“I’m looking forward to it, too, but I haven’t gotten to the point where I can stop thinking about what’s going on in the White House. When I get back, I’m going to need some pretty extensive briefings on what happened while I was gone. And I know Kate has walled me off, but it bothers the hell out of me that no one is calling for advice on how to handle some problem or other.”

“They’re ignoring you?”

“Yes, and it’s really annoying that I’m not as indispensable as I thought.”

“When we get to Santa Fe you’ll discover a lot to keep your mind off Washington.”

“What will I discover?”

“A whole new kind of town. It’s nothing like anywhere else I’ve ever been.”

“Well, I’ll admit, that sounds intriguing.”

“My worst nightmare is that you’ll get there and immediately want to go back to Washington.”

“I don’t think that’s an option. Kate would have the Secret Service turn me away at the gate. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d already canceled my White House pass.”

56

SOFIA GOT UP EARLY on her first day home and went shopping for breakfast. She came home, scrambled some eggs, microwaved some bacon, toasted an English muffin, and poured herself some fresh-squeezed orange juice. She ate while her coffee brewed, and when she had finished eating, took her coffee into the living room and turned on the TV, switching to Morning Joe, her favorite political show, and opened The New York Times.

She couldn’t concentrate. She felt bad about leaving Marv so abruptly; it wasn’t what he would have come to expect of her. Finally, she picked up the phone and dialed his number. She got an immediate recorded announcement that she had dialed a number that was not in service. He had thrown away his throwaway phone.

She got out some stationery and wrote him a note:

I’m sorry I left so suddenly. I tried your phone, but it was no longer working, but mine still is. Call me, and let’s talk about your coming down here for a while. Marie.

She set it aside to mail later.

—

CURLY GOT UP and worked out for a while, then watched some TV in the lounge. Later he went to the pay phone and called Chico, the super.

“Hello?”

“It’s Curly,” he said. “Thanks for the call yesterday. I got out just in time.”

“It’s what you paid me for. I guess you got away.”

“Have they been around again?”

“First thing this morning. I told them I hadn’t seen you.”

“I may come around later today and pick up some things,” he said.

“They probably won’t be back.”

“If they do come back, put that flower pot in your kitchen window, and I’ll stay away.”

“Okay.”