Coming to Rosemont (16 page)

Chapter 24

Alex and Marc left the house early
the next morning. Susan slept in, and Maggie tackled the backlog of work that
had piled up over the past week. By the time Susan strolled downstairs at
eleven thirty, Maggie had responded to all of her emails and was ready for a
break. They set out for lunch and ended up at The Mill. Maggie wanted to check
out the spa and schedule their treatments.

The restaurant was decked out in its Easter
finery, with large urns of irises by the entry and bowls of daffodils, tulips,
and hyacinths on every table. The effect was charming and cheerful, despite the
drab day outside. They were both considering the same two menu choices and
elected to split the Strawberry Fields salad and the garden omelet. Susan said,
again, how much fun the weekend had been and how nice she thought Maggie’s new
friends were. They spent the meal recapping, sharing observations that the
other might have missed, and retelling stories. When Maggie finally settled the
check and they wandered over to the spa, it was almost two thirty.

The newly renovated spa was tranquil and lovely.
The placard by the door boasted a meditation room with ten thousand stars on
the ceiling. They offered an extensive choice of facials and wraps. The
well-groomed young woman at the reception desk eagerly beckoned them inside.

“Hello, ladies. Are you staying with us?”

“No,” Maggie said. “I live in Westbury. I bought a
spa package at a silent auction on Saturday.”

“Oh, at the carnival at that mansion in town? Wasn’t
that so much fun? My husband and I took our four-year-old and had a blast. He
loved the egg hunt. I hope they do it again next year. I heard that it was all
the idea of that new lady. Wasn’t that nice of her? And I read in the paper
yesterday that they collected over ten thousand dollars for the pension fund.”

“That nice lady at the mansion is my mom,” Susan
said, pointing to Maggie before Maggie could stop her.

“No kidding,” the receptionist said, regarding
Maggie with a mixture of curiosity and respect. “That was so super-nice of
you.” She turned to her computer screen and asked them if they would like to
book services. “We’re almost full this week. We’ve had a lot of out-of-towners
here for Easter. But after that we’re wide open.”

“Oh,” Maggie sighed. “Susan returns to California
this weekend. We were hoping to get in this week.”

“I’ll tell you what, I’m going to get you in.
Would tomorrow work? Say nine thirty?”

“That would be terrific,” Maggie said. “Are you
sure you can do this?”

“We take care of our own around here,” the young
woman replied. “Like you saw at the carnival.”

***

The next morning found Maggie and
Susan being massaged, herbal-linen-wrapped, and pampered by the knowledgeable
staff at the spa. By early afternoon, they were ensconced in fluffy robes and
stretched out in the meditation room, Maggie leafing through the March issue of
Town and Country
and Susan contemplating the ceiling of ten thousand
colored lights behind a screen that made them look like twinkling stars. Susan
turned her head toward her mother.

“I don’t even miss him. Rob. I can’t believe it.
I’ve barely thought about him while I’ve been here. I was just lying here,
thinking about him and trying to feel sad, and I honestly don’t. He was such a
pain in the ass for so long, and I didn’t see it.”

“Sometimes you need a change of scene to get a new
perspective.”

“I know. I’m so glad I came here. I think I was
clinging to him because the whole process of finding someone is exhausting.
Going online, having friends fix me up,” Susan groaned. “I’m not looking
forward to all of that again.”

“I know. Starting over can be daunting,” Maggie
replied.

“Oh God, Mom. I’m sorry. What a tactless thing for
me to say to you,” Susan replied quickly, turning on her side to face her mother.

“It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m happy in this new life
I’ve chosen. And I remember that you had a lot of fun when you were online. It
was always kind of exciting to see who was new out there. We spent hours
analyzing people. Remember?”

“Well, that’s true,” Susan admitted. “I just want
to find my someone. I want to get married and have a family.”

“You will. You’ll find each other and all the
waiting will be worthwhile.”

Susan sighed as Maggie rubbed her back.

***

Across town, in the grand jury room
at the courthouse, indictments were handed down charging Mayor Wheeler with
fraud, embezzlement, and related malfeasance. Although evidence was presented
against two other councilmembers, the grand jury failed to return indictments
against them. Westbury’s finest pulled up at Town Hall, and led a vociferously
protesting Mayor Wheeler off in handcuffs.

***

By the time Susan and Maggie got
dressed and checked their phones, Maggie was shocked to see that she had thirty
missed calls and fourteen messages, all from members of the committee. She
punched in Tonya’s number before she listened to her messages.

Tonya picked up on the first ring.
“Maggie—I’ve been trying to reach you. Have you heard? Wheeler has been
indicted and arrested. Hauled out of here in handcuffs about thirty minutes
ago. All hell is breaking loose. Are you near a TV?” she asked.

“No. Susan and I have been at the spa at The Mill
all day. We just left and turned on our phones. I had a bunch of missed calls
and messages. I returned yours right away. I was hoping to hear this.”

“If you’re still there, get to the bar and check
the TV. I don’t think he knew this was coming. Wheeler was belligerent. I was
in my office when the cops showed up. News that they were here spread through
the building like wildfire. I was in the hall outside his office about thirty
seconds after they arrived. He was arguing with them. I actually wondered if he
was going to resist arrest. If he hadn’t been so angry, I bet they wouldn’t
have put him in cuffs.”

“What a scene it must have been. We’re walking
over to the bar now. Where any of the other councilmembers there?”

“Just Russell Isaac. He was quiet and had that
deer-in-the-headlights look. Maybe relieved that he wasn’t arrested, too. He
may be involved. I don’t know what to think about him.”

“No Frank Haynes?”

“No. He’s rarely here unless we’ve got a meeting
scheduled. I know you’re mad that he took credit for the carnival, but he
is
a politician. Comes naturally to most of them, I think. I don’t know how
I feel about him. All of his kindness to animals makes everyone think he’s a
nice guy. But I’ve always found him a bit odd and hard to relate to. He’s not
well liked by the staff at Town Hall, I can tell you. I’m assuming that they
didn’t have enough on any of the others to arrest them. We’ll see what develops
now that they’ve got Wheeler. Maybe he’ll talk to cut a plea deal. Stay tuned.”

“What’s next? Who’s in charge down there?”

“Not too sure. I’ve been trying to find out. I
called Alex, but he’s in court this afternoon. Our town uses an outside law
firm as its attorney. I know the firm has been called. I suspect we’ll have an
emergency council meeting tonight. This is all happening pretty fast.
Listen—I have to go. Keep your phone on you, okay?” Tonya hung up.

***

Susan drove as Maggie concentrated
on listening to messages and returning calls. They flipped the TV on as soon as
they walked through the door, but there was no additional coverage after the arrest
and a short news conference where Chief Thomas made a statement announcing the
charges. He did not take any questions. For the time being, there was nothing
more they could do or find out.

Susan started dinner, and Maggie returned to her
office to half-heartedly check her email. After dinner, they spent a restless
evening trying to find something interesting on TV. They were watching
back-to-back episodes of people buying the contents of abandoned storage
lockers and making a mint off of the treasures they uncovered when Marc and
Alex came home.

“Can we switch back to network?” Marc asked.
“They’re about to break in with a statement from Town Hall.”

Maggie hurriedly grabbed the remote and tuned in
as Chief Thomas and the remaining council filed in behind a microphone. Tonya
was on the far left of the screen and didn’t look too happy. Frank Haynes was
at the other end. He looked like the cat that ate the canary. A man in a
well-cut suit whom she didn’t recognize stepped up to speak.

“Good evening. I’m Bill Stetson, with the firm of
Stetson & Graham. Our firm represents the Town of Westbury. As you know,
Mayor Wheeler was arrested this afternoon after the grand jury indicted him on
charges that were detailed earlier by Chief Thomas. I’m here to address the
effect of this arrest on town government. Pursuant to the town code, the mayor
retains his seat but is placed on paid administrative leave pending conviction
or acquittal. Mayor Wheeler may not participate in any way in town government.
In the interim, the remaining council is empowered to make all decisions and is
tasked with selecting one of their members to serve as acting mayor. The
council voted this evening and elected Councilman Russell Isaac to serve in
this capacity.”

Marc exclaimed, “That little twit? But at least he
must be honest. Surely they know he’s not tied up with any of this.”

“Not necessarily.” Alex replied. “The grand jury
may have considered evidence against him. Just didn’t have enough to indict
him. Isaac is the most senior person remaining on the council, so he’s the
logical choice,” Alex said.

The attorney continued, “At this point, I’d like
to invite acting Mayor Isaac to say a few words.” An uneasy-looking Isaac
stepped up to the microphone. He unfolded a crumpled sheet of lined paper and
composed his face into what he must have felt was a humble, thoughtful
expression. He glanced at the paper and began in a shaky voice, “Fellow
citizens of Westbury, this is a dark day indeed.” He turned to acknowledge the
other councilmembers lined up behind him with a nod of his head and continued.
“We will devote ourselves to resolving the crisis facing our town. We ask for
your patience, and your prayers, in the days and weeks ahead. Rest assured,
we’ll work together to represent the people of Westbury to the best of our ability.”
Isaac smiled weakly at the press as he edged back to allow Chief Thomas to take
his place.

“Mayor Wheeler is represented by counsel and has
posted bail. He will be released shortly. This is an ongoing criminal
investigation, and I can’t discuss anything further.”

Attorney Stetson announced that this concluded the
news conference and they wouldn’t take any questions. The council and the chief
filed out of the room, with Russell Isaac nodding and waving tentatively to the
cameras as he left.

“Now what?” Marc asked.

“If Wheeler is convicted, or steps down, they’ll
have to hold a special election,” Alex replied.

“If they’re smart,” Susan interjected “and if they
think it’s likely that he’ll be convicted, or that too much dirty laundry will
get aired during the trial, he’ll resign now. Holding the special election sooner
rather than later will be to their advantage. Gives the opposition less time to
organize a campaign—and less opportunity for damaging information to
surface. The longer they delay, the better it is for the other side.”

“Exactly,” Alex said. “I talked to Tonya about
whether she wants to run. She won’t risk losing the one truly independent voice
we have on the council right now. So she’s going to stay put.”

“Makes sense,” Maggie said. “What about you? Will
you run?”

“Yes. If I can collect enough signatures to get on
the ballot, that is. Marc and I discussed this. The timing is lousy. Our house
won’t be ready for months, but at least my practice is back to normal. We’re
moving back into our old location next week.”

“This is a critical time for the town,” Marc said.
“We need Alex’s vision. I can take care of the house. That’s small stuff,
comparatively.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Maggie said. “And I’ll
work on your campaign, if you’d like. I’ve been part of local races before. We
can get you on the ballot—I’m sure of it. Why don’t we start working on
your campaign slogan and platform so we’re ready to go if Wheeler resigns?”

“I was hoping you’d offer,” Alex replied. “I’ll be
a long shot. We’ll have to work night and day to pull this off,” he warned.

“Sounds like my kind of deal. Count me in,” Maggie
assured him. With a call to action at hand, they all headed off to bed.

Chapter 25

Maggie was busily working at her
computer the next morning when Susan appeared, fully tricked out in workout
clothes.
Oh no,
Maggie thought.

“Mom, go get dressed. I went online and found a
gym near here. It’s off the town square. When the weather is nice, you can
walk. They have a class in an hour that I think we should try. It’s three days
a week, and it’ll be perfect for you. So let’s check it out.”

Maggie groaned and was beginning to object when
Susan cut her off. “Nope, don’t even start with me. This is for your own good
and you know it. Come on. Chop-chop.”

Three hours later, an invigorated Maggie and a
vindicated Susan were walking back home. “You were right. That class was just
what I needed. I’m so out of shape. I’ll be sore and cursing you tomorrow. But
it felt good.”

“You’ll keep at it?” Susan asked. “I want you to
stay healthy and well for a long time.”

“No worries,” Maggie assured her. “I’ll keep at
it. And I’m not that old, you know.”

As they turned the corner and came out onto the
square, they spotted two TV news trucks in front of Town Hall.

“What now?” Maggie asked.

“Let’s go see. We’re right here,” Susan suggested.

“Looking like this? I don’t have any makeup on.
And I was sweating like a pig in there.”

“Oh, Mom. You always look gorgeous. You don’t even
need makeup. And nobody’s going to be looking at you anyway.”

They climbed the steps of Town Hall and entered
the large, high-ceilinged foyer. A group was gathered near a podium set off to
one side. They were all waiting for someone. Susan spotted Tonya, who waved
them over.

“Wheeler’s lawyers set this up,” she leaned in and
told them. “We’re expecting him to resign. There will be a special election.
Alex will run. We’ll start today to gather signatures to get his name on the
ballot.”

Before either of them could respond, Wheeler
entered the room, flanked by Russell Isaac and two of his lawyers. Wheeler
stepped to the microphone and, as anticipated, resigned. He read a prepared
statement avowing his innocence, thanking the citizens for their support,
promising to fight the false charges brought against him, and endorsing Russell
Isaac. The assembled group greeted his remarks with stony silence. He was
visibly shaken by the chilly reception and stepped away from the microphone.

Bill Stetson, who had been standing at the far
side of the room, now took over. “Ladies and gentlemen. The town code provides
that a special election must be held within sixty days and that anyone qualified
to run for the office must submit a petition signed by three thousand
registered voters in order for their name to appear on the ballot. Petition
forms are available in the clerk’s office. The special election will be held
the third Tuesday in May. More information will be forthcoming. I believe Mr.
Isaac would like to say a few words.”

“I can’t stomach any more of him,” Tonya hissed.
“He’ll be announcing his candidacy. I’m outta here.”

Maggie and Susan stayed put. “I want to assess the
opposing candidate,” Maggie whispered to Susan.

“Citizens of Westbury,” Russell Isaac began, “I’m
honored and humbled by the opportunity to serve our town as acting mayor. I believe
the charges leveled against Mayor Wheeler are false,” he said as he turned
toward Wheeler. “I admire the mayor for stepping aside in the best interests of
the town. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and I promise you I’m devoted to
solving our pressing economic problems. I’ve decided to run for mayor in the
special election. I’ll be asking for your signatures on my nominating petitions
and your vote in May. Together, we can steer Westbury to a bright future. Thank
you all for coming,” he concluded.

Someone has been coaching him on his public speaking,
Maggie surmised. He was pompous and oily, but had powerful allies. He would be
hard to beat. She picked up a petition form and headed home to get started.

***

At seven that evening, fifteen
people squeezed themselves into the conference room at New Way Realty to
organize Alex Scanlon’s campaign. “You people sure know how to mobilize,” Susan
whispered to her mother. “I thought this town was going to be boring.”

“Yep. It’s a regular Peyton Place,” Maggie
answered. “Oh, never mind,” she replied to Susan’s quizzical look.
Could she
really not know about Peyton Place?

Alex cleared his throat and took the floor. “Thank
you all for coming. We’ve got a lot of work to do to win this election. This is
a turning point for Westbury. We can’t fail. With your help, we won’t.” The
group turned encouraging eyes on the speaker. “Our first priority is to gather
three thousand signatures. Sam and Joan are going to collect them from town
employees. Anyone with money in the pension fund should want a change.”

“We think we’ll get half of the signatures we need
from employees. We’re going to hold at least two meetings and others have
volunteered to circulate petitions,” Sam interjected.

“I’ll carry a petition with me wherever I go,” Tim
said. “We’ve got the regional realtors’ meeting next Friday. I’ll have it
available at my open houses. I’ll be able to get two or three hundred
signatures.”

“Pete told me he’ll circulate them at his
restaurant. I’ll take petitions to the shopkeepers on the square and ask them
to put them by their registers. And I’ll have one at my reception desk,” John
promised.

“We plan to spend the day at the mall tomorrow.
We’ll have time to get signatures there,” Maggie was surprised to hear Susan
say. She caught John’s eye, and they smiled at each other across the room.

“Terrific. Thank you all,” Alex said. “Send me an
email at the end of each day so I can keep a running total. We want to shoot
for an extra five hundred signatures, in case some of the signers aren’t eligible
voters. I’ve heard from a number of lawyers and accountants I know and they’re
helping, too.”

“When will you announce your candidacy?”

“Today is Wednesday. Ideally, I’d like to have the
necessary petitions signed by next Monday and confirm with the clerk that my
name will be on the ballot. Then I can get press coverage and would like to
make my announcement on live TV Tuesday morning. So that’s what we’re shooting
for.”

“We should be able to make that happen,” Sam said.
“What help will you need after that?”

“This will be a fast campaign season. Which is
good because I don’t have much of a war chest. Maggie has offered to be my campaign
manager. Would you like to address this, Maggie?”

“Sure. Fortunately, the climate in town right now
favors change. We don’t want to underestimate Isaac, however. And for all we
know, he’s knee-deep in this corruption. Some of the voters will see him as
experienced and capable. There are also voters who won’t vote for a gay man,
under any circumstances. Sad, but true.

“Here’s how we get Alex elected,” she continued.
“We post campaign literature on every doorknob in town. We’ll need lots of help
to do this. Ellen offered to print door hangers at cost. We arrange to have
Alex speak to groups as often as possible—every night of the week and all
day on Saturday and Sunday. Please ask any group you’re involved with to invite
Alex to speak to them. Consider hosting a ‘meet the candidate’ event in your
home. You don’t have to provide refreshments. If you do, coffee and cookies are
enough. Invite your neighbors and co-workers. I’m going to have Sunday
afternoon chats with the candidate at Rosemont until the election. If we have
more speaking opportunities than Alex can attend, I’ll go in his place and talk
up his platform. Would anyone else like to do that?” she asked. Maggie had
never seen so many people shake their heads no so quickly.

“Oh, come on,” Maggie said. “It’s fun to do.
You’ll be surprised at the people you’ll meet and how much you’ll learn. This
campaign will be exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Tonya plans to
get the election board to sponsor a candidate’s debate. The media should cover
it. Television advertising is too expensive, but we’re hoping to get Alex
interviewed on local TV and radio stations. A pretty simple strategy, really,”
Maggie concluded.

“I’ll bet that I speak for everyone here when I
say we’re with you all the way. Whatever you need, just ask. You’re a brave man
to take this on,” Tim said.

“Okay,” Alex declared. “That’s the plan. Let’s get
these petitions signed. Maggie and I will be busy creating our platform. I’ve
already started on my talking points. I promise you that I’ll work as hard as I
possibly can. I appreciate your confidence and support. I won’t let you down.”

John collected his petition form and made his way
over to Susan and Maggie. “So, ladies, you’ve got a mall day planned for
tomorrow? Sounds exhausting. I’m guessing you’ll be way too tired to cook. How
about I take you out to dinner?”

“That would be awesome,” Susan replied before
Maggie could even open her mouth.

“I’ll pick you up at seven. And since you’re
becoming an activist, I think I’d better take you to the hangout long favored
by local politicians. Seafood and steaks. And cigars, if you want them. Will
that be okay?”

Maggie laughed. “I’m not an activist, and yes, it
sounds great. See you then.”