Page 185 of State of Suspense

“Are you giving me immunity or not?” he asked.

“I’m concerned about your credibility problem.”

“Everything I’ve told you is true.”

“And you’ll testify to that?”

“If you protect me and keep me alive long enough to do that.”

“Do you honestly believe the sitting AG would have you killed for revealing his gambling issue?” Sam asked, incredulous.

“I think people have killed for much less of a reason than that. Being the AG has been the pinnacle of Cox’s life. He loves the attention, the fawning, the respect, the access to power. I do think he’d kill me or anyone who might threaten to reveal him for what he really is—a broke, broken addict who lies to his own wife to cover his trail of financial ruin. Tom was pushing him hard to resign before this came to light.”

“Do you think there’s a connection between Cox and what the joint chiefs did?” Faith asked. “Is he sticking around to prosecute or protect them?”

Bryant appeared to give the question careful thought. “I’m not sure. To be honest, it hadn’t occurred to me that there might be a connection, but now that you say that, I wouldn’t rule it out.”

Jesus, Sam thought. What have we stumbled upon?

She glanced at Faith, who seemed similarly shocked.

“What else?” Faith asked.

“I don’t understand.”

“What else do you know that we didn’t ask about?”

The two women stared him down until he blinked.

“I heard some talk about the president’s military attaché, the one the joint chiefs suspect alerted the president to what was happening with them.”

Sam tried desperately to figure out who he was talking about.

“Lieutenant Commander Juan Rodriguez,” Bryant said.

She recalled the handsome, dark-haired officer who was frequently in Nick’s company as one of the keepers of the so-called nuclear football, which was actually a briefcase containing the nuclear launch codes.

“What about him?” Sam asked.

“They blame him for ruining their plan and leaving their careers and reputations in ruins.”

Sam got up and left the room, pulling the secure BlackBerry from her back pocket as she walked quickly toward her office.

The voice-mail message Nick had recorded picked up with instructions to press number sixty-nine for assistance and him laughing as he told her he’d call her back as soon as he could.

She ended that call and put through another to Terry on her regular phone.

“Hey, Sam.”

“Terry, I need you to call me on the BlackBerry immediately.”

“Will do.”

As she slapped the phone closed, she appreciated that he didn’t ask any questions. This conversation needed to be had on a secure line.

When the BlackBerry rang, she answered it. “Terry… I’m hearing rumblings that Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez is suspected of tipping off Nick about the joint chiefs. I tried to call Nick, but he didn’t pick up. Rodriguez’s life could be in danger.”

“I’m on it. Thanks for the info.”

---