Questions roared at him like a tsunami, so many voices it was a chaos of sounds. Alex stood tall, held himself straight, his expression somber, and waited for the voices to die down. He pointed to Cynthia Pederson of FOX. She called out, full volume, “Is there a connection between your quitting the race and your lifelong friend, Kent Harper, being shot last night at his home? Do you have any comments on that shooting, Mr. Harrington?”

Alex’s jaw turned to granite, but when he spoke, he seemed suddenly to be hanging on by a thread, pain clear in his voice. “Yes, my friend was shot last night outside his home, and that is part of why I am suspending my campaign. Mr. Harper is not only a fine man and one of our civic leaders, he’s been one of my best friends since childhood. I and all his friends and family are praying for him. We trust that our police force”—he turned toward the building behind him—“will discover those responsible for that heinous act.”

He pointed to Jana Zugoni, CNN. She called out, “There are rumors you are leaving the race because of allegations Mr. Harper was involved in sexual improprieties, even sexual crimes, and that you are, in fact, involved. Would you please comment, Mr. Harrington?”

Mia smiled. She’d known Alex wouldn’t ever acknowledge her, so she’d given Jana that question. She’d nailed it.

His hands clutched the edges of the podium, his look both startled and bewildered. “I don’t know where you heard such a ridiculous rumor, Ms. Zugoni, but since you think it responsible to ask, the idea of harming a woman in such a way is abhorrent to me, and to Mr. Harper.” He let anger show. “That is all I will say, more than such a vicious allegation is worth.”

Before Alex could point to another reporter, Jana shouted out again, “But isn’t that why you’re dropping out, Mr. Harrington? You’re afraid women will come forward?”

He leaned in, his anger banked again, his voice stern and cold as a Puritan preacher’s. “I do not know where you’ve heard this nonsense, Ms. Zugoni. I will say it again, I am dropping out of the campaign because of personal family issues. Those involved deserve privacy. There is nothing more to it than that.”

Jana shouted back, “I’m told the allegations stem back to the years you and Mr. Harper attended Bennington Prep together. Would you care to comment?”