Дэвид Балдаччи - King and Maxwell

Sean stopped and looked down, a hint of incredulity at his own words on his face. Michelle was watching him closely.

She said, “Are you all right?”

He straightened. “I’m fine. Anyway, drove by here. Nice neighborhood, beautiful house. You had a good, solid rep. Seemed like she had married very well.”

“And so had I.”

Sean turned to face him. “Then why the one-way plane tickets, Curtis? And why are you the only one booked to go? Where’s Dana’s ticket? You leave in two days. According to what you just said she won’t even be out of the hospital by then, much less rehab.”

Brown kept silent.

“We saw Jenkins pass by South’s home that night, only he didn’t stop there. That’s because Jenkins was coming from your house, Curtis. He’d already met with you. You were Grant’s leak at the Pentagon, not Dan Marshall. You told us you’d sat in on some meetings with Marshall. You neglected to tell us that you were also privy to the mission Sam Wingo was undertaking. And I’m not just talking scuttlebutt that Dana weaseled out of you.”

“And the price Grant paid for that is buying you a new life on your island in Indonesia. A life for one,” Michelle added.

“Funded by fifty million bucks placed in an offshore account after Sam Wingo was ambushed. The transfer was done through a shell that we also traced back to you. That was part of the billion euros, right? Any idea where the rest of it might be?”

Brown just stared at them.

Sean drew closer to him. “When Dana started poking around for me, did you think you’d just had the worst luck in the world? Your wife’s ex had come around asking questions about the very scheme in which you were neck-deep. That must have freaked you out. Did you arrange the hit at the mall? Take out all three of us at the same time? Later, did you sit by her bedside at the hospital praying she wouldn’t make it?”

Brown said dully, “I love Dana. I’m going overseas to get things set up. Then I’m coming back for her. I did not arrange for anyone to shoot her. When you told me that she’d been followed to the mall–” He broke off here, and the tears spilled down his face.

“Your partner double-crossing you?” asked Michelle.

Sean added, “When he found out you’d talked to Dana about Wingo’s situation, he must’ve been really upset.”

“I didn’t know she was doing it for you,” said Brown. “I didn’t even know you two had met until–”

“Until your partner told you. And he sent the kill squad to the mall.”

Sean said, “Did Jenkins come to read you the riot act that night, General? Or did he just want to make sure you were pretending to work with us to throw off suspicion?”

“I… I don’t…”

“Did you know what Grant was going to do with the information you gave him?” asked Michelle. “Kill the president? That’s treason. That’s the death penalty.”

Brown started and seemed to realize what he had been saying. He said firmly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now I’d like you two to leave.”

He stood.

“You’re not going to make the flight to Malaysia,” warned Sean as he faced Brown.

“Why not? You have no proof of anything. So I bought some property, so what? The fifty mill in the offshore account? Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I just made good investments and got a really good deal on some land.”

“You punched me for putting Dana in danger,” said Sean.

“So what?”

Sean swung his fist and knocked Brown over a chair.

“I just returned the favor,” he said, rubbing his hand.

Brown jumped up. Sean braced for his attack when a voice froze all three of them.

“Enough!”

They turned to see Alan Grant standing by the doorway.

In his hand was a small box with a button on it. His finger was pressed on the button. With his free hand he swept open the front of his coat. Three C-4 packs were strapped to his torso.

SEAN AND MICHELLE IMMEDIATELY MOVED away from Grant and his explosive belt, but Brown stood rooted to the spot. “What are you doing here?” he said slowly.

Grant pointed at Sean and Michelle. “Following them. Are you the one who stabbed me in the back, Curtis? Because without somebody’s help I don’t see how they could have done what they did.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Alan,” replied Brown, eyeing the detonator in his hand.

Grant observed this. “Idiot switch. Fitting, actually, since I’ve learned this is what Wingo used in Afghanistan to escape. Otherwise, he would have been dead as planned and I wouldn’t be standing here now as a flesh-and-blood IED.” He eyed Brown. “Pity you didn’t have the intelligence about Wingo’s fail-safe, Curtis. But then again you’ve failed me in so many ways.”

“It doesn’t have to end like this, Grant,” said Sean.

Grant looked at him. “Nice to finally meet you face-to-face, Mr. King. We seem to communicate too much these days with texts and emails.” He paused, and his calm face finally showed a flash of anger.

“Twenty-five years. A quarter century I’ve lived with this hurt, this shame. This injustice.”

Michelle said, “But how exactly is it justice to kill a man who had nothing to do with your parents’ suicides?”

“Well, I couldn’t kill the man in office at the time could I? Because he’s already dead. So it’s symbolism that matters, Ms. Maxwell. This all began with Iran and now it will end with Iran. Or at least that was the plan. President Cole’s heroic escape with your help apparently will allow him to suffer no consequences for his actions. The guilty once more go free and brave, honest people die.”

“I was the one under the Potomac,” Michelle snapped.

He looked directly at her. “I should have thought of the oxygen tanks being used as an explosive device, but I didn’t. I commend your ingenuity.” He gave a mock bow in their direction.

“Is this how you want your family to see you go out, Grant?” asked Sean. “In a flame ball? Like a suicide bomber? You fought against those guys when you were in uniform. Now you’re taking a page from their book. Is that how you want to be remembered?”

“My options are limited.”

“I didn’t betray you, Alan,” said Brown.

“I don’t believe you. I paid you well for your services. Was it too much to offer loyalty in return?”

“I didn’t betray you,” shouted Brown.

“He’s telling the truth, Grant,” interjected Sean. “We figured it out for ourselves. Wingo followed Jenkins to Vista Trading. That’s the link to you. We knew about what happened to your mom and dad. That was public information. That gave us the motive. We tracked your lease of the satellite through a shell company. Jenkins had purchased the cabin, which we found out from his computer records. By the way, the police found a shallow grave up there with the remains of Jean Shepherd.”

“Another one who lost her way,” said Grant.

“We were on to her,” said Michelle. “That’s why she ran.”

“Then why are you here?” said Grant. “If not to hook back up with your confederate?”

“We’re here to tell him why the FBI is going to be showing up here any minute,” said Sean. “To arrest him for being a co-conspirator with you to assassinate the president.” He stared at Grant. “What, did you think I slugged him because he’s my buddy?”

Brown paled. “The FBI?”

Sean looked at him. “Did you really think we just came over to blow a lot of hot air and then let you walk? The FBI used our intel to do their deep dig. They have the evidence to nail you to the wall.”

“You’re lying,” barked Brown.