PLIGHT ONE'S TROTH
'It made no sense', thought Renee.
There she was with dinner on the table getting cold, she'd refused overtime today down at her office to get home in time to prepare it - and Stan was late, as usual. It was getting cold.
But being the 'little woman' was the cost of doing business, she thought. The cost of maintaining a full-time job downtown, as well as taking the lion's share of cleaning HIS house in Falls Church…. well, this was the 1980s. She was also doing her duty, for 'the cause'.
Renee, she'd heard about the Soviet illegals. Back in Seattle, she'd even asked her handler - on the rare occasion of that old lady coming up from Los Angeles. Did 'illegals' exist? Renee had been angrily told to 'mind her business' and to 'focus on her own mission'.
Back in Seattle, it actually made Renee wonder - 'Am I now a deeply embedded illegal? No, that can't be - I was born here.'
During her last meeting with Claudia, her new handler had asked Renee to be on the lookout for Stan, 'developing neighbours as FBI assets'. The one-time pad sheet of paper was flimsy evidence - but that's what Claudia had implied - that Stan may be 'developing' Henry as an FBI asset.
What if it was more sinister than that? What if Stan were one of those deeply embedded Soviet illegals? He'd then be developing Henry for 'the other side'! How does one broach THAT subject with one's bed mate?
At that, Renee heard Stan's car in the driveway. Moments later, he came in through the front door, deposited his keys on the side table, and dropped his obligatory trench-coat onto the chair. Renee thought, 'I'm going to have to hang that up before bed….'
He went directly to the dinner table where everything was waiting, he said, "Renee, you did not have to. Really. Being in 'Fraud' at the Bureau is a little more mundane than Counterintel…. we only deal with shysters and low-lifes in fraud. You wouldn't believe how mundane home-grown crooks are."
Taking his first bite, he noted that Renee was not eating and silent. So he put down his fork and said, "Wow, I'm stupid. This may have been how I ruined things with Sandra. Truly, Renee, thanks for this. You really didn't have to."
Renee turned her frown upside down, smiled and said, "No problem, Stan. Are you going to ask about my day?"
"Yes, yes, yes," Stan said. "How are things at the engine of capitalism?"
Renee explained that despite her recent successes in 'selling herself', with requisite pay upgrades, that she was feeling herself, 'stalled'.
Then he said it. "You know I love you, Renee." He didn't even extend a hand, just a gaze. But he had said it. So now it was open season. Renee with complete sincerity, she returned the magic words.
Stan said, "It's hard to believe that at this time of life I could find someone like you. You're everything I could ask for." He then smiled, "between you and Philip, it's wonderful being surrounded by friends and lovers…."
She extended a hand to hold his, then smiled, "which am I and which is Philip, Stan!?"
"Oh Jesus," Stan said, "you know what I mean. The last few years have been tough. I rarely see Matthew. But you've always been there… Philip got me through rough days…."
".…. good on Philip. I get it, Stan." She squeezed his hand a little, then said with a tinge of sarcasm, "I'm just glad I made the cut." She then leaned back and bid them both to eat, that if Stan cleaned up and 'put away that smelly trench-coat' himself, she would have a surprise for him upstairs.
Before digging in again, this time Stan rose and stood beside Renee at her place.
She then gasped as he reached into his pocket and got down on one knee. It was one for the ages. "Renee, would you allow me a lifetime of cleaning up your kitchen? Will you marry me?" Renee gasped an enthusiastic 'YES', and let him put the ring on her finger.
If Stan was, indeed, a Soviet illegal - Renee had just voluntarily and with joy agreed to marry one.
Her answer concluded with, "As long as you clean the kitchen." They skipped dinner and headed upstairs.
TYPICALLY ATYPICAL
"Say, Henry," Renee had said, "throw all that in the back. This 4x4 holds a lot of camping gear, but you're leaving for a year! Your folks may need to eventually make a second trip!"
After arranging things so that the back gate would actually close, Henry ran up to the passenger side of the 4x4 and jumped in.
Still on the Jennings' driveway, Henry said, "finally, free from the looney bin."
"The what?" Renee remarked sharply. "That's not a nice thing to say about your home."
As she rolled out into the boulevard for the 12 hours to New Hampshire and St. Edwards Academy, Henry kept going, "that's what Paige calls it. At one point she thought we were space aliens. I mean, Mrs. Beeman, look at this…. it's YOU taking me to St. Edwards. They were with Paige at George Washington University for the first day, then they farm me out. And I'm going away for a year!"
"Oh Henry, I don't know what to say," she quipped, "but at the very least, you can say thanks."
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Beeman. Thanks for the ride - at the last minute. I was rude, I apologize. It's quite nice that you're driving me. Mom and dad are building their business, Mr. Beeman is chasing crooks." Henry repeated, though, that it was just typical that his parents had not been there for him.
When they finally hit the interstate, Renee thought that the time was right, so she went for it.
THE SELL
"Hey Henry, do you every consider what you'll be doing after St. Edwards?"
He replied, "well, I'm not even there yet…"
She said, "you remember our deal, our mutual secrets, Henry."
He replied, "you don't need to worry, Mrs. Beeman. In our house, secrets are the…. how did you put it….?"
"The coin of the realm?" she reminded him.
He parroted, "… the coin of the realm. I've done what you've asked, Mrs. Beeman. I've kept my ears open…. sincerely, there's not much to tell about Mr. Beeman. He's pretty much a 'straight arrow', Mrs. Beeman."
She paused, "do you like President Reagan?"
He looked surprised, then replied, "well, mom and dad don't. You should hear the stuff Paige says about our 'dear leader'."
Renee backed up a bit, "but you, Henry, do you think that Reagan is contributing to world peace? What about his heavy words about the Soviet Union?"
Still a bit confused, Henry said, "I don't think much about it. You'd think he'd be in a place to know all about that."
Renee asked Henry if he'd ever heard her talk about her brother, back on the west coast. He'd been severely wounded in Vietnam in the early 1970s, but it was the emotional toll that, "America's wars" took on ordinary families, that she didn't like.
Henry was even more confused, "Mr. Reagan, he had nothing to do with Vietnam!?, did he?"
Renee said, "he's still going to war, Henry. I mean, we don't even have an official enemy, and he spends more money on the military than anyone in the Vietnam era ever did. Have you ever heard of the 'military industrial complex', Henry?"
"Mrs. Beeman, I don't want to be rude, but I'm sure St Edwards will cover all that in social studies. You sound like Paige. Stan says he can handle Paige in a debate! Any day."
Renee realized that this was not going to be successful in one go. So she changed the subject - to St Edwards varsity hockey program, that Henry was eager to try out for.
Yet when she got back to Falls Church in the coming days, she was going to have to do three things:
- report to Claudia that she'd at least opened the door to recruiting Henry
- adding to the report that Stan had proposed, and that she'd accepted even without clearing it.
- call her brother back in Washington State, even if he'd be barely aware that it was her.
MEETING WITH GRANNY - SPRING 1985
"Claudia, I hate to say it, but it is not so far-fetched to think of my dearly beloved as KGB."
Claudia looked surprised. "Why would you say that, dear?"
Renee said, "last night, he told me about Nina, some sort of officer in the Soviet Residentura a few years ago. That he felt compromised, that he'd done some regrettable things for her. That she was eventually sent back to Russia…. he didn't outright say it, but it did not seem to go well for her back home."
Claudia thought for a second, then said, "you may be getting into matters above your paygrade, honey."
"Above my pay-grade!" Renee exclaimed. "I'm marrying the guy!" She sat silent but determined for an extended time. She then said, "is he KGB, Claudia? It would be nice to know!"
Claudia said evenly, "it's your job, Renee, to do exactly what you're doing. You do it, then you tell me." Claudia paused, then asked, "how was it with Henry?"
Renee guffawed, "that one was a piece of cake. I raised Reagan with him, I raised Vietnam. We had a good twelve hours together in the 4x4 up to St. Edwards. It won't be this year, it won't be next year. But get him into university, and I bet you have a born-and-bred American in your orbit."
Claudia smiled, "like you."
Renee remained smileless when she replied, "like me." Renee reminded Claudia, that she'd always done her duty, 'for the cause'. "Look, Claudia, I'm loyal. You could at least tell me things…."
Claudia remained silent for Renee's next soliloquy. "This is what I know about Henry. His family is nuts. His parents, they work way, way too hard for Dupont Circle Travel, they've virtually abandoned their kids - all their lives. Paige calls her home, a 'loony bin'. Just don't get either of the kids started on the schmozzle to do with EPCOT. I'd talked with Stan about that, he just said that that episode had just been typical of the people."
"The upshot, Claudia, is that bringing Henry 'into the fold', it would be a piece of cake. I've spent maybe ten minutes total in Paige Jennings' company, but from what Henry says, I bet Paige would be interested in what someone like you would have to say."
"But leave Philip and Elizabeth Jennings out of it. They're nuts."
Claudia than gave one of her rare orders. "No one in Stan's orbit are to be approached, no one. Not for anything, except for Henry." Stan and Henry, they were the sum total of Renee's 'mission'.
Renee wondered, 'but if Stan is recruiting Henry, why need me? The two are closer than actual son and father! It makes no sense.'
FBI INTERVIEW PART 3 FBI BUILDING WASHINGTON D.C. - JANUARY 1988
Renee: What does it matter when I called?
Agent: Here's the thing, Mrs. Beeman. If you knew that Elizabeth Jennings was KGB, why would you not tell us first? Why would you not inform your husband first? Why would you call Henry Jennings, and then leave it at that… again 'if' you knew that The Jennings were KGB?
Renee: What are you accusing me of? Do I need a lawyer?
Agent: We'll get you a lawyer if you want. Me, I don't think you need one, but it's your call. - pause - But I think that to understand Agent Beeman in all this, is to understand you. And to understand you, I get the feeling that I have to understand Henry Jennings.
Renee: That's quite the conspiratorial web you're weaving. Please remember, I also now work for the FBI….. in Personnel.
Agent: Touché, Mrs. Beeman, touché. Yes, you've already been cleared by us.
Renee: Please, I'm not trying to be uncooperative here. - pause - I know Stan believes it and I agree, I don't think Henry could have had anything to do with his parents, them as undercovers…
Agent: ….. as generational, Directorate S, deep cover illegals….
- silence -
Agent (pulling from a file a small piece of paper): Mrs. Beeman, do you know what this is? Our Boston Field Office, they recovered a whole pad of this in Henry's room at St. Edwards…..
Looking down, Renee saw that he had a single note, from what otherwise was a One-Time Pad, used by countries' intelligence services.
(to be continued….)