King Cole (19 page)

“Should you talk so much?”

“Oh,” said Eileen, “I’m still very weak, but I feel so much better since you came… Where’s Vince?”

She asked this so suddenly that Read started, then his face clouded.

“He’s about some place. Why?”

“Get rid of him. Wait.” She reached under her pillow and pulled out a huge roll of bills. “Give him this, Read. Or maybe you’d better not. I’ll have Dr. Cross give it to him. Daddy brought it. Vince hasn’t a cent hardly. He’s going to live with some rich people in Santa Barbara and all he’s got is a ticket, and about a hundred dollars.”

Read smiled.

“Are you buying him off?”

“It isn’t that. Oh, he’s a terrible fool, Read. He thought he had me nicely hooked. He was already spending Dad’s money in his mind.”

Read flushed.

“Don’t forget I haven’t got very much money myself. A lot of people will say I’m marrying you for your money.”

“Are you going to marry me, Read, after I’ve made such a terrible scandal?”

“Of course. Wasn’t that the idea?”

“Dad was furious. He said I’d ruin you politically.”

“I’ve survived worse.”

“Oh, Read, I’m so happy. Was I mean to you?”

“Rather.”

“I’m sorry. Will you forgive me? I was in a terrible state of mind. I even thought about killing myself. It was the town and the people and then Vince coming in suddenly like that, reminding me of Henry. And, oh, everything piled up on me at once. Read, do you love me a lot?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes I could shake you. You have such a calm face. Don’t you ever feel wild?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, like you want to do something desperate.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I’ve always had wild spells.”

“I hope you get over them.”

“When I’m First Lady? Daddy said you’ll be the next Republican nominee for President. Will you, Read?”

“Who knows?” Read glanced hurriedly at his watch. “Eileen, I’ve got to go. Sorry. I speak at Memorial Hall tonight.”

“I know. The proprietor’s getting a radio for me. You see how interested I am?”

“You must take it easy. You mustn’t overdo it.”

“Oh, I’m almost well again. Just seeing you did it.” She lowered her eyes and sat staring at the floor. “How could I ever have been so foolish?”

Read hesitated.

“Anybody’s liable to do a foolish thing at any time.”

“Not you.”

“Yes, me. I almost did a foolish thing.”

Eileen brightened.

“A woman?”

“Yes.”

“Why, Read! Let me look at you.”

“A little check-girl. Very pretty.”

“Why, Read Cole! I didn’t know I had a rival.”

“You have.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. She was kidnapped.”

Eileen stared, then smiled.

“And I thought you were serious!”

She leaned forward and kissed Read softly, then he got up.

“I must go. I’ll call you as soon as I get through at the Hall. You must sleep and get your strength back. Have you eaten anything?”

“No. But I’m hungry now. Goodbye, darling. I love you very much. Read, maybe it was best after all.”

“Maybe it was.” Read opened the door and spoke to the nurse, who was sitting in the hallway. “Miss Bradley will have her dinner now.”

“Her dinner! Yes, Governor.”

When Read came down the stairs into the lobby, he saw the Major sitting in a big armchair. Dr. Cross was bending down, talking earnestly to him. Vincent Riquetti was sitting a short distance away, staring glumly out the window into the dripping grove.

“He would come down, Governor,” said the doctor, shrugging. “I couldn’t stop him.”

“Wanted to pay my respects,” said the Major, puffing a little. “How is she, Governor?”

“Much better. She’s going to have her dinner now.”

The Major stared, then he smiled at the doctor.

“I was right,” he exclaimed, weakly striking the arm of the chair.

“Doctor,” said Read, “run up and see Eileen. She’s got something she wants you to do.”

“What are we going to do with
him?
” whispered the doctor, jerking his head in Riquetti’s direction.

“Eileen will tell you. She has money for him. Doctor, see that he leaves right away. I don’t want him around here a minute longer than necessary.”

When Read got to the door, Riquetti was right behind him.

“Excuse me, Your Excellency,” he said. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this unfortunate affair.”

Read’s lips tightened. Riquetti looked sad and beaten, standing there in the gloom of this ramshackle old American hotel; he seemed so alien and out of place.

“Well, it’s all over now.”

“Excuse me. What am I to do? Nobody will talk to me.”

“Dr. Cross will tell you what to do in a few minutes. Just sit down and be patient.” Read turned away and went out.

Gregg was sitting in the back of the limousine asleep with his hat over his eyes. Captain Boyce jumped to attention.

“Have we plenty of time, Captain?”

“Yes, Governor,” said Boyce; “if Mr. Upham doesn’t object to fast driving.”

Read smiled to himself as Barney opened the car door for him.

The rotunda was crowded and noisy. Read, standing in his office, talking to Gregg and getting ready to go to Memorial Hall, could hear the clamor through three closed doors. Colonel Putnam and Captain Boyce came in from time to time, then ran out again. After a moment, Read went to the window and looked out into the yard, where militiamen were keeping a lane open to the north entrance. ”What a mob!” Read said.

Gregg smiled.

“How does it feel to be the ‘darling of the crowd,’ as it says in the worst newspapers?”

“I don’t notice anything.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“They don’t care anything about me. They’re just looking for excitement.”

“Sometimes you’re almost a philosopher.”

“Almost?”

“Yes. A philosopher wouldn’t marry Eileen Bradley.”

“Don’t start all over. You’ve already promised to be my best man.”

“Well,” said Gregg, with a sigh, “I’ll go through with it. But on one condition: I’m not going to help you catch her when she runs away again.”

“Now, Gregg…”

“I have too much trouble with your women as it is.”

“My women! What the hell do you mean?” Gregg smiled.

“Who do you think took care of little Venus from the Massey?”

“I suspected it.”

“Don’t worry. She’s in good hands, but scared to death. Or was.”

“You take a lot for granted, Gregg.”

“You can always punch me in the nose.”

Colonel Putnam opened the door.

“Ready, Governor?”

“Yes. Come on, Gregg.”

“Are you really sore, Read? I was afraid you’d get a headline. You need every vote you can get and a scandal about a nineteen-year-old girl, well…”

The Colonel looked at the two men; then, sensing something, he turned his back on them.

Read held out his hand to Gregg, who took it and avoided Read’s eyes.

“Gregg, sometimes you make me see red, but no man ever had a better friend.”

Gregg cleared his throat loudly, dropping Read’s hand almost at once.

“Lead on, Pythias,” he said. “I’m anxious to see you stir up the animals tonight.”

They followed Colonel Putnam through the outer office. Captain Boyce and two militiamen were waiting. Beyond, Read could see the crowd massed from wall to wall of the rotunda. The old battle flags in their glass cases were entirely hidden.

“All right, Governor,” said Colonel Putnam.

A group of militiamen was holding back the crowd and making a lane for the Governor and his party. The Colonel and Captain Boyce went in front of Read and Gregg; the two militiamen closed in behind. There was a terrific uproar which was magnified by the enormous domed ceiling of the rotunda. Read was deafened by the clamor and nervously excited by this tremendous ovation.

From time to time Read glanced absent-mindedly at the wall of massed faces. The very evident emotion of the huge crowd stirred him deeply. He kept muttering to himself: “Never saw anything like it! Never saw anything like it!”

Near the north entrance he noticed a little man in a long black overcoat. There was something about him that made Read take a second look. The little man was a foreigner; he had lank black hair, which was all mussed, and his eyes were a little wild. A light slouch hat seemed to be hanging on his right hand. “There’s something wrong with that fellow,” Read muttered, hardly conscious, owing to the tumult and his own emotions, that he was making a judgment at all.

“We love you, Governor Cole!” a woman shouted in a loud, hysterical voice and Read turned his head slightly. When he turned back, the little man was close to him. Read saw a determined, slightly mad look in his eyes. He saw the light hat on the man’s right hand slowly rising. He was going to cry out; to strike the little man; but somebody jumped in front of him; there was a loud echoing report; acrid smoke drifted upward; then a man fell to the floor.

It was Gregg. Read tried to bend over him, but somebody brushed him aside and in a moment he was surrounded by soldiers. The little man was down now, too. They were kicking him. Read struggled, but the soldiers held him fast.

There was a panic. People were knocked down and trampled. Militiamen used their pistols as clubs, clearing a space for Gregg. Captain Boyce shoved two soldiers aside and, bending down, calmly shot the little man, twice.

While the doctor examined Gregg, Read paced slowly up and down. There wasn’t a sound in the office. The rotunda and the State House yard had been cleared by the National Guardsmen. The body of the little assassin had been carted away. Charley, Miss Wilson and Harold stood with their backs to the office wall, staring horror-stricken at Gregg, who was lying on the big leather sofa, groaning softly from time to time. Before the arrival of the doctor, Gregg had tossed and cried out loudly in pain; but the doctor had given him a shot.

In a few minutes Colonel Putnam came in and stepped up to Read. The Colonel’s face was white and drawn.

“Everything’s quiet now, Governor. No one seriously hurt. The crowd was fine. Governor, I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I feel I should resign… to have such a thing happen! I had everybody searched in the rotunda. How he slipped in I don’t know.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Colonel,” said Read. “It just couldn’t be helped.”

Tears started from the Colonel’s eyes and he turned away to hide them.

“What time is it?” asked Read, turning to Captain Boyce, who was now shaking with excitement.

“Nearly half past, Governor. Shall I call the Hall?”

“Yes. Tell Sullavan I’ll be a little late.”

Boyce and the Colonel stared in consternation.

“Late? Are you going to speak?”

“Certainly. Tell Sullavan to put Bob Shafer on in my place. Also to explain to the crowd what has happened.”

“But, Governor,” said the Colonel, “this may be a conspiracy. This man may just be one of many. If you’ll listen to me, Governor, you won’t take this awful risk. You’re very important to the State right now. You shouldn’t risk your life.”

Read vigorously shook his head.

“As soon as I talk to the doctor, we’ll leave. I think the man was a crazy fanatic. There’s no conspiracy. He played a lone hand. Colonel, I’ll want you and Captain Boyce with me. Miss Wilson, I almost forgot. Wire Miss Bradley at the Northridge Hotel, Sunnyvale, that I’m all right. Reassure her. This has all gone out on the radio, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wire her at once. Also wire my son at the Benton Military Academy. I don’t know where my daughter is.”

“I do,” said Miss Wilson. “Mr. Martin was kind enough to tell me where they’d be in case anything came up. They’re in Covington, Kentucky.”

“All right. Wire them that I’m safe. Colonel, I hope you sent out those wires. I don’t want any reprisals! This was the act of an unbalanced man. I don’t want other people to suffer for it.”

“The wires were sent. We’ve already had a reply from Captain Creager. Says he will do his best, but things look bad. Governor, if you’ll excuse me, this is the time for the declaration of martial law. Captain Creager thinks so, too. This man had newspaper clippings of all of Fielding’s speeches in his pocket.”

“You didn’t let that out, did you?”

“Certainly not.”

Read thought for a moment, then said:

“There’ll be no martial law. We’ve caused enough trouble, Fielding and I.”

The Colonel stammered, then looked closely at Read.

“Yes,” said Read, glancing at Gregg, “we’ve caused enough trouble.”

Read went to the window and stood looking out into the yard. The rain had stopped some time ago but the streets still shone like black lacquer under the lights. East Broad Street was crowded. Read saw the mounted policemen riding slowly up and down, their wet rain capes glistening.

The doctor tapped him on the arm.

“Well?”

“He’s very bad, Governor. We've got to operate. I hate to move him, but it’s got to be done.”

“Tell me the truth. Has he got a chance?”

“I can’t make any predictions. It all depends.”

Read turned away and walked over to the couch. Gregg was smoking a cigarette. His face was yellowish, his eyes sunken. Read was appalled, but forced a smile.

“Well, old boy; the doctor says you’ll be all right after the operation.”

“He may be right. I don’t feel so bad. Like old times, eh, in France? Except you stopped the lead there. I told you there were hungry men in this State. Of course, I’d have to step in and take it. Just an innocent bystander.”

“Yes,” said Read, “you just accidentally stepped in.”

The doctor came up quickly.

“That’s enough, Mr. Upham. No more talking. We’ll take you to the hospital now. Whom shall we notify?”

Gregg laughed slightly.

“I’ve got women scattered all over the State. But there’s no one to notify.”

“I’ll have to have a little help, Governor, getting him to the ambulance,” said the doctor.

“Take charge, Colonel.”

“Yes, Governor. Get Enright, Captain Boyce.” Gregg was moved to the stretcher. He lay looking up at Read. The two men stared at each other for a long time, then Gregg looked away and said: