BooksBarbecue
Back Season of Fear Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Contents
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART ONETHE EXTREMES
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. PART TWOSOMETHING BAD
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. PART THREECHAYLA
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. PART FOURHIT AND RUN
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. EPILOGUE
  67. AUTHOR’S NOTE

Peach rode the elevator down and wandered through the lobby. She exited into the hot June afternoon, jogged across the street through traffic, and made her way two blocks to a small park by the river. It was a perfect day, or as perfect as Tampa got during the sweaty summer, with a blue sky and Gulf breeze. She sat down on a bench between the palm trees, steps from the green water, and retrieved the Sony voice recorder from the side pocket of her satchel purse and plugged in her headphones. Rewinding, she listened to the elevator conversation between Fleming and Reed.

Hey, sweetheart, rock me on the floor, okay? Man, that ass of yours could stop traffic.

Moron.

Peach ran through the recording three times and then dialed the office number for the Common Way Foundation. The foundation was headquartered in a high-rise bank building only a few blocks away, but Peach actually worked in the foundation’s opposition research department, which was squeezed into unmarked offices on the seedy end of downtown. The phone rang, and her brother Deacon answered on the second ring.

‘Hey, Fruity,’ he said.

‘Hey.’

‘Where are you?’

‘Near the river. I’m coming back.’

‘How’d you do?’

‘Stalking Reed finally paid off.’

‘He didn’t make you, did he?’

Peach didn’t answer.

‘Sorry, I know that’s an insult,’ Deacon said, and she could hear his smile. ‘So what did you find out?’

‘You better call Caprice and have her talk to Ms Fairmont.’

‘They’re already at the media schmooze-fest at Diane’s house. Is it important?’

‘Yeah, I think so. Walter Fleming is coming after us. I think he’s got some kind of spy inside Common Way.’

‘Well, we figured. Is that it?’

‘No, there’s more,’ Peach said. ‘Tell her the Governor is thinking about dropping out of the race.’

2

Cab Bolton watched from the second-floor balcony as Diane Fairmont put on her political face for the television interviewer. She looked at ease in the spotlight. Natural. Warm. Comfortable in her own skin. She sat in an ornate chair near the fringe of a pond in her Tampa mansion’s hilly gardens. Huge lily pads floated on the green water. A white swan lazily floated behind her and stirred ripples on the surface. Makeup people hovered around Diane like flies, making sure her skin didn’t sweat, making sure she had the right flush for the camera.