Page 74 of The Presidents Shadow

MADDY HAS BEEN trying for the past three days to connect with Belinda at the state-run youth detention facility for mental health and social rehabilitation in Harriman.

Even though Belinda isn’t allowed to have any tech, she’s always connected with Maddy via the facility’s phones during visiting hours. That hasn’t happened lately, and when Maddy calls in, a nonemotional guard simply tells her that Belinda is not available.

Maddy is so frustrated that she even asks her volatile boss, R.J., for his help. R.J.’s response to the request is delivered in the sort of impatient style that is so typical of him.

“How should I know what the problem is? Maybe they’re on lockdown because of the outbreaks. Maybe she put your name on a do-not-call list. Maybe—”

But Maddy doesn’t want to hear any more of his maybes. She wishes she could put R.J. on a do-not-talk list.

Maddy just wants to bring Belinda up to date on where things stand with her case. Maddy has learned that Belinda may be offered a reduced rehab sentence if she shares some inside information about Carla Spector’s drug ring.

So Maddy decides to create her own solution. She tells R.J. that she has to head to the evidence room for a few hours of paperwork, and instead drives to Harriman in person.

Maddy arrives during visiting hours and tells the guard at the lobby desk that she is there to see Belinda. The guard looks at his computer screen, pushes a few buttons, and within a few seconds announces, “Sorry, the person you’re asking about has been transferred to a different facility.”

“Where to?” Maddy asks.

The guard doesn’t even bother to look at the computer screen.

“It doesn’t say where they sent her,” he says.

“Could you please check?” asks Maddy.

He barely glances at the screen.

“It doesn’t say,” says the guard.

“Is there someone you can ask who might know?” Maddy asks.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll ask the governor later tonight when we’re having dinner.”

“Give me a break, buddy,” Maddy says.

“A break,” the guard says. “What a great idea.” He then swivels around in his chair and faces the computer screen, pressing a button on his keyboard.

The screen flickers and he begins an online poker game.

“Nice,” Maddy says, then turns her back to walk away. She’s halfway to the door, using her mind power to monitor the guard’s game, when she calls over her shoulder, “Bet you wish you’d kept that three of hearts, am I right?”

She doesn’t see him tip over in his chair, but she does hear the crash.

Smiling, she lets herself out.