Roanne hugged her father. “It’s so good to be home.”
“It’s great to see you, Ro,” Rufus said. “You have any luggage?”
“Only what I’ve got right here.”
“I wish your mother would learn to travel light like you.” He had a deep-country tone.
“I have a closet full of clothes here and in Virginia,” she said, taking his arm.
“Yeah well, I guess that does make a difference. Let’s go.”
Father and daughter walked down the concourse, passing gates and rushing people. The five-foot-ten wiry Rufus was barely an inch taller than his daughter. Roanne looked around and suddenly realized that they were still inside security. “How did you get in here without a ticket?”
“Antrell Williams is head of security for the airport. You remember him? He was the big black guy who was head of my security detail. I recommended him for the job.”
She shook her head and squeezed his arm. They reached security, walked around the incoming gate, and veered off toward the exit. A couple of guards gave him a casual salute and said, “Governor.”
He smiled and waved back. She’d forgotten it was always that way for him. She feigned a pout. “Should I be hurt they didn’t say senator?”
“They probably would have whistled if I hadn’t been with you. There’s Johnny.”
The big man standing next to a black Town Car tipped the cap he always wore when chauffeuring the governor. “Miss Roanne,” he said in his gentle basso voice.
“It’s good to see you, Johnny.” She gave the gentle giant a hug. He was family, more so in many ways than her siblings.
“The whole shooting match will join us Saturday afternoon at the Club for the prime rib,” Rufus said, referring to his son, other daughter, and their families.
Roanne thought of Gavin and the bar-b-que she’d be missing.
After a light supper with her parents, she joined Rufus in his large and very comfortable study. Her mother would join them later. Once they got comfortable, she told the perceptive politician about Rogers and Kelly. He said he had been following developments.
“Have you been talking to Harold Raines?” she asked. Raines was their state’s senior senator.
“Now, don’t get in a hissy fit. Harry clerked for me when I was on the circuit court, before I ran for attorney general. I’m not doing anything behind your back or asking him to do anything for you. He told me about the pharmaceutical’s pressure to ditch Tutoxtamen. I knew about your opposition and was glad you acquiesced.”
“I went with the party, but I’m my own person and want to get Tutoxtamen a fair hearing. I know you hate being on the outside looking in.”
“There are things I can do, Ro. I know people. Some of your fellow senators were governors when I was. There’s not one of our party’s congressmen who hasn’t worked for me at one time or another.”
“Let’s get back to Harry,” she said seriously.
“I only asked him to keep me up on what was happening, nothing more.”
She didn’t know whether to be angry or grateful. She opted for the latter. “Harry’s stayed away from me during these last few weeks just about as much as all the others.”
“I had nothing to do with that. I only wanted information,” he said defensively.
“Well then, you don’t know everything, because he doesn’t.”
Rufus leaned back in his chair and squinted. “It got anything to do with Harley Rogers?”
She had learned not to be surprised by her father, but she couldn’t hide it this time. “It does.”
“Thought so. Harley is a fine man, Ro. I’m glad you’re trying to help him out.”
His comment told her he knew the drug manufacturer. “Okay, out with it.”
“What?”
“Tell me how you know Mr. Rogers,” she said firmly.
“Oh that.” He smiled. “I like it when you figure things out for yourself. Damn, I wish your mother hadn’t forbidden me to smoke cigars, I could sorely use one about now.”
She smiled and fixed her eyes on him. “What have you done?”
“After you told me about Michael and an aide going to see Harley, I called him. He might not have known Senator Dalton was my daughter . . . you know, that you had been married to H.T. Dalton. Harley and I haven’t always been on the same page politically, but we respect each other.”
“Please don’t tell me he worked for you too.”
He grinned. “The other way around—I worked for him.”
“When? You’ve never worked outside of this state that I ever heard.”
“Except for WWII.”
“He was a Ranger?”
“He was the boss Ranger. Look, Ro, if you pursue this thing, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t, you’ll need help. Now, what’re your folks gonna accomplish visiting Harley?”
It was her time to grin. “Actually, only Michael works for me.”
He flashed a ‘what-are-you-up-to’ look on his face.
“The second person is a reporter.”
Rufus rocked forward, almost coming of his chair. “A reporter?”
“A Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter superb in investigative work.”
“A reporter, Ro? That’s playing with fire,” Rufus said, shaken.
“Dad, I’ve spent hours with her—”
“Her?”
She interrupted. “There are female reporters.”
“I know that,” he spat. “Who does she work for?”
“The Washington Daily Star.”
“Aw geez, Ro. Are you sure you wanna do that?”
“Look Dad, there’s practically no one in the Senate I feel I can trust. Michael has uncovered what looks like some unethical activity between a few senators with the pharmas and the FDA. That is why I initially opposed the leader’s call for unanimity. You and I are alone in this, and we need an objective investigator.”
“But what if she uses what she finds out and puts it in her paper?”
“She won’t. We went over all this before she signed on to help. Of course, she’ll get a story out of this, but right now, she’s in for the long haul . . .investigating and collecting information.”
“Does Rogers know he’ll be talking to a reporter?”
“She’s going under an alias . . . a research assistant working for me.”
He looked at his daughter “You think all this up?”
“Michael, Laura, and I did.”
“Laura? That her real name?”
Ro nodded.
“You going to tell me her real last name?”
“What are you going to do with it if I do?”
Her father enjoyed this game.
“Look her up, see how good a writer she is.”
“You’re in for a lot of reading. She’s the one who solved the serial killer case in DC last year.”
His face lit up. “Aha! Now I can find her all by myself.”
“Wolfe. Her name is Laura Wolfe.”