Commitments (36 page)

"Sabrina, these are modem times. You can write and be Derek's wife.' 365

`1 know that/ Sabrina countered quietly, ' for now I'm just his wife. Maybe I'm on vacation, too.' ''ve been on vacation for three-plus years/ Maura remarked, then qualified herself when Sabrina stiffened.

"Bad word. I know the agony you went through with Nicky. That was no vacation. How about hiatus - you've been on a three-plus years' hiatus from writing.' ''s okay.' There was a pause, then Maura said, '

why don't you get back to it2 You have the perfect vehicle., $I won't use that particular vehicle. Not yet. I told Derek I wouldn't, and, anyway, he's right. The files are the key.' For a minute Maura looked as though she was ready to argue further about the writing. Then, wearing a resigned expression, she said, ' the files exist. It could be a long shot. I'd think Derek's time would be better spent looking for proof that Greer put him in WV ' fact is/ Sabrina said, ' he may never be able to prove it. His best hope is that if he's able to expose Greer's dealings with Ballantine, someone will come forward after the fact and shed light on what really happened with Joey Padilla and that murder trial. Men like Greer make enemies along the way. They have to. There must be people out there who would be more than happy to pound another i nail in Noel Greer's coffin. First, though, he has to be discredited. Right now he's too powerful., Maura was very quiet for several minutes. She ate a cheese cube, then acracker, then another cheese cube. She finished off her wine, then cocked her head to the side. ''s power is not to be underestimated.' ' know that.' 366

@_, 11 Derek worried that hell be tailed when he goes those files?' She Page 132

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paused, then stuck on a quick, knows about the files. You said Derek told Sabrina shifted her gaze to the panels of glass that ! out on the woods surrounding the farmhouse. k Mfe here was so peaceful. Mention of Noel Greer, of B lantine, of the files and revenge stirred a al

"':kkervous, crinkle in her stomach that was very much at ' with that peace. Unfortunately, the nervous crinkle wasn't about to ! go away by itself. Again, Sabrina opted to share her 1w with Maura, this time in the hope that she could tase it. ' think Derek's hoping that Greer will be too involved with his Senate campaign to bother.' Isn't that a simplistic approach? If Greer doesn't '-bother, and if Derek comes up with those files, and if they're as condemning as Derek hopes they'll be, Greer's Senate campaign would he shot to hell. Sabrina grimaced.

"You're not supposed to say that. You're supposed to say Derek-is probably right. You're supposed to say that Greer has too much on his mind to worry about Derek, even that Greer is arrogant enough to think that Derek wouldn't dare cross him again. The thought of someone monitoring Derek's activities doesn't thrill me.' Tipping her wineglass to her lips, Maura drained it. lut I suppose you're right/ Sabrina said, feeling discouraged. ' is a powerful min. He's the puppeteer pulling the strings. To accomplish what he has already, he's probably utilized a whole cadre of men. One of them could easily be spared to keep tabs on Derek., Maura gave a sudden frown and seemed momentarily distracted. Then, as quickly as it had come, the 367 frown vanished.

"Christ, we're getting morose/ she said with a return of her usual ebullience. ''s no need to think about this now, is there? This is supposed to be a festive season. It was. J.B. and Maura tolerated each other enough to minimize the verbal sparring, and what there was of it was, in its way, entertaining. But that was just the start of their entertainment. As a foursome, Derek, Sabrina, J.B. and Maura spent a day bucking the Christmas-week crowds on the ski slopes, a night gorging on roast duckling at a quaint little inn, another day on snowmobiles, another night at the movies. Sabrina took Maura browsing through the shops she most admired of those she'd discovered since she'd come north. And she cooked. To lavish praise and many a raised glass, she prepared goodies ranging from apple pancakes to veal scallopini to buttemut-squash soup to English trifle. She was pleased with her life. Derek was never far from her side, and she had Maura, her good friend, and J. B., who, with a stretch of the imagination, was beginning to resemble a friend. While she'd been expecting to feel down over the holidays - the first without Nicky - that depression never materialized. And her need for professional accomplishment temporarily took a backseat to her responsibilities as a wife and homemaker. Two days before New Year's, Maura left to return to New York and to Richard - which was the name she'd finally given for the man she was seeing. Under J. B.'s tauntin& she also admitted that he was a businessman; but no amount, of tauntin& coaxing or pleading - from any of them - had produced another word. New Year's Eve was an experience. Sabrina and Derek had been invited to a party thrown by a pair of @ 368 she'd met when she first moved to Vermont, they wouldn't hear of leaving 1. B. -behind. In his way, he'd truly become part of the family. Beyond Sabrina suspected that Derek wanted him along `*.moral support. This was to be the first time that had ' public' since his arrest. It was the first that he would be standing around making social ersation with people who knew exactly who he and where he'd been. ' don't have to go/ Sabrina assured him more ... M once. But Derek only shook his head. ''s time.' When he said things like that, Sabrina felt a tiny ,.Psson of tension, because if it was time for Derek to ', It would soon be time for more. But she was ill ,@;4etermined not to let that particular thought ruin her .'-New Page 133

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Year's Eve, and it didn't. Standing back, watching ..-Derek and J. B., she was amused. It was like the blind k ' the blind. J.B. was as nervous about the party AS Derek. Each became the other's personal crusade..Y, By the time they returned home in the wee hours, Sabrina was doing the driving. Derek and J.B. weren't drunk just pleasantly tipsy. It even occurred to her ' their lightheadedness wasift't caused by alcohol at all, but by the fact that they'd been received well - either that, or relief that the ordeal was over. In any case, she wasn't taking any chances. As it happened, Derek had sobered sufficiently by the time they reached the farmhouse to lead Sabrina to their bedroom, take her in his arms and show her Al @liow very deep his love was. She half suspected that his New Year's resolution had something to do with that, for he was more hungry than ever for her in the days to come. Her own resolution was more a wish - 369 that this honeymoon at home could go on and on and on., On the twentieth of January, it ended. That was the day when Noel Greer shocked no one by formally announcing his candidacy for a seat in the United States Senate,

Chapter 15.

spent the

twenty-first of January doing some thinking. He had long since mapped out his plan knew just where to begin his work, but his r, 7@ thoughts ranged ahead, hovering about the various I:,!,.*mible weaknesses that had made Lloyd Ballantine IIA, vorruptible. One of those possibilities would deter-Inime the ultimate direction of his search. That direcaion would be where the danger lay. Derek didn't want Sabrina subject to danger. She had n by his side when David had called on the phone .-to alert him to Greer's announcement; she had been "by his side when the evening news had replayed the ent :,speech. She had made a quiet statem of her intent 6at if she couldn't fight him, she'd join him. That scared him a little. He wanted her help. She was a first-class researcher organized, thorough and concise in her notes. He'd Ieen through them several times and knew most everything there was to he publicly known about Lloyd Ballantine from his birth to the time he'd joined the Supreme Court. After that, the picture faded. To bring it back into focus, and to learn about those small, personal, non-public items in his biography - that second life, if it existed - would require interviews the late justice's family, friends and colleagues. If V. Sabrina conducted such interviews it would openly iden her with Derek's cause. He wasn't ready for tify that yet. -Nor was he ready for what happened in the early 371 afternoon of the twenty-second of January. Amid dual clouds of misting breath, Ann Fitzgerald and Justin Shagrew appeared on his doorstep like lost puppies from his past. They were swathed in parkas, hats, scarves and gloves, and the little skin that had been left exposed to the sub-freezing temperature was ruddy. Surprised and pleased, if a little puzzled, Derek hauled them inside and introduced them to Sabrina. '-Fitz and Justin worked with me on many a story/ he explained, then gave a skewed grin. ' always were great for showing up just when the pizza did.' Justine held up a hand and vowed in a voice that was slightly slurred by a numb mouth and jaw,

"Pure coincidence - and we wouldn't have popped in at lunchtime now if it hadn't been so cold. The cycle doesn't offer much protection. We couldn't bear the thought of sitting on the steps for long, when there were such wonderful smells coming from insi&I Derek shot a glance out the window toward the drive. ' can't believe you came on the Harley."

"I figured/ Justin said, ' if the Harley could make it, we could. The windchill factor was something else, though.' He looked at his fingers, which were still curled from the handlebars. ' may never be Page 134

Barbara Delinsky - Commitments

the same.' Sabrina estimated both he and his companion to be in the vicinity of twenty-six or twenty-seven, which meant that they'd started work with Derek fresh from college. They looked clean, and were dressed well, if casually. Ann was petite and seemed shy; Sabrina had the impression she was hiding beneath both the multiple layers of her clothing and the thick mane of sandy hair that, freed now from the heavy wool cap she'd 372 for the trip, fell in tight curls to her shoulders. dark-haired Justin stood taller, wore his layered rs loose, his jeans tight, hoots to his knees and .00y gold stud halfway up the curve of his ear. He a sure smile and made eye contact readily. He r Derek Mcgill, at first glance ck her as a younge . leader of the pair. ! raig gave you the address?'Derek asked. His initial rise gone, he was puzzled and slightly wary. 6@,-`Reluctantly, and only after we agreed to devote Ives to getting you back to New York.' If that's why you're here, Derek said in a light tone t serious business, ''re, wasting your Aat mean This time, Justin's smile was surprisingly mature, nsingly understanding.

"It's not why we're here.' Derek sought Sabrina's gaze in an instant's silent Ommunication before saying, ' that case, it's lentil soup with franks that you smell, and there's plenty, if you'd like to join us. We were just about to eat.' Neither Justin nor Ann was about to refuse. Settling "gratefully into mate's chairs around the captain's table @@-gn the kitchen, they told of their adventures on the ",Ibad. At Derek's questioning, they also related what V .@'!the.,'d been up to in New York, which, inevitably, brought them to the reason they'd come. Ve need direction/ Ann said in a soft, tentative voice. Up to that point, she'd been content to let Justin do most of the talking, which he, in turn, had been more than content to do. But Sabrina had the sudden unpression

- from what source, she didn't know - that nee past her shyness, Annie-Fitz, as Derek fondly '.1, ed her, was a very bright woman. Ann went on. ' you us to do at the network ed was exciting. There's been no one else in the field who 373 can do it quite the same. You had the guts to stand up to Greer, so your stories were a cut above the rest." She darted a timid glance at Sabrina, looked down at the tabletop, then back at Derek and spoke quickly. ' it hadn't been Greer, it would havebeen someone else. Every network has its self-appointed censor. Unfortunately, that means that some stories are never approached because they are considered too touchy from the start., She paused to take in a quivery breath. Ve're thinking of free-lancing, but we're not sure where to begin. We have story ideas - all those stories that are waiting to be told but have no spokesman without you. We even have contacts. We're good at finding facts when someone tells us where to go, but we have no idea how to pull the whole thing together. We need a mentor.' Her eyes flickered, as thought she wanted to blink or look away but wouldn't allow herself to do either. We've chosen you.' Derek studied her long after 6he'd stopped speaking. Then he said, ''re serious.' '., His expression, which had grown more sober as Ann talked, was close to grim. ' you mean mentor, as in using me for an entr6e, you're in trouble. My name isn't worth much at this point. I qt is now that Greer's out of the picture.' '?' Sabrina asked. ''t it the reversev Justin was the one who answered. ' in our field. As a candidate for the Senate, Greer will have to separate himself from the network. Otherwise, he'll have a conflict of interest., For some reason, Sabrina hadn't considered that, but in doing so, she realized what a risk Greer was taking. If he resigned his position atthe network and then lost 374 he'd find himself out in left field. Based Derek had told her, she doubted Greer was a who'd care for that. Which meant that Noel Greer A---pretty sure about winning the election before declared his candidacy. Which meant that if , screwed things up, he could well be out for Derek was at least in part responsible for that lost she could Page 135

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begin to understand the satisfacat stake for him ... and the risk. that in mind, she looked at him. He met her for a dark and knowing moment before turning to hear what Justin was saying. th Greer once removed from the network, his _Vi r is suddenly diffused. Sure, his people are still and one or another of them may prove to be but nowhere as strong as he was. There are an lot of people who were freed by Greer's announcr for office.' Biscing his mug between his hands, Derek adjusted ..".'Nis spine to the curved back of his chair. What Justin Ann were saying made sense, but more than that, were two of those who had remained loyal to Both had written him when he was in prison. had talked with him that day in the studio in York. He respected and trusted them. And he saw ment in their personal plans. ' free-lancing yours ' ventured. ' you talking television?' Ann said in a quiet tone. ' we thought -would be easier, from a purely technical point of *iew to start with newspapers and magazines and build from there.' She sent him an apologetic look.