Tracie Peterson Page 17

  “And you’ll have to leave a slipper on the steps so Prince Charming can find you again,” her father chimed in.

  Harry turned and looked at her with such intensity that Cara almost forgot where they were going. “I’d always be able to find you. With or without the slipper.”

  ****

  From the opening grand march to the final dance, Cara found herself mesmerized by Harry Oberlin. He was witty and entertaining and could maintain an intelligent conversation with any of the political elite. Cara knew she was treading on dangerous ground when she moved closer to him and allowed herself to dance cheek to cheek. This is a magical moment, she thought. A moment that she never wanted to forget, because even if nothing ever came of it, for the time being it was perfect.

  “Are you tired?” Harry whispered against her ear.

  “I should be,” Cara replied, “but I’m not. I’m enjoying myself too much.”

  “Me too. How about we sneak out of here?”

  Cara lifted her face to meet Harry’s mischievous expression. “Why, Lieutenant Oberlin, whatever do you have planned?”

  “Just a little peace and quiet. Maybe a long serious talk.”

  “Long and serious, eh?” Cara’s grin matched his.

  Harry led her from the dance floor and maneuvered her through the crowds. Before she knew it, Cara was waiting for Harry to open the car door. A light snow was falling, but there was no wind and the brisk air was refreshing. Cara thought a long walk would have been enjoyable, and had she been more appropriately dressed, she might have suggested it.

  “What’s on your mind, Mrs. Kessler?” asked Harry as he waited for her to get into the car.

  “I like the way the snow is coming down,” she answered softly. “I enjoyed myself this evening, despite the circumstances.”

  “Me too.”

  Cara smiled and took her place in the car. Gracefully, she arranged the gown so that Harry could close the door. With alarming revelation, she realized that with very little difficulty, she could fall in love with Harry Oberlin.

  They drove in silence for several minutes before Harry spoke. “This may sound strange, but I was wondering if you would tell me about your husband.”

  “Jack?” Cara said in a startled voice. “You want to talk about Jack?”

  Harry nodded. “I think it’s important that I know all about you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  He didn’t elaborate, and Cara felt her heart racing in reaction to words that went unspoken. “Well, Jack was a good man. We were longtime high school sweethearts and we both went to the same church.” She thought the words sounded awkward. Not so long ago she could have talked about Jack for hours to anyone who would have taken time to listen.

  “I know about that stuff,” Harry replied, surprising her. He pulled the car into the lot of an all-night store and parked. “Melissa told me. I’ve read about your career with HEARTBEAT, and I even read about the accident. I want to know why Cara Brown married Jack Kessler.”

  Cara smiled, staring up at the streetlights overhead. How could she explain? When was the first moment she knew she loved Jack? Truth be told, she couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been a part of her world.

  “I fell in love with his spirit,” she finally said. “He was kind, generous, and very patient. While other guys were into sports or just goofing off, Jack was consumed with righting the wrongs of the world. He loved God more than anyone or anything else.” She paused. “When you’re seventeen and the guys your own age act thirteen, someone like Jack seems almost superhuman. It was hard not to love him, and most everyone did.”

  “Sounds like a tough act to follow.”

  Warning bells went off in Cara’s head. She liked Harry, but the harsh sneering face of Robert Kerns wouldn’t allow her any peace. Unable to think of anything else to say, Cara blurted out the one thing that had obsessed her mind before the dance. “Bob is sending me to Wichita.”

  “Just like that?” Harry seemed to take the news matter-of-factly.

  “If I’m to appear cooperative, I guess I have to go. I’m terrified of where this is all going to lead, and I’m taking my parents up on the suggestion that I send Brianna home with them to finish out the school year.”

  “Why are you telling me all of this now?”

  Cara drew a deep breath. There was no other way to deal with this issue but straightforward. “Because I care about you.”

  “I had planned to express similar feelings about you.”

  “I kind of had that figured,” she whispered.

  “You make it sound like something bad. What’s the problem?”

  Cara shook her head. “Don’t ask me to detail this for you. I don’t have the ability at this point.” She drew a deep breath and twisted her hands together. “I’m worried about what Kerns will do if he feels threatened by our relationship.”

  Harry reached out to still her hands. “Kerns can’t interfere here unless you let him. I can handle myself—and Kerns—if necessary.”

  She shook her head and was embarrassed to find tears on her cheeks. “I keep thinking about Teri Davis and her baby. I’m afraid for Brianna and my parents. I’m afraid for Melissa and Peter. I’m even afraid for you. I’ve selfishly put you in the middle of this melodrama, and I don’t know what to do.” She paused a moment and tried to steady her voice. “But I know this much. I don’t have the strength to go through losing someone else. I hardly knew Teri, but her death has shaken me in such a way that I still have nightmares about it. Kerns is heartless and vicious, and he won’t allow his agenda to be interrupted just because two people happen to lo—” She stopped abruptly. Looking up guiltily, she knew that Harry understood exactly what she’d left unspoken.

  He touched her cheek and brushed away the tears. “Don’t cry. We’ll make this work.”

  “No,” she said firmly. “I won’t risk it. I can’t. I lost Jack, and now Brianna is leaving to live with my parents. I can’t lose anyone else!”

  Harry stared at her for a moment before starting the car. “Then I guess there’s nothing else to be said.” He turned the car for home and drove there in silence.

  Cara kept expecting him to say something more, but he didn’t. Perhaps he knew talking would only complicate the issue. This wasn’t really about them. It was about the evil regime that surrounded them. Maybe Harry realized this, and because of it he knew that to react any other way would only damage their tenuous relationship.

  At her apartment, Cara didn’t even wait for Harry to open the door. She hurried from the car and into the apartment. Knowing that Harry hadn’t even made the effort to stop her somehow made the matter worse. Closing the door behind her, Cara leaned against it and allowed the tears to fall in earnest. This was all Kerns’ fault! Robert Kerns had ruined her life, and in that moment she fully understood why Teri Davis had wanted revenge.

  Thirty

  The move to Wichita was a lonely one for Cara. Brianna had accompanied her grandparents back to Hays only days before her eleventh birthday, and Cara had never known such an emptiness. Harry hadn’t bothered to call since their fiasco the night of the ball, and even Melissa had to renege on coming on as her assistant. There was no way she could relocate to Wichita, but Melissa promised Cara she’d continue to dig into the Teri Davis story.

  “Dear God,” Cara whispered, looking out from her new office window, “there’s no one here who knows me, and no one I can trust. I don’t like the place I’ve been put into, and I cannot abide the lies and deceit of Robert Kerns. Please show me what I’m supposed to do. I feel so lost, so alone.”

  Around her were boxes of computer equipment and office supplies. Unpacking seemed an overwhelming task, and it was only made worse by the knowledge that Russell Owens was on his way to help her get started. She couldn’t tolerate Owens any better than she could Kerns. In fact, there was a side of Owens she couldn’t stomach at all. Owens was still not shy about his intention to date Cara. H
e promised her everything from a good time to an evening that would be long remembered. Cara in turn made it clear that she had no interest in advancing a relationship with him. But the suggestive remarks didn’t stop. And now he was coming to Wichita to spend a week working closely with her. The entire matter made Cara shudder.

  Spreading the panels of the venetian blinds, Cara choked and sputtered at the dust they raised. It appeared the office had been neglected and long deserted. No doubt Kerns planned the same fate for her. Outside, the Wichita workday went on in the streets below, but it seemed unimportant and meaningless to Cara. She had a staff to hire and an agenda to maintain, but it was all so senseless. Without Brianna, her life seemed to contain an unfillable void, and without Harry, her heart seemed hopelessly empty.

  ****

  In Topeka, Robert Kerns was enjoying his ride at the helm. People were quickly learning not to cross him and that his word was the final authority on all matters. He liked having the goods on people, and he loved knowing where the bodies were buried. Whenever someone would dare to step out of line, Kerns had little difficulty in pulling one skeleton after another out of the proverbial closet. It generally took little more than this to put people back in their places.

  Taking the podium for his first major press conference since the election, Kerns felt much like a king surveying his subjects.

  “I am putting forth a plan today,” he began, “that will change the structure of how we do business in Kansas. There is a great deal of waste in state government, and one of my campaign promises was to eliminate that waste. I propose to streamline our government and to promote efficiency in the running and management of day-to-day operations.”

  He held everyone’s attention, and not so much as a cough was offered up in interference with his speech. “I am, therefore, proposing to begin my plan where it will be most effective—tax relief. I pledged to cut the state work force by at least ten thousand workers before the end of my term. This will in turn benefit the state in many ways. Offices will be leaner and more productive. The chances of idle workers or jobs being duplicated will be eliminated. Tax monies that now go to fund these workers and their benefits will be freed up to more vital areas such as helping to promote private industry, farming and ranching, and the individual Kansan. And, ultimately, taxes will come down for the average Kansan as privitization of government work becomes reality.

  “Privitization will also allow local industries around the state to do jobs currently being done by state workers. These jobs are paid for by state taxes and are a continuous drain on the budget. If these same jobs are performed by the private sector, we benefit not only the taxpayer, but also local people who are currently jobless.

  “I am also going to seek additional changes in the way purchasing is performed here in the state. I intend to see that favored status is given to in-state businesses in order to keep Kansas dollars in Kansas.” He paused for effect and leaned toward the audience. “I am dedicated to seeing this state become even greater, and I believe if we work on this together, we can get the job done.”

  His conclusion opened the floor for questions, and Melissa Jordon managed to be the first one to speak. “How do you propose cutting ten thousand workers to be a benefit to the state? As unemployed workers, they will naturally seek compensation that will be a drain on unemployment funds.”

  “For the most part, we will rely on attrition for the cuts in personnel. At our last estimation, there were over three thousand people who could qualify for retirement at the present. There is also another five thousand who could qualify for early retirement if a strong incentive could be offered. As you know, we use a points system for retirement. Age plus years of service have to equal a certain number. I am proposing that number be drastically reduced in order to allow a greater number of people the opportunity to take advantage of this.”

  “But what happens if you can’t entice people to retire?” another reporter questioned.

  “If the package is good enough, they’ll want to take advantage of it.”

  “What kind of package will you support?” the same reporter asked. “Buy-outs? Health insurance coverage? And if so, wouldn’t these things defeat the purpose of trimming the budget?”

  Kerns was not happy with the way the press conference was going. He’d hoped the reporters would hear tax cuts and run with the ball. He’d figured on at least partial support toward promoting privitization.

  “There are currently several studies being done to calculate what would be the most beneficial to both the employees of this state and the taxpayer.”

  “But a state filled with unemployed people is a state in trouble. Taxpayers are working people,” Melissa said boldly. “You can’t pay income taxes unless you have an income.”

  Kerns narrowed his eyes. “That’s where private industry comes in, Mrs. Jordon.” He saw her as a definite adversary. He’d hoped to be rid of her by moving Cara to Wichita—after all, Cara had told him that Melissa was to be her assistant. “Private industry,” he offered, “will snap up those unemployed workers as they assume the jobs once performed by the state.”

  “What type of jobs might this include?” a Wichita reporter asked.

  “There’s really no limit to the possibilities,” Kerns replied. “Highway construction can be privitized, hospital and mental health workers, even clerical staff can be hired through private agencies. In some cases, this has already been tried and found to work quite well. The employee can remain the responsibility of the private company, while working for the state. This way the private sector is paying for benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and so forth.”

  “And you are confident that layoffs aren’t in the picture?” Melissa dared again.

  Kerns drew a deep breath and leaned both hands on the podium. “No, Mrs. Jordon, I’m not. As governor of this fair state, I will have to be strong enough to make some unpopular choices. Choices that may seem detrimental to the individual, while benefiting the greater masses. We have to look at the big picture here. Layoffs are a possibility. So too is the dissolving of obsolete agencies. Over all, it is my intention that the elimination of state employee positions be a voluntary thing. However, I have broad enough shoulders to square the load if that’s not the case. I was elected governor because I promised to eliminate waste, and that is exactly what I intend to do.”

  Kerns answered only two additional questions before bringing the conference to a halt. “I will keep you informed as we have new developments. This will be a program that requires cooperation from all sides. The better we work together on it, the better for Kansas.”

  Thirty-One

  Russell Owens listened with marginal interest as the Association wrapped up their weekly meeting. He was anxious for the various matters to be resolved so that he could get on a plane and fly down to Wichita. Cara Kessler was awaiting his arrival, probably not with the same kind of enthusiasm he had for the job at hand, but nevertheless, she was waiting.

  “We took possession of an entire bag of shredded documents,” Patrick Conrad was saying. “I believe it will be possible to reassemble some of these. After all, no one thought to really stir up the bag, and the shredder appears to have rather dull blades. Some of the pages are still partially intact at the bottom.”

  “Good. If it was worth shredding, it’s worth our knowing more about it,” Kerns announced. Russell watched as he picked up a neat stack of photocopied information. “This is all very helpful, Pat.” For once Pat Conrad didn’t seem to need a cigarette to steady his nerves.

  Russell noted that George Sheldon wasn’t faring as well. The EPA was formally charging him with various forms of environmental negligence, and Kerns was cutting him loose from the Association. Sheldon hadn’t taken the news well. In fact, Russell had seen the man actually press a hand to his chest and grimace. Perhaps he’d have a heart attack and rid them all of the liability he was bound to become.

  When Serena Perez appeared at the door, Russell was
surprised to find her motioning him outside. Usually her messages were for Kerns, but this time it was evident that Owens was the object of her interest. With reluctance, Owens took up his suit jacket and followed her outside.

  “What is it?” he asked, shrugging into the coat.

  “You’d better get out to Clarion Estates. Debra’s ranting and raving and making quite a scene. Security just called and suggested someone come talk to her. She says she’s going to leave Bob because of his infidelity.”

  “I’m on my way,” Russell said, realizing how desperate the situation could become if any of the press caught wind of this. “When the meeting breaks up, let Bob know where I’ve gone.”

  ****

  When Russell pulled into the cul-de-sac off of Clarion Drive, he was again struck by the grandeur of the palatial three-story estate. Brass lighting fixtures capped the tops of two massive brick entry posts, while black wrought iron encircled the grounds like a line of shadowy sentries. Driving through the open gates, Russell tried to imagine what it would be like to call such a place home.

  Owens could understand the desire to use this as the governor’s mansion instead of the ancient Cedar Crest. This impressive creation bespoke of the money and power that Kerns held. It also said loud and clear that Kerns would not conform to tradition merely for tradition’s sake.

  Because it was almost February, the landscaping was rather impoverished beside the $850,000 home. Stark bare ground had been covered with sod, but the lifelessness was evident, as was the case with a variety of newly planted trees. Behind the house a stand of forest seemed to help break the barren look, but even these were devoid of leaves and life. It made the house take on a haunted appearance.

  Parking the car, Owens hurried up the brick walkway and rang the doorbell. When security opened the massive oak door, Russell was immediately assaulted by Debra’s tirades.

  “If that’s my husband, tell him he can just turn around and go back to the arms of his press secretary!”