sigh, but not for himself. “Robert Lee. What a tragedy. Does Clay know?”
“He suspects. We need proof.”
“What you need is an army. NOMan is everywhere.” He reached out and took Bo’s arm. Bo could feel the weakness of the man’s grip, the quiver of the tired muscles. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure, Tom. Would you be willing to go on record with what you know?”
“That’s a pretty big Rubicon to cross. NOMan would be a formidable enemy. Let me think about it.” He let go, and his hand fluttered back to the bed.
“Sure.” Bo stood up. “I’ll be back. You get some rest.”
“Have you seen Kate yet?”
“I’m on my way to Wildwood now. Just to say hello.”
“You won’t say anything about Lee and NOMan?”
“Of course not.”
“Good.” Jorgenson closed his eyes as if preparing to sleep. “Keep her safe.”
The orchards of Wildwood lay green under the sun, the fruit turning red like hearts hung from the branches. The deputy in the cruiser at the entrance to the drive waved him on through, but when Bo came to the gatehouse, he was forced to stop.
Special Agent Fred Turner bent to talk through the car window.
“Sorry, Bo. I can’t let you pass.”
“Why not?”
“Got a directive this morning.”
“Whose directive?”
“S.A.I.C. Ishimaru.”
“Diana? What’s going on, Fred?”
The agent shrugged. “You need to see Ishimaru, Bo.”
Beyond the gate, through the cut in the orchard where the drive ran, Bo could see the main house and the yard. He saw the pool and, sitting in the shade of a table umbrella, Kate. The sight of her seemed to suck out his soul. He wanted to grab Fred Turner and throw him aside. Instead he turned the car around.
On the fourth floor of the Federal Court Building in Minneapolis, he punched in the security code for the lock on the main door of the field office. The door would not open. He tried again. Nothing. He stepped back to the bulletproof window that opened onto the reception area just inside, and he pushed the buzzer. A moment later, the receptionist, Linda Armstrong, appeared. She was a woman in her late forties, smart and trim. She’d grown up on a farm in Nebraska, and she and Bo had often swapped farm tales. When she saw who it was, her face took on a pained expression.
“I need the new code, Linda.” He spoke louder than was necessary.
“Just a minute, Bo.” She vanished again.
Diana Ishimaru accompanied her when she returned. Ishimaru opened the door.
“What the hell’s going on, Diana?” Bo said.
“In my office, Agent Thorsen.” She turned, and he followed.
Her office was not empty. Another man sat in a chair near her desk. He stood up as Ishimaru and Bo entered.
Ishimaru said, “Agent Thorsen, this is Assistant Director Bill Malone.”
Malone. Bo had never met him, but he knew him by reputation. He was reputed to possess, as a result of his long and varied career with the Secret Service, an excellent understanding of the exigencies of the job. Malone shook his hand, then indicated another chair.
“Have a seat, Agent Thorsen.”
“I’d like to know what’s going on,” Bo said.
“The assistant director asked you to sit down,” Ishimaru said.
Bo sat.
“I’ll cut to the chase, Agent Thorsen. Special Agent Chris Manning has made certain allegations concerning the appropriateness of your actions prior to and during the incident at Wildwood.”
“What allegations?”
“You’ll be receiving a full statement shortly. I’m here to convene an internal board of inquiry. I’ve directed S.A.I.C. Ishimaru to suspend you with pay pending a finding by that board.”
“What?”
“Take it easy, Bo,” Ishimaru said.
He gave her an angry look. “My ass is about to be nailed to the wall, Diana. Are you okay with all this?”
“This is standard procedure, Bo, and you know it.” Then she added, “In this, my hands are tied.”
“Bullshit. Is this why I’ve been denied access to Wildwood?”
Malone said, “Until the board of inquiry has reached a finding, we don’t want you to communicate with any of the principals involved.”
“Right. And it just happens to keep me conveniently away from the First Lady.”
“That’s another issue, Agent Thorsen,” Malone said. “One we need to discuss.”
“I’m through discussing,” Bo said. He stood up.
“Agent Thorsen,” Ishimaru said. “Sit down. We’re not finished.”
“I am.” Bo walked out the door.
He was halfway down the hall when Ishimaru caught up with him.
“Agent Thorsen, at the moment my patience is dangerously thin and your actions are very close to insubordination. We need to talk.”
“Talk about what? You know everything that happened at Wildwood. What more is there to say? From now on, Diana, if you want to talk to me, you go through my lawyer.”
“Bo-”
He didn’t stay to hear what else she had to say. If he’d remained a moment longer, he’d have put his fist through the wall.
chapter
thirty-eight
Bo drove to his apartment in Tangletown, the whole way battling against rage. Losing control of himself now was the last thing he needed. When he mounted the stairs to his apartment and discovered his door was unlocked, his mood didn’t brighten any.
Fortunately, it was Otter he found inside.
“Used the key you hide in the garage,” Otter said. He saw Bo’s dark look and added without apology, “You told me anytime.”
“Yeah,” Bo said, relenting. “I did.”
Otter was at the kitchen table with some playing cards spread out before him.
“How was the trip?”
“It was fine.”
“You sure? You look like you just drank spoiled milk.”
“Bad day,” Bo said.
He went to the phone and dialed Wildwood, the direct number for the main house. The call was intercepted by Secret Service. When Bo identified himself, he was told politely that he couldn’t be connected.
“Shit,” he said as he hung up.
Otter looked up from his cards. “What’s the problem?”
“Everywhere I turn, somebody’s dropping a wall in front of me.” Bo sat down at the table. “What are you doing here?”
