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
Cooke said nothing. Dempsey knew why. It was a difficult point to dispute. And if he was honest, he was unsure if he agreed with Knowles remaining in office, after everything that had happened. Still, he’d have to prove himself in the election soon if he wanted to stay another term.
‘So what are you saying?’ He decided to avoid the point. ‘You’re just gonna walk away. If you think there’s a future risk, surely you need to be there? Protecting the office from anyone who tries to take the Duparts’ place?’
‘Being there is too close,’ Grace replied. ‘That’s what I’ve been trying to say. It’s like, you know, you can’t really see the Grand Canyon when you’re in it. Not really. You have to be outside to see the full picture.’
Dempsey finally understood.
‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’
‘The ISB does seem to provide a good view,’ Grace answered with a smile. She gestured from the balcony as she spoke. ‘So what do you think?’
Dempsey looked towards Cooke and smiled, before turning back to Grace.
‘I think you’re gonna need a reference.’
Acknowledgements
Most books come with a single name on the cover, but no book is a one-person job. And proud as I am that it’s my name on the cover of Power Play, I am very aware that it would not exist without the help of many people along the way. And so . . .
To my Cheerleaders:
Victoria. Still my most enthusiastic supporter and the world-class procrastination-buster I so badly need. Without you I could do none of this. You keep our life moving around us as I sit motionless for hours on end, thinking up ever increasing dangers for Joe Dempsey and Michael Devlin to face. You stay patient and engaged as my head dives ever deeper into whatever carnage is happening on the page, ready to pull me out when it’s time to come back to reality. You stay enthusiastic and supportive as I read you page after page of disjointed action and dialogue, never complaining as I stop to correct and reword as I go. And somehow you manage to make all of this seem effortless! I couldn’t ask for more – although I probably will – and I can never thank you enough.
Mum. Once again you’ve listened endlessly in one-sided conversations, this time about the White House and the Oval Office and the Secret Service and everything else that became Power Play. I have no better sounding board, no clearer voice of reason, no more realistic an arbiter of ‘yes’ and ‘no’; in fact, I’m starting to think I should be paying you for all this! But none of this is new, is it? Because you have listened to all my jumbled ideas since I was a little boy obsessed with superheroes and Greek mythology. And now, looking back, I’m fairly sure that those hours of patience and indulgence are why you still have to listen to it now.