Absolute Power - v4 by David Baldacci

Author:David Baldacci [Baldacci, David]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-07-02T17:06:24.218000+00:00

Coordinates coming soon. Recommend advance steps be taken for financial backing. For such prime property suggest mid seven figures. Would suggest consequences of default be considered thoroughly. Respond via Post personals if interested.

“He’s got quite a writing style, doesn’t he? Succinct, but he gets his point across.” Burton poured another cup of coffee. Then he tossed across another photograph of what Russell was desperately hoping to retrieve.

“He sure likes to tease, doesn’t he, Ms. Russell?”

“At least it sounds like he’s ready to deal.”

“We’re talking some big bucks. You prepared for that?”

“Let me worry about that piece, Burton. Money won’t be the problem.” Her arrogance was returning just in time.

“Probably not,” he agreed. “By the way, why the hell didn’t you let Collin wipe that thing clean?”

“I don’t have to answer that.”

“No, actually you don’t, Madam President.”

Russell and Burton actually smiled at each other. Maybe she had been wrong. Burton was a pain in her ass, but he was cunning and careful. She realized now that she needed those qualities more than Collin’s gallant naïveté even if it was accompanied by a fresh, hard body.

“There’s one more piece to the puzzle, Chief.”

“And that is?”

“When it comes time to kill this guy, are you gonna get squeamish on me?”

Russell choked on her coffee and Burton had to literally pound her on the back until she started breathing normally again.

“I guess that answers that.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Burton—killing him?”

“You still don’t understand what’s going on here, do you? I thought you were some brilliant professor somewhere. Ivory towers ain’t what they used to be I guess. Or maybe you need a little dose of common sense. Let me explain this real simply for you. This guy was an eyewitness to the President trying to murder Christine Sullivan, Sullivan trying to return the favor, and me and Collin doing our job and taking her out before the President gets stuck like a side of beef. An eyewitness! Remember that term. Before I found out about this little piece of evidence you left behind, I figured our asses were cooked anyway. Guy leaks the story somehow, some way and it snowballs from there. Some things we just can’t explain, right?

“But nothing happens and I figure maybe we all got lucky and this guy is too afraid to come forward. Now I find out about this blackmail shit and I ask myself what does that mean.”

Burton looked questioningly at Russell.

She answered, “It means he wants money in exchange for the letter opener. It’s his lottery. What else could it mean, Burton?”

Burton shook his head. “No, it means this guy is fucking with us. Playing mind games. It means we got an eyewitness out there who’s getting a little daring, a little adventurous. On top of that it took a real professional to crack the Sullivan nest. So this guy is not the type who’s gonna scare too easily.”

“So? If we get back the letter opener aren’t we home free?” Russell was dimly beginning to see what Burton was getting at, but it still wasn’t clear.

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