years of tax returns on file. They're at the office."
"Good, you need to get copies of everything over to me. Tax returns, proposals to the city for funding, especially the one's Marla touched, receipts showing how the funds were distributed. Every damn thing."
She nods again, thinking things are moving so fast.
"Tell me about your foundation, Liv. How much of your funding comes from the city?" John asks as he jots notes on the yellow legal pad.
"Well, not a lot actually. The city is in financial difficulty."
Great, Fitz thinks to himself.
"My foundation gets less than 20% of its funding from city government. Marla taught me to always have multiple streams of funding."
"It seems like she took her own advice", Abby says, and everyone looks at Abigail for the true but insensitive comment.
"I'm just saying", ignoring the stares.
"The majority of our funding comes from philanthropic donations by larger foundations, corporations, and some individuals."
"Liv, is your foundation registered? Do you have a license in our state to solicit donations?"
"What? Of course I do. Why would you ask such a question?" She responds, somewhat offended.
"Because if you don't—if you didn't remember to file the correct papers with the state – then that could be a problem."
"She said she's registered, so stop badgering her", Abby snaps at her husband. However, the attorney in him ignores his wife and proceeds with his questions.
"Liv", you can't accept money from donors and distribute it if the foundation isn't registered. The law can require you to cease-and-desist fundraising."
"What? That can't happen, John", Olivia exclaims with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Too many people count on us."
"Come on Olivia, let's go make coffee", Abby says, shooting daggers at her husband. "Would you like some breakfast, Fitzgerald?"
"No thanks, Abigail. Coffee is fine."
Once Abby and Olivia have left the room and are out of earshot, Fitz walks over and speaks to his brother in a hushed tone.
"So what do you think, John? Does Liv – do we - have anything to worry about?"
"I honestly don't know, Fitz. Kotch takes these matters seriously, especially these days - in this political climate."
Fitz begins pacing around the room.
"We don't know what else the Feds have on Miss Briggs - how many more people this thing touches. Sometimes these things are isolated to just the accused, and other times it can take off like wildfire, burning down everything in its path."
"I won't let Liv take the hit for whatever Marla Briggs was up to", he says adamantly.
"Don't get over your skis, brother. I'll make some calls when I get into the office to see what else I can find out."
Fitz nods.
"In the meantime, we'll wait to see if Liv gets subpoenaed - if she gets a cease-and-desist letter."
"How the hell did this happen?" Fitz asks to no one in particular.
"What do you know about this Marla Briggs anyway?" John asks.
"I've met her a few times, but she's Olivia's friend. She's been a mentor and mother figure to her for years."
"Don't get upset brother, but I have to ask you a sensitive question. I didn't want to ask Liv, but I have to ask you, Fitz."
Fitz looks at his brother curiously.
"Is there any chance that Liv could be involved in this – had any knowledge of what Miss Briggs was up to? Could she have been using her foundation to launder money for Marla? Could the funds be going to her foundation's account?"
"Hell no. Olivia would never do anything like that."
"Calm down. Kotch is going to ask. Hell, the media is going to want to know as well."
"The media?"
"Fitz, you're in the middle of an election to replace the woman who has been using city funds as her personal bank account. The same woman, as you say, who has been a mentor and mother figure to your wife. So yes, the media vultures are going to have a field day with this."
XXX
It is only 8:45 in the morning and Mayor Wilson and Charlie are already drinking hard liquor, but each for a different reason. Charlie is celebrating and Wilson is on edge. The power brokers are nervous because it seems like Charlie is on track to lose the election, and if they are nervous, then so is he.
"You need to campaign more, Charlie. If you lose this thing, the money will dry up and you'll be back in Tilghman."
"I'll die before going back to that hell hole."
"What the hell?"
Wilson puffs on his cigar and reaches for the remote when he catches a glimpse of the scene unfolding on the TV screen. State Attorney General Stephen Kotch is flanked by a cadre of FBI agents carrying boxes of files from Marla Briggs' City Hall office. Reading the text scrolling across the bottom of the screen, he unmutes the speakers and wonders how the hell he does not know what happening three floors below in his own house is. From across the room, Charlie is grinning from ear to ear as he watches the news reporters clamoring to get a statement from the State Attorney General.
"Seems like our October surprise might've gotten out sooner than we planned", Charlie says, walking over to the bar and pouring himself another drink. "This ought to show the people what that bitch Olivia and her husband are all about. Nobody will vote for him now."
Mayor Wilson looks at Charlie in disbelief, wondering if the lunatic had something to do with leaking the confidential information to the Feds.
"What. Did. You. Do?" Wilson demands, standing nose to nose with Charlie. "Did you release that information I gave you?"
"Why wait until October when we can get rid of Grant now?" Charlie shrugs, laughing maniacally as he raises the glass to his lips.
"You damn fool. You imbecile. I told you we would only play that card only if we had to."
"Well I don't like to gamble, Teddy. I like having the deck stacked in my favor."
"Do you know what you've done? You've upset the balance of power. You've opened Pandora's Box – let the genie out of the bottle", the Mayor yells angrily. "Get out! Get out of my office you damn idiot."
"You better be nice to me Teddy", Charlie says, strutting around the office like a proud peacock. "After all, I'm going to be the next President of the City Council and you're going to need me."
Charlie downs the remainder of his scotch in one gulp, slams the glass onto the Mayor's ornately hand-carved desk, and walks from the office laughing like a madman.
Mayor Wilson never had any intention of ever releasing the information about Marla's embezzlement activities. He only showed Charlie the folder to convince the man he had a real shot at winning the election because there was a back-up plan in place to take down Grant. Wilson looks out the window and shakes his head as he thinks about his idiot candidate. Charlie has no idea what this election is really all about. He does not realize he is just a pawn being moved around the chess board by the kings of the city. Charlie thinks he will have real power if he is elected President of the City Council. The poor fool does not know the power he thinks he will have will be nothing more than an illusion, and Wilson can testify to that. But he knowingly made a deal with the devil; Charlie, on the other hand, is clueless. And that is why he was selected to be their guy. The powers knew Charlie was desperate for money. With two failed businesses on his resume, and on the verge of being evicted from the luxury condominium he cherishes, it did not take much to convince the man to run. They also knew Charlie could be manipulated because he does not have the intellectual capacity to see the unseen. But there is just so much control anyone can have over an idiot, and the power brokers are beginning to realize this fact. A stupid person can also be a dangerous person, and Charlie Barber is extremely dangerous.
Wilson looks over at the desk when he hears the unmistakable sound of the infrequently used phone ringing inside the drawer. He takes a sip of the expensive alcohol, savoring the smooth liquid as it lands on his palette and tongue. This is not an illusion he thinks, as he walks over to the desk and snatches open the drawer to answer the burner phone.
"What the hell is going on over there, Wilson?"
XXX
Sandra escorts Congressman Guildford and Councilmen Moton and Johnson down the hall to Fitz' private office at Grant Enterprises. Fitz asked the men to meet him at his office this afternoon because they needed more privacy than a restaurant could provide. He cannot risk having their conversation overheard by a patron or nosey waiter.
As the trio pass the large conference room, Johnson grimaces when he sees Fitz' other advisers sitting around the conference table looking at their laptop screens.
"In here gentlemen", Sandra says, waving the men into Fitz' office.
"Gentlemen", Fitz says, standing from the chair behind his desk and sliding on his suit jacket.
"These are really nice digs you have here Fitz", the Congressman says, looking around the spacious office.
"It's good to see you, Phil. Let's have a seat, pointing to conference table across room.
"Coffee?" Walking toward the table where Sandra has set up refreshments for their meeting.
"I'm going to need something stronger than coffee", Phil says.
"Of course."
Fitz walks over to the built-in refrigerator and pulls a bottle of vodka from the freezer.
"On the rocks?" Looking at the Congressman.
"Yes, that'll be fine."
"Darius - Johnson?" Holding the bottle of vodka midair.
"Nothing for me, Darius says. 'It's too early", glancing over at the Congressman.
"I'll just take a cup of that coffee", says Johnson.
With everyone situated around the table with their preferred beverage, the Congressman takes a sip of the vodka and smiles.
"This is the good stuff, Fitz. Really good."
Fitz nods, giving the man a slight smile.
"You know why we're here Fitz", Johnson says. The FBI raiding Marla's office and residence is not just surprising, it's also a problem."
"A big problem", the Congressman says. "How the hell didn't you know what Marla was up to, Darius? You're the Chairman of the Finance Committee, for god's sake. People are going to wonder."
"People are going to wonder what, Phil? I didn't have a damn thing to do with this."
"Maybe not, but when you had suspicions you said nothing."
"The woman had just had a damn stroke, Phil. What the hell was I supposed to do?"
"I guess we'll find out in time", the Congressman says, dabbing his forehead with the handkerchief.
"We don't have time for this", Johnson says, looking back and forth at the two men. "This Marla thing is going to put our campaign at risk. What the hell was she thinking?"
"I'm not worried about the campaign", Fitz interjects. "I'm worried about my wife. I don't want her implicated in any of this just because she had a relationship with Marla Briggs."
The men look at him closely.
"I was thinking, perhaps I should just drop out of the race – step down.", now standing and pacing around the room."
"No!" The three men shout nervously.
"This whole Marla business changes everything. Do you actually think anyone will vote for me now? There's a possibility my wife will be investigated – even prosecuted – god forbid. We had to get an attorney. Who the hell knows where this thing will go."
"You can't give up now, Fitz. The election is in a little over two months. You just gotta hang on – let this thing pass."
"This thing isn't going to pass, Phil. It's not just going away. Heads are going to roll and I need to make sure one of them isn't my wife's."
"We can't throw this all away now, Fitz. We've come too far", Darius says.
"I need to be home more for Olivia and my children."
"Listen, I can adjust your schedule -cancel any upcoming appearances -but you have to do the debate and that interview with Shelby Sanger. Just hang in there."
Fitz looks at Darius for a long while and sighs.
"I don't know, Darius. This thing is going to get nasty and Charlie won't hesitate to use it against me during the debate."
"People know you're not involved in any of this Fitz, but Olivia …" Johnson shakes his head.
"Olivia has nothing to do with this, Johnson", he says defensively.
"How is Olivia doing? It must be difficult for her to find out these things about Marla, considering how close they are."
"Honestly Phil, she's taking it pretty hard."
"Well these kinds of investigations can go on for months", Johnson says.
"If not years - hopefully well passed the election", says Darius.
"Kotch isn't going to let up. He's like a dog with a bone", the Congressman says, setting the sweating glass onto the coaster.
XXX
Two hours after his meeting with the Old G advisers has ended, Fitz is still sitting in his office with his long legs stretched across the desk, squeezing the orange stress ball as he thinks about everything that has happened over the past 24 hours. To say he is stressed would be an understatement. The campaign has been grueling enough, now this scandal threatens to send him over the edge. He gives the ball one last squeeze before throwing it across the room in frustration. He looks at his watch and decides it is time to go home. Grabbing his suit jacket from the chair, he walks from the office unrolling his sleeves. As he walks down the hall, sliding on his jacket, he frowns when he hears voices coming from the main conference room.
"I didn't realize you guys were still here", looking around and seeing his other team of advisers are still hard at work.
"Jason has a few final touches to make to your website Mr. Grant", Marcella says. "Add the links to all of your social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram …" Marcella rattles off.
"I didn't realize you knew how to do that Jason", walking into the room and looking over the young man's shoulder."
"Jason might be a greedy Cookie Monster Mr. Grant, but he is also a computer genius", Marcella says.
"Really?"
"He has designed the websites for all of our organizations, enabling us to use technology to reach more people and to mobilize our communities", says Marcus, not bothering to look up as he types on his laptop.
"I bet those Old Gs don't do that for you", Jason says, smiling proudly.
"Mr. Grant, we're going to use a digital strategy to help get your message out and turn out the vote in your favor", Marcus says.
Fitz nods, as he looks at Jason's computer screen.
"The Old Gs – I mean my advisers – have a well-oiled, on-the-ground political machine in place. They know how to turn out the vote."
"Yeah, but that door-to-door thing alone won't work anymore. You gotta combine it with technology if you want to connect with a broader electorate", Rashid says.
Fitz nods, realizing they all have a point.
"Okay. Let's do it. Let's establish my online presence. But I must tell you, I'm not very computer savvy."
XXX
For the past three nights this has become their routine. He wakes from a deep sleep when he no longer feels the warmth of her body snuggled next to his. He then looks at the blue numbers displayed on the clock and waits. And when he is sure she is not in the bathroom, he rolls out of bed and walks down the hall to the nursery.
"Liv, come back to bed. It's three in the morning", he says, standing in the doorway of the nursery rubbing his eyes.
"I'm feeding Jo", she says, rocking the sleeping baby.
"JoJo isn't even awake, Liv. Come –"
"I don't want to come back to bed", she snaps, and Jolie begins to stir in her sleep. "You go back to bed."
He takes a few steps into the nursery.
"You can't do this every night. You're going to make yourself sick."
"I can't sleep, Fitz", she says weepily. "I can't shut off my brain. Whenever I close my eyes I think about Marla. I think about losing the foundation, Fitz."
"I know."
He takes Jolie from her arms and places the sleeping baby back into the crib and pulls the blanket over her chest.
"Let's go back to bed", extending his hand to her.
She looks up at him, wipes the tears from her face, and takes his hand. Tomorrow is another day.
XXX
As Fitz sits on the sofa in the family room holding Jolie against his chest and Cena on his lap, he sees the headlights from Olivia's SUV flash across the windows as she pulls into the driveway. She has been gone for hours, doing what he does not know. The news about Marla has shaken her to her core and she is still trying to make sense of it all. After 10 minutes have passed and Olivia still has not come into the house, Fitz sets Jolie in the carrier and goes outside to see what she is doing.
"What the hell are you doing?" Watching his wife climb onto the three-step ladder.
"What does it look like?"
She does not bother to turn around to look at him as she stretches her arm up to the black, wrought iron lantern fixture to remove the burnt-out bulb. She is annoyed, not with him of course, but with everything that is happening.
"I'm changing lightbulbs. I saw that one was out when we got home last night and another one is out tonight. So I'm replacing lightbulbs."
"Why are you doing it tonight? Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Looking at her as if she has lost her mind.
"No, it can't wait until tomorrow. It has to be done now", she replies sharply.
"Then I'll do it. Get down before you fall."
"I said I'll do it. You can't fix everything for me, Fitz. I have to do it. I have to fix it."
And the tears begin to fall as she sits down onto the ladder's top step.
"Livvie", he says softly, walking over to the ladder and taking the lightbulb from her hand.
"Everything is falling apart, Fitz", tears rolling down her face.
"Come into the house and we can talk about it."
"I'm going to lose everything I've worked for my entire life. Why did she do this, Fitz? Why would Marla do something like this?"
"I don't know", shaking his head from side to side. "But I promise we're going to find out. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Her heart rate begins to speed up and she shakes, trembling uncontrollably. She cannot breathe, cannot catch her breath, and he sees the panic flash in her eyes before she slides onto the damp, well-manicured lawn.
"Liv", dropping onto the ground and pulling her into his arms. "Breathe baby, breathe", rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her.
"I don't know how much more I can take, Fitz. It's all too much."
"Shhh. Shhh", hugging her close. "Baby, you've got to stay calm so we can fight this thing together. Everything is going to be all right."
"You keep saying that but you don't know if it's true. I could lose everything, Fitz. I could go to jail."
"You're not going to jail. We'll get through this - I promise. You have to believe it Liv", looking into her frightened eyes and brushing the tears away from her cheeks.
"OK", she says softly.
"Now let's go inside and put our girls to bed."
XXX
While Olivia was going through the motions of reading Goodnight Moon again to Cena, Fitz filled the bathtub with warm water and her favorite lavender bath crystals. She is having a tough time understanding this Marla situation, and an even harder time living under the constant threat of possibly being investigated because of her relationship with Marla. While the authorities have not contacted her yet, she is on edge every day, and so is he.
After Cena falls asleep, she checks on Jolie, smiling as she pulls the blanket over the baby's chest. Although her family is what helps her to get through each day, as she walks to their bedroom she thinks all she wants to do right now is crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, and wait for the nightmare to be over.
"Come relax with me", giving her a slight smile as he extends his hand to her.
"I don't feel –"
"I won't take no for an answer", walking over and unbuttoning her blouse.
"Fitz …"
"Just a relaxing bath."
He unzips her pants and lets them fall to the floor. She steps out of them and unhooks her bra and removes her panties. He helps her into the deep spa tub then climbs in behind her, and she leans back against his chest and smiles. He has thought of everything: dim lights, soft music, and lighted candles. And the water feels wonderful bubbling around her tired muscles. She has always loved their bathroom. Of course she thought it was too big when they bought the house years ago, but it quickly became her favorite room in the entire house. It is truly like one of those day spas she and Abby go to periodically, maybe better.
"This is nice. Thank you", closing her eyes and inhaling the wonderful scent of lavender.
"Talk to me, Olivia."
Trying to collect her thoughts, she lets out a heavy sigh.
"Why would she do this, Fitz? The person I know would never steal from anyone, especially from the city and people she loves so much."
"I don't know Liv", massaging her shoulders trying to reduce the tension trapped in her body.
"This so disappointing", she says through the tears.
"Hey, hey. Turn around."
She turns, sloshing water everywhere, and looks at him with sad, water-filled eyes. He kisses the tip of her nose, then her lips.
"We're going to get through this. Trust me." He caresses her face and gives her an encouraging smile, and she gives him a weak nod, not really convinced by his words of encouragement.
"I'm feeling scared Fitz - anxious all of the time."
He nods because he knows what that means.
"Do you want to talk to Dr. Brennan?"
With trembling lips, she nods as the tears stream down her face.
XXX
Whenever Olivia enters Dr. Brennan's office she always feels like she is stepping back into a time when life was simple and uncomplicated, an easy and carefree time. In fact, the space reminds her of one of those Norman Rockwell illustrations on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post magazine that depicted an idealistic and simplistic view of American life. The office is warm and cozy, filled with bookshelves straining under the weight of innumerable periodicals, books, and old newspapers. The well-worn brown leather sofa with two plaid wool throws placed across the back cushions invite clients to settle in and share their innermost secrets. And Dr. Brennan, with his green cable knit vest worn over an orange and green plaid shirt and brown corduroy pants seems to have leaped from the cover of a 1930s issue of the Post. He even has a smoking pipe hanging from his mouth, unlit of course, out of respect for his clients.
"Good afternoon, Olivia. How have you and Fitz been doing? You've cancelled your last two appointments."
"I know, and I'm sorry – we're sorry. With a new baby and Fitz campaigning …"
"I understand", Dr. Brennan says. "I wasn't judging, Olivia. I just want to make sure you and Fitz have the support you need."
Olivia smiles weakly.
"And how is everyone adjusting to the newest member of your family?"
"Just fine", Olivia smiles because her children always make her smile. "Although Jolie – that's the name of our baby daughter – had been colicky for the past few weeks - but thankfully she seems to have gotten over it."
"I see. I'm sure that must have been a stressful period for everyone."
"It was, but we survived. We're trying to get back to normal", she says somewhat sadly.
"And how is your oldest daughter - Cena right?"
Olivia nods with a smile.
"How is Cena adjusting to sharing her parents with a new sibling?"
"It's interesting you should ask, Dr. Brennan. I think Cena is having a little difficulty sharing her father with Jolie. She and Fitz became so close when I was away – I just think it's been a little hard for her."
"I see."
"She competes with the baby for her father's attention. I think in some ways she might be regressing."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she has begun to suck her thumb again. She hasn't done that in a few years."
"I see. While I am not a child psychologist, I can tell you what Cena is experiencing is normal. It's called firstborn syndrome. Since she now has to share you and Fitz with her sister, she might be feeling somewhat insecure."
"Fitz and I were prepared for Cena to feel a little left out, that's why we talked to her about what it means to have a sibling before Jolie was born. We planned to include her in helping with the baby as much as she wanted. And we committed to each of us spending time alone with Cena."
Dr. Brennan nods approvingly.
"But honestly Dr. Brennan, you know what they say about best laid plans. So much has been going on in our lives lately. Fitz is campaigning a lot. Then Jolie was colicky for weeks. And now … Well, we could be doing a better job helping Cena to adjust."
Feeling guilty, Olivia rubs her temple in despair. There is just so much going on, so much competing for their attention.
"Dr. Brennan, please don't think I'm not sensitive to my daughter's needs. I do arrange for Fitz to pick her up from dance class when his schedule permits, so they can spend time alone together. Cena really enjoys that she gets to hang out with her daddy."
"Olivia, as I said earlier, there is no judgment here. I am sure you and Fitz are committed to both of your children. Life has a way of throwing our plans out of the window. Now back to Cena's thumb-sucking. When you breastfeed Jolie or when Fitz bottle feeds her, Cena, perhaps, feels insecure when she sees her baby sister enjoying the closeness of her parents, in particular, her hero-father. So, to allay her fears, she sucks her thumb, a common way for children her age to self-soothe. The thumb-sucking and competing for attention will pass in time Olivia, especially when Cena replaces her hero with something or someone else. When that happens, we'll then have to worry about Fitz sucking his thumb."
The image of her husband sucking his thumb makes Olivia laugh out loud, and she feels good because she has not had an honest and hearty laugh in days.
"Thank you Dr. Brennan. While I didn't come here today for that advice, I am grateful for the information."
"So what's going on? Why are you here today, Olivia?" And without hesitation, Olivia blurts out the reason for her visit.
"It seems like the people I care about have been disappointing me, in different ways", she says solemnly.
"Has someone disappointed you recently, Olivia?"
She sucks in a lung full of air then exhales slowly before telling him about Nora and Maura.
"I see", setting his pen onto of the yellow legal pad that is resting precariously on his crossed legs.
"Olivia, when someone disappoints us, as you said your sister- and mother-in-law have, it can lead to distrust."
She nods. Although she understands Nora has serious emotional problems and Maura was only trying to protect her, it doesn't make the situation any less heartbreaking or them any more trustworthy, even though she accepted Maura's apology.
"Intellectually I understand that, but it does not lessen the hurt. And I don't want to become one of those people who doesn't trust anyone. I don't want to live like that."
"Olivia, the extent to which you are willing trust is the extent to which you are willing to be hurt."
She nods because she has never thought about trust in this way.
"Dr. Brennan", she begins slowly. "Have you heard the news reports recently about the local public official who is being investigated for embezzling government funds?" She asks timidly.
"Yes, I believe I've seen some of the reports over the last few days."
"Well, Miss Briggs is my friend – well she's more than a friend actually."
"I see", waiting for her to continue.
"It has been quite disturbing for me to hear these things about Miss Briggs - Marla."
He waits patiently for her to continue.
"Dr. Brennan, I've known Marla Briggs ever since my family relocated here 20 years ago. She has been friends with my parents for most of those 20 years. Ever since I was a teenager Marla has taken an interest in me. My mother sometimes joked that at times she wondered if she or Marla was my mother, that's how much attention she gave me. But she never overstepped. Marla never tried to be my mother or replace mom. She knows how much I love my mother – how close we are."
"But, after my parents moved to Africa to do missionary work, and when I moved back here after college and started my foundation, Marla and I became close, quite close actually. Sensing I was missing my parents – my mother -I guess she filled in to some degree. And I guess in some way, I filled the role of the daughter she never had."
He nods.
"Since we also share similar passions and ideologies, Marla offered to be my mentor, and I eagerly accepted, of course. She gave me terrific advice on how to manage a non-profit and introduced me to all of the right people in the city. She opened a lot of doors for me, actually."
Dr. Brennan pushes the sliding eyeglasses on his face and scribbles something on the yellow legal pad.
"As I said, Marla never overstepped. She respected certain boundaries. She never interfered in my marriage, even when she suspected Fitz and I were having difficulties."
Dr. Brennan nods slowly.
"I admired – admire …"
Olivia does not know what tense to use. Does she still admire Marla or does that feeling belong somewhere in the past?
"I respected many of her qualities and, if I am to be honest, aspired to be like her in some ways."
"How so?"
"Well, Marla is smart, articulate, and has a commanding presence. When she speaks, let's just say people listen. She always seemed to know the right thing to say and at the right time. And, she could look at a situation from everyone's point of view and come up with a solution that everyone could support. That's a real talent."
Dr. Brennan looks up from his pad and smiles, encouraging Olivia to continue to speak.
"But this scandal – Marla being accused of embezzlement –I just don't know what to believe any more, Dr. Brennan. The woman I know – or thought I knew - would never do something like that."
She shakes her head as if doing so will dislodge the horrible thoughts, and Dr. Brennan hands her the box of tissues.
"So once again, I feel like someone I love has disappointed me - let me down."
"Olivia, when our heroes disappoint us – fall from grace – it can be devastating."
"Hero?" She knows she looks up to Marla, but didn't realize she had put her in the hero category.
"Olivia, I think that we can all relate to having heroes in our lives. Often they are our parents or one of our parents."
She immediately thinks about Cena and Fitz again.
"A hero can be a coach, a mentor, or some sports star, or even a pop star. Whoever they are, at some point in time the person you look up to is going to let you down. And, when they let you down or do something that you did not think was possible, it can lead to questions and doubt."
She nods, thinking about Nora and Maura, and now Marla, she wonders if she is really a good judge of character.
"We sometimes connect our heroes with some of our greatest and most intimate aspirations, and we take it personally when they do or act in a way we consider outside of their character."
"I would never have imagined that Marla could do something like this."
"Olivia, you must remember that our heroes are also human beings, with flaws like us. And, the reason we may not be privy to their shortcomings is because we really do not know them well enough."
"But I've known Marla for years."
"Olivia, knowing a person for a long time doesn't mean you know them the best. The extent of the depth of our relationships with people is the extent to which we know or do not know their shortcomings. You must make peace with the fact that perhaps you did not know Miss Briggs that well after all. After all, you said you established boundaries for the relationship, you must consider she did as well."
Olivia leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and wonders what else she does not know about Marla.
"You need to intentionally mourn this disappointment Olivia, and the other disappointments as well."
"Mourn?"
"Yes, mourn the death of who you thought Miss Briggs to be. And don't try to rush through the mourning process. Some things can be overcome in a minute and some things take longer. And Olivia, when you are done with the mourning, do not write her off, she might very well have a few more lessons to teach you", he says with a smile. "The last thing Miss Briggs needs right now is to be abandoned. Show her some grace. This might be your opportunity to give back to her what she has been giving to you."
"Also, appreciate what you have, even during this difficult time. Be grateful for all of the positive things you have in your life – your husband, your children, your family and friends. And lastly, prepare for what's ahead. You are in a place where you never thought you'd ever be – or ever wanted to be. While this situation is not your choosing, this is where you are and you must be ready to fight this thing, if necessary."
For some reason, she only seems capable of nodding her head as she processes Dr. Brennan's sage advice.
"And remember Olivia, everyone experiences disappointments in life, especially from those closest to us -our spouse, a family member, a friend. The key is learning how to navigate the disappointments and not let them ruin your life."
"I'm so afraid, Dr. Brennan. I fear that I'm going to lose everything that I worked for", dabbing the tissue under her bottom eyelid. "I'm afraid that my relationship with Marla will jeopardize Fitz' campaign."
"Olivia, you nor Fitz has done anything wrong."
"But that doesn't lessen the fear."
"There is nothing rational about fear, Olivia. You must let the authorities conduct its investigation before jumping to conclusions."