“Didn’t you have to intercede with Julius because he was going to kick their asses out instead, Nick?”
“No use dredging those bottom feeding times out now, Gus,” Nick replied. “Okay, so Clarice had an affair. Tell us why we should care, or for that matter why anyone should care. An older woman has an affair, and her husband is a congressman. All Phil has to do is have an affair, and they’ll probably be selected as role models of the year in DC.”
Jean grinned at Nick while pulling out her cell-phone. “Because she was drugged, and screwed. Check these out.”
Nick took the phone with some hesitation. They were compromising pictures of a naked Clarice with a boy, who looked about fourteen. He handed the phone to Rachel, with Gus and John moving behind her for a look. “Who did Clarice think she was having an affair with when they drugged her, and made the movie and pictures?”
“That’s where things get really interesting,” Jean replied. “Douglas Cameron. They were at a party in DC. Phil did his usual disappearing act, making all night deals in the backroom with the other crooks and thieves. He called and told her he had slipped out with one of his cohorts. Apparently, Phil does it all the time. Then he calls, and tells her to take a cab home. Phil’s the head of the House Ways and Means Committee. The golden boy Senator from Maine with the Mommy who was also a Senator, chatted with the lovely Clarice, and took her to a nearby hotel. He made them drinks in the room. She woke up with those pictures on her phone.”
“I can’t stand the sight of that bitch, but I know she would never do something like this,” Rachel said. “I feel bad for Sonny though. What the heck would this Cameron guy want? Those two high society parasites are hocked up to their eyeballs. Your Dad still pays for their country club membership.”
“You do?” Jean looked at Nick as if he had a third eye. “What the hell’s wrong with you Nicky pooh? Those tarantulas have always treated you and Mom like shit.”
“Because Dad’s not like them, and he likes Sonny,” Quinn said. “Besides, Dad, Uncle Gus, and Uncle John have enough money to buy a small country, and yet they live like paupers, so he might as well do good deeds.”
“That’s enough bad mouthin’ the Unholy Trio, kid,” Gus replied. “We’ve went all over the world and this country, into one adventure or another, always with first class accommodations. Isn’t that right, Brother Kabong?”
“Yes, Brother Payaso,” John agreed. “This disrespect of our conservative ways is most unappreciated.”
“Sonny made peace with his folks a long time ago. He can deal with anything we do to help them out,” Nick said. “Although we live conservatively as John states, we’ve done plenty, and raised you two ingrates pretty well. Your Mom’s right. Although I’m paying their way in a couple of things, I don’t like Phil and Clarice, but it made things easier on Sonny, and I’m not the only one who likes him. We all do. As you pointed out, Jean, the kid practically lived here. The Unholy Trio coached everyone’s sports choices growing up too, including some like lacrosse none of us knew anything about. Let’s keep focused on bringing life here in our home base back to normal. You’re on again, Jean. What is it Cameron wants from Clarice?”
“That’s the tricky part, Dad. He wants their enemies list database.”
Nick poured another drink and sipped it. “Damn. That answers a lot of questions I’ve had over the years. I guess what goes around actually does come around. They’ve been blackmailing people with secret files Phil accumulated from what source?”
“Clarice admitted they’ve bugged many parties in DC, and they’re really good at it. Other sources include Phil’s having access to all travel plans through his work in the passport bureau for all those years before he was elected to Congress. He paid to have any suspected trips made by potential congressional leaders monitored. She says they have a larger database than Hillary Clinton’s nine hundred FBI files.”
“We need to all be in agreement on this. I want the database, and I want those two knowing I’ll have the ‘Sword of Damocles’ hanging over their heads if I even suspect they’re using a copy on someone.”
“That’s the only way I told Clarice I would even take this to you,” Jean said. “She hated that, because it would mean letting Phil know what happened. Plus, of course, she probably saw a few of their plans go out the window. I see it in your eyes, Mom. You want to know if she played the outrage card, right?”