Now, do as Charles says, put a happy smile on your face and go home to talk to your husband.”
“Today is Saturday. Mitch plays golf on Saturday. He might not be home. I see problems already.”
Charles placed a comforting hand on Julia’s arm. “There will only be problems if we don’t act as a group. When you get to your car, use your private cell phone and call your husband. Be firm when you tell him you must talk with him today. I think he’ll cancel any plans he might have to talk with you. He needs you now. And the press will be buzzing everywhere. I’ve taken the liberty of writing out some instructions for you. Peruse them when you make a stop at the hospital to pick up your shopping list of possible drugs we might need. You won’t get another chance to go to the hospital again before we begin our mission.” Seeing the panic in Julia’s face, he said, “Julia, you can do this. I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were up to it.”
Julia drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders. In a jittery voice she said, “Of course I can do it. I won’t let you down. I guess I should be going. I just need to get my bags.” She looked around. “You know, in case anyone out there in the woods is watching us.”
One by one the others volunteered to go with Julia. Charles just shook his head. “Trust me, Julia will be fine.”
They all walked Julia to her shiny black Mercedes. They waved and laughed as Charles instructed. Julia waved back, a sickly smile plastered on her face.
During the drive to Georgetown, Julia gritted her teeth, repeating over and over, I can do this. I will do this. I have to do this. She reached down for her cell phone and hit the button on her speed dial that would connect her with her husband. She was stunned when she heard her husband’s voice.
“Mitch, it’s Julia. I’m on the way home and I need to talk to you. Please wait for me. I really don’t care if you have a tee time or not, Mitch. I need to talk with you.” She listened to her husband’s litany of excuses. Suddenly she was sick of it all, sick to death of her husband and sick to death of knowing this was the man who was responsible for giving her a death sentence.
When he finally ran out of reasons why he couldn’t wait for her, Julia said, “Listen to me very carefully, you son of a bitch. You need me. I do not need you. You either wait for me or I’ll give an interview to the press and I won’t be shy about mentioning what an alley cat you are. And you’ll be attending Crawford’s announcement party by yourself. How will that look, Senator? Now what’s it going to be? And, Senator Webster, I want to know what you did with all that money you took out of my account, which by the way, I closed out yesterday. You will wait for me, Mitch.”
Julia hit the end button and turned off her phone. Let him keep hitting his own speed button till his damn finger fell off. That was almost funny because she knew her number wasn’t on his speed dial because he never called her. If and when he did call, it was one of his aides with a message. She struggled to remember the last time she’d had a phone conversation with her husband but in the end she gave up. What did it matter now?
In the parking lot of the Georgetown Hospital, Julia read Charles’s instructions three times until she had them committed to memory. Her eyebrows shot up once and then twice at the impressive list. Charles was right, she’d never get another chance to do what he wanted after today. When she was sure she had everything clear in her head, Julia tore the list into little pieces and stuffed them in her pocket. Once inside the hospital she would throw the pieces in different trash containers.
Julia, brisk professional that she was, made no stops on her way to her old office. Inside, she ran Charles’s shopping list over in her mind as she opened and filled her medical bag. Her task completed, she looked at the sorry-looking
“Today is Saturday. Mitch plays golf on Saturday. He might not be home. I see problems already.”
Charles placed a comforting hand on Julia’s arm. “There will only be problems if we don’t act as a group. When you get to your car, use your private cell phone and call your husband. Be firm when you tell him you must talk with him today. I think he’ll cancel any plans he might have to talk with you. He needs you now. And the press will be buzzing everywhere. I’ve taken the liberty of writing out some instructions for you. Peruse them when you make a stop at the hospital to pick up your shopping list of possible drugs we might need. You won’t get another chance to go to the hospital again before we begin our mission.” Seeing the panic in Julia’s face, he said, “Julia, you can do this. I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were up to it.”
Julia drew a deep breath and squared her shoulders. In a jittery voice she said, “Of course I can do it. I won’t let you down. I guess I should be going. I just need to get my bags.” She looked around. “You know, in case anyone out there in the woods is watching us.”
One by one the others volunteered to go with Julia. Charles just shook his head. “Trust me, Julia will be fine.”
They all walked Julia to her shiny black Mercedes. They waved and laughed as Charles instructed. Julia waved back, a sickly smile plastered on her face.
During the drive to Georgetown, Julia gritted her teeth, repeating over and over, I can do this. I will do this. I have to do this. She reached down for her cell phone and hit the button on her speed dial that would connect her with her husband. She was stunned when she heard her husband’s voice.
“Mitch, it’s Julia. I’m on the way home and I need to talk to you. Please wait for me. I really don’t care if you have a tee time or not, Mitch. I need to talk with you.” She listened to her husband’s litany of excuses. Suddenly she was sick of it all, sick to death of her husband and sick to death of knowing this was the man who was responsible for giving her a death sentence.
When he finally ran out of reasons why he couldn’t wait for her, Julia said, “Listen to me very carefully, you son of a bitch. You need me. I do not need you. You either wait for me or I’ll give an interview to the press and I won’t be shy about mentioning what an alley cat you are. And you’ll be attending Crawford’s announcement party by yourself. How will that look, Senator? Now what’s it going to be? And, Senator Webster, I want to know what you did with all that money you took out of my account, which by the way, I closed out yesterday. You will wait for me, Mitch.”
Julia hit the end button and turned off her phone. Let him keep hitting his own speed button till his damn finger fell off. That was almost funny because she knew her number wasn’t on his speed dial because he never called her. If and when he did call, it was one of his aides with a message. She struggled to remember the last time she’d had a phone conversation with her husband but in the end she gave up. What did it matter now?
In the parking lot of the Georgetown Hospital, Julia read Charles’s instructions three times until she had them committed to memory. Her eyebrows shot up once and then twice at the impressive list. Charles was right, she’d never get another chance to do what he wanted after today. When she was sure she had everything clear in her head, Julia tore the list into little pieces and stuffed them in her pocket. Once inside the hospital she would throw the pieces in different trash containers.
Julia, brisk professional that she was, made no stops on her way to her old office. Inside, she ran Charles’s shopping list over in her mind as she opened and filled her medical bag. Her task completed, she looked at the sorry-looking
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