Blind Faith (27 page)

"Of course it does! I never wished this on him, but if he is alive and wants to stay away, that's perfectly fine with me."

She didn't reply. After an extended pause, Kelly asked, "What did Jonathan have on you?"

A tuxedoed waiter came to take their order, then left. When Cecily spoke again, her voice was strained. "I had an affair."

Kelly was only mildly surprised. The thought of an extramarital relationship had already crossed her mind.

"It's not something I'm proud of," Cecily continued. "I broke it off eventually."

"
Syd
Webber."

Kelly dropped back against her chair, wondering how many shocks she could sustain in only one week.
Syd
Webber, a man Cecily had openly despised.

"You're shocked," Cecily said.
"And rightly so."

"I don't understand. You have nothing but contempt for that man."

"I still do."

"Then why ...?"

Sadness and regret veiled her eyes.
"Weakness.
He offered me something I never had before and it went to my head." She paused. "Do you remember
Victoria
and Jonathan's fourth wedding anniversary party two years ago?"

Kelly nodded.

"Jonathan invited
Syd
. I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted.

Apparently he had mentioned the party to
Syd
and
Syd
had expressed an interest in coming."

"Yes. It was all very calculated on his part, of course. He had tried to meet me socially once before, but when I found out he was going to be there, I bowed out of the event. I couldn't bow out of this one."

Cecily picked up a silver teaspoon from the table and twirled it between her fingers. "Looking back, I can't remember exactly what happened to me that day. I'm not easily charmed, as you know."

Kelly could understand why she would be. She had experienced that same magnetic pull toward
Syd
Webber herself. "I thought you and Ward were so happy."

"We are, in our own way. We love each other, in our own way." She lifted the spoon at eye level, studying it. "But there's no passion in our lives. Sex was unimportant to me."

"And
Syd
changed all that."

She
laughed,
a laugh that was filled with self contempt. "He made me come alive. He walked into that ballroom that night and my life was changed forever. Suddenly it no longer mattered how I felt about him, or what he stood for. When he asked me to dance and I stepped into his arms, I already knew nothing would ever be the same. And I was right. He exposed a side of me that terrified me." She paused, sighed. "And thrilled me at the same time
. "

"A year.
It took me that long to get my head back in place." She put the spoon back. "But it was already too late. The harm was done."

Totally caught up in the story, Kelly leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

"A couple of months ago, just before Christmas,
Syd
came to my office. I was furious with him for taking such chances. If anyone from the board had seen him there ..." She shuddered.

"To tell me that he had just finished talking to the head of the GOP, whom he knows very well.
Without my knowledge, or my permission,
Syd
had presented my name to the nominating committee for the mayoral elections in 2003."

"He not only wants me to be the next mayor, he'll make sure I'll win the election."

"Money, what else?
He's going to personally finance my campaign--not overtly, of course, but through various companies and businesses, even individuals."

"I laughed in his face. I told him he had wasted his time and mine. I had no intention of running for mayor. I was happy where I was."

Kelly believed her. A few years ago, a reporter for the Philadelphia Globe had hinted that Cecily would make an excellent politician. The following day, letters to the editor had poured in, agreeing with the article. Cecily had cut short the public's speculation, declaring she had no intention of seeking public office.
Ever.

"Oh, he was very cool, very confident, almost as if he had expected me to turn him down. Then
came
the coup de grace. He walked over to the VCR on my bookcase, inserted a tape and told me to watch and enjoy." Kelly didn't have to ask what was on the tape. She had already guessed.

Several seconds ticked by. "It was a video of some of the times we had spent together, in his office and at his home. I was horrified and so terribly ashamed. I never knew, never suspected he was taping us while ... while ..."

For a moment Kelly thought Cecily would burst into tears, but she didn't. Through great effort, she pulled herself together. When their food arrived, Cecily smiled at the waiter and murmured a quick thank you before turning to Kelly again. "He told me that if I didn't agree to run for mayor, he would send copies of that tape all over the state of
Pennsylvania
--to the newspapers, television stations.
Ward, and of course, the Norton board."

Kelly's heart went out to her. "Oh, Cecily, I'm so sorry. Could he have been bluffing?"

"Why would he? He has nothing to fear. He's not married. An affair, even with a married woman, would do nothing to him, but an affair with a casino owner who is suspected of having ties to the mob would destroy me."

"I still don't understand why it's so important for him that you become mayor."

"Part of the deal was that once elected, I would agree to support river gambling and campaign heavily for it."

River gambling.
The controversial referendum Pennsylvanians had voted down a few years ago. One mayor alone might not be able to make much difference, but if that mayor was articulate, popular and powerful as Cecily was, she could influence millions of voters throughout the state.

"I told him. He didn't care. All he wanted was for our two families to live in harmony."

She drew her lips into a tight smile. "Doing something you might appreciate, Kelly.
Snooping.
He was unhappy with the security at the
Chenonceau
. He wanted to make changes, even though that wasn't his department. You know how he is, always getting involved. He didn't give me any details, but he found the tape and made a copy."

Cecily nodded. "
Syd
would have killed him if he ..." Her eyes filled with horror. "Oh, my God, do you suppose that's what happened?
Syd
found out and ..."

"I don't know. But I agree with you that if he did, Jonathan could be in serious trouble." Nick had been right about him all along. The man was a sleaze. Her thoughts flashed back to last night's ordeal. "By the way, do you know what kind of car
Syd
drives when he's not using the limo?"

Cecily shook her head. "I've never seen him in anything but his chauffeur-driven limousine.
Or the helicopter."

Kelly made a mental note to find out about that later. Right now she wanted to hear the rest of Cecily's story. "What happened after you saw the tape?"

Cecily's gaze followed an elderly couple as they were led to a table by the window. "I had no choice but to agree to his terms. But I swear to you, Kelly," she added, meeting Kelly's eyes again. "I never intended to run for mayor. I only let him think I was in order to give myself time to figure a way out of this mess, without hurting the people I love."

"Maybe I can help," Kelly said gently. "I don't know how yet, but if we put our heads together, I'm sure we'll think of something. We have plenty of time."

"You would do that? Even after
I
..."

Kelly, who hadn't touched her food, pushed her plate aside and covered Cecily's hand with hers. "You were desperate. I know that now. I'm sorry I was so rough on you a moment ago, but I'm also glad you told me about
Syd
. It helps me get a better perspective on the man. I don't think I fully realized what kind of person he was until now."

A light smile touched Cecily's lips. "I'm glad we talked, too. And thanks for being so kind. I wish Ward was as understanding as you are."

"Yes." Her eyes filled with tears again but she was able to hold them back. "I'm afraid he's terribly disappointed in me. I don't know what he'll do when he finds out about my affair with
Syd
."

"You don't have to worry about that for a while," Kelly reminded her.

"You're right." Cecily's smile was shaky but she held on to it. "Would you mind very much if we left?"

"Not at all."

Cecily took a fifty-dollar bill from her purse, dropped it on the table and stood up.

Under the hotel portico, she and Kelly gave the valet attendant their respective parking tickets and stood silent for a while. The snow had ended some time during the night and the sun was shining, melting the thin coating of ice on the roadways.

Cecily took a deep breath. "Strange, isn't it?" she said. "This is one of the darkest days of my life and yet I feel as if a huge black cloud had just been lifted from over my head. I'm not afraid anymore, Kelly, just ashamed.
And so very sorry for what I did to you."

Those words, spoken so sincerely, went straight to Kelly's heart. On impulse, she turned and threw her arms around Cecily.

Thirty-Three.

The news of Matt
Kolvic's
involvement in the
Chinatown
racketeering had been made public on Friday afternoon, in a brief press conference held at the Roundhouse. By then, most of the wives had already found out and in a show of support and solidarity had come to Patti's house, offering whatever help she needed.

Fear of an onslaught on the part of the press had prompted Patti's decision to leave at dawn on Sunday and Nick had agreed that a quick exit was best. Frustrated by the lack of news on Jonathan Bowman's disappearance, the press was hungry for something new and hot.

While Nick had helped the
Kolvic
family pack, he had tried to keep their spirits up, especially the girls', who were heartbroken at the thought of leaving their friends behind. He had taken care of a few financial details as well, selling Matt's old MG and most of his tools. Without Patti's knowledge, he had added a thousand dollars of his own money to the proceeds. He had tried earlier to give her some extra cash but she had been too proud to take it, assuring him that Matt's life insurance more than covered their needs, but Nick knew better.

The family's house on
Torresdale
Avenue
would be shut down until Patti made a final decision on whether to sell it.
In the meantime.
Nick had offered to keep an eye on the place, air it out from time to time and mow the grass as needed.

The girls, woken at five this morning, clung to Nick as if sensing they might not be coming back. "I'm going to miss you. Uncle Nick."

Tricia's big, mournful eyes locked with his, bringing a lump to his throat.

He picked her up and carried her to the packed Blazer in the driveway.

"You won't have time to miss me, sweetheart. I'll come up to see you very soon.
How's that?"

"I'll be there. I wouldn't miss the biggest party in town, now, would I?"

As he put her in the front seat, Tricia folded her arms across her chest and made a pout, the way she always did when she was unhappy. "My friends won't be there. They're all here."

"You'll make new friends. You'll see. A couple of days from now, you'll be on the phone telling me all about them."

"No, I won't."

"Want to bet?"

She seemed to give that question some thought.
"How much?"

Nick laughed.
"Not money, you greedy little thing.

We'll bet ... let's see ... your birthday cake. If you win and you make no friends between now and your seventh birthday, you buy the cake. If I win, I find the biggest, most beautiful cake in the city of
Philadelphia
and bring it with me to
Dayton
."

The pout disappeared and the arms unfolded. "You forgot the sparklers.

Sandra Hughes had sparklers on her birthday cake."

"I'll make sure your cake has sparklers.
So?
Do we have a deal?"

She nodded and threw her arms around him just as Patti walked out of the house, carrying Ashley, who was still half-asleep. Nick helped her put the four year-old into the car seat in the back and then it was time to go.

When both girls were buckled up, Patti turned to Nick. "About the

money
," she said, looking into his eyes. "I know that thousand dollars

you
tried to give me a couple of days ago is in here." She took a thick

envelope
from her purse. "I can't take it. Nick. You've been

suspended
--"

He stopped her. "I wouldn't do it if I couldn't afford it."

"Yes, you would. You'd go hungry if you had to but you would do it."

He laughed. "It won't come to that, I promise. Take the money, Patti, for the girls. I don't need it." It was true. His father, a frugal man and a savvy investor, had left him a substantial inheritance that Nick had put into a mutual fund and watched soar over the last twelve months.

Patti hugged him fiercely. "How can I ever thank you for all you've done?"

"By taking good care of yourself."