Dangerous Women by Mark de Castrique

Author:Mark de Castrique
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks

* * *

Ethel heard the patter of footsteps overhead. Jesse was probably getting coffee and maybe scrounging around for breakfast. She picked up the sheet of paper with the list she’d compiled and hurried up the stairs. They would discuss his assignment over scrambled eggs and sausages.

She found him standing in front of the television, a mug of coffee halfway to his lips.

“What’s the press saying?” Ethel asked.

“That Ventana might have stopped someone suspicious and been shot. They don’t know whether it was a specific attack on the chief justice or Ventana interrupted a break-in at the neighboring house. The family was out of town for the weekend.”

“What are they reporting about Clarissa?”

“That she was never in any immediate danger, but as a precaution, all nine justices will be issued extra protection until the investigation can determine the nature of the attack. The justices will be working through teleconferencing until the FBI is satisfied it’s safe for public appearances.”

The TV showed footage of the exterior of Clarissa’s house in Maryland. A group of curious onlookers stood behind sawhorse barricades that had been erected by law enforcement. The red “BREAKING NEWS” banner swirled across the screen and the excited reporter announced a video of Chief Justice Baxter had just been released by the FBI. Then Clarissa appeared.

Ethel had watched Rudy record the message last night, but she was surprised at how the image had been cleverly doctored. Instead of a wall in the Fosters’ den, a bay window appeared behind the chief justice. Through it could be seen a landscape more appropriate to Wyoming than Virginia. The crests of the distant ridges of a mountain range were highlighted with the golden light from the rising sun. Ethel appreciated the created impression that Clarissa was safely in her native state where dawn was arriving two hours later than Eastern Time.

Clarissa spoke strongly and boldly. She emphasized that she and the other justices were safe and that they were following the precautions recommended by the FBI. She went on to praise Daniel Ventana and condemn those who had murdered him. She then closed with the forceful words, “If anyone thinks they can impede or influence the workings of this court, they are mistaken. We are sworn to defend our great Constitution and nothing will prevent us from fulfilling our role to administer justice fairly and impartially on behalf of the American people.” Her steely resolve came through the screen and left no doubt she was a woman who would not be intimidated.

The network returned to the news studio where pundits had been hastily gathered to pontificate between commercials.

“Turn it off,” Ethel said. “We’ve nothing to learn from them. I’ll fix us eggs and sausages, and then we’ll lay out our battle plan.”

Twenty minutes later, the two of them huddled together on the sofa with notes and legal pads lying on the coffee table in front of them.

Ethel picked up the list she’d made in the workout room. “Where are we on funds to

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