Dead Politician Society

Chapter 50: Laura

Laura drained the last gulp from the giant, too-sweet coffee she’d picked up en route to the Star office tower. She smacked a thin pile of paper onto Penny’s desk.

“This is every article I could find in your archives that connects all three politicians. We might actually get some sleep tonight.”

“Sleep.” Penny hooted. “It’s not even seven p.m.”

Laura rubbed her eyes. “I’ve been awake since sometime yesterday.”

Penny took a long sip from her short espresso. “Right. Your lover’s quarrel. Have you heard from Susannah?”

“No.”

“She’s young.” Penny picked up the stack of articles Laura had found. “They get angry for five minutes. She’ll call soon.”

“She isn’t young. She’s thirty-five.”

“We’re fifty.” Penny waved the stack. “Anything interesting in here?”

“I don’t know.” Laura wished she hadn’t come. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in her bed, her head about to touch the pillow.

Penny clapped her hands like a summer camp counselor. Laura half-expected to hear the sound of a whistle. “Wake up.”

Laura opened her eyes.

“The article on top looks interesting. Tell me what you know about Hayden and health care.”

“He was on the city’s Board of Health over a decade ago. I flagged that article because it mentions Manuel Ruiz being on the board with him.”

“Could Libby Leighton have been on that board too?”

“She was a councilor at the time, so maybe.”

Penny flipped through the stack of papers. “Welfare. Why’d you flag this one?”

“Ruiz introduced a tough welfare bill—the kind Mike Harris wanted, where people have work to earn their welfare money. Nothing beyond what they’re capable of—so single moms would be exempt—but it would stop people from choosing welfare over a job at McDonald’s.”

“I wouldn’t object to that. Would you?”

Laura shook her head. “Hayden did, though. He and Libby Leighton joined forces to oppose the bill.”

“But they were city. Ruiz was provincial.”

“I think their objections were just public statements. Rah rah for the working class, keep their left wing voter bases onside. Nothing that could actually block the bill from passing.”

“Okay, so not it.” Penny flipped a few more pages before tapping one a few times with her index finger. “Housing. What’s this?”

“Libby and Hayden together again.” Laura laughed. “That controversial project down at the Esplanade—the public co-op next to high end condos. Leighton, as was typical, had flip-flopped—hated the idea until she saw how well it worked.”

Penny frowned. “I disagree that that worked. My condo is on the Esplanade. On the so-called safe side of the street. I won’t walk there alone at night.”

Laura imagined Penny clicking down the sidewalk in her heels, afraid that every black man was a drug dealer who planned to mug her, rape her, or both. She said, “I think most people consider the integration a success. I hear Regent Park is about to go in a similar direction.”

Penny snorted as her eyes scanned the article. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“I saw Hayden last week. He was pumped to give a press release in support.”