AllFreeNovel
Share Us
38
Mia
Alex Harrington Campaign Headquarters
Forty-Ninth at Sixth Avenue
Thursday afternoon
Mia walked through the controlled chaos of Alex Harrington’s campaign headquarters for the second time in three days, but it seemed much longer. So many people’s voices clashing, sending the noise level to record levels. And everyone was moving, carrying pizza boxes, piles of bumper stickers, laptops, posters of Alex Harrington’s face.
She gave little waves to people she’d seen on her first visit, and they smiled, nodded to her. Evidently she belonged or, more likely, everyone had been told she was a reporter and to be nice. She spotted Miles Lombardy in what seemed very serious conversation with Cory Hughes, Harrington’s campaign manager. She wondered briefly if Miles had been part of the ambush last night, if he’d known what would happen when she left the bar. She prayed he’d been Alex’s dupe for the simple reason she liked him. He didn’t come over or acknowledge anything might be wrong.
Mia hurried past them, nodded and smiled to Mrs. Millicent seated at her post, guarding the candidate.
“Hello, Ms. Briscoe. We weren’t expecting to see you today.” Mia saw through the glass-fronted office Alex was on his cell, his back to her. Mia nodded toward him. “I know he’s terribly busy, but I was hoping Alex could give me five minutes?”
“I don’t see why not. He should be off the phone in a minute. Why don’t you go on in.”
As she quietly opened the door, she looked back to see Miles and Cory looking at her. She gave them a wave.
Mia listened for all she was worth, but she could only make out his voice, not his words. Alex ended his call, turned back, and froze. Then he was on his feet, coming around his desk, smiling at her. “Mia! What a nice surprise on an insane Thursday afternoon. It’s good to see you. Wait, what happened to you?”
He was good; the surprise on his face would have convinced the pope. Mia smiled back at him. “Oh, the bruises—they’re not so bad, I’d forgotten about them. I guess I still look pretty scary.”
He took her hand gently in his. “What happened?”
“Probably something that happens all too often, I imagine. I was walking to the subway last night after meeting with Miles for drinks, and out of nowhere some drunk or drugged-up idiot nearly hit me. I’m okay, really, I just look a bit on the edge, but nothing’s broken, only some bruises. Don’t worry, I’m fine.” She waited a beat, added smoothly, “When the police asked me if I had any enemies, someone mad enough to try to run me down, I told them I was a political reporter, and they laughed. But then I told them I couldn’t think of anyone.”
“Did they get the guy?”
“He freaked out at what he’d done and screeched out of there, fast. It’s too bad I couldn’t identify the car or the driver, but the police held out hope they’d spot him on the CCTV cams.”
Alex lightly touched her arms. “We can hope. Thank heaven you’re all right. Can I get you some water? Coffee? Help you off with your coat?”
She smiled. “No, thank you, I’m fine. I think I’d just as soon leave my coat on. I won’t take up much of your time, Mr. Harrington—”
He raised an eyebrow.
She laughed. “All right, Alex.”
“That’s better.” He gently guided her into a seat, walked around his desk, and sat down to face her, his hands clasped in front of him on the desktop. “What can I do for you, Mia?”
“You remember I flew to Boston and Bennington Prep yesterday for interviews. I hoped you’d have a spare five minutes for some follow-up questions.”
“I understand you were very thorough, and I appreciate it. We’ll take all the time you want. What can I clarify for you?”
Mia opened her tablet, called up a page, pretended to read, then looked up, forcing a smile when in truth she wanted to smash her fist into his handsome face. Of course he wanted to know everything she’d done in Boston, what everyone had said to her. She said, “I also spoke to your former fiancée, Juliet Ash Calley. Reading over my notes, I realized I have some questions.”
He cocked his head to one side, clearly puzzled. “Juliet? Whyever did you see her?”
“You said you appreciated my thoroughness. Of course I saw her, she was a big part of your life. She’s a lovely woman, and so very talented.”
Mia saw alarm, fleeting, but she saw it. Then it was gone, and she could have imagined it. Only she hadn’t. He said nothing, merely kept his head cocked, with that faint look of puzzlement.
“She—Juliet—told me a bit about how you met, eventually got engaged, but she didn’t want to talk about why your engagement broke off. Was that her decision, or yours, or was it mutual?”
Alex blinked at her. “What?”
