Choppy Water
- Автор: Вудс Стюарт
- Серия: Stone Barrington #54
- Год: 2020
- Язык: английский
- Год: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
- ISBN: 978-0-593-18829-3
- Жанр: Триллеры
Электронная книга - «Choppy Water». Краткое содержание книги:
“There’s room under the rear seat,” Sykes said. “I’ll ride in the rear seat, like today, so I’ll be sitting on the case.”
“And we have the advantage of already being in their computer, both today and tomorrow. Nothing strange about us.”
“Do you consider them both doable?”
“I do,” Eugene replied.
“Equally so?”
Eugene thought about it. “It’s a shorter shot at St. Mary’s, but given the steep incline of the seating area, more downhill; but I can deal with that. Yes, equally so.”
“Then let’s go back to the city and think on it,” Sykes replied.
They took the George Washington Bridge back across the Hudson River, because Sykes always felt trapped in a tunnel, even one as large as the Lincoln.
Bess left Bloomingdale’s and couldn’t find a vacant cab anywhere, so she hoofed it back to the Lowell, which was only a few blocks. Tom Blake was sitting in the hotel lobby, reading a newspaper. He did not look at her as she passed.
She was putting away the plunder of the day when there was a rap on the inside door. She opened it, and Tom was standing there.
“We’ve got a problem,” Tom said.
“Come in and have a seat.”
Tom sat down. “We’ve narrowed their opportunity to two venues,” he said. “She’s giving an award at St. Mary’s College at nine AM tomorrow, then she’s moving to the Army Intelligence Center in New Jersey, for an 1:30 PM event.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“We don’t know which one they’re going to make the attempt at.”
“Jesus, Tom, then cover both of them!”
“We don’t have the personnel. The president is in town for an appearance downtown tomorrow, and the White House has drained away all available personnel from both the Bureau and the Secret Service.”
“How about the New Jersey State police?”
“They can’t operate on a federal installation.”
“Army MPs can.”
“They’re all tied up dealing with the traffic and visitors for the event.”
“Have you got enough people to cover one event?”
“Yes, but barely.”
“Then pick one and cancel the other.”
“Peregrine refuses to cancel either, says they’re very important to statements she wants to make — on the arts at St. Mary’s and on national defense in New Jersey. Do you think you can find out from Sykes which one he’s going to hit?”
“I think the odds are heavily against it. He’s beginning to trust me, but we’re not there yet.”
“Then I’ll call Stone Barrington. Maybe she’ll listen to him.”
“Now that’s an idea.”
51
Stone listened patiently to Tom Blake and Bill Wright on a conference call, then listened to all of the suggestions Bess had made. “So you’re at an impasse again,” Stone said. “And you’re both afraid to insist that Holly make the choice.”
Silence.
“Asked and answered,” Stone said.
“Stone,” Bill said, “we’d be very grateful if you’ll speak to Holly on our behalf and get her to make the choice.”
Stone sighed heavily. “And why do you think that will make a difference?”
“Because she’s known you a long time, and she respects your advice.”
“Is flattery all you’ve got, Bill?”
“It is.”
“All right, I’ll have a go. I’ll wait until she gets home and put it to her then.”
“She’s not going to be home until around five o’clock, and she might get delayed beyond that. Please call her and speak to her now.”
“Oh, all right. If she’ll speak to me. She could be in a meeting.”
“Please try.”
Stone hung up and called Holly’s cell phone.
She picked up immediately. “You’re calling for Tom Blake and Bill Wright, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but...”
She hung up.
Stone stared at the telephone, swearing at it. He called back.
“They have my answer,” she said.
“No, they don’t, because the question has changed.”
“The hell it has.”
“The circumstances have changed, too.”
“All right, take your best shot, then I’ll hang up again.”
“This is your choice. If you won’t choose one venue, then the Bureau and the Secret Service will cancel both of them.”
“What?”
“You heard me; what’s it going to be?”
“They don’t have the authority to cancel those events.”
“You’re not president yet, remember? They can cancel them, and there isn’t a thing you can do about it.”
“That’s outrageous!”
“No, it’s not. It’s sensible. What’s outrageous is your insistence on doing both events, when you’ve been told they don’t have the manpower to cover both.”
“I don’t believe them.”
“They’ve explained it to me, and I believe them. Do you want me to explain it to you again?”
“What’s my excuse for canceling?”
“Flu-like symptoms; you forgot to get a flu shot.”
“I did so get my flu shot!”
“It isn’t one hundred percent effective,” he pointed out.
She thought about it. “If I say that, then it will start a whole big immunization thing, and I’ll find myself arguing with all those people who won’t let their kids be vaccinated for whatever.”
“All right, what we need is a reason for your absence that isn’t a lie.”
“Tell me one.”
“How about diarrhea and vomiting?”
“Too unattractive, and still a lie.”
“Intestinal difficulties.”
“Same thing.”
“Exhaustion.”
“Well, I’m certainly getting tired of talking about this.”
“How about the FBI and the Secret Service made you do it.”
“Which one?”
“Both of them?”
“Reason?”
“Because the president is in town for four events, and they’re spread too thin to cover everything.”
“Well, that has the attraction of being true.”
“Can you hang on a minute?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just called Tom Blake.
“Is Bill with you?”
“Yes.”
“How about postponing both events for a day. Can you cover both the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes!”
“Hang on.” He sent back to Holly. “We’ve got it, it’s true, and it works.”
“What does?”
“Postponing both events for a day.”
“Oh, hell, all right. But they’re making the phone calls, not I.”
“Done.” Stone hung up. “You still there?”
Both of them said, “Yes.”
“Postpone until the day after tomorrow, and you two have to make the calls. Flip a coin.”
“Great idea!” Tom said. “We’ll confirm!”
“And Tom, Bill?”
“Yes?”
“If that doesn’t work, reschedule them for different days, maybe next week, and clear it with the transition team.”
“Okay.”
Stone put down the phone and pondered the thought that it could be like this for the next eight years.
Shortly after five, Holly walked into his study, grabbed a bourbon bottle, got some ice, and poured. “You’re in big trouble,” she said.
“Bourbon, please,” Stone said, looking up from the TV.
A CNN anchorperson came on. “It seems that events scheduled for tomorrow by both the president and the president-elect have overstretched the limits of protection that can be provided for them, so the president-elect’s events at St. Mary’s College and the Army Intelligence Center, in New Jersey, have had to be canceled and rescheduled for another time.”