United States long before Frank had hatched his plot with Kate.
And the kicker was this: was he really supposed to believe that Luther
Whitney had any reason on earth to check Christine Sullivan’s vagina?
And on top of that somebody had tried to kill the guy. This was one of
the few times Frank actually had more questions after he had arrested
his suspect than he had before taking his guy into custody.
He felt in his pocket for a cigarette. His gum stage had long since
passed. He would try again next year. When he looked back up Bill Burton
was standing in front of him.
“YOU UNDERSTAND, SETH, I CAN’T PROVE ANYTHING BUT I’m just letting you
know how I think it went down.”
“And you’re sure the President told Sullivan?”
Burton nodded, fiddled with an empty cup on Frank’s desk. “I just came
from meeting with him. I guess I should’ve told him to keep it mum. I’m
sorry, Seth.”
“Hell, he’s the President, Bill. You gonna tell the President what to
do?”
Burton shrugged. “So what do you think?”
“Makes sense. I’m not gonna let it lie, I can tell you that.
If Sullivan was behind it I’ll take him down too, I don’t care what his
justification was. That shot could’ve hit anybody.”
“Well, knowing the way Sullivan probably operates, you ain’t gonna find
much. The shooter’s probably on some island in the Pacific with a
different face and a hundred people who’ll swear he ‘s never even been
in the States.”
Frank finished writing in his log book.
Burton studied him. “Get anything out of Whitney?”
“Right! His lawyer has him clammed shut.”
Burton appeared nonchalant. “Who is he?”
“Jack Graham. Used to be with the Public Defenders Service in the
District. Now he’s a big-shot partner with some big-shot law firm. He’s
in with Whitney now.”
“Any good?”
Frank twisted a swizzle -stick into a triangle. “He knows what he’s
doing.”
Burton stood up to go. “When’s the arraignments”
“Ten tomorrow.”
“You taking Whitney over?”
“Yeah. You want to come along, Bill?”
Burton threw his hands over his ears. “I don’t want to know anything
about it.”
“How come , ”
“I don’t want anything leaking back to Sullivan, that’s how come.”
“You don’t think the ‘d try anything again?”
y
“The only thing I know is that I don’t know the answer to that question
and neither do you. If I were you I’d make some special arrangements.
Frank looked at him intently.
“Take care of our boy, Seth. He’s got a date with the death chamber at
Greensville.”
Burton left.
Frank sat at his desk for some minutes. What Burton said made sense.
Maybe they would try again. He picked up the phone, dialed a number and
spoke for a bit and then hung up.
He had taken all the precautions he could think of for transporting
Luther. This time Frank was confident there would be no leak.
JACK LEFr LUTHER SITTING IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM AND walked down the
hallway to the coffee machine. In front of him was a big guy, nice suit
and a graceful tilt to his body.
The man turned around just as Jack passed him. They bumped.
6
91
‘Sorry.
Jack rubbed his shoulder where the bolstered gun had struck him.
“Forget it.”
“You’re Jack Graham, aren’t you?”
“Depends on who wants to know.” Jack sized the guy up; since he was
carrying a gun he obviously wasn’t a reporter.
He was more like a cop. The way he held his hands, his fingers ready to
move instantly. The way the eyes checked out every feature without
seeming to.
“Bill Burton, United States Secret Service.”
The men shook hands.
“I’m kind of the President’s earpiece on this investigation.”
Jack’s eyes focused on Burton’s features. “Right, the news conference.
Well I guess your boss is pretty happy this morning. 19
“He would be if the rest of the world wasn’t in such a godawful mess.
About your guy, hey, my feeling is they’re only guilty if the court says
they are.”
T9
“I hear you. You want to be on my jury Burton grinned. “Take it easy.