Gone Tomorrow

He shook his head. ‘Not that many. Most people don’t have inquiring minds. And even if they do, most people respect secrecy in matters like that. I don’t think there’s a problem.’

‘There’s a problem somewhere. Otherwise why was Susan Mark being asked questions?’

‘Did she actually mention my name?’

I shook my head. ‘That was to get your attention. I heard your name from a bunch of guys I’m assuming were employed by the person asking the questions.’

‘And what’s in this for you?’

‘Nothing. But she looked like a nice person, caught between a rock and a hard place.’

‘And you care?’

‘You do, too, if only a little bit. You’re not in politics just for what you can get out of it for yourself. At least I sincerely hope you’re not.’

‘Are you actually my constituent?’

‘Not until they elect you President.’

Sansom was quiet for a beat and then he said, ‘The FBI briefed me, too. I’m in a position where I can do favours for them, so they make a point of keeping me in the loop. They say the NYPD feels you’re reacting to this whole thing with a measure of guilt. Like you pushed too hard on the train. And guilt is never a sound basis for good decisions.’

I said, ‘That’s just one woman’s opinion.’

‘Was she wrong?’

I said nothing.

Sansom said, ‘I’m not going to tell you a damn thing about the missions.’

I said, ‘I don’t expect you to.’

‘But?’

‘How much could come back and bite you in the ass?’

‘Nothing in this life is entirely black and white. You know that. But no crimes were committed. And no one could get to the truth through an HRC clerk, anyway. This is a fishing expedition. This is half-baked amateur muck-raking journalism at its worst.’

‘I don’t think it is,’ I said. ‘Susan Mark was terrified and her son is missing.’

Sansom glanced at his wife. Back at me. He said, ‘We didn’t know that.’

‘It hasn’t been reported. He’s a jock at USC. He left a bar with a girl five days ago. Hasn’t been seen since. He’s presumed AWOL, having the time of his life.’

‘And you know this how?’

‘Through Susan Mark’s brother. The boy’s uncle.’

‘And you don’t buy the story?’

‘Too coincidental.’

‘Not necessarily. Boys leave bars with girls all the time.’

‘You’re a parent,’ I said. ‘What would make you shoot yourself, and what would make you not?’

The room went quieter still. Elspeth Sansom said, ‘Shit.’ John Sansom got the kind of faraway look in his eyes that I had seen before from good field officers reacting to a tactical setback. Rethink, redeploy, reorganize, all in a fast second or two. I saw him scanning back through history and coming to a firm conclusion. He said, ‘I’m sorry about the Mark family’s situation. I really am. And I would help if I could, but I can’t. There’s nothing in my Delta career that could be accessed through HRC. Nothing at all. Either this is about something else entirely, or someone is looking in the wrong place.’

‘Where else would they look?’

‘You know where. And you know they wouldn’t even get close. And someone who knew enough to want Delta records would know where to look for them, and where not to, surely. So this is not about Special Forces. Can’t be.’

‘So what else could it be about?’

‘Nothing. I’m spotless.’

‘Really?’

‘Completely. One hundred per cent. I’m not an idiot. I wouldn’t have gotten into politics if I had the tiniest thing to hide. Not the way things are now. I never even had a parking ticket.’

‘OK,’ I said.

‘I’m sorry about the woman on the subway.’

‘OK,’ I said again.

‘But now we really have to go. We have some serious begging to do.’

I asked, ‘You ever heard the name Lila Hoth?’

‘Lila Hoth?’ Sansom said. ‘No, I never heard that name.’

I was watching his eyes, and I felt he was telling the absolute truth. And lying through his teeth. Both at the same time.

TWENTY-SIX

I PASSED SPRINGFIELD ON MY RETURN TRIP THROUGH THE hotel lobby. I was heading for the street door, he was coming out of a dining room. Beyond him I saw round tables with snowy white tablecloths and large floral decorations in their centres. Springfield looked at me with no surprise in his face. It was as if he was judging my performance, and finding it satisfactory. As if I had gotten to his principals in about the span of time he had expected. Not fast, not slow, but right there in the middle of the window he had allowed. He gave me a look of professional appraisal and moved on without a word.