When they were alone in a small staffer’s office, Arliss said, “I don’t think there’s much reason for me to take you all the way to the press office, Natalie. I’ve already made plans to have you speak at the UN on Monday. Ambassador Connor was scheduled to speak on global economic policy, and has graciously given up his time to you. I will be there with you, to introduce you.”

Natalie searched her friend’s, and her boss’s, face. “Why?”

“It’s substantial enough for your position, and it will give you a reason to agree to interviews with the press. We will announce your speech at the UN today. My staff will email you a suggested text of the speech, and I’ll have the press secretary send you along some talking points. You will, of course, put your own spin on things and adjust whatever you wish to your own words.”

Natalie nodded. “Why did you want to speak to me privately, Arliss?”

“To tell you I’m sorry for what’s happened to you and to Perry. Day said he sent her flowers, called her several times to see if she’s all right. I don’t think he’s particularly happy she’s now being guarded by that young FBI agent who was with you at my party. What was his name?”

“Special Agent Davis Sullivan. He’ll be with her until this is over, hopefully very soon now. He’s a fine young man, actually, smart of mouth and fast of brain. He matches up with Perry quite well.” She blinked, realizing the import of what she’d said to Day’s mother. She smiled. “Day and Perry have known each other forever, and there is deep caring between them.”

“Day told me he’s committed to marrying Perry.”

“Perry told me he proposed, but there’s simply so much turmoil right now, and who can make a decision about anything? Day is a fine young man. I’d welcome him as a son-in-law. Whatever they decide, of course, I’m fine with it. Aren’t you?”

“What’s right is right,” Arliss said. “Do you remember what Brundage always used to say?”

“Yes, but he said it in German,” Natalie said. “He never wanted Perry to hear him curse.”

“No, not that. He always told me he believed in karma. The only thing was that karma sometimes didn’t get it done, and that was when you had to give it a good shove.”

Natalie honestly couldn’t remember Brundage ever saying a sentence with the word karma in it. She could imagine the thick contempt in his voice if he had. Brundage always sat solid and pragmatic in the world and heaped scorn on those who didn’t, on those who believed in some sort of cosmic balancing of the scales. He knew where he was going, what he wanted, and he managed to get it even when he was twenty years old. And he’d wanted her, he’d told her, wanted her more than anything else in his life.

She felt the bittersweet memory fill her, felt tears sting her eyes. They’d had a lot of years together, but they should have had so many more. She said easily, “Well, possibly so, but what does karma have to do with Perry and Day, Arliss?”

Arliss lightly laid her hand on Natalie’s arm. “What I mean is that what is right will overcome, that’s all. Brundage believed that, too, if I remember correctly.” She turned away, then paused, said over her shoulder, “Isn’t it odd how life turns out?”

Perry Black’s condo

Saturday evening

You’re making too much noise out there. I can’t sleep.”

Davis was lying quietly, wrapped up in his two blankets, watching the dying fireplace embers fade from orange to black. He’d barely been breathing, he thought, listening, always listening, for any stray sound that shouldn’t be there. He smiled into the dim firelight, called out, “I was thinking the same thing about you, but I was too polite to troop into your bedroom and announce it. You know, I’d probably have had to crawl in beside you, shake your shoulder, tell you you’re snoring and to turn on your back. I might have even had to wake you up.”

“Oh, shut up. You weren’t asleep, were you?”

“Nah, I was lying here thinking and listening, and wondering why you wrote your last blog on Russell Wilson. You know no one outside the Beltway gives a crap about anyone but the Redskins, unless they’re a threat.”

He watched Perry come in wearing her ancient blue robe. He saw she was barefoot, her toes painted a pretty coral color. Her hair was all over her head in wild tangles, her face clean of makeup. He had to admit he really liked looking at her.

She yawned. “Well, there’s Tebow, and he’ll be front and center until he’s an old man with no teeth. What with my finding out about Tebow’s girlfriend, Bennett is so pleased with me I can write what I want for a week. And that’s why I wrote about Wilson. He really came into his own this past season, and his dad dying young, it was a real tragedy.” Like her dad, she thought, and maybe that was the real reason she’d wanted to write about him.