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“Do you have any questions, Director?”
He still stares at the offending memo. “No, you did a thorough job, thank you.”
Another pause.
Tick-tick-tick.
“In case you have any questions, Director,” she says, “I’ll just point out that we were able to get a jump on the investigation because of the accusation that the speaker’s deceased husband used some sort of influence to secure funds years back after Congress passed its latest version of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. His bank seemed to be first in line to get the financing, weeks before it was set to be seized by the FDIC.”
The director just nods.
Not a word.
Words are weapons and can be used against you once uttered.
Edie says, “For lack of a better phrase, that accusation was the low-hanging fruit from all those charges made against thespeaker. Following the attorney general’s request, we had a forensic accounting team examine the records in question at the Treasury Department.”
“I see,” he finally says.
Edie is now losing her patience. “Director, our accounting team reached the conclusion that the documents were fake. A clever fake indeed, but the type of paper used in those records recovered from the Treasury Department were the wrong bond used during that year. There was also a mistake in recording the address of Mr. Washington’s bank, and the name of the primary bank inspector listed belonged to a Treasury official who had retired three weeks earlier. Other supporting documents that should have been there were missing. To my team, it looked like the documents were made up and planted there.”
He stays quiet.
Tick-tick-tick.
“Director, do you see what we’ve discovered? Speaker Washington is correct. The charges against her are fake. Well-done and apparently incriminating, but fake nonetheless.”
“So?” he asks.
CHAPTER 82
DEPUTY DIRECTOR EDIE Hicks clenches her jaw at the director’s response.
“Sir, I hope you’re understanding the gravity of this situation.”
The barest of nods, and he stirs himself just a bit, like an old man waking up after twelve hours of sleep. “But that’s just one charge. There are many others. And your teams haven’t completed their initial investigations.”
“Yes,” she says, frustrated. “But the fact that the most devastating accusation is fake … well …”
The director seems to be finally paying attention. “Well, what, Edie? What are you trying to say?”
Edie is never sure of her status with the director, and what she’s about to say next will probably mean a big hit to her career, but so what?
What is right is right.
And the women in this horrible town need to watch out for each other.
“Sir, my gut is telling me that somehow, somewhere, an enemy or enemies of the speaker are working to either weaken her politically, or to force her out.”
Another slow nod. “Sounds like a reasonable position.”
“Sir, someone is attacking a constitutional officer of the United States. We need to do something about it.”
He says, “Wearedoing something about it. We’re conducting a quiet and professional investigation.”
“Yes, sir, but once we’re finished, it’ll be too late,” she says. “There are hearings being planned up on the Hill. Even if they don’t force her out, they will weaken her tremendously, impacting how well she can perform her governmental responsibilities. Saying months later that oops, it was all false … the damage will already have been done.”
Tick-tick-tick.