Deep Background by David Corn

Author:David Corn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2011-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Rudd was on the phone when Addis returned to the suite. Legal documents were scattered across the bed. She was laughing. She placed a hand over the receiver. “M. T.,” she said.

Addis went into the other room and flopped on the bed.

“So then,” Rudd was saying into the phone, “the vice president of the union asks, ‘Can I give this to him in cash?’”

She laughed again.

“How would you like to be the one to tell him that two Justice Department officials are in the other room? Okay … he just came in … . Yeah, it was good talking to you, too … . Hope it all works out … . Here he is.”

Rudd waited for Addis to pick up the other phone, she then hung up and told him she was going to take a bath. She closed the bathroom door behind her.

“Margaret asked me to call,” O’Connor said.

“I talked to Brew earlier. Sounds like a busy day.”

“She wanted to know how it’s going.”

“Of course,” he said.

He lowered his voice. He told O’Connor about his discussions with Whalen and the men in Alexandria. He mentioned the trouble he was having reaching Griffith and the phone calls with Joe Mik. He recounted his conversation with Hynes-Pierce.

“He’s a pig,” O’Connor said.

“Yes, and a diligent one … . You will tell Margaret about this offer?”

“Where is he getting his information?”

“Must be Griffith. His lawyer made it sound like Griffith is talking.”

“Jesus.”

“He’s probably trying to sell the story. Maybe to Hynes-Pierce.”

“And is it true?” she asked. “The sellers and then the buyers were associated with Chasie?”

“It could be.”

“That’s a lot of help, Nick. You know what this could mean?”

“M. T., I’m not an idiot.”

“And this Griffith jerk has proof? This is what happened?”

“I wasn’t there when they bought the land … . You’re going to tell her, right?”

“He’s just a sotty hack blowing smoke. That’s what this is. You know the other stories he’s done.”

“Even a trash collector finds something valuable once in a while. And it’s her decision. Tell her what he said. Otherwise, I will.”

“She doesn’t have enough to worry about?” O’Connor asked.

“Now she has one more thing.”

“I’ll take care of it,” O’Connor said. “You know, she’s all moved out of the residence. We’re like a camp behind enemy lines here. Dan won’t even come on the White House grounds.”

“A true loss.” He pictured Carey and O’Connor scheming together—and cringed.

“But we’re moving everything to Blair House. And it’s not always wrong to listen to what Dan has to say.”

“Sure.”

“So you’re going to sit it out, the campaign?”

Addis didn’t feel like answering.

“Doing nothing is doing something,” O’Connor said. “There are other drivers on the road.”

“Guess I’m out of gas. You can pitch me later.”

Addis realized he was gripping the phone tightly. His palm was sweaty. He looked out the window. A young boy was pushing a big bass drum on a dolly down the street by himself.

“Okay, I should go,” she said. “But you and Holly?”

“It’s nothing, M. T. Really. Just keeping me company.

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