No Rules, Ridge King [the snowy day read aloud TXT] 📗

the van and circled it. He wrote down the license tag number. Up front, he peered into the driver’s cab, but couldn’t see through the black tarp hanging behind the driver’s seat that shielded the back portion of the van from view.

Gregor looked carefully up and down the street.

“Looks like he’s checking to see if the coast’s clear so he can break into the van,” said Sean.

“Looks that way.”

“What do we do if he does break in?” asked Sean.

“Fuck if I know.”

In the end, Gregor decided there was entirely too much foot traffic for him to risk breaking into the van. He shook his head and left.

Chapter 10

PERRYMAN’S PLAN

 

Perryman made an urgent appointment with the President and went over to see him late the next morning in his EOB office where they could meet secretly and word wouldn’t leak back to Thurston or Overton.

“I want you to think about this, Mr. President.  I think I have a way we can take care of our young freshman from Wyomin’.”

“I could tell you had something on your mind yesterday.  You had that look in your eyes, Lamar.  What is it?”

“Well, it’ll be a little complicated, and it involves a couple of people, but I think it might just work out if you handle it yourself.”

“Who are the people?”

“Lowry Smith and Walt Lafitte,” said Perryman.

Norwalk raised his eyebrows.  He wasn’t sure what Perryman had on his mind.  Lowry Smith was the Democratic governor of Wyoming, but a conservative and staunch supporter of Norwalk’s foreign policy.  Walter Lafitte was the senior senator from Wyoming, an old man with much seniority, also a hard-line Republican who supported the President and the party to the hilt.

“Lowry Smith and Walt Lafitte?” Norwalk asked. “This sounds interesting, Lamar.”

“Oh, it is, Mr. President, it is.  And it’s all the more important you try to use it if you think it can work because in a few days the Congress will be adjourning for a good-size Christmas holiday.”

“A Christmas recess?” said Norwalk, surprised. “But I thought they planned to sit right through the holidays.”

“That was the original plan until Thurston got wind of the Keystone File that night at the party.  Now he’s got Niles to push for a recess, and all the converts to St. Clair won’t be here.  They’ll be able to go home.  Since everything’s settled down in China, they won’t see any need to sit so I think it’ll pass without too much trouble. It’s only six days before Christmas as it is.”

“I see,” mused Norwalk.  “This is interesting information, Lamar.  And it rather limits even more drastically the time we have.”

“Just what I was thinking.”

“What’s your idea?”  Norwalk asked with some intensity.

“Well, here’s what I think we should do—”

After talking to Norwalk. Perryman went out the back way and had his driver Tyree take him over to the Westin Hotel on M Street to keep a luncheon engagement with the British ambassador.

Settling into the luxurious surroundings of the restaurant, Perryman wondered what Ellsworth had on his mind by requesting the speaker to lunch with him.

“You seem very happy, Mr. Speaker,” said Ellsworth.

“Oh, I am, Lord Ellsworth, I am very happy.”

“May I ask why?”

Perryman tapped his cell phone.

“Because I just found out from my office that Matt Hawkins is thirty years old.”

“Matt Hawkins is thirty years old?”

“Yes.”

“Why in God’s name would that be important?”

“I’ll tell you why shortly.” He snapped up a menu. “What’re you havin’, Mr. Ambassador?” asked Perryman pleasantly.

“I rather favor the duck a l’orange, myself,” said Ellsworth.

“Me, too, then, sir,” said Perryman, slapping closed the menu.

“Let me get to the point of my call this morning, Lamar,” said Ellsworth, leaning over to him.

“Kindly do,” smiled Perryman.

“I think you had more on your mind yesterday at Camp David than you let us hear when you said there must be some way to dispose of Mr. Hawkins and replace him with Mr. Crampton. We’re both desirous of having St. Clair replace the President and I hoped you might be willing to discuss your ideas in greater detail.”

Perryman was more than willing to confide in the British ambassador.  They were close, as each had been in Washington for many years.  And Ellsworth was as deeply involved in the Keystone matter as he was.  He saw no harm in it.

“I am willing to discuss my ideas, sir; in fact, I have just come from the President.”

“Indeed?” said Ellsworth with unchecked interest.

“Yes, sir.  And this is what I told him,” Perryman began.

After several minutes, the ambassador sat back a trifle disappointed.

“Do you really think that will work?” he asked with obvious skepticism.

“I’m not sure.  But it’s about the only thing left for us to do, don’t you think?”

“I suppose so,” agreed Ellsworth as their food was placed before them.  “I realize that all you suggest is quite legal,” said Ellsworth when the waiter left, “but do you think it could possibly work out?”

“Can’t say, sir,” said Perryman, carving into his duck. “I just don’t see any other course to follow.  We can’t hang him up and skin him like a rabbit,” he said, inserting a forkful of fowl into his mouth. “This is more of a cherry-orange sauce, don’t you think, Harold?”

“No, we can’t hang him up and skin him like a rabbit,” said Ellsworth with some disappointment, tasting his duck. “Yes, I think there is a bit more cherry than there might be.”

After lunch, Ellsworth met in secret with Ambassador Kornilevski and told him what Perryman had revealed.

“It’s impossible, Ambassador,” Kornilevski spit out, “utterly, totally impossible.”

“I don’t think it will work, either.  But if Perryman met with Norwalk, we must suppose the President will seriously consider it.”

“The problem with these Americans