State Secrets by Linda Lael Miller

Author:Linda Lael Miller
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction
ISBN: 9781460309308
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-11-15T07:00:00+00:00

9

Walt Zigman had seen that look before; it was a look that meant an agent had lost his spirit and maybe his grip. Damned shame it had to happen to a man like Goddard. He sat back in his desk chair and maneuvered his cigar stub from one side of his mouth to the other.

Goddard sat in the chair Walt knew the agents called the “hot seat,” his long frame lank with an effort to hide tremendous pressure. “I told you she was clean,” he said after a long, uneasy silence.

“Maybe you read palms or tea leaves, Goddard, but I don’t. We had to know.”

Goddard darted Walt a look meant to slice deep, and to Walt’s surprise, it did. “Holly Llewellyn wasn’t guilty of any crime. As far as I’m concerned, she’s been harassed.”

“Horsechips. She aided and abetted a suspected felon, Goddard. She’s lucky we didn’t bring her in, too.”

Goddard was glaring now; his hands, gripping the arms of his chair, whitened at the knuckles. Though he hid the fact, Walt was pleased by the reaction; maybe this agent would be all right after all.

“Here.” Goddard slapped a thin file folder down in the middle of a stack of memos and notes. Walt’s whole life was one big memo these days, what with the transition from one administration to another and the inaugural festivities coming up in January. Security problems were everywhere and Walt Zigman didn’t need another hassle.

“What’s this?”

Goddard averted his eyes and shifted in his chair, but then he met Walt’s gaze squarely. “My letter of resignation,” he answered.

If there was regret in his voice, Walt didn’t catch it. He wanted to swear. “You sure about this, Goddard? You’re a good agent.”

“I’m sure.”

“What the hell are you going to do with your time, for Christ’s sake? Walk dogs?”

Goddard made a visible attempt to keep his temper. “I’m qualified to practice law, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“That little—that Llewellyn woman really got under your skin, didn’t she?” Walt paused, sighed, lit the cigar stub and puffed industriously for a few moments. “Dammit, Goddard, we’re swapping administrations here. We got an inaugural coming up in a little better than a month! I need every experienced agent I’ve got right now!”

Goddard was waving away the cigar smoke with one hand and Walt ground the stub out in an ashtray. “For what? Standing around in Saks while the new first lady tries on six hundred pairs of shoes?”

“You’ll be assigned to the president himself, Goddard.”

Goddard pointed one index finger toward the ceiling and spun it round and round in a contemptuous circle.

“Well, what the hell do you want?” Walt snapped, annoyed and a little insulted.

“I want out of the Service,” David replied flatly. “I’ll stay until after inauguration week is over, but I want the presidential assignments—no walking dogs. No strolls in the Rose Garden. It’s strictly Oval Office and Air Force One, Walt, or I’m out of here.”

“All right, all right, you’re on presidential detail.” Walt took up the folder Goddard had laid on his desk and extended it.

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