Chapter 13

Since I was officially disabled, or mostly disabled, or seriously disabled, or something, I couldn't just hop in the Lexus and go out for supper, especially in Chevy Chase. The carriage house was officially off limits to Constance until after the next attempt on my life, and that left Kate and George to ferry me around, as my only option. Hopefully it wouldn't last too long, but I needed to be nice, and suck up to them, or risk starving to death.

In the first eight days of my new job, one or the other took me out for dinner eight times, to eight different places. Several dinners were a disaster as other diners just had to come to the table and see if I was THE Kevin Townsend they saw on TV. George and Kate had a knack for letting that go on only for a short time, then encouraging people to let me eat in peace. Since I was a highly paid stalking horse, I had to be seen by people who would comment on how much help I needed, knowing I would make its way back to the press and be reported.

The ninth night we stayed in.

George and Kate separately told me that the Judge was coming to brief us on the current status of the mission.

George went out for pizza and we ate like pigs. It was wonderful pizza.

The Judge arrived quietly, in a Suburban. He was driven right to the door, and his guards formed a wall to keep him safe from prying eyes. He hustled in, grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza and launched into an update.

"Your hunch about the WaPo reporter is paying off. Her phone records indicate that she called a phone number in Maryland, right after talking to Myrna Weeks. They talked for about four minutes, and that gave us another number to surveil. Our phone taps have led to a rather extensive network of phones that seem to all be connected to this, somehow.

"As our investigators drill down into the lives of these people it's obvious that something is going on. Their phone conversations are almost all in some kind of code, but occasionally they slip up and give us some good information. Our new voice recognition program is giving us some identities to go with several of the phone numbers, and that gives us a jump start on who is who, and what is what.

"We'll keep collecting information, and widening the net, but you have to keep up exactly as you are. Your name is repeated about thirty percent of the time, so someone is extremely interested in you, we just can't quite figure out who, and why.

"As for your job, we're thinking that we need to encourage another barge-in, on you in the ladies restroom, and even see if we can cause you to be without Kate at that strategic time so that you have to ask for help. We'll keep developing our plan but that's what we think right now."

We talked for another half hour, and I agreed to ask Myrna for help to the restroom, on Wednesday, and see what she does when she sees my bullet wounds, which the Judge' people will have altered to look worse than they are, in time.

After the Judge left, George went home, but Kate stayed.

Confused, I asked her about it, and she said, "The Judge has decided one of us needs to be here with you twenty-four seven, so I volunteered. George has a significant other, and all I have is an empty apartment. Can you stand my company for the next little while?" She smiled when she said it.

We'd work it out.

When we'd been alone for a couple of hours, I said, "Kate? Want to hop in the hot tub with me? It's wonderful, and ever so relaxing."

She gave me a look, and then said, "You aren't just trying to get my clothes off, are you? I know I undress you several times a day, but me getting naked with you isn't on the program."

I smiled gently. "As much as getting you naked appeals to me, I think you already know that I love the hot tub. You are welcome to join me. However, you do know that there is only one bed in this place, right?"

She didn't.

"It's Ok. If you can trust me, I've had other female care givers stay with me, sharing the big bed. I promise to behave."

She didn't really have any choice, and knew it, so she reminded me that I promised, and let it go.

The hot tub was wonderful, as always, and we chatted like old friends until we just HAD to get out. Eventually your blood heats up too much and it becomes uncomfortable. I stepped straight into the shower, dropped my shorts and rinsed off, ignoring Kate as if she wasn't there. When I grabbed the towel off the shower wall and dried, Kate asked me if I minded her showering too.

Rather than make a deal out of it, I opened the shower stall door, and said, "Sure, come on in. I can step out and give you privacy if you want. No problem." Which was exactly what I did. I wrapped the towel around my middle, grabbed another towel, and closed the door behind me. I heard the shower start immediately, so Kate felt at least some confidence that I wouldn't be a pest.

I was in bed on the side farthest from the bathroom when she came out, wrapped in two towels. I said, "You get the side closest to the bathroom, and would you please turn on the nightlight by the mirror?"

She seemed surprised that I thought of that, and after doing so, disappeared to dress for bed.

When she returned in a nightgown, she hesitated before getting into bed with me. The only thing I could do was wait her out, and she eventually surrendered and crawled in, stayed on her side, and drifted off to sleep.

Living together without sex ended any discomfort for us. Kate grew comfortable being herself, changing clothes, sharing the hot tub, and once we shared a hurried shower, when we woke up a little late and were pushed to get out on time. Over the weekend we slept in, went shopping for groceries, and personal things that Kate needed, and enjoyed time to ourselves.