Page 11 of State of Alert

“Ugh, I can’t even.”

“It was as horrible as you can imagine. He’s wrecked over this. We’ve got to get him and Juan’s mother some answers as quickly as possible.”

“I hear you. We’re on it.”

“Be there soon.”

Sam slapped the phone closed and stared out the windowat the city rushing by in a palette of color, people and cars. So many cars.

“Another tough one,” Vernon said.

Sam’s gaze met his in the mirror. “Yeah. Nick is beside himself.”

“As expected. Juan was an outstanding young officer and was thrilled to be working in close proximity to the president.”

“Nick thought the world of him.”

“And vice versa. I got to know Juan a little over the last year, and while he was honored to work for President Nelson, he felt a true affinity for President Cappuano. He once told me that he appreciated how humble and normal your husband is despite the office he holds.”

Sam smiled. “That’s a wonderful summary of him. I’m worried about him, though. He’s convinced Juan’s murder is tied to the situation with the Joint Chiefs, which leads right back to him and his presidency.”

“Juan wouldn’t want him to blame himself for other people’s actions.”

“I said nearly that very thing to him just now.”

“Keep reminding him of that over these next days and weeks. It’ll help him to hear it.”

“I hope so.”

While Vernon dodged the endless traffic congestion, Sam stared out the window and watched the city she’d called home all her life go by in a bustle of activity. Her earliest memories included Saturday morning doughnut runs with her dad, followed by a couple of hours at HQ while he caught up on paperwork from the week before.

Her mother hadn’t liked him taking her there, but she’d loved it from the start. He’d said she asked at least a million questions per week, and he’d answered every one of them with more patience than she would’ve had for a kid who never shut up. Her interest in police work had been sparked by those Saturday mornings with him.

Sam hadn’t thought about that in a long time, and the memory brought back warm thoughts of her late father. She missed him so much all the time, but especially at times like this when he’d have words of wisdom about how to help Nick through this difficult situation.

While Nick hadn’t known Juan for long, the close bond they’d formed had led Juan to take a huge risk on Nick’s behalf. That kind of loyalty had become a precious commodity to Nick as he’d tried to determine whom he could trust among the officials he’d inherited from the Nelson administration. So far, the secretary of State, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the AG had been forced to resign for unethical—and illegal—behavior.

In all her many years living adjacent to the national seat of power, she hadn’t given the running of the federal government much thought until she’d had a front-row seat to Nick’s work, first in the Senate, then as vice president and now as president. She’d decided she’d been better off not knowing so much. The things he dealt with on an average day boggled her mind, but somehow, he handled it with aplomb, class and grace that she greatly admired.

God knew she couldn’t do it.

The thought of her as president made her laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Vernon asked.

“I was thinking it’s a good thing Nick is the president and not me.”

“I think that’s a good thing for all of us.” Vernon’s eyes glimmered with amusement as he looked at her in the mirror.

Quigley cracked up.

“You have been spending too much time with Freddie Cruz.”

“He’s taught me well,” Vernon said. “What brought on these deep thoughts about you being the president?”

“I can’t believe what he has to deal with on any given day. It can be anything from a bridge collapse in Minnesota to a fire in California to an avalanche in the mountains to violent protestsin Chicago to a pipeline running through indigenous land to railway workers threatening to strike. It goes on and on and on without letting up. Every issue is as important as the one before, and every decision is filled with consequences bigger than anything any of us have ever faced. I worry about his head exploding or something equally awful happening to him when the stress gets to be too much.”

“He’s young and healthy, smart as a whip and surrounded by the best-possible advisers helping him manage it all.”

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