Mumfries’s chief of staff, Hamilton Kelly, had stayed in Washington to attend to convention plans. With Kelly and Brewster McGreer now dealing with the transition, Addis had rushed to Andrews Air Force Base to meet Mumfries and discuss the speech Mumfries was to deliver that night.

“Nick, you know, we—Bob and I, that is—we didn’t like each other much,” Mumfries said.

“I know.”

“But never in a thousand years did I—”

“I know, Mr. President.”

Addis had used the title to see how awful it would feel to say it.

“Any more word on the asshole who—”

“No, sir.”

“But a lone gunman, right? Nutcase, right? No signs of a wider plot?”

“No evidence either way, not yet.”

The car drove past the Vietnam Memorial and turned on to Constitution Avenue. The police had cleared the route. Tourists lined the street and stared, trying to see the forms behind the darkened windows.

“How’s Margaret doing?”

“Busy with the plans, with Jack.”

“You know, she and I never got along, even when we were kids. When I was growing up in Louisiana, our families were close. Did some business—my uncle and her pop. And then years later, me and her are … . I remember this one time, I came home from Iran—that’s when I was in the Air Force and flying these secret missions we couldn’t talk about. She must have been sixteen. There was a party. Junior League or a coming-out—something like that. Had on my uniform. She was a pistol. Kept asking where’d I been. I wouldn’t tell her. But she kept at it. I said I couldn’t say. And she near about threw a fit. Everyone looked at us—like we were having a lover’s quarrel. Then I moved to Houston and didn’t see much more of her.”

Mumfries looked at his thick, stubby hands and let the story drift off. Addis studied Mumfries’s face: wide fleshy nose, a furrowed brow, and jowly cheeks. He remembered a columnist observing that Mumfries was disappearing further and further into his own visage.

“And Brew wants you to talk to me about the speech, right?”

“Yes.”

“Thinks I’ll fuck it up somehow. Not do justice to Bob.”

Addis said nothing.

“We know each other several years, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When you were working for Palmer in the Senate you tried to fuck me a few times. And I tried to fuck you—or him, that is. We’re a party that eats its own. Even if we don’t fancy the taste.”

“Well, I’m not sure—”