Then he moved aside to make way for the president, who walked into the room smiling.

“Alex Cross. I’ve heard so much about you. All of it good,” she said.

Chapter 77

THE PRESIDENT’S VIBE was completely different from Reese’s. She was almost collegial the way she shook my hand and settled onto the tufted leather couch instead of behind the desk. Not that it did anything to put me at ease.

“I’ve read your book,” she told me. “Years ago, but I remember it well. Very interesting stuff. And so very scary because it’s all true.”

“Thank you, Madam President.”

I admired Margaret Vance. She’d done a lot to get both sides of the aisle talking to each other. She and her husband, Theodore Vance, were both powerful figures not only in Washington but around the world. All things being equal, I would have liked to work with the president. But things were definitely not equal right now.

“I’d like to ask you a favor, Dr. Cross.” She nodded at her agent to leave us alone, and I waited for him to close the door.

“Regarding my investigation?”

“That’s right. I think you’ll agree it’s important this case not proceed in a way that could threaten innocent people, or especially national security, or even the everyday workings of our government. Allegations can be just as harmful as indictments if they’re brought to light in the wrong way. You know that, of course.”

“Yes,” I agreed. “I have a bit of experience with that.”

“So you can appreciate the delicacy here.” She was talking more at me than to me, and seemed to think this was all already settled. “I’d like you to meet with one of our lead agents, Dan Cormorant, get him up to speed, and transition the case into his care.”

“I’m not sure that I’m in a position to do that,” I told her. “For several reasons.”

“It won’t be a problem. The Service’s uniformed division has all the statutory authority of the Metropolitan Police.”

I nodded. “Within the city limits, that’s true.”

It was like I wasn’t even speaking anymore, the way she went on. “And of course, all the field resources any investigation could possibly need. We’ve got the best in the world working for us here.” She stopped and looked at me over the top of her glasses. “Present company excluded, of course.”

My, my, my. It’s a truly original feeling to have your ass kissed by the leader of the free world. Too bad I couldn’t enjoy it for more than a few seconds. I’ve got a pretty good internal compass, but for all I knew, it was sending me right over an edge I’d never come back from.

“President Vance,” I said. My heart might have been thudding, but my mind was still clear. “I’d like to take all of this under advisement and respond sometime in the next twenty-four hours, either in writing or in person, whichever you prefer.”

She didn’t try to hide how she felt about that. Two lines showed up around her mouth like parentheses.