The Dead President's Club

By Peter C. Jacobson

The The Dead Presidents Club story continues with the ghosts of Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge trying to end a 160 year old curse before an assassin kills the president and his family by blowing up the White House. The ghosts have little time to discover the assassin and to stop him. Meanwhile their living friend Brian Stone, the presidents son, has problems of his own he must climb the dreaded rope to the ceiling of the school gymnasium or receive a failing grade.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462804719

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Copyright © 2008 by Peter C. Jacobson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Book Dedication:

This book is dedicated to the two most important people in my life;

to my wife Ruth and my son Brian.

Your patience surrounding all things presidential is worthy of sainthood.

Chapter 1

It was midnight on the evening before Inauguration Day. In the East Room of the White House a ghostly gathering was being held. Every four years on Inauguration Eve the ghosts of former presidents gather at the White House to choose three of their members to act as ghostly advisors to the new president.

All of the presidents were there, that is all of those who had passed away. The East Room was busy with ghostly activity. Although a passerby looking in would see nothing but a darkened room, like all other self-respecting ghosts, the presidential ghosts prefer to maintain their invisibility. However, if they so choose they can show themselves any time they want usually to get a laugh by scaring someone who is generally a member of the opposite political party.

George Washington rapped his gavel on a shimmering table saying, Order, order, this meeting will now come to order. Gentlemen, please take your seats.

Seated together in the front row were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Seated behind them were Zachary Taylor and Dwight Eisenhower. Standing by one of the windows engaged in a spirited conversation were Millard Fillmore and Herbert Hoover. U.S. Grant and Warren G. Harding were playing a hand of poker. Seated towards the rear and by himself was Calvin Coolidge. They all made their way to their seats and sat down. George Washington then addressed the assembly, I want to thank all of you for coming this evening. I know that we would all like to be elsewhere tonight, but we have an important duty to perform. As you know the people of this nation have elected a new president and we dead presidents need to pick three new advisors to help him through his term. I want to thank the advisors from this last term, Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland and James K. Polk. You gentlemen did a great job. A round of applause and nods of approval accented Washington’s statement. The chair is now prepared to hear the report from the chairman of the research committee, James Madison.

A short ghost smartly dressed in colonial knee breeches walked to the front of the assembled group. Thank you George. The committee has done extensive research on President-elect Jim Stone and his family. He was born in Mt. Kisco, New York forty-seven years ago. He served four years in the Navy and went to Yale University graduating with a law degree. He set up a law practice in Enfield, Connecticut. As for his government service he was elected to the Enfield Town Council twice before being elected to the office of State Representative. He was elected governor eight years ago. He was nominated on the first ballot at his party’s convention in the summer and he easily won the presidential election this last November by carrying thirty-six of the fifty states. He is married to his devoted wife, Allison and has two children, Arianna, fourteen years old and Brian, ten years old. Madison stopped speaking for a moment and looked over the top of his paper to make sure that his audience was still listening, they were and he then continued. The committee feels that President-elect Stone’s strengths lie in his ability to motivate people to back his ideas and policies. His weakness is his inability to make decisions based on his own judgment. In other words he tends to cave-in to other people’s opinions. President Madison finished speaking and looked at George Washington indicating that he had finished his report.

Thank you James for your report. Are there any questions for the research committee? asked Washington.

I have one. boomed a voice from the back of the room.

The chair recognizes Teddy, I mean President Roosevelt.

Thanks, George. James, what did Stone do in the Navy? asked Teddy.

I believe he was a supply clerk in New London. replied Madison.

You mean he was never really on ship? You know out to sea? queried Roosevelt.

Our records indicate that he did go aboard the USS Constitution in Boston. replied Madison glancing at his report.

The Constitution? James that ship hasn’t been to sea in over one hundred years. bellowed Roosevelt.

Madison just shrugged and returned to his seat. He knew that you just didn’t try to argue with Theodore Roosevelt. Washington asked if there were any more comments about the newly elected president.

Dwight Eisenhower then stood up and said, Just because Jim Stone didn’t go to sea doesn’t make him a bad leader. I suggest that we proceed with picking the three advisors and have the research committee continue to dig into Stone’s background looking for those instances that Mr. Stone showed great leadership and decision making. Murmurs of agreement were heard through out the room.

If that’s all the comments, we will then proceed with the picking of the advisors. First, let me ask if there are any volunteers. said George Washington as he looked out upon the assembled group. Not one hand went up, it was the type of duty that even a ghost, with all the time eternity had to offer, didn’t want. A four-year stint was bad enough. But what if the president ran for a second term? The ghost advisors would be stuck with their advisor duty for another four years.

I thought so. said Washington. So, we’ll do it like we usually do, by drawing names. Suddenly a gentleman’s top hat materialized on the table. He then reached into the hat and stirred around the markers. He called forward the three advisors from the last term to draw their successor’s names. Van Buren, Cleveland and Polk each drew one marker out of the hat and handed them to George Washington.

Thank you gentlemen. The advisors for Jim Stone are Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge. May I remind the three of you that you are not to show yourselves to anybody and that you are to remain non-partisan in all policy decisions. Washington then banged his gavel on the table adjourning the meeting. And in the blink of an eye everyone vanished leaving the three dead presidents all alone in the East Room.

Chapter 2

It was seven o’clock in the morning when Bob Brown knocked on the bedroom door of the Presidential Suite at the Ambassador Hotel. Jim, are you up yet? he asked while opening the door.

Yeah Bobby, I’m up. I’ve been up all night. I just couldn’t get to sleep. Allison slept okay though. Jim answered.

Bob Brown, along with being a political advisor, was also a good friend of the Stones. Although he never married, Bob Brown was married to his work. He was responsible for Stone’s gubernatorial campaign as well as being the architect of Jim Stone’s successful presidential campaign.

Good morning Bobby. said Allison as she walked out of the bathroom.

Good morning Allison did you sleep okay? asked Bobby.

As good as could be expected considering today’s events. Allison replied with a worried smile.

Today’s events are what I need to talk to both of you about. You have to be at the White House at ten o’clock for breakfast with President and Mrs. Aikens. At eleven you’ll leave for The Capitol. Any questions so far? asked Brown. He looked over his bifocals at the Stones who were sitting on the bed looking like lost children.

Okay, at noon you’ll take the oath of office and give your speech. At one o’clock you’ll arrive at the viewing stand to watch the parade. At five o’clock you’ll return to the White House to change for your appearances at five inaugural balls being held tonight throughout Washington D.C.

Bobby, interrupted Mrs. Stone, what about Arianna and Brian? These inaugural balls go on all night and I don’t want them out that late nor do I think it’s fair to bore them half to death by dragging them to these political soirees where they won’t know anyone.

Brown thought for a minute as he rubbed his chin. They could stay at the White House, I could have my assistant Cindy Smith stay with them tonight. Jim and Allison looked at each other and agreed that it was the best solution possible.

The inauguration went as planned. With the back drop of the white dome of the Capitol Building against an azure sky, Jim Stone looked and sounded every bit the President that he had just become. His speech brought wild cheers and adulation from the crowd.

The parade was a grand spectacle to behold. Bands from every state performed for the new president. Marching units from each branch of the armed services saluted their new Commander-in-Chief. For most of the parade the new First Family stood together at the front of the reviewing stand. Arianna and Brian were proud of their dad. They hugged him and smiled, the newspaper photographers loved it as they took picture after picture.

In the limousine on the way to the White House, Arianna whined, Mom, can’t I go to at least one ball?

For the fourteenth time Arianna, no! You know how I feel about these political gatherings. I don’t want you and your brother to be in the limelight constantly. Allison Stone knew from her own experience how the limelight of political office changes people. Even her beloved Jim changed from the idealistic man who wanted to make the world a better place for everyone to live in, to a man pushed and pulled by the party bosses. She was determined to make sure that their children would not be affected.

As the limousine pulled into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Stone’s looked at the outside of the most recognized house in the world. All of them were speechless except for Brian who could only manage an, Oh, wow!

They were met at the door by Bobby Brown, Welcome to your new home Mr. President, Mrs. Stone, Arianna and Brian, said Bobby as he shook President Stone’s hand. Let me show you to your living quarters on the second floor, follow me.

Arianna and Brian looked at the beautiful furnishings in the foyer and as they walked upstairs they looked at the paintings of past presidents hanging on the walls.

These paintings give me the creeps, they all look so life-like. whispered Arianna to her brother.

Yeah, it looks like they might jump right out of their pictures and go BOO! said Brian in a mock scary tone. He loved to torment his sister, not only because it was the brotherly thing to do but also because it was so easy.

Nice isn’t it Mr. President? asked Brown.

Real nice Bobby. replied Stone. The president’s private quarters were a lot larger than the house that they had in Enfield.

All of your luggage has arrived and has been unpacked and put away. Your furniture and other items will be arriving tomorrow. But you and Mrs. Stone need to dress for this evening. I’ve made arrangements for the children to eat downstairs at 6:30 pm. said the ever-efficient Bobby Brown.

At 6:15pm President and Mrs. Stone accompanied by Brown left for the first of five inaugural balls that they had to attend. The children were now in the company of Brown’s assistant, Cindy Smith. She and the kids walked to the dining room on the first floor where dinner awaited them. As they walked, Brian couldn’t help but feel that he was being watched or followed. He stopped quickly and spun around, about twenty feet behind him were two Secret Service agents.

Cindy, why are those men following us? Brian asked.

Now that your father is president, you have your own security detail. she replied.

Brian looked at Arianna with a perplexed look and shrugged his shoulders. He realized that it was going to be a little more difficult to get away with mischief.

As they entered the dining room, Mr. Jenkins the senior White House butler greeted them. He was a distinguished man well over six feet tall with gray hair and sharp blue eyes. If he had a first name, nobody at the White House knew what it was. All of the staff, visitors and First Families starting with the Eisenhowers always called him Mr. Jenkins.

Good evening Miss Smith. Would you please be seated? said Mr. Jenkins as he held out a chair. Mr. Jenkins motioned to Henry the valet to hold a chair for Arianna. Master Brian, in lieu of your father’s absence, you may sit at the head of the table. said Mr. Jenkins as he motioned to Brian to sit in the big chair at the end of the longest and most polished mahogany table he had ever seen.

In a matter of seconds Mr. Jenkins and Henry placed covered silver trays in front of each of them. With great flare the tray covers were removed revealing a feast fit for a king or at least a ten-year-old.

Wow! Tacos! exclaimed Brian. I was expecting something really weird like snails or something.

No. Master Brian, said Mr. Jenkins with a raised eyebrow, we save the snails for the French Ambassador. Arianna was happy with her chef’s salad and Cindy had a lobster roll, everything tasted great.

Cindy, how did they know that I liked tacos? asked Brian.

If you will excuse me Miss Smith, I’ll answer that. interrupted Mr. Jenkins. Master Brian, being a gentleman’s gentleman requires me to know all the likes and dislikes of my employers.

"Mom told you, right