15. RICHARD'S SECRET

Snow lightly crunched underfoot as the gathering passed beyond the revolving restaurant doors into the wintry night. The remainder of the meal had been eaten amidst pleasant conversation, the two men watching one another rather wearily and their wives maintaining quiet smiles behind lifted palms. Charity�s slender form, dressed completely in black, stepped paces and Carissa hooked her arm through that of her friend contentedly, weighing her words in the cold night air. The city glimmered beneath a starless existence, the mountains looming above in the darkness, and each breath exhaled a wisp of white.

�I remember when I was young,� Charity remarked, �I used to tease my grandmother by pretending these icy little breaths were the result of me smoking.� Her heels clicked on the pavement and bore her away with her companion, while Richard halted Garrett with an outstretched hand. They remained in the shadow of the doorway, watching their wives retreat across the well-lit parking lot. Garrett slipped his hands into the pockets of his heavy coat and studied his companion curiously.

�Normally,� Richard said, �I am a very personal individual. There are things about my work that I don�t even tell my wife, less out of habit than choice. I would not speak this to you now if I did not have confidence in my wife�s recommendation. She speaks very highly of you.� His normally cold blue eyes shifted and fixed the tall individual at his side with a piercing look that might have frozen the heart of anyone on the witness stand. �You are very perceptive. You inquired at dinner if there might be any impediments in me undertaking a much more public life. I�m afraid so. I have some extremely powerful enemies that would not wish to see me in a higher position in the DA�s office, and might do anything to see to it that I refrain from running. I tell you this less out of an appeal for your assistance, if nothing else your prayers, than a warning. Your wife�s association with my family might place her in danger.�

The women had reached the sporty black car that Charity normally drove, parked within several spaces of the roomy and comfortable Hyundai, and turned to look back at their husbands. Richard maintained cool indifference while Garrett lifted one hand and smiled. Charity said something to Carissa and they both laughed. �What kind of danger?� Garrett inquired, a muscle in his cheek tightening. Any threat to his increasing family was perceived with authority and indignation.

�To be perfectly honest, I don�t know. I�m not even sure it will become an issue, only that my wife�s near accident this evening was not a coincidence.� Richard watched his wife as she leaned against the car, a look of concern crossing her face at something her companion had said. He turned to Garrett, his gloved hand lifted slightly in a mild appeal. �Please, don�t say anything of this to either of them. I don�t want them to worry, and if my wife has anything to say about it, she�ll want to strap on her revolver to make a point, and go confront the fiend in his corner office. Just�� and he hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the request, �please pray for us.�

Ducking from beneath the awning, Richard strode across the snowy pavement toward his wife.