Mercy's Chase (Salem's Cipher) by Jess Lourey

Author:Jess Lourey [Lourey, Jess]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2024-03-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

Kensington Palace Gardens

London Offices of the Order

They didn’t make you Speaker of the United States House of Representatives if you were a fool. That should go without saying, but it didn’t. Not in Vit Linder’s experience, in any case. Between the opposition party, members of his own party, and the damn press, defending himself had become a full-time job. He told himself he was used to it. He’d been born an underdog, the third-favorite of the three children born to George Linder and his wife, Mrs. George Linder.

Vit had had to beg and scrabble for every loan his father had given him, and even when he transformed those beans into fame and fortune, George had still preferred his sisters over Vit, threatening to leave all his money to his grandchildren, of which Vit had contributed none.

Vit told himself he didn’t need the money, and he supposed it was true. He’d built his own empire. And when his father had said offhandedly that the only real power in the United States fell in the hands of politicians, Vit ran successfully for the House seat of the First Congressional District of New York. He’d been nominated to the Speaker position his third term.

His father had lived to see his only son elected fifty-fourth Speaker of the House. His congratulations? “That’s all well and good, but you’re still not the president.”

George Linder had suffered a fatal heart attack one month later, a full decade after his wife had passed. True to his word, he’d left the entirety of his wealth to his grandchildren. The only way Vit could get even was to become president of the United States of America.

He was third in line. That would all change in two days.

He thought having his people send the email to the Secret Service was a nice touch. Sometimes reporters liked to dig, and his constituents seemed to believe emails were extra-meaty evidence. He played the future interview in his head as he left the Order’s London offices.

Reporter: How tragic that the president and vice president have been killed. Thank god you weren’t there, too.

Vit Linder, wearing a suitably sad/capable face that he’d have to schedule time to practice: I almost was. The environmental summit leaders had requested my attendance. Almost like they wanted all three of us there, though I don’t want to suggest there was a conspiracy against the United States. No, I would have been there if not for the Secret Service’s monetary concerns. I didn’t want to further weigh down our already bloated budget. Trimming the DC fat will be one of my first priorities as president.

Reporter: Wait, you were supposed to be at the summit?

Vit Linder: You bet. I even communicated with the Secret Service about it. Jeannie, can you round up that email? I’m sure we have a copy somewhere.

Even if a single reporter never saw the email, it was a beautiful smoke screen for the requisite investigation into his involvement in the assassination, a record establishing that it was no less than the Secret Service who presented him his alibi.

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