“Let's go inside,” Alexander said. “The men will clean this up.”
Manuel and the other two gunmen watched them leave and whispered to each other. One of the men bowed his head and crossed himself. Jenny understood. She was la bruja, the witch. And nothing she could do would ever change that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ashleigh beamed as she walked into Brazer's Los Angeles office, her briefcase case in one hand. He stood up, grinning like a fool, and Ashleigh closed the door behind her.
“Esmeralda,” he breathed. She went to him and kissed him for a long minute. When he sat down again, she sat in his lap, one arm around his shoulders, the other toying with his necktie. “I missed you,” Brazer.
“I missed you, too, baby,” Ashleigh said.
“What did you find?”
“It's a goldmine,” Ashleigh said. “There wasn't any stupid chemical leak. It was some kind of powerful disease. Even the CDC doctors couldn't figure out what happened.”
“It's still a little fuzzy to drag out in front of the public. You have to imagine the public as a huge, slobbery animal that only understands soundbites and buzzwords.”
“There are dead bodies,” Ashleigh said. “Hundreds of them. Show that to the media, and ask why the President covered up their deaths. Why Homeland Security gave a blatantly false cause for the event.”
“I don't know...”
Ashleigh kissed him again. “This is serious stuff, Eddie. Launch some hearings in the fall so they're in everybody’s minds for the election. You'll put the President on the defensive, his party will run away from him...”
“And we'll take over the Senate.” Eddie looked at her glazed eyes.
“Exactly.”
Eddie ran his finger across her lower lip, Ashleigh sucked his fingertip.
“Marry me, Esmeralda,” he said.
“You're already married.”
“But she's nothing like you. You're brilliant...” He kissed her. “Beautiful.” He kissed her again. “I can't stand being away from you, even for a night.”
“The wife and three little kids make a good picture,” Ashleigh said. “That's what voters want to see. A divorce could make the election messy.”
He slipped a hand under her starchy black skirt, up along her thigh. “Should we have lunch at the Four Seasons?”
“Of course.”
“I love you, Esmeralda,” he said in a low, tense voice.
“I know you do.”
***
“You're fucking him, aren't you?” Tommy asked. He sat on Esmeralda's bed in his underwear, drinking a pint of cheap whiskey and watching an A-Team rerun on the small TV. His eyes flicked over to Ashleigh as she stripped out of her professional wear.
“Who?” Ashleigh asked.
“Come on. The politician guy. Eddie for Senate.”
“First, I am not doing that.” Ashleigh took off her shoe and pointed her sharp high heel at Tommy. “Second, even if I were, it would be none of your business.”
“But you're my girl.”
“Esmeralda is your girl.” Ashleigh pulled on a linty polyester nightgown, possibly the least sexy thing Esmeralda owned. “I'm my own person.”
“But you're using her body,” Tommy said. “You can't go screwing around with other people. I bet she wouldn't be happy to hear about it.”
“Tommy, just relax. I'm not doing it anyway. I just wanted to point out that I have the right do it if I want.” She laid down on the bed and turned her back to him. “Good night.”
“Good night?” He turned her toward him and kissed her—he tasted like bad liquor, cigarette ashes, and six-day-old morning breath. His hand pawed at her breasts.
“Stop it!” Ashleigh pulled away from him.
“Just let Esmeralda out for a minute.”
“No. I'm tired.”
“Maybe she's not.”
“We need our sleep, Tommy.”
“Damn it. You know, I can't just go out and get laid. Most women don't like the fear. You know why I wear these gloves?” Tommy held up a hand. He wore black leather gloves, with the knuckles and the back of the hand cut out.
“Because you're a gay biker?” Ashleigh asked.
“Because I can't be normal around people if they touch me. They're afraid of me.”
“I thought you liked making people feel fear.”
“It can be useful. But I wish I could turn it off sometimes. Just be normal instead of making everyone feel fear.”
“So sorry for you.” Ashleigh closed her eyes and pulled the comforter over herself. She could feel Tommy's eyes glaring at her, but she stayed still and didn't say a word.
“Fine,” he said at last. He stood up, and she heard rustling as he got dressed. “I'm going down to Jack's Spot.”