she mentioned the assignment to the president at the ball when he tried to hire her away from the magazine.”
Peter smiled. “I think it’s safe to rule him out. Could anyone have overheard the conversation?”
Kate thought. “Sure. There were hundreds of people there. Anybody could have heard her if they were close enough.”
“Okay.” He squeezed her hands for a second longer and let go. “That gives me a place to start.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. I need to run a check on everyone who attended that ball. It was by invitation only, right?”
“Yes. It was a thank you to some of the president’s biggest supporters.”
“So anyone who gave enough money to the campaign would’ve gotten an invitation?”
“Right.”
“I’ll get going on this right away and let you know the second I come up with anything.” Peter rose to leave.
As Kate uncoiled from the sofa, she suddenly remembered. “Wait!
Before you do that, the president needs to see you right away.”
“Do you know what it’s about?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather he filled you in, Technowiz.”
“Okay, I’ll head right over there. Should I call and let someone know I’m coming?”
Lynn Ames
“No need. He’s already cleared you, and his secretary knows to interrupt him when you arrive.”
“Must be pretty important, huh?”
“You could say that.”
He gave Fred one last scratch and Kate a hug, promised again to be in touch soon, then was gone.
It took Peter less than twenty minutes to gain admittance to the Oval Office. “Mr. President, it’s good to see you again.” He stood stiffly and gripped the president’s proffered hand.
“Peter, thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“Of course, sir. What can I do for you?”
“No need to be so formal. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Do you need something to drink? Water?”
“Thank you, sir, I’m fine.”
The president took a deep breath. “I’ll get right to the point then. Did Kate tell you anything?”
“No, sir. She thought whatever it was should come from you.”
The president shook his head. “That woman is truly remarkable, isn’t she? Everything she’s been through in the past two years—I think they’d have to have locked me away in a rubber room by now.”
“Kate is a very strong person, sir. I don’t want to say she’s indestructible because none of us are, but she’s about as close as it gets.”
“I’m worried about her, Peter.”
“Me too, sir.”
“She said you had some news for her today.”
Peter nodded. “I found a piece of one of the tie rods while I was searching the crash site. The FBI confirmed that the rod had been doctored; they’re reopening the case as a murder investigation.”
“Dear God in Heaven. Poor Jay.” The president looked up at Peter.
“Poor Kate. How’d she take the news?”
“Hard, sir, about how you’d expect. But as I said, she’s tough. She’ll make it through.”
It was the president’s turn to nod. “Any idea who might have done such a thing?”
Peter smiled ironically. “Since you asked, sir…the only place where Jay mentioned that she would be going to Arizona was at the Inaugural Ball where you offered her a job.” Peter could see that the president was trying to remember.
“I seem to recall joking around with Jay about coming to work for me. I told her she’d love the terrible hours, low pay, and demanding boss.
She said she’d rather stay where she was. Then I think she said she was going off on assignment the next day—to Arizona.”
The Value of Valor
“That’s what Kate said also. Sir, I don’t suppose you can remember who might have been within earshot when you were having that conversation, can you?”
President Hyland appeared to think hard for several moments before shaking his head. “I wish I could, Peter. There were so many people there, and the music was so loud. Honestly, the whole night’s a blur.”
“That’s okay, sir. But if
Peter smiled. “I think it’s safe to rule him out. Could anyone have overheard the conversation?”
Kate thought. “Sure. There were hundreds of people there. Anybody could have heard her if they were close enough.”
“Okay.” He squeezed her hands for a second longer and let go. “That gives me a place to start.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. I need to run a check on everyone who attended that ball. It was by invitation only, right?”
“Yes. It was a thank you to some of the president’s biggest supporters.”
“So anyone who gave enough money to the campaign would’ve gotten an invitation?”
“Right.”
“I’ll get going on this right away and let you know the second I come up with anything.” Peter rose to leave.
As Kate uncoiled from the sofa, she suddenly remembered. “Wait!
Before you do that, the president needs to see you right away.”
“Do you know what it’s about?”
She shook her head. “I’d rather he filled you in, Technowiz.”
“Okay, I’ll head right over there. Should I call and let someone know I’m coming?”
Lynn Ames
“No need. He’s already cleared you, and his secretary knows to interrupt him when you arrive.”
“Must be pretty important, huh?”
“You could say that.”
He gave Fred one last scratch and Kate a hug, promised again to be in touch soon, then was gone.
It took Peter less than twenty minutes to gain admittance to the Oval Office. “Mr. President, it’s good to see you again.” He stood stiffly and gripped the president’s proffered hand.
“Peter, thanks for coming on such short notice.”
“Of course, sir. What can I do for you?”
“No need to be so formal. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. Do you need something to drink? Water?”
“Thank you, sir, I’m fine.”
The president took a deep breath. “I’ll get right to the point then. Did Kate tell you anything?”
“No, sir. She thought whatever it was should come from you.”
The president shook his head. “That woman is truly remarkable, isn’t she? Everything she’s been through in the past two years—I think they’d have to have locked me away in a rubber room by now.”
“Kate is a very strong person, sir. I don’t want to say she’s indestructible because none of us are, but she’s about as close as it gets.”
“I’m worried about her, Peter.”
“Me too, sir.”
“She said you had some news for her today.”
Peter nodded. “I found a piece of one of the tie rods while I was searching the crash site. The FBI confirmed that the rod had been doctored; they’re reopening the case as a murder investigation.”
“Dear God in Heaven. Poor Jay.” The president looked up at Peter.
“Poor Kate. How’d she take the news?”
“Hard, sir, about how you’d expect. But as I said, she’s tough. She’ll make it through.”
It was the president’s turn to nod. “Any idea who might have done such a thing?”
Peter smiled ironically. “Since you asked, sir…the only place where Jay mentioned that she would be going to Arizona was at the Inaugural Ball where you offered her a job.” Peter could see that the president was trying to remember.
“I seem to recall joking around with Jay about coming to work for me. I told her she’d love the terrible hours, low pay, and demanding boss.
She said she’d rather stay where she was. Then I think she said she was going off on assignment the next day—to Arizona.”
The Value of Valor
“That’s what Kate said also. Sir, I don’t suppose you can remember who might have been within earshot when you were having that conversation, can you?”
President Hyland appeared to think hard for several moments before shaking his head. “I wish I could, Peter. There were so many people there, and the music was so loud. Honestly, the whole night’s a blur.”
“That’s okay, sir. But if
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