by Jack Ford
WASHINGTON, D.C.
USA
51
Bc6Ra6
‘Are these the ballistic results on the kid from Chatham? I hope your friend was discreet when he got the copy.’
‘Absolutely. You don’t have to worry about that.’
Woods stretched out his hand to take a thin green file from Teddy. With feet up on the Resolute Desk used by the good folk such as JFK, Carter and Obama, he opened it. Flicked through. Scanning with speed and diligence – an essential quality he suspected anyone in office had to have – he frowned.
‘No bullet?’
Teddy shook his head, absentmindedly helping himself to a chocolate and nut cookie from the plate in front of Woods.
‘No, but before I carry on, remember the whole thing about the seismograph?’
Woods, unable to resist joining Teddy in a chocolate cookie, with his mouth slightly too full to reply politely, nodded.
‘Okay, well the police department pulled a blank on the kid’s death. Although officially there’s an ongoing investigation, unofficially it’s been basically filed away in a drawer. Like I said before, there’s been a spate of violent robberies in the area and they’re blocking it in with that… But my friend, he’s like a damn Rottweiler when he’s got something between his teeth. He did some digging in connection with the whole seismograph thing. Mainly because something bugged him about the whole episode. It just didn’t feel right to him. I mean it seems so obvious now, but he looked into the kid’s bank statements and online ordering. Turns out every month this kid ordered a whole heap of paper rolls for his seismograph and the particular paper for it only fits on a few models. Real basic ones.’
‘Too basic to pick up shockwaves?’
‘No, apparently not. Even if you don’t have a high tech electronic system you can still get accurate readings. They’re pretty effective. Apparently kids in middle school make their own in science class.’
Woods, not quite sure where his thoughts were taking him, ventured. ‘So it was all true. The kid really did have one. And then someone, for reasons we don’t know, took it. You got any thoughts, Teddy? Or are we just reading into something which isn’t there?’
The intercom of Wood’s desk buzzed. He nodded to Teddy. ‘Sorry, just give me a minute… Hey, Joan, you need me?’
‘Mr President, Lyndon Clarke is on line two. He’s apologising for the unscheduled call but would like to speak to you as a matter of urgency.’
‘Put him through… ’
‘Mr President, huge apologies for this interruption,’ Lyndon said.
Even though his Secretary of State wasn’t in the room, Woods smiled. ‘Hey, Lyndon, no problem, but don’t let Naomi know you’ve barged a window without her knowing.’
Lyndon laughed, a fondness for both Naomi and the President reflecting in it.
Woods said, ‘Teddy’s here by the way.’
‘Hey, Lyndon, you still owe me a dollar from the other day, don’t think I’ve forgotten.’
‘Hey, Teddy, you’re such a cheapskate, you know that? If I added up how many Pepsis I’ve paid for from that damn drinks machine over the years, it’d add up to a hell of a lot more than a dollar… Anyway, I can hear Naomi’s voice in my head telling me to get on with it. So here it is. Mr President, I got another call from the Qatari ambassador. They’re not happy at all. Far from it, in fact. If I said they were furious about the situation that would be an understatement. I just need to know what your thoughts are and how you’d like me to proceed.’
‘Truthfully, Lyndon, I thought we sorted this out the other day.’
‘So did I sir, but they’re threatening all sorts. I don’t want to be presumptuous, but I think it might be wise for you to make a scheduled call as soon as possible, better still a meeting with Ambassador Shaheen. Just for appeasement’s sake. It might be the way to go.’
Woods rubbed his head, as he felt the first bubbling of stress.
There were a number of reasons why the last thing anyone wanted, or could afford, was a falling out with the Qataris. Top of this list was certainly the tight military relationship, along with the intelligence sharing they had established; in addition there were the billions of dollars the Qataris spent each year buying advanced weapons, helping to top up the very depleted US treasury – caused to some extent by the global economic downturn, with screens turning red in trading rooms around the world, as well as by the ongoing military expenditure and the fallout of the cost of Bush’s and Obama’s wars. In Woods’ experience such relationships could quickly turn from good to precarious to difficult – very, very, difficult – in a matter of days, even hours. But the overriding fact was that when Chuck said, America needed Qatar – and other countries within the Middle East – as bosom allies, he was right. No question. The fight against terror relied heavily on the CIA being able to keep a watch on events over there.
There was the American base in Qatar, Al Udeid Air Base, providing the US with exceptional military access to the region. As of last year 10,000 US troops were stationed there. The largest US base in the Middle East.
‘Yeah, I think so too. I’ll get Joan to brief Naomi and then they can liaise with one of your secretaries to find a window for us both. A call would be easier and I could fit it in on the way to an out of towner but, I suspect, Majdi Shaheen would want a face to face.’
‘I agree.’
‘Okay, stay on the line and speak to Joan and I’ll see you later for the fundraising dinner.’
Woods turned back to look at Teddy. Raised his eyebrows. Shook his head and it was Teddy who said, ‘I take it that was about what happened with the ship off the coast of Libya?’
‘You got it in one. It doesn’t look like they’re going to let it lie as easily as I thought. Sometimes, I know how Chuck feels.’
‘You’re kidding?’
Woods grinned. Wide and warm. ‘Okay, strike that. What I mean is sometimes I feel my hands are tied because, believe you me, sitting down with ambassador Shaheen and apologizing, again, is something I’d really rather not have to do… Anyway, sorry. Continue with what you were saying about the ballistics results.’
‘Okay, so listen to this. The reason why there isn’t a bullet was because it was taken clean out.’
Running his fingers through his freshly washed hair, Woods said, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, the kid was killed with a single shot. One bullet hole. No messing about. But after he was shot, the bullet was removed at the scene.’
‘Jesus.’
‘One reason could be that, as bullets can work like a finger print and can be cross-matched via forensics, whoever did this wanted to remove any link back to them. Also, wounds can offer an astonishing amount of information about the distance, speed, caliber of the gun and even bullet make and type, so maybe they removed the bullet first and foremost to disrupt the evidence… I’m stating the obvious here, but there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re looking at a professional.’
Annoyance beginning to seep through him, Woods absentmindedly looked around the Oval Office, resting his eyes on the large portrait of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th serving President of the United States. ‘And the cops are doing exactly what?’
‘Like I say, John, they’re bunching it together with the other robberies. It’s the same problem all over. Lack of resources. Lack of man power, and when it’s a crime like this with a kid like this, then it just goes on to a pile with all the other cases marked, of no consequence.’
‘I want to say you’re being harsh, but I get it, Teddy. Though this is different.’
‘Not really, not at this stage anyway. We’d have to ask the correct channels to look into it before it got any legs. You want me to start the ball rolling?’
Woods paused for a moment. Glanced again at the lined, craggy, bearded face of Lincoln, then with his eyes flickering up at the ceiling medallion, which incorporated the Seal of the President of the United States, he spoke with a pained expressio
n on his face. ‘No, I want to sleep on this one. I’ve got to think this through. Because what if the kid was right, Teddy? What if there were two bomb blasts that day?’
COLORADO, USA
52
Bb7 Ra3
‘Look what you’ve done to yourself. What’s wrong with you, Tom? Don’t you ever learn? What if I’d been with Cora? How do you think she would’ve reacted?’ Maddie stood over Cooper as he lay on the kitchen floor before dragging himself up by the door frame into a sitting position.
He touched the back of his head. Felt the sticky clump of hair, matted together with blood. Shit, it hurt like hell. Then a croak. A groggy reply. ‘It’s good to know what you think of me.’
‘Do you know how hard you make it for me? How am I supposed to defend you when I find you like this?’
‘Don’t bother.’
Maddie squatted down to Cooper’s eye level, shaking her head. ‘But I do. Always… How could you do it?’
The headache, which a moment earlier had been throbbing in the background, was now beginning to take hold. Keeping his head in a vice like grip. Squeezing it to the point of painful distraction.
Conceding, to save any form of conversation, Cooper muttered, ‘Whatever you’re talking about, I’m sorry, okay. Whatever it is, I shouldn’t have done it. Now please, I don’t feel so great, so can we leave it at that?’
Uncertain if she was bemused or bewildered, Maddie settled on fixing Cooper with a look of contempt. ‘I came here hoping it wouldn’t be true.’
‘I guess you’ve had a wasted trip.’
She stared at Cooper, looking into his eyes. His eyes which she’d once thought so cute. One green. One blue. His eyes which had once been so full of life when Ellie had been alive. Now haunted. Now troubled beyond anyplace she could reach out her hand to grab him back from. His face, so handsome, but as if she was staring into a stranger’s.
Slowly, she reached and drew her fingers along his cheek. Soft. Sensual. And forgiving.
‘Why, Tom? Why did you do it? Onyx of all places? Help me understand. Were you so mad at Granger you wanted to hurt him? Or do you really still think your gut’s right about Ismet? Or maybe it was because of Rosedale and I?’
Swiftly, verging on aggressively, Cooper pushed Maddie’s hand off his face. ‘Good thing about concussion is it often makes folk forget things. Not now though. Thanks for that, Maddison. I just love having that image of you two in my brain.’ He stopped. Grimaced. Squinted at the pain as a slow realization began to creep over him.
‘What did you say?’
‘I didn’t,’ Maddie said.
‘No, I mean about me letting you down. Something about Onyx.’
Hostile, Maddie snapped. ‘You know exactly what.’
‘That’s the point, I don’t.’
‘But you said…’
‘I know what I said, but that was just to shut you up… Sorry.’
‘Let me get this straight, you’re saying you never actually had anything to do with the break-in at Onyx?’
Cooper, shocked and rolling his words in a hell of a lot of surprise, said, ‘No, of course not. When did it happen? And how? Granger has enough security to compete with the Pentagon. Jesus, Maddie… Why would you think I’d done it? I don’t know what to say.’
Slightly ashamed, Maddie looked away. ‘What was I supposed to think?’
‘Not that.’
‘But when you said…’
Cooper interrupted. Repeated. ‘Not that.’
‘Tom, give me a break here. Let me off. I’m sorry. And I can’t even say it was only Granger. I believed it as well, especially when I realized it was only the Turkish file which had been compromised. I didn’t want to…’
‘Maddie, stop. I don’t blame you. I haven’t exactly given you reason to trust me. Granger, however, that does not surprise me in the least. I’m surprised he didn’t call the cops.’
Maddie smiled and shrugged. ‘He wanted to.’
Cooper smiled right back. ‘But you stopped him… thank you.’
‘So what happened here, Tom?’
‘Someone jumped me.’
She pointed through to the front room, ‘And they trashed the place as well.’
‘No. That was me… Don’t look so upset.’
Forcing herself not to reproach or query, Maddie asked, ‘So, what do you think?’
Cooper attempted to get up. ‘I think probably what happened to me will be why Onyx was broken into. I’ve got a few ideas… Here help me up… Shit.’ He winced, ducking his head down as if bobbing under a low ceiling, as his movement triggered the pain to erupt again.
Reaching out her hand to help, Maddie frowned. ‘You need to get that seen to.’
‘No, we need to go to speak to Granger and find out once and for all what exactly he’s keeping from us. I take it you’ve got the helicopter?’
‘Yeah.’
Cooper began to walk towards the front door. Picked up a bottle of pills. Caught a glimpse of Maddie opening her mouth to say something. ‘Not now, Maddie. Don’t say anything… please.’
She nodded, trying to ignore the sense of complicity which began to creep over her. Cooper smiled. A real, loving smile. ‘Come on, you can tell me everything on the way.’
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
USA
53
Be4 Ra4
‘So let’s have it, Granger… Come on. There’s no getting out of it this time.’
‘You’ve lost your mind. You know that. Flipped out and flown away.’
Maddie gently touched Cooper’s arm. Stepped between, distancing the two baiting men. Glancing at Granger, whose face was now as red as the cactus calico flower, she began to become slightly concerned. ‘Granger, calm down, okay. This won’t do your blood pressure any good.’
‘Who made you Dr Quinn, medicine woman?’
‘Sometimes, you can be really impossible. Look, we just want to know the truth. We asked you before, and you didn’t answer, but this time, Granger, we need you to tell us everything you know about the Turkish file.’
There was a long pause before Granger quietly answered.
‘Qatari file.’
‘Excuse me?’
Granger rubbed his chest. Sighed. And, like a petulant child, sullenly pushed away the flask of decaffeinated coffee his wife had lovingly made and insisted on him drinking. What the hell ever happened to a double strength, Colombian blend double espresso?
He uttered a discontented growl as he sat back on his desk in the now-tidy office. The cops, as Maddie had expected, had done little to nothing, apart from nodding, scribbling down the fewest of notes before using the bathroom and leaving. Rubbing his tongue hard against a fine set of teeth, he repeated, ‘Qatari. The ships are actually Qatari owned. That’s all I know.’
‘And you didn’t care to share this information?’ Maddie said.
‘There are some things between myself and the client that stay in Vegas. That’s the way they wanted it.’
‘And what is it Ismet actually does? Does he even have an import-export business?’
Granger shrugged. ‘Look, I’ve told you, I don’t know anything else. All I know is they didn’t want anyone to realize the ships were Qatari owned. Period.’
‘Why though?’ asked Cooper. ‘And who exactly? Who’s they? What’s the name of this person, or even the company who owns them? I know there’s Ismet, but who’s behind him? There are so many unanswered questions.’
Granger simmered with anger. ‘You know we often don’t have that kind of information, due to the nature of the business. Often clients want discretion and anonymity. Fifty percent or more of our jobs come through third parties – though in this case it didn’t. It came straight from Ismet’s office.’
Cooper pushed it some more. ‘But why use our company?’
‘I keep telling you, it goes full circle. We’re discreet. You only have to look at our work record. Governments, banks, high ranking dignitaries. Ismet kne
w he could trust us.’
‘There’s something more… Much more.’
Maddie said, ‘Tom, Ismet was Qatari, wasn’t he? I remember you telling us.’
‘So?’
‘So maybe it does make sense. Ismet’s a Qatari national and he uses ships which are Qatari owned. Hardly a big deal.’
‘But why say he owned them if he doesn’t?’
‘I don’t know, Tom. Maybe he only leases the ships, and that’s why he needed to find out where the ship was without letting the company know he’d lost one of their expensive vessels. I can see that. It hardly looks good for him, does it? Who knows, they might have thought twice about continuing his contract with them, and obviously the ships are fundamental to his business. Perhaps he couldn’t afford that to happen, and needed to keep as quiet as possible about it.’
Vehemently, Cooper shook his head. ‘No, I don’t buy it. Ismet’s story is too perfect. That’s why it fits so well, don’t you see?’
‘But the truth does fit well. It fits perfectly. Of course it does. There are loads of reasons why they might not want to disclose they’re Qatari owned, or just leasing Qatari ships.’
‘Such as?’
‘Tax reasons, perhaps. There are lots of companies who are registered in another country. It’s probably inconsequential… It could even be to do with the precarious political climate we’re in right now. As in, maybe it’s better to have everyone think you’re a Turkish company, rather than a Qatari one. I don’t know, but Granger’s viewpoint about it not being our business, well, he’s right. They can do and say anything they like; they don’t have to answer to us.’
‘Finally someone’s making sense round here.’
Maddie cut her eye. ‘Be quiet, Granger… Hey, Cora!’
Cora Cooper ran into the room. Ignored Maddie. Ignored Granger. Ran straight into her Daddy’s arms. She clung to him, gave a delighted smile as he picked her up. Nuzzled into Cooper’s neck.
‘Daddy!’
It cut. It stuck. The words strangled by his emotions. He just about managed to speak.