The buses had shown up on time. One hundred and fifty folding chairs were in perfect rows on the Rose Garden lawn, facing the podium and a set of risers. Refreshments were being served. The green, white, and orange Irish flag stood to the left side of the podium and the Stars and Stripes to the right. There was a buzz of conversation from the assembling crowd, many of whom were from a guest list that she had help to compile.

And the best part was that Martin Mallory would, in all likelihood, not be a no-show today. Kim, working with the president’s chief of staff, had assured herself of it. Just the same, she breathed easier when she saw Martin standing beside Darlene, chatting with some dignitaries. Despite his expertly applied makeup, the president looked drawn and haggard. By contrast, Darlene was radiant in a simple white Christian Dior dress and cloche hat adorned with a silk bow and rosettes.

The children filed into the Rose Garden as orderly as they had passed through security. Kim enjoyed seeing the awe in their faces as they took in the grandeur and beauty around them. The crabapple trees were no longer flowering, but the roses, tulips, primroses, and grape hyacinth were in spectacular bloom. The constant chirping of birds added a natural accompaniment to the quartet of professional musicians playing traditional Irish music.

Kim and Darlene’s eyes met.

The brief exchange said much. At least for this morning, Martin had come through, and there had been no word from Double M—the name they had chosen for their mystery man. After reading the handwritten note on the back of the Bar None coaster, Darlene felt intrigued and vindicated.

“I knew it. I just knew it,” she had said once, then again during their closed-door meeting in her office.

“But why would somebody go after Evans?” Kim asked.

“You remember what he said to us at the Bar None? His office impacts local food producers, major growers, environmentalists, even the manufacturers of fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds. His policies affect millions of lives and probably trillions of dollars. Any number of his positions might put him in someone’s crosshairs.”

Kim thought back to their conversation with Evans—his frustration and almost palpable frailty. She warned herself not to jump to conclusions about his innocence. She wasn’t connected to him as intensely as the First Lady was, and needed to remain objective. Double M claimed to have proof. For Russ Evans’s sake, she hoped the man would not stay hidden for long.