seen the private quarters of the First Family. That omission had now been corrected. After riding the elevator up and being let out of the small cage by a genuine elevator operator, he and Michelle looked around at the room they were in. It had luxurious furnishings, heavy moldings, and beautiful flower displays. Then his attention returned to the woman who was sitting on the couch across from him, a cup of hot tea in hand. A warming fire crackled in the fireplace. Across the street, protestors could be heard chanting about something in Lafayette Park.
Jane obviously heard this too. 'You'd think they would have held off, with everything that's happened.'
'It's done by permit,' said Michelle. 'They have to take their shot when they get it.'
'Of course.'
She looks tired, Sean thought. And it obviously wasn't just the campaign. The tiny lines on the First Lady's face were more pronounced, the pouches under the eyes thicker, the hair not as meticulous as usual. She also seemed to have lost weight. The clothes she wore hung more loosely.
Michelle's gaze was on Tuck. Jane Cox's brother sat next to his sister, shooting nervous glances around the room. He held a mixed drink that had been brought to him by one of the White House attendants. He gripped it so tightly his fingers were white. The guy probably wanted to light up, but the White House was a no-smoking zone, much to the chagrin of many stressed-out folks who labored there.
'How are John and Colleen doing?' Jane asked.
'Not great.'
'We can have them stay here, Tuck.'
'It wouldn't matter, sis. It's not the place.'
'I know.'
Tuck looked around the spacious room. 'And this house doesn't really seem geared for kids.'
'You'd be surprised,' said Jane. 'Remember Dan Jr. had a birthday party in the State Dining Room when he turned sixteen. And lots of small children have lived here. Teddy Roosevelt's family. JFK's.'
'It's okay, sis, really.'
She glanced at Sean. 'Thank you for making it to the funeral.'
'I told you we'd be there.'
'We left things in an awkward way the last time we talked.'
'I thought I was pretty clear, actually.'
Her mouth set into a frown. 'I'm trying to handle this as professionally as possible, Sean.'
He sat forward as Michelle and Tuck watched him nervously.
'And we're trying to find Willa. I don't really care whether we accomplish that professionally or not so long as we get her back. I hope you don't have a problem with that.' He glanced at Tuck. 'Either of you.'
'I just want my daughter back,' Tuck said quickly.
'Of course,' said Jane. 'That's what we all want.'
'Good, I'm glad we have that settled.' He gave Tuck an encouraging nod.
Tuck opened his mouth. 'So… is Dan around?'
Sean rolled his eyes and sat back while Michelle just stared at Tuck like he was the biggest loser she'd personally ever seen.
'Working in his office. Then he's flying to the West Coast late tonight. I'm to join him there tomorrow, but my plans are up in the air right now, as you can imagine. I doubt that I'll go now.'
She eyed Sean. 'Have you got anything to tell me?'
'No, but I think your brother does. That's why we're here, in fact.'
She glanced at Tuck. 'What is it?'
Tuck swallowed the rest of his drink so quickly, he nearly choked. When he recovered he still didn't say anything.
An exasperated Michelle said, 'Tuck saw Agent Betack meeting with Pam about a month before she was killed. Agent Betack denies that happened. We wanted you to have him come in here and settle the issue once and for all. We know he's at the White House. We followed him here, in fact.'
Tuck's gaze was glued to his shoes as his sister first looked at Michelle and then over at Sean.
'That won't be necessary.'
'Why not?' asked Sean.
'Because Agent Betack did meet with Pam.'
'How do you know that?'
'Because I asked him to.'
For a very awkward minute, the only sound was the crackle of the fire and the faraway chants of the protestors.
Surprisingly, it was Tuck Dutton who broke this silence.
'What the hell is going on, sis?'
She put down her tea. The look she gave each of them, coming to finally rest on Tuck, was one of the oddest Sean had ever seen. It was a combination of dominance and desperation. And he wasn't quite sure how she pulled it off, but she did.
'Don't be stupid, Tuck.'
The tone, Sean thought, was just a tad ugly for a sibling who'd just buried his wife.
'How am I being stupid by asking that question?'
'Pam suspected you were having an affair. She came to me for advice. As usual, I tried to smooth things over for you.'
'You knew I was having an affair?'
'After I asked Agent Betack to look into it, yes. He had you followed and reported back to me that you were indeed screwing around.' She looked at Sean and Michelle. 'Not the first time, of course. My brother seems to have an inability to keep it in his pants unless he's around his wife. It's not just my brother. I think it afflicts all married men. As soon as they take the vow one of their chromosomes informs them that it's time to cheat.'
Tuck looked like a very large man had just punched him flush in the face. 'I can't believe you would-' he began.
'Just shut up, Tuck. We're way past that now.'
Okay, thought Sean, this is a side I've never seen of the woman and I don't like it.
'So Betack was talking to Pam about what he'd found?' asked Michelle.
'Not exactly, no.'
'So, what exactly then?' asked Sean.
'I had Agent Betack inform Pam that Tuck was not cheating on her.'
Even Tuck looked slightly disgusted by this information, although the lie had obviously covered up his infidelity. Perhaps he was thinking of his dead wife out there in the muddy ground all by herself.
'So you had him lie to her, in other words?' said Michelle.
'My husband's reelection is a foregone conclusion barring any unforeseen calamity, including personal.'
'So if Tuck's affair came out you were afraid it would tank your husband's chances? That's why you had Betack lie to Pam?' said Sean, who did not try to conceal his rising anger.
'But you're not your brother's keeper and neither is the president,' Michelle pointed out. 'Tuck's a big boy. There might be a scandal, but it wouldn't involve the First Family.'
'Sometimes it's hard to determine where the First Family starts and stops,' shot back Jane. 'And in any case, I was determined not to find out that the public's opinion of my husband would be adversely affected by such a revelation. If nothing else it would give traction to an opposition that so far has found none.'
There was another reason, but the First Lady chose not to elaborate for reasons that were obvious to her.
'Well, I don't think Pam believed Betack,' said Sean.
'Why?'
'Because the night she was killed, we were going over to see Pam at her request. She didn't know Tuck would be arriving home that night. She said she had a matter she wanted us to look into. I'll give you three guesses at what that might be.'
'I could tell at the party at Camp David that she was still concerned about it,' admitted Jane.
Tuck looked at Sean. 'And when I suddenly showed up at the house that night, she did look sort of freaked out.'
