Richard Franklin glared at Hembury with utter contempt and reached once again for his father’s gun. “All of us have choices, lieutenant.”

In an instant, he placed the barrel of the pistol to his head and blew an enormous hole through his right temple.

Chapter Fifty-Four

1 February 2012

Los Angeles

The Stack-‘Em-High on Beverly Grove was unusually busy for a midweek lunchtime. Vargas and Hembury sat at the bar munching their way through a couple of house burgers along with draught pints of Heineken. Although it was one of LA’s most popular sports bars, the TV screens were set to CNN, awaiting a much-anticipated press conference from John Franklin, scheduled for one thirty. Rumours were flying around the media that he was about to stand down as the Republican candidate, although nobody was sure. His chief of staff had simply announced that the presidential candidate had some grave news to deliver and the news networks obliged by clearing their schedules. Vargas poured a huge dollop of ketchup on his fries and put his arm around Hembury’s shoulder.

“I’m booked on the red-eye tonight to Buenos Aires so, once he makes the resignation announcement, I suggest we spend the afternoon here getting totally wasted.”

“You’ll get no fight from me on that one. I’m wondering what he’s going to say about his old man’s death. So far, he’s managed to keep it quiet. Nic, I’ve got to tell you, this has been the most insane and dangerous case I’ve ever worked on. Both of us nearly died. But, strangely, I’m really going to miss you.”

Vargas smiled and the two men clinked their pint glasses in a mutual toast. The female news host on CNN announced it was time for the press conference and the screen cut to John Franklin’s campaign office to reveal the presidential candidate sitting behind his desk. He had a sombre expression on his face, as opposed to the beaming smile his millions of supporters had come to expect. He stared straight down the lens and began reading the prompter containing his prepared speech. His subdued voice was laced with sincerity and warmth. The man was a talented liar.

“Today, I want to address the American people about a tragic event. Last night, my father, Richard Franklin, tragically took his own life. As millions of you know, his story was the embodiment of the great American dream. Together with my late uncle, he moved the small family pharmaceutical company from Buenos Aires to San Francisco where he proceeded to build the Franklin Corporation into one of the biggest companies in the world. He was a truly inspirational man – a leader of men and a wonderful, loving father. I and my family are grief-stricken by his sudden passing. For many years, he hid a dark secret from the world.”