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Chapters (50)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Now she turned to the chief of staff. “I’m actually glad you’re here, Brad, because my husband has raised a very important question: Is this still a winning ticket? A genetic inferior matched with a superior specimen? Can we really keep this charade going—won’t the public be able to sense the difference? And even if we do win in November, doesn’t this country deserve better than that?”

“Darling, I don’t blame you for being offended—”

“Offended, John? I’m not offended—really I’m not. I just need to get these questions answered, that’s all, because I have a career to think about here and I need to know what’s going to happen when the voters find out about you.”

Braden blinked. “About me?”

“You might want to take a look at those photocopies. I think you’ll find them interesting—I know I did. Go ahead—I’ll just stand here and say nothing while you read.”

Braden gathered up the papers from the floor and began to look through them. “I don’t understand this,” he said.

“That figures—it probably has to do with your background, and no one should make fun of you for that. Maybe I can summarize it for you— bring it down to your level. I think Brad will find this interesting too.”

She looked at Brad. “By now I’m sure you know all about my sordid past; the copies John is holding have to do with his. The copies come from a second scrapbook. My mother put it together; it must have taken years. Have you heard of my mother, Brad? Mom’s a serial killer, but she’s also a sweet old lady and a pretty darned good historian. The scrapbook contains a series of historical documents; some of them are more than two hundred years old. The documents are mostly genealogies and land deeds—pretty boring stuff unless you know what you’re looking at. There are a couple of old diary entries in there too, and they make terrific reading. Stories about murder, intrigue, stolen fortunes, deathbed confessions about unforgivable deeds—real page-turners.”

Braden stared down at the copies with his mouth gaping open. “Oh, no,” he kept mumbling. “This can’t be happening.” His face was as white as January snow.