Carla Neggers - Night’s Landing

She was Leola and Violet’s contemporary, just a few years younger than they were. But they were all gone now. Some days, it was hard to believe. They were strong women, survivors determined to do what they believed was right. Granny Dunnemore had lost her husband young, then her firstborn son in the war, and she meant her second son to live a long and happy life. She encouraged Stuart to study hard and got the application to Vanderbilt herself, then cheered him when he went off to Washington, D.C., to begin his long, illustrious career as a diplomat and an advisor, a brilliant thinker. It was a life that, to Wes as a boy, seemed so far away, so beyond his grasp.

Reach for the stars and you might hook the moon, Pearl Dunnemore would tell him. You could be president one day.

Yet he knew Stuart’s departure from Night’s Landing had been another kind of a loss for his mother. Wes had seen her sitting out on her porch, crying after her son’s visits and she was alone again. When he moved back with his first wife, Pearl couldn’t hide her joy at having him home, despite the tragic circumstances.

And when Stuart remarried and the twins were born, Granny was the happiest woman in Tennessee. Even when Stuart took up traveling again, she understood that Night’s Landing was in his blood, that it was his home, his anchor.

Leola and Violet didn’t have it in them to encourage Wes to stretch his wings. They’d loved him without condition, and he them, but they’d feared the outside world. Become a schoolteacher in town, they’d say. Get a job at the local bank. Don’t walk away from your home, your roots.

But what home did he have, what roots?

Hank Callahan cleared his throat in the awkward silence. “If anything,” he said, “Nate might step on toes to get answers. I imagine Rob Dunnemore would, too, once he’s on his feet. They’re not going to sit back.” He tried to smile. “Well, they’re not going to like sitting back.”

“Rob’s twin sister has the makings of a loose cannon, especially where her brother is concerned.” But people never guessed it-they’d look at her and see the pretty face, the gray eyes, the sweep of blond hair and think good girl, not realize that she came from a family tree filled with scoundrels and adventurers. Wes smiled. “I hope the marshals are keeping an eye on her.”

Callahan angled a look at him, respectful but at the same time curious, even suspicious. “Mr. President, the attack yesterday-are you certain it had nothing to do with you?”

“There’s no evidence of that whatsoever.”

The young senator seemed satisfied, and in another minute, they bid each other good-night. After Callahan left Wes sank back down on the sofa. He’d spoken with such assurance, but did he know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that yesterday’s shooting had nothing to do with him? No one had given him that assurance.

But it couldn’t.

He’d never be able to live with himself if something happened to Rob or to Sarah because of him, because of his position. Neither would Ev. She’d lost too much already.

He glanced at his watch. Just nine o’clock. He’d work for a couple more hours, make sure Ev was asleep and unable to ask questions, unable to articulate her fears, before he ventured to bed.

Sarah awoke to the gurgle of fish tanks and the spiked end of a spider plant tickling her nose. She’d acquiesced to another night on the futon in Juliet’s front room and slept better, but not much better, than she had the night before. When Juliet suggested they get breakfast somewhere, Sarah jumped at the chance.

They walked to a diner and tucked themselves into a small booth with cracked red vinyl seats. Sarah ordered a cheese omelette and iced tea. She didn’t feel as trapped, as hemmed in and claustrophobic, as she had yesterday and realized it had been her own fears at work, not anything her brother’s colleagues had done to her.

At least she’d had the good sense not to mention the man at the park to Juliet or especially to Nate Winter. Thinking she’d recognized him from Amsterdam seemed even more ridiculous this morning. It was simply her nerves playing on her, ratcheting up the stakes and the tension. Her Dunnemore genes kicking in.

The omelette was hot and perfectly cooked, and Sarah ate every bite, determined not to let low blood sugar affect her thinking-she’d had a shock. Even if Rob’s situation was far worse than her own, she had to give herself time to adjust to what had happened.

Juliet had a bagel and three cups of black coffee.

“Did you sleep okay?” she asked Sarah.

Sarah nodded. “The aquariums and the street traffic are like white noise after a while, aren’t they? I haven’t lived in a city in so long.” She drank more of her tea. “Where are you from originally?”

“The boonies of Vermont.” But Juliet was obviously uncomfortable talking about herself and picked up the bill, heading for the cash register. “Come on. We’ll take a cab to the hospital. I’ll figure out a way to bypass the media if they look like they’re going to pounce.”

They’d watched the news last night and heard Wes Poe’s statement about his friendship with the Dunnemores. It was no secret-it’d been covered in his campaign. Just no one had thought the deputy shot in Central Park was a member of that Dunnemore family.

Wes hadn’t called, but Sarah told herself that she couldn’t expect him to.

When they arrived at the hospital, over a dozen reporters had gathered at the ambulance entrance not far from the main door. Video cameras were rolling, photographers snapping pictures, reporters asking questions. Sarah got out of the cab, then noticed Nate Winter in the middle of the throng.

“Ouch,” Juliet said, coming up next to her. “He doesn’t look very happy, does he? Hell. They’ve got him surrounded. He should pull a faint or something and get out of there.”

A young female reporter thrust a microphone in his face.

“Deputy Winter, Hector Sanchez was a known informant. Did you or Deputy Dunnemore tell him that you would be at the news conference?”

Then more questions, coming all at once.

“Do you believe he was the shooter?”

“Sources say he died of a drug overdose-do you think he was celebrating the Central Park attack?”

“Can you confirm that the rifle allegedly used in the shooting was found at his side?”

“What about the president? Has he talked to Rob Dunnemore?”

Nate held up a hand. “Sorry. No comment. If you’ll excuse me.”

That was it. He was done.

Juliet huddled close to Sarah and maneuvered her toward the main entrance. “Let’s get you out of here before they recognize you.”

“What about Nate?”

“He can take care of himself.”

Once past security and into the hospital lobby, Sarah shuddered as if she’d shaken off a swarm of bees. She turned to Juliet. “What was that all about? Does the FBI have the sniper? It sounds as if he’s dead-”

“I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Who’s Hector Sanchez? Did you realize he was a suspect?” She took a breath, but Juliet didn’t respond, simply banged the up button for the elevator. Sarah felt a stab of dread. “It sounds as if the media think someone screwed up-”

“It’s the FBI’s investigation,” Juliet said tightly. “Let’s go-”

Sarah shook her head. “I’m fine on my own today. Really. Tell your bosses I appreciate the moral support.”

“Sarah-”

“I’m used to being on my own, and I’m not in any danger.”

Juliet sighed. “I’ll see you upstairs in ten minutes.”

She headed back through the lobby toward the main entrance and the reporters, presumably, Sarah thought, to find out what was going on.