Do You Want to Know a Secret? (34 page)

“At a friend’s.” She studied the light brown liquid, watching carefully as it reflected the soft lights of the library. “At a friend’s,” she repeated. “You know, there was a time when I worried constantly about William and what his life would be like. I wondered what his peer group would be, wondered if he’d even have friends.” Looking up from her glass, she smiled. “I needn’t have worried so much. He’s found his way. In fact, sometimes I think he has a better social life than I do.”

Range reached out and took her hand. “I’d like to do something about that.”

“I wish you would.”

He took the snifter from her hand and placed it beside his own on the end of the table. He stood, gently pulled her up from the couch and guided her to the elevator. His mouth firmly covered hers as his right hand began to untie the knot on her skirt and his left hand pushed 2.

Chapter 71

Eliza and Janie
spent Sunday afternoon at the children’s zoo. Janie had wanted to see the monkeys for the umpteenth time. Knowing it was good to get out for a few hours, Eliza had forced herself to go. When they got home, the light was flashing on the answering machine. Eliza knew who it would be.

“Eliza, it’s Mama. Just wondering how you were. Give me a call if you feel like it.” Click.

Eliza listened to her other messages. Mary Cate saying that she had editing time in the morning for a piece they were working on, would Eliza please plan to record her track right after
KEY to America
went off the air? Range suggesting that she come to see him on Monday, he had something he wanted to talk over with her. Harry Granger announcing raspily that she should be prepared for a substitute in the morning, he was losing his voice.

She called Harry first.

“What’s with you?” Eliza was concerned.

“Oh, it’s just some sort of bug or something. I don’t feel rotten enough to be declared really sick, but my voice is not going to cut it on the air.”

“I’ll say. You sound pitiful!”

“Thanks.”

“You know what I mean, Harry. Anyway, what can I do for you? Is there anything you need?” Eliza knew that Harry lived alone. She hated the idea of him sick with no one watching over him.

“Just don’t have better chemistry with my substitute than you do with me. I kinda like my job.”

Eliza loved working with Harry and really didn’t like the idea of doing the show with a stand-in. She felt a pang of annoyance. Just the start of another week in paradise.

You ingrate! Do you know how many women would happily trade places with you?

Feeling duly ashamed, her brain decided to really wallow in guilt. She thought about her mother. She knew from experience that she would bug herself until she eventually returned the call. She might as well do it. Eliza pushed her speed dial and in three seconds was connected to Rhode Island.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, dear. Did you get my message? How’s Janie?”

“Yes, Mom. That’s why I’m calling back. Janie’s just fine. How’s it going?”

“I wanted to tell you, I didn’t like the outfit you wore on Tuesday, the skirt was much too short. And I don’t like the way they’ve been fixing your hair lately. Tell them you want to have it fixed the old way. It looked much better than that crazy way they did it this week.”

“Anything you did like, Mom?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, I switched to the
Today Show
, and I like Katie’s clothes and hairstyle much better than yours.”

“Great, Mom.”

“Now, Eliza, don’t be mad at me. I’m only telling you these things because I want what’s best for you. Don’t you know that?”

Eliza had found that stopping and counting to ten really did help.

“Eliza?”

“Yes, Mother?”

“Do you have to interview those authors with the horrible ideas? They are nothing but Communists and you shouldn’t give them any attention.”

“Mom, the Cold War is over.”

“That’s what they want us to believe.”

“How’s Daddy?”

“He’s fine. He’s down at the gas station.”

“Well, tell him I said hello. I’ll talk to you next week.”

“Fine, dear. Goodbye.”

She knew where they were hidden. The emergency supply. Appearing on national television every day, having trash printed about her in the tabloids, knowing the secret that a network anchorman had an affair with the next president’s wife, and suspecting that her psychiatrist had been murdered because he knew too much—what these pressures had not succeeded in doing, talking to her mother did. She found them, fought for thirty seconds and gave in. She parked Janie in front of the television and rolled the Barney tape. She went down the hall to the bathroom, locked the door, sat on the edge of the tub and lit up a Marlboro Light.

Chapter 72

Range peered at
Eliza over his bifocals, a scowl on his face. His desk was cluttered with papers and she noticed that the ever-present Turns bottle was almost empty.

“Eliza, I’m concerned about you. The ratings are down. That could ultimately be good for you. Now, of all times, you have to be strong. This is not the time for you to cave in. Your career depends on it.”

“Range, it’s a little hard for me to focus on my career right now.”

“Well, you better.”

That happy salutation completed, Range told her that Joy Wingard would be coming to KEY later in the week to tape public service announcements for the AIDS Parade for Dollars. Range wanted Eliza to do a story focused on the candidate’s wife as fund-raiser.

She felt she had to tell him. Maybe as Bill’s best friend, he knew already.

“I happen to know that Bill and Joy Wingard were having an affair,” she said.

“And how do you know that?” he asked calmly.

“A confidential source. A confidential, reliable source.”

His face remained expressionless. Eliza could not tell if her statement had surprised him or not. He stared at her for a few long moments. When he finally spoke, Eliza knew in no uncertain terms what his position was.

“I am not going to ask you again how you know because, frankly, I don’t care. If Bill Kendall and Joy Wingard were involved, that was their business. As far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t have anything to do with Haines Wingard’s ability, or lack thereof, to govern this country. As you know, Bill Kendall was my best friend. If information less than flattering about Bill, but crucial to the national interest, were at stake here, I like to think I would report it regardless of Bill’s memory. But this is a private matter. Each of us is entitled to some privacy and I’m going to respect that. We will not be reporting on the
Evening Headlines
that our deceased anchorman and our probable next first lady slept together.”

Range stared at her as Eliza took in the power of his words. His next words made her feel he could read her mind.

“Of course, you can go to Yelena with this. That’s up to you. She may or may not override my decision.”

Chapter 73

Daily Campaign Schedule for Joy Wingard

At 6:00
A.M
., Eliza sat in the red leatherlike barber’s chair in the makeup room off the
KEY to America
studio. While Lucille was brushing her out, Eliza read Joy Wingard’s itinerary for the day. Joy sure was moving fast. She was relieved that Harry was back and scheduled to conduct the Wingard interview on the broadcast this morning. Eliza just wanted to concentrate on observing Mrs. Wingard today.