The insistent ringing of the phone finally penetrated the fogginess that clouded Phil’s mind and unwillingly he opened one eye to glance at the clock. It was three fifteen in the morning, not the best time for anyone to be ringing the deputy mayor, especially on a Sunday morning.
He swung himself groggily out of bed, trying and failing to leave his wife, Lizzie asleep.
“What . . .?”
She mumbled sleepily before pulling the sheet back over her naked chest. For a moment Phil debated even answering the phone but finally lifted the receiver and spoke.
“Hello?”
Lizzie lay there, half awake, half asleep listening with only part of her brain as he spoke.
“Oh hi, John. What’s up?”
There was a pause while whoever was on the other end of the phone spoke at length.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
There was a much shorter pause.
“I don’t believe it!”
The news Phil as receiving was obviously important so Lizzie forced both eyes open and sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest.
“Okay. You gonna look after her? Bring her home?”
Another short pause
“When you do, I’ll be waiting. We both will.”
“Bye and thanks for handling it John. I won’t forget it.”
Phil hung up and turned toward Lizzie who in the meantime had turned on the bedside lamp. In the dim light he looked very pale and was obviously shocked.
“What’s wrong Phil? It’s Susie right?”
Phil shook his head.
“Yes and no. She’s fine sweetheart, well at least physically anyway. John is bringing her home in a few minutes. I think she’ll need the support of her friends. All of them.”
“Why what’s happened?”
“Well you know where she was tonight?”
“Of course, I arranged it, remember.”
“Well, we’ll need to keep that part at least out of the papers.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m afraid I’m the mayor now.”
Lizzie clapped her hands to her face in shock.
“You mean?”
Phil nodded.
“I’m afraid out beloved mayor has gone off to that big old whore house in the sky. Our lithe and limber blonde friend was his very last ride.”
Lizzie’s mouth dropped open; she closed it again with an effort.
“You mean?”
“Yep, Joe died of a massive aneurism as Susie was riding him to heaven. Literally. He always said she was too good and she’d be the death of him. I didn’t realise he meant it till just now.”
“Well mister mayor I suppose we’d better get dressed, Susie’s going to need some comforting . . .”