Page 32 of Junior Has a Secret
“Smartass.”
“You say smartass.I say truth teller.This could easily be related to the present governor.Or the political party.Or one hundred other things.Say, the battle for power between you and Pocher.”
His chin lifts, the muscles down his neck tight bands.“What am I going to tell the press?”
Evidently, he does not want to talk about Pocher.“You’re not,” I reply.“The FBI will.Defer to us.And you need to move back to your house.”I look skyward, and ask the good Lord above, why I’m about to help him, but I know why.Because it’s not for him.It’s for the victim who will get lost in the insanity of the governor-elect if this isn’t managed.I meet my father’s stare.“The mansion is vacant.You were never here.You’ll leave now, with an escort and guards, but no one else leaves until processed.Not even Pocher.”
I glance up to find my brother headed our direction and since he seems to prefer Dad over the dead guy in the house, I make my decision, glancing at my father.“Andrew will take you home.Have your security waiting on you when you get there.Don’t count on anyone who’s here now.They’ll have to be processed to leave.”I start to walk away.
He catches my arm.“You think Pocher did this to control me?”
“You’re arrogant and obvious, Father.Your puppet master is not pleased.And you let him bring in his own deputy governor.He doesn’t even need you anymore.”
“He’d have to survive a special election and he wouldn’t.Pocher knows that.”
“Maybe.Maybe not.Right now, you need to focus on you.If that body was left to rattle you and your future, it could have DNA planted on it or be tied to something shady about your past.”
He pales.“Fuck.”
“Yes,” I say.“Fuck.”
Andrew joins us.“What’s going on?”
“Take Dad home.He was never here.And he’s on lockdown.You’re his personal guard.”That’s right when the swarm of vehicles charges toward the house, and I glance at my father.“Is there a backway out?”
“Are we actually hiding him from the FBI?”Andrew asks.
“I am the FBI, Andrew.And I have a plan and a reason.”
“There are too many people here who’ve seen him here,” he argues.
“My people,” my father says.“I can handle them.”
“Someone will leak.”
“Not if I can help it.”
“I can handle it,” he repeats.
“You better,” I say and glance at Andrew.“If they leak then you pivot.He swung by to look at potential décor changes before he moves in and found a nightmare.The end.”
“I don’t like it,” Andrew grumbles.
“You never do,” I say dryly.I eye my father, still reeling with the idea that he will soon hold the power of the governor’s office.“I’m not doing this to help you.I’m only getting you out of here to calm the press chaos that might be exactly what our killer wanted.”
His expression pinches and as if I haven’t spoken at all, he says, “There’s a back way out, but we need to go now.”
I motion for them to go already and they take off, tracking toward escape.Now that they’re out of my hair, I dial Adams who picks up on the first ring.“Agent?”
“Meet me on the lawn beyond the steps.Beforeyou let the cavalry inside.”
“On my way,” he says and I disconnect.
Adams exits the house in the not-so-distant distance and is quick to meet me halfway.“Where’s the governor?”
“Governor-elect,” I remind him, “and he’s gone.He was never here.”
His brow shoots up.“And if someone leaks he was here?”