“Kay, it’s so good to see you.”
I followed him through another room with more desks and people on more telephones; then we were in his private office, and he shut the door. He had many beautiful paintings by very fine artists, and it was clear he loved good books.
“The Director called me earlier today. What a nightmare. I’m not sure I know what to say,” he said.
“I’m doing all right.”
“Here, please.” He directed me to the couch and faced me from an unimposing chair. Senator Lord rarely put his desk between himself and others. He did not need to, for as was true with every powerful person I had known, and there were but a few, his greatness made him humble and kind.
“I’m walking around in a stupor. A weird state of mind,” I went on.
“It’s later I’ll be in trouble. Posttraumatic stress and that sort of thing. Knowing about it doesn’t make you immune.”
“I want you to take good care of yourself. Go someplace and rest for a while.”
“Senator Lord, what can we do about Lucy? I want her name cleared.”
“I believe you’ve already managed to do that.”
“Not entirely. The Bureau knows it couldn’t have been Lucy’s thumb scanned into the biometric lock system. But this doesn’t entirely exculpate my niece. At least that’s the impression I’ve gotten.”
“Not so. Not so at all.” Senator Lord recrossed his long legs and stared off.
“Now, there may be a problem in terms of what circulates throughout the Bureau. The gossip, I mean. Since Temple Gault has become part of the picture, there is much that cannot be discussed.”
“So Lucy will just have to hold up under everybody’s stare because she won’t be permitted to divulge what happened,” I said.
“That’s correct.”
“Then there will be those who do not trust her and will think she shouldn’t be at Quantico.”
“There may be those.”
“That’s not good enough.” He regarded me patiently.
“You can’t protect her forever, Kay. Let her take her licks and suffer her slights. In the long run, she will be the better for it. Just keep her legal.” He smiled.
“I’m going to do my best to do that,” I said.
“She still has a DUI hanging over her head.”
“She was the victim of a hit-and-run or even an attempted murder. I should think that might change the scenario a bit in the eyes of the judge. I also will suggest she volunteer to perform some sort of community service.”
“Do you have something in mind?” I knew he did or he would not have mentioned it.
“As a matter of fact I do. I wonder if she would be willing to return to ERF? We don’t know how much of CAIN Gault has tampered with. I’d like to suggest to the Director that the Bureau use Lucy to follow Gault’s tracks through the system to see what can be salvaged.”
“Frank, I know she would be thrilled,” I said as my heart filled with gratitude.
“I can’t think of anyone better qualified,” he went on.
“And it will give her a chance for restitution. She did not willingly do anything wrong, but she used poor judgment.”
“I will tell her,” I said. From his office I went to the Willard and got a room. I was too tired to return to Richmond, and what I really wanted to do was fly to Newport. I wanted to see Lucy, even if only for an hour or two. I wanted her to know what Senator Lord had done, that her name was cleared, her future bright. Everything was going to be just fine. I knew it. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her. I wanted to see if I could find words that for me were so hard. I tended to hold love hostage in my heart because, if expressed, I feared it might abandon me as many people in my life had.
So it had been my habit to bring what I feared upon me. In my room I called Dorothy and got no answer. Next I called my mother.
“Where are you this time?” she asked, and I could hear water running.