The Politicians by Lee Cunningham

Author:Lee Cunningham [Cunningham, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732005556
Published: 2018-12-16T04:30:00+00:00

Chapter 7

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

(Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1843-1901)

Walter woke refreshed, even after the late night and two stiff whiskey drinks. He was excited to be back, working on the investigation, and happy to be reunited with his family and the cypher team. He knew he needed to call his old friend, Bob Crawford. And Walter also knew he needed to trust Bob, even though Bob had withheld information about Tasha.

Walter wanted to break down Bob’s defenses and get at the truth. And, although the men had a long personal history and deep friendship, Bob and Walter were both savvy negotiators, each cautious about protecting a position of strength. But Walter believed if he could only talk to his buddy in person, he could discover what secrets Bob knew. The team had to know if Tasha would be an ongoing threat and if they had others like her in their midst. And the team urgently needed the Vice President’s influence with the EPA to figure out what chemicals were present at the mine site, and what the government's response would be to ensure the land and water was safe.

Walter got up quietly, leaving Juanita sleeping soundly, as Sophia watched silently from her sleep-pad, on the floor below Juanita’s side of the bed. He stopped to look closely at the attentive, brown, short-haired dog, and marveled at how beautiful, alert, and intelligent she truly was.

Sophia and Juanita had bonded instantly and securely once they chose each other amidst the bustling confusion of the Oregon ranch house, with its dozens of people coming and going, and several other dogs always underfoot. Juanita had made a place for Sophia in their bedroom at the ranch. It had become a haven where Juanita and Sophia could escape, a quiet place where Sophia could hang out and enjoy seclusion. And there, in the afternoon peace and sanctity of their cave, Juanita and Sophia bonded, with Juanita reading a novel and drinking tea as she petted her new friend.

Walter had never realized Juanita had longed for a dog of her own, and this Shiba Inu had been the perfect fit. Sophia was a one-person dog, and there was no mistaking that Juanita was her human. When Juanita moved, Sophia moved, even to the bathroom or to the kitchen. And because Juanita was with Walter, Sophia tolerated him. So, when Angie consented to give Sophia to Walter and Juanita, Juanita had quickly agreed, the family had grown, and there was no going back. Now, the two were nearly inseparable.

Walter pulled on some jogging pants, a fresh T-shirt and his slippers. He walked to Sophia, patted her on her head, and kissed Juanita lightly on the cheek. He stood smiling at this woman he had appreciated, valued and loved for so long, and then smiled down at Sophia, who seemed to understand. Sophia licked the air, her tongue coming straight out, in approval.

Walter turned and walked downstairs to the kitchen.

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