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
And with that final cryptic comment, Dale left the stage.
The screen turned black and Dempsey looked towards Kirk.
‘You think he was threatening to expose something about Knowles?’
‘He certainly seemed to be. It was all very vague, of course. But then, days later, he’s dead? Killed with over five hundred others.’
‘And you think . . . you think Knowles . . .’
‘I don’t think anything, Joe. Not yet. But if there is something to this, what are the chances that the White House will have it properly investigated?’
‘If Knowles is involved in some way, you mean? Well then there’s none, obviously. But that’s a leap, Elizabeth. It means believing that Dale Victor had something so serious on the president that Knowles would kill him for it. Him and five hundred innocent people. If there was anything like that – anything at all – we’d have heard of it, surely?’
Kirk said nothing. Instead she looked away, staring into space. Finally she exhaled deeply, and sat forward in her chair.
‘I never did tell you what happened between me and John Knowles, did I?’
‘I never asked.’
‘Well, now you’re going to know anyway,’ Kirk replied, her voice sounded tired. And sad. ‘And once you do, Joe, I’m gonna need you to go see an old friend of mine.’
ELEVEN
It was almost 11 p.m. as Sarah Truman climbed the steps to her front door; the end of what had become a sixteen-hour shift. Long, unpredictable days were an occupational hazard in Sarah’s career. She was well used to them and had experienced far longer than today, and yet rarely had she ever felt so tired.
But then Sarah had never been pregnant before. And as much as she kept telling herself that she could not be sure, well, she was sure. And, having made a short detour to her local all-night chemist, she would soon have the proof.
As Sarah reached her front door, the lights through the windows told her that Michael was already home. One turn of a key and Sarah could join him inside, ready to put the day behind her.
The smell of smoky paprika mingling with garlic, tomatoes and onions greeted her, along with the classic tones of Frank Sinatra.
As she heard Michael’s random, tuneless singing drowning out the Chairman of the Board, there was nowhere else Sarah would rather be. She slipped off her suit jacket and headed for the kitchen door.
‘What’s all this?’ she asked.
Michael turned at the sound of her voice, his surprise quickly replaced by a broad, happy smile. The handsome Irishman was exactly who Sarah needed to see.
‘You’re home,’ he bellowed over the sound of the music. ‘I thought you’d be later.’
‘So what, you decided to put on a concert for the neighbours while you waited?’
Sarah knew that Michael could not mistake her words as serious. Not with the grin she could feel on her own face.
‘What, me and Frank? They should be so bloody lucky!’