Page 14 of Hidden Gem
Marnie stared at him. “How could I possibly help you?”
“If there’s any chance that Kathleen is not okay, that she might not be fit and healthy, I’d really appreciate it if word of that got out. That could lead to an investigation.”
Marnie’s eyes widened in horror. “You want everyone to know about her health issues... I mean if she had health issues. Isn’t that her private business?” Her fingers curled into tight fists, causing a soft ache in her joints. She felt for Kathleen, as abrupt as the lady had been. It wasn’t easy to be a sick woman, especially in the public eye.
Jason’s voice tinged with regret. “It’s not, actually. The health and wellbeing of MPs is matter of national security. We have a duty to disclose any condition that may affect our work. If anything happens, we have a panic button. You push that, and staff in white shirts will come running.”
The image of Kathleen lying on the bathroom floor flashed behind Marnie’s eyes. There had been no white-shirted staff, which meant she hadn’t sounded the alarm. Was she hiding something?
Marnie rubbed her throat, trying to loosen the tightness squeezing her windpipe. “I don’t want to betray her trust or get in trouble.”
Jason’s eyes sharpened. He reached for her hands, squeezing them for emphasis. “That’s very honourable, Beatrice, but she should have never asked you to keep a secret. That’s not right!” His indignant voice resonated down her spine, making her shiver.
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust him. After all, she knew nothing about this Kathleen woman, and the New Zealand housing market was a hot mess. Jason kept his eyes on hers, searching for answers.
Marnie took a deep breath. Despite her gut-wrenching discomfort, there was something electrifying about this moment. She had his full attention. Nobody had paid attention to her in a long time, not like this. She felt like a dried-up plant that someone had accidentally watered, maybe over-watered, but she would drink it all up. Who knew how long she would have to survive on this? As soon as she spilled the beans, he would lose interest.
“Please, Beatrice. I beg you to reconsider your loyalties. You don’t know me, and I get that you’re a person with integrity, which is very rare. Honestly, if it had been anyone else, with anything newsworthy”—he searched her eyes again, a hint of a smile on his lips—“the press would already know about this. The fact that they don’t is remarkable.”
“You wish you’d asked someone else to go into that bathroom?” Marnie attempted a playful smile, but her mouth tugged downward in disappointment.
“No! I don’t.” Jason seemed surprised, giving her another long look. “I’m so glad I met you, circumstances aside.”
She caught a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. In better lighting, she might have been able to confirm the colour of his cheeks.
Marnie’s pulse whooshed in her ears. She was probably being played, but she was willing to take the risk. Maybe she couldn’t reveal her real name, but she could give him what he was after. Some deep part of her wanted to make him happy.
Shivering, she launched in. “She said she slipped and fell, but I think she’d been lying there for a while. She had that look, the way she was splayed on the floor... and there was a moment afterwards when she couldn’t remember something I’d just said, as if her mind went blank. But she recovered quickly.”
Jason stared at her, his mouth ajar. She could almost hear the engine purring behind those cool, grey eyes.
“You want me to tell someone about that? Like one of those staff members in white shirts?” she asked.
Jason rubbed his chin, his nails scraping the stubble. Marnie had a sudden urge to touch him. When was the last time she’d touched a man’s face? Or any other part for that matter. Her fingertips tingled at the thought.
“It would be better if the press got wind of it.”
“You want me to go to the media?” Marnie’s chest flooded with panic. She really didn’t want to get involved in this. What if Kathleen found out? She was a minister with a lot of influence. What if she wasn’t sick? They had no solid evidence. She could be sued for slander.
Reading the alarm in her eyes, Jason shook his head. “No, we have to be smart about this. I don’t want you caught in the middle. It could blow up big time, and that’s not fair. But if the right people heard about this, it would get to the media. If it’s true, there will be other supporting evidence.”
Marnie shuddered. “It would destroy her. I mean her career.”
Jason pinned her with his gaze, sucking in a deep breath. “Trust me, if there was any other way, if I could get her onboard with the changes we need... This might look malicious, but we could actually be saving thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people from perpetual poverty, help lift them out of these situations, living in unhealthy and crowded rentals.”
Marnie nodded. Despite the fear tightening her gut, she felt an overwhelming desire to help him. Please him. Touch him. Goodness, she really needed to reel in these thoughts. “Okay. Just let me know who I need to tell. Point me to the right person.”
She placed her shoes on the floor, ready to get up. Okay. She’d caved and agreed to give him exactly what he wanted. It was over –her moment in the sun, feeling borderline young again, even a little bit important. She hoped it was worth a potential lawsuit.
Jason didn’t get up. He sank deeper into the couch, dropping his head against the black leather. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m just so tired.”
“You must have a full schedule.” Marnie watched his eyelids dip lower and close for a moment. His thick, gold-tipped lashes cast shadows across his cheeks. Such a beautiful, sculpted face. Oh, how she wanted to trace her fingers along the hollows of those stubbled cheeks, along the blue-tinted circles under his eyes. He looked spent. Passion laced with exhaustion. She recognised the latter, but her world was so much smaller, her activities insignificant. Nothing she did affected hundreds of thousands of people. She liked her work at the community house, helping people. She enjoyed looking after her friend’s four-year-old. She was used to dealing with her teenage daughter, and the frantic calls from her ex-husband’s demented mother. She couldn’t even imagine what it was like trying to fix a broken country. Another shiver ran down her spine and she adjusted herself on the couch.
Poor Jason. Nobody was worse equipped to help this guy. What was she doing frolicking in the parliament building in a skimpy dress and heels, her face painted to look like someone else? Marnie wove her fingers into her carefully styled up-do.
Remember, you’re Beatrice. Act like it.
Watching Jason’s rising and falling chest, Marnie removed her heels and curled her feet under her body, her head swimming. She’d had too much champagne in a short amount of time. Since sitting down, she’d felt the effect of those drinks more keenly, like she’d been drugged. The sensation both thrilled and terrified her. The powerful tug of intoxication pulled her into a swirl she couldn’t fight. Maybe it was better to just ride the wave. Her head would clear soon enough, and she’d be back to her boring existence.
