THEO AND REED'S POLITICAL SCANDAL

Chapter Nine

  The next morning Theo sent Reed off to work at the zoo with a deep passionate kiss and his own bagged lunch. Winnie arrived to baby sit Benji who was watching cartoons and clapping his hands merrily in the living room. Then Theo took off to meet Matt at the Metro station where they headed to the Washington Reign newspaper office which was located in a fairly shabby three story building in Southeast DC. 

The Reign was not on a par with the Washington Post. The Post  had been DC respectable for generations , employing the best staff with the very highest standards . The  Reign was a very young upstart of a newspaper that bordered more on being a tabloid than anything. It was owned by a jet setting heiress to a candy bar empire , LuLu Hess , who was one of Charles' most hated clients.  She  had apparently bounced a couple of checks on Charles in the past. She was on her fifth marriage and considered the newspaper to be a pet hobby project.  

As they took the elevator up to the third floor newsroom Theo noticed that Matt was oddly silent and seemed depressed. He asked him if he was alright and Matt shrugged and said , " Does that matter ? " They left the elevator and the first person they saw was an older stocky White man with a cigar stuck in his mouth as he typed with one finger while sitting at a messy desk. He didn't even bother to take the cigar out his mouth as he mumbled around it, " Name's Buzz Gordon. What can I do for you two..... gentlemen ? " 

Matt stepped close to him , his thin lip glossed mouth narrowed even more as he said, " I'm Matt St. Austin. This is my friend Theodore Walton -Fisher. WE are here to speak with the alleged writer of an article on me. I believe her byline was Natalia Nickels. "

" Oh yeah. I recognize you now. The queer's wife. The fancy doctor that wants to ruin the city. " 

Theo drew in an irritated breath. Matt looked like he was about to snap. Buzz laughed around his cigar. " Just kidding , fellows ! Don't be so sensitive. His husband. His husband. We very queer alphabet soup here at the Reign. Head to the back of room. Nat's there. Probably guzzling energy drinks and cussing at her computer. " 

Matt mumbled under his breath and Theo shot the man a death glare before they walked down the long line of cubicles and desks to where a too thin , too tall , too manic White women with spiked up brownish blonde hair and ice cold grey eyes. Indeed she was downing a Monster and cussing at her computer. She glanced up at them with a rude snarl before exclaiming , " Who the fuck are you? I got a bloody damn deadline ! Go away. " 

" I'm the man who will sue the hell out of you for libel and slander if you don't take it down a notch , ok ? , " Matt snapped tersely. Theo put a calming arm on his shoulder and shook his head at him. Theo said, " I'm his friend , Theo Walton -Fisher. This is Matt St. Austin. We have a few questions to ask you. "

Her eyes widened almost in shock. She swallowed intensely. " Fuck. The Saint's hubby. Guess you didn't like my piece on you. It was fucking true. I ran you through the system. You have a record for prostitution  in New York.   Been arrested least five times. Once for shoplifting at a grocery store.  Also loitering. "

Theo watched as Matt's pale skin flushed red. This might not be a good idea. He had a temper when pushed and this would not go well if he lost it. Theo gave her the firm look he usually reserved for IRS agents who were auditing his clients. Nat began to squirm under his stern glare. He said , " The record might be real , Ms. Nickels , but that picture was not. Was it ? Where did you get it ? Who gave it to you ? "

Nat smirked as she sat back in her unwieldy swivel chair and said , " Don't know. It was sent here anonymous. In a plain brown envelope with no name or return address. I recognized you , Mr. St. Austin. I started searching and found out all about your sleazy little past life. Congrats on catching you a rich man. Is it true your father was his father's butler in Ambrose , Georgia ? His father is Judge Samuel St. Austin , right ? You know your father in law made a very big donation to Beauregard ? " 

Theo put his hand on Matt's shoulder for support and to also restrain him from going after the rude woman. 

Theo asked , " Did you also recognize the other man in the alleged picture ? "

" Why don't you ask your " friend " here ? , " she smirked. 

Theo was really starting to dislike this woman. " I'm asking you. "

" No but it doesn't matter. He isn't important. Your hooker friend here is. And his hubby. Our circulation has doubled since that story dropped. Thank you so much , Mr. St. Austin. "

Matt asked , " Why me ?"

" Why not you ? You're news now. You became news the second your hubby decided to take on the mayor. With your cute family and damn rallies blocking traffic and making me late. With your charity and your homemade bread. Welcome to the ugly world of DC politics. Only the truly fit win this battle here. Why do you think Beauregard has stayed in power so long ? " She turned back to her computer and her all important deadline. 

They turned to leave but stopped at her next words. " Look. I'm not completely heartless. I'm just doing my job. I don't know for sure and I don't want to know. But I'm pretty sure that Beauregard was behind my getting that picture. He doesn't like losing. Ask his last opponent. You know. The dead one. " 

Theo blanched as he recalled the last couple of elections where the mayor had another intense challenger in a bright eyed young lawyer named Jack Jacobs. They had been neck in neck in the polls up until the day Jack and his social worker wife Terri were killed in a tragic home invasion at their usually quiet Georgetown home. Two weeks before the general election. The killers were never caught. The case was still open and unsolved. Shit.

Theo watched Matt with a lot of dread and worry. Why did Saint have to run for mayor ?