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  When the chairman called for order he introduced “the two heavyweights both well qualified to be our next governor,” and then invited Elliot to make his opening remarks. Nat had never heard him speak so poorly. The chairman then asked Nat to reply and when he resumed his place, he would have been the first to admit he hadn’t done much better. The first round, he thought, had ended in a no-points draw.

  When the chairman called for questions, Nat wondered when the missile would be launched and from which direction. His eyes swept the hall as he waited for the first question.

  “How do the candidates feel about the education bill that is currently being debated in the Senate?” came from someone sitting at the top table. Nat concentrated on the provisions in the bill that he felt should be amended, while Elliot kept reminding them that he had completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut.

  The second questioner wanted to know about the new state income tax, and whether both candidates. would guarantee not to raise it. Yes and yes.

  The third questioner was interested in the policy on crime, and with a particular reference to young offenders. Elliot said they should all be locked up and taught a lesson. Nat was less sure that prison was the answer to every problem, and that they should perhaps consider some of the innovations which Utah had recently introduced into their penal system.

  When Nat resumed his seat, the chairman rose and looked around the room for another question. As soon as the man stood up without actually looking at him, Nat knew this had to be the plant. He glanced at Elliot, who was scribbling notes, pretending to be oblivious of his presence. “Yes, sir,” said the chairman, pointing at him.

  “Mr. Chairman, may I ask if either of the candidates has ever broken the law?”

  Elliot was on his feet immediately. “Several times,” he said. “I’ve had three parking tickets in the past week, which is why I’ll be easing parking restrictions in town centers the moment I’m elected.” Word perfect, thought Nat; even the timing had been rehearsed. A splattering of applause broke out.

  Nat rose slowly and turned to face Elliot. “I shall not be changing the law to accommodate Mr. Elliot, because I believe there should be fewer vehicles in our city centers, not more. It may not be popular, but someone has to stand up and warn people that their future will be bleak if we build bigger and bigger cars that consume more and more gas and then spit out more and more toxic fumes. We owe our children a better heritage than that, and I have no interest in being elected on glib remarks that will be quickly forgotten once I’m in power.” He sat down to loud applause and hoped that the chairman would move on to another questioner, but the man remained standing.

  “But, Mr. Cartwright, you didn’t answer my question as to whether you’d ever broken the law.”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” replied Nat.

  “But isn’t it true that you once cleared a check for three million six hundred thousand dollars from Russell’s Bank, when you knew that the funds had already been misappropriated and that the signature on the check was fraudulent?”

  Several of the audience began chattering at once, and Nat had to wait for some time before he could reply.

  “Yes, Russell’s was swindled out of that money by a very clever fraudster, but as that exact sum was owed to the local council, I felt that the bank had no choice but to honor the debt and pay the council the amount in full.”

  “Did you inform the police at the time that the money had been stolen? After all, it belonged to the customers of Russell’s Bank and not to you,” continued the questioner.

  “No, because we had every reason to believe that the cash had been transferred abroad, so we knew that there would be no possibility of retrieving it.” Nat realized as soon as he had finished speaking that his answer would not placate the questioner or several others in the audience.

  “If you were to become governor, Mr. Cartwright, would you treat the taxpayers’ money in the same cavalier fashion?”

  Elliot was immediately on his feet. “Mr. Chairman, that was a disgraceful suggestion and nothing more than innuendo and slur; why don’t we move on?” He sat down to loud applause while Nat remained standing. He had to admire the sheer nerve of Elliot setting up the question and then being seen to come to his opponent’s defense. He waited for complete silence.

  “The incident you refer to occurred over ten years ago. It was a mistake on my part that I regret, although it is ironic that it turned out to be a massive financial success for all those involved, because the three point six million the bank invested in the Cedar Wood project has been a boon to the people of Hartford, not to mention the city’s economy.”

  The questioner still wouldn’t sit down. “Despite Mr. Elliot’s magnanimous comments, may I ask him if he would have reported such a misappropriation of funds to the police?”

  Elliot rose slowly. “I would prefer not to comment without knowing all the details of this particular case, but I am happy to take Mr. Cartwright’s word when he says that he did not commit any offense, and bitterly regrets not reporting the matter to the appropriate authorities at the time.” He paused for some time. “However, if I am elected governor, you can be assured of open government. If I make a mistake, I will admit it at the time and not ten years later.” The questioner sat down, his job completed.

  The chairman found it difficult to bring the meeting back to order. There were several more questions, but they were not listened to in silence, as those seated in the body of the hall continued to discuss Nat’s revelation.

  When the chairman finally brought the meeting to a close, Elliot left the room quickly while Nat remained in his place. He was touched by how many people came up and shook him by the hand, many agreeing that the Cedar Wood project had proved beneficial for the city.

  “Well, at least they didn’t lynch you,” Tom said as they left the room.

  “No, they didn’t, but there will only be one subject on the voters’ minds tomorrow. Am I a suitable person to occupy the governor’s mansion?”

  43

  THE CEDAR WOOD SCANDAL was the headline in the Hartford Courant the following morning. A photograph of the check and Julia’s real signature had been placed side by side. It didn’t read well, but luckily for Nat half the voters had gone to the polls long before the paper hit the streets. Nat had earlier prepared a short withdrawal statement should he lose, which congratulated his opponent, but fell short of endorsing him for governor. Nat was in his office when the result was announced from Republican headquarters.

  Tom took the call and rushed in without knocking. “You won, you won, 11,792 to 11,673—it’s only by a hundred and nineteen votes, but it still puts you in the lead in the electoral college, 29-27.”

  The next day, the leader in the Hartford Courant did point out that no one had lost any money by investing in the Cedar Wood project, and perhaps the voters had made their intentions clear.

  Nat still had to face three more caucuses and two more primaries before the candidate was finally selected. He was therefore relieved to find that Cedar Wood quickly became yesterday’s news. Elliot won the next caucus 19-18, and Nat the primary four days later, 9,702-6,379, which put him even further ahead as they approached the final primary. In the electoral college, Nat now led 116-91 and the polls were showing him seven points ahead in the town of his birth.

  On the streets of Cromwell, Nat was joined by his parents, Susan and Michael, who concentrated on the older voters, while Luke and Kathy tried to persuade the young to turn out. As each day passed, Nat became more and more confident that he was going to win. The Courant began to suggest that the real battle lay ahead for Nat when he would have to face Fletcher Davenport, the popular senator for Hartford. However, Tom still insisted that they take the television debate with Elliot seriously.

  “We don’t need to trip up at the final hurdle,” he said. “Clear that, and you’ll be the candidate. But I still want you to spend Sunday going over the questions again and again,