Page 121 of The Fallen Man

“That makes no sense.”

“She has a concussion. It doesn’t have to make sense. It just has to feel right.” Eleanor dropped into her desk chair. “What are you going to do?”

“I already paid off the remaining medical bills from her mother. Evan and Aiden are looking into the other items.”

“Even though she didn’t agree?”

“By the time I tell her, I’m hoping it will be conveniently resolved and she can be mad all she likes.”

“She might break up with you,” said Eleanor.

“We’re not exactly on the firmest of footing right now,” said Jackson. “She may break up with me anyway. At least this way I know she’ll be OK.”

Eleanor nodded. “We should have taken Dominique’s suggestion and just had Granger whacked.”

Jackson laughed. “Well, maybe next time. What’s it like on the Senate side of things?”

Eleanor let out a wicked chuckle. “Oh, the sun is shining andwe are making hay. The Absolex Hearing transcripts are being released early next week. The Ethics Committee has abruptly declared their investigation into me closed.” Eleanor looked guilty and leaned in as if telling a secret. “I told Aiden to go ahead file his complaint anyway. Those subpoenas were really unacceptable and he seemed to be excited about it.” Jackson grinned. “Senator Griffeth, having successfully managed to embarrass herself and her party, is having to step down from the Ethics Committee and Ralph Taggert will be taking that position. Something that I shall probably regret, but it looks good since Dominique told everyone how much we hate him.”

“We do hate him,” said Jackson.

“Yes, but now he owes us,” said Eleanor, with the cheerful smile of a mob boss. “Anyway, they are even planning on revisiting the Homeland Security decision to pull those mercenaries as witnesses against Granger. If they can prove Houge tampered with that case as well… He’s already going to prison, but that would be Federal time. In short, matters in the Senate are going well, and if we can make sure that poor Caitlin is taken care of, then we will have successfully and finally put an end to this matter.”

“I’m doing my best,” said Jackson.

“Jackson,” said Eleanor, “do you think I don’t know that? Your bad days are better than most people’s good days. You will succeed. And if she still rejects you then it will because she is a fool not because of anything you did. You are a good boy,” she said firmly. “And I’m always so happy that Pete found you in that horrible prison. And I know the others are too. I’m sorry we didn’t find you earlier.”

“Grandma,” Jackson stuttered, blushing.

“What? It’s true. Now why don’t you go get a soda from Theo and let me get on with my paperwork?”

“Yes, Grandma,” said Jackson, shaking his head. He was goingto have to tell Evan about this one, but later after he’d taken care of Caitlin.

Back in the library, Caitlin was still sleeping. She looked pale and still dirty from the assault. He thought the hospital had swabbed down her injuries but that she hadn’t ever gotten a proper bath.

“Caitlin,” he shook her shoulder gently, and her eyes opened, and she smiled at him. “Do you want to go upstairs and go to bed in an actual bed?”

“I want to go home,” she said.

“No, sorry. The police still have it taped off. You can’t go back yet.” Or ever, if he had anything to say about it.

She sighed and rubbed her head. “I’m not really tired.”

“You just keep dropping off to sleep because you’re so full of energy?”

“I think my schedule is all screwed up. My body is confused because I haven’t been to work.”

He smiled. “Dinner will be in a little bit. Why don’t you come upstairs and take a shower and wash the hospital off. We’ll get you settled and then you can come down and show us how awake you are.”

She sat up, took a deep breath, and looked around the room. She had severe bedhead, but she looked more awake than the rest of the day. “That sounds good,” she said. “A shower would be nice.”

She seemed to take in the Christmas decorations for the first time. “It’s Christmas, isn’t it? I’ve ruined your Christmas.”

“No, it’s fine,” said Jackson. “We’ll have a do-over day like last year when my cousin… was… gone.” Jackson tried to abort that sentence but only managed a half correction.

“You mean when my father tried to have him killed in Tokyo?”

“Um… Well, yeah, OK. Yes.”