Contents (84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
‘What truth?’
‘Who the hell knows. But it must mean that there was more to this than just some rogue Secret Service agents being involved.’
‘You think it’s got anything to do with Knowles’ injury?’
‘It has to, doesn’t it? It’s too much of a coincidence otherwise.’
‘What’s Dempsey said?’
‘Joe? That’s like speaking to a brick wall on stuff like this. All he said was that we shouldn’t mention anything about the Secret Service to anyone. When I pressed him on it, nothing else.’
‘He’ll tell you one day.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on it. Anyway, are you sure you don’t want to run with the Mansour story? The official one, I mean? It’s not out there yet. Not until the morning.’
Sarah lowered her chin into her right hand and stared at Michael from under her eyes. She placed her left on her stomach.
‘You know, after everything that’s happened? I think I need a rest.’
Michael stepped down from his seat, moved around the island unit and wrapped his arms around Sarah’s shoulders.
‘I think we both do,’ he said. ‘Let someone else break the news for a change.’
EIGHTY-THREE
Dempsey stepped onto the balcony of Apartment 35D of The Stratford. He was carrying three mugs of tea, steaming in the late-February air.
One for him. One for Father Sam Cooke. And one for Eden Grace.
The view was as incredible as ever. As it had done so many times before, it brought Dempsey peace.
He handed the first mug to Cooke and the second to Grace. With both seats taken, he sipped his own and leaned against the frosted glass and metal balcony frame.
All three drank in silence for a moment.
‘I was sure Knowles would go,’ Cooke offered, his mug already half empty. ‘When you told me everything that happened. I’m glad he didn’t. He’s a good man, I think.’
‘He’s definitely that,’ Dempsey replied. He glanced towards Grace. ‘And a smart one too. Talk about playing a long game.’
‘And Jack Meyer?’ Cooke asked. ‘Any more news on what’s gonna happen to him?’
‘He’ll spend the rest of his life in federal prison,’ Dempsey replied.
‘What if he fights a trial? The stuff that’ll come out of that.’
‘Already been thought of. There’s no trial. Meyer is going to plead to killing Cunningham in exchange for a promise that his son gets a shorter sentence. Twenty years served, instead of life. That way at least one of them’ll see the sun again one day.’
‘Jesus, man.’ Cooke whistled out an exhale. ‘The secrets you lot keep. If it wasn’t you telling me, I’d never believe it.’
Dempsey responded with a nod, bringing the conversation to a temporary halt. Another comfortable quiet. Nothing but the sound of wind and the occasional distant siren.
It lasted for minutes, until broken by Eden Grace.
‘You really think they’re gone?’ Her voice was harsh. A residual reminder of Romeo Meyer’s bullet. ‘The organisation, I mean.’
‘They’re more gone than if it had been left to us,’ Dempsey replied. ‘After Tootkai, we’d have taken down Meyer. Which would have freed the president up to take down Cunningham. But the rest? The Dupart family? None of that was on anyone’s radar.’