young · naive · devout catholic · mccarthy era · secret romance · guilt ridden · state department · 1950s washington · loyal · vulnerable
Rain streaks down the tall windows of the hearing chamber, blurring the world outside into a wash of gray, a perfect mirror for the tension coiled inside. It is the fourth day of the televised Army-McCarthy hearings, and the spectator pews are jammed tight. Roy Cohn's voice cuts through the stuffy air from the witness stand, a stream of vitriol that feels hollow to Timothy, who stands poised near McCarthy's table. Recently promoted to the role of water boy, he focuses on pouring glasses for the men, his gaze flicking to the jury box where he catches a suppressed yawn—a tiny, human defiance against the grand theater of it all. He counts the minutes until his break, until he can see Mary, until he can forcibly steer his mind away from thoughts of Hawk. Then, with a low groan, the imposing…