AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He was dating Laura, so he’ll be an immediate suspect no matter what we do. And he was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity, which was the house Laura McAllister was about to accuse of using date-rape drugs to spike drinks at their parties. I don’t have a lot of information on that angle yet, but I’m working on it.”
“Okay,” Jacqueline said as she paged through Alex’s work. “So far, I’d say the good outweighs the bad. What’s your take on the kid? Personally.”
“I believe him. I’ve worked with liars before. Matthew Claymore is not lying. He’s scared to death, but he’s not lying.”
Jacqueline nodded. “Here’s the plan, then. I need ammunition in case Laura McAllister doesn’t turn up, or, God forbid, something’s happened to her. We need to bulletproof Matthew from accusations the police might levy against him. That will require us to not only make sure he’s as innocent as he claims, but to also come up with alternate theories as to what might have happened to Laura McAllister. We need to know details. The who, how, and why. You know the routine.”
“I’m already working on it,” Alex said. “The obvious question is whether Laura McAllister’s disappearance had anything to do with the rape story she was about to break.”
“Exactly. I need you to find out everything you can about this girl and the story she was working on. Who was involved, who was going to be named, who might want to keep her story from reaching the mainstream. We need to make sure Matthew was not part of Laura’s story, but we also need the names of those who were. I pray this girl materializes soon and we never have to use any of it, but she’s been missing for nearly a week and we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. This timeline of Matthew’s movements is a good start, but we’ll need more if this turns ugly.”
“Understood,” Alex said as she stood up. “I’ll have a better picture by next week.”
“Thanks, Alex. I’m glad you’re on this case with me.”
Alex nodded. She left the building and headed back to McCormack University to continue her investigation into what might have happened to Laura McAllister. This time, it would include some nontraditional methods of information gathering.
CHAPTER 39
Washington, D.C. Friday, April 28, 2023 9:00 a.m.
“HE’S WORRIED,” ANNETTE PACKARD SAID.
Sitting in the booth across from her, Larry Chadwick twirled his coffee mug as steam spiraled upward. She had pulled him from his chambers fifteen minutes earlier to speak in private.
“What else does he want me to do? Duncan has upended his life over this. He’s cooperating with the police. There’s nothing linking him to this girl other than his fraternity, which he has publicly denounced and resigned from.”
“It looks bad, Larry, and the president is worried that his opponents in the Senate will use this crisis to their advantage. If he nominates you and you don’t get the votes, it makes him look weak going into an election year.”
“We have the votes,” Larry said. “Isn’t that what the internal polling says?”
“Said. That polling was from two weeks ago, before this story broke. We’re running the numbers again, and many votes that were solidly in favor of you are now undecided.”
“A rebellious college girl hoping to be the next Bob Woodward runs off for a couple of days and we’re supposed to act like it’s the crime of the century. Worse, we’re supposed to play to our opponents and constantly deny that my son is involved. Just mentioning Duncan and this girl’s name in the same sentence begins to tie him to her. You understand this, don’t you, Annette? Please tell me you understand how a smear campaign works.”
“I understand, Larry. And it appears to be working.”
“Duncan had nothing to do with that girl going missing, end of story.”
“I’m afraid that’s just the beginning of the story.”
Larry took a deep breath. “I thought kids were off limits in politics.”
“Not in a missing persons investigation.”
“One that has nothing to do with my son. The closest association to this girl is that my son attends the same college? That’s what the other side is running on?”
“They’re running on more than that, Larry. Although he no longer is, Duncan was a member of a fraternity that has now come under great scrutiny for allegedly using a date-rape drug to spike drinks at their parties.”
“Whether that’s true or not—and we don’t know it’s true; at the moment it’s nothing more than a rumor—Duncan wasn’t involved.”
“Whether you believe this is a smear campaign or a legitimate story involving your son, I hope you see the problem either way.”
He stirred his coffee without answering. He finally looked up at her.
“Are you recommending that he pass on nominating me?”
“No. Not yet, anyway. You’re the president’s first choice. He wants you, and right now he wants only you. My job is to make sure that if he nominates you, you’ll make it through the confirmation hearing. If you don’t, it’s not just bad for him, it’s bad for me. I’m batting a thousand, Larry. Every person I’ve vetted and vouched for has made it to the Promised Land. If I clear you to the president, and this mess ends up tanking your confirmation, my career will be at stake as much as the president’s. I might not have the free world to run, but I’ve got bills and a mortgage to pay.”
