Millie said nothing, but felt like Helen and Levering were waiting for her to respond. Give Toni a Thanks for sharing or something, and then a Thanks for setting me straight.
Instead, Millie put her own hand on Toni’s. The woman looked at her expectantly. “Ms. Ridge,” Millie said, “I know this must have been hard for you.”
“I just wanted you to know,” Toni said. “Helen said I…” She stopped suddenly.
Millie leaned back. “Yes, what was it Helen said?”
Toni Ridge looked as if she’d been caught stealing files from her law firm. Helen Forbes Kensington looked at the grass.
“I think it’s time somebody told me what’s really going on,” Millie said.
Levering threw up his hands. “I agree. Let’s go.”
7
“Listen,” Sam Levering said. “This whole thing has gone far enough. You want to stay on the Court, you make a pledge right now.”
They were in the limo heading back to the Court building. Helen sat silently by, looking out the window.
Millie fought hard to keep from throwing something – a decanter of booze from the bar would be fitting – at the senator’s face. “How dare you,” she said.
“Oh, please,” Levering said. “Spare me your outrage. You’ve got a decision to make right now. I’m not gonna sit around while you mess up the Court.”
Mess up! Getting a lecture on messing up from Sam Levering was too much to bear. Oh, God, what do I say?
Helen turned toward her. “Millie, what the senator and I are trying to do is help you remember what it is we’ve been fighting for all these years, for the right of women – ”
“Stop,” Millie said. “I don’t want to hear it. Helen, how could you?”
“I’ll tell you how,” Levering said. “The fundamentalists are shouting hosannas about your conversion. Or haven’t you heard? They’re already writing
“How can either of you think I’d listen to any outside influence?” Millie’s heart was making its way to her throat, pounding with outrage. “Including yours?”
Helen sighed. “Millie – ”
“Hold it,” Levering snapped. “Just hold it now and let me do the talking.” His face swiveled toward Millie. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? Here is the way it is. You will check with me on the big votes, the big cases, from now on. I will tell you what to do.”
Millie’s hands curled in on themselves, her nails pressing flesh. “Are you insane?”
“Been called a lot of things in my time. Insane is pretty tame.”
“I would never,” Millie said, pausing to choose her words carefully, “ever consider compromising the workings of the Court, or my own independence, for anyone, let alone you. You are a United States senator with an oath of office. How do you look at yourself in the morning?”
“With these eyes,” Levering said, passing his fingers in front of his face. “I can see things, you know. I can see the future. Want me to tell you yours?”
Anger kept Millie’s mouth closed while she waited.
“You refuse to take my direction,” Levering continued, “and I walk over to the House and get a little investigation going. Impeachment, Madame Justice.” He drew the last word out so it sounded like
He
“You can’t possibly succeed with an impeachment,” she said. “The country won’t stand for it. Congress won’t stand for it.”
“Don’t you remember what Bierce said? The Congress is a masquerade of principles, Madame Justice, and I can manipulate that particular masquerade.”
“You have no grounds for impeachment.”
Levering’s smile was sickening. “You have no idea.” He leaned forward, raising a warning finger. “This is a promise. You give me your answer by tomorrow. You don’t, and I will rain fire and brimstone on you. And you can take that to the bank, Saint Millicent Mannings Hollander.”
8
Millie’s head was practically bursting with anger when she got to Bill Bonassi’s house. Night was hovering over D.C. and several times she thought she’d faint in the taxi. The world was spinning out of control, out of the realm of reality. She needed Bonassi’s counsel now.
They met in his study as Dorothy went to brew some tea. The room was primarily floor-to-ceiling bookcases, the Old Lion’s den.
“Tell me about it,” he said.
She managed to tell him everything without breaking down. He sat, listening patiently, not interrupting her once.
When she finished Bonassi took a long pause before answering. “Mark Twain said there is no distinctly American criminal class, except Congress.”
It was the right comment, lightening the pressure just a bit.
Millie blurted, “I never thought I’d be in a position like this. What do I do?”
“Get a lawyer,” Bonassi said.
“Do you know anyone?”
Bill Bonassi raised his hand. “Why not let me take a crack at it?” he said.
“You?”
“Dottie says I’m spending too much time with my garden. I’m driving her nutty.”
“But I couldn’t ask you…”
“You don’t have to,” Bonassi said. “I’m signing up.
Now there were definite tears in her eyes, and she didn’t stop them. “Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.”
“No need to say anything.” Bonassi stood up, and suddenly looked twenty years younger. Excitement seemed to pour out of his skin. “Here are the ground rules. We’ll do everything by prayer and the law. In that order. Agreed?”
A rush of relief came to Millie like a cool breeze. “Agreed.”
Bonassi rubbed his hands together. “I’ll make a little call to our senator friend and let him know exactly what I think of his proposition. I’ll do your public speaking. You say nothing until your moment.”
“My moment?”
Bonassi nodded. “There comes a time in every trial for
