JК
The Third Option :: Flynn Vince
Страница: 265 из 267He saw nothing, but that meant little. During his years as a federal prosecutor and judge, Brown had seen the guiltiest of people sit like angels through their trials, all the time maintaining was their innocence. Brown doubted that Clark would have all that much difficulty in masking his emotions.
Clark looked at his man and wondered what was wrong. It was Clark who had called this meeting. He did so in order to explain to Brown why he had agreed with the president to back Kennedy's nomination. If Brown had already learned of the deal, it might explain his sour mood. «What's bothering you, Jonathan?»
Brown was tempted to lay down a withering line of questions in search of the truth, but he knew Clark wouldn't tolerate more than two or three. After that, the senator was likely to remind him that if he'd like to leave with his balls still attached to his body, he'd better mind his manners. That had happened once before, and Brown was still smarting from it. «Have you talked to Secretary Midleton this evening?» Brown looked for the slightest sign of guilt. There was nothing.
«No, I haven't, but I heard about his meeting with the president this morning.» Clark set his empty wine glass down. «Midleton is to announce his resignation in the morning.»
«I don't think that's going to happen.»
Clark took his feet off the foot stool and sat forward, a look of genuine concern on his face. «What do you mean, it's not going to happen?»
«You honestly don't know, do you?»
«Know what?»
Brown couldn't decide if Clark 's reaction thus far was real or fake. He decided he would probably never know for sure, so he said, «Secretary Midleton is dead.»
«What?» asked a shocked Clark.
Brown kept his eyes on the man who owned him. «He's dead.»
«How?»
«It appears to be a suicide, but one never really knows in this town, does one?» Brown sat back and crossed his legs. «You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?»
The tone in Brown's voice was not lost on the senator. Clark studied Brown for a long moment and then said, «Charles Midleton was an inherently weak man. Everything he got in life was given to him. It doesn't surprise me that he would take his life rather than fight. As to your implication that I might have had something to do with his death, my answer is no, I held no ill will against the man. His career was officially ended this morning when the president asked for his resignation. There was no need for me to do something so risky.
Clark looked at his man and wondered what was wrong. It was Clark who had called this meeting. He did so in order to explain to Brown why he had agreed with the president to back Kennedy's nomination. If Brown had already learned of the deal, it might explain his sour mood. «What's bothering you, Jonathan?»
Brown was tempted to lay down a withering line of questions in search of the truth, but he knew Clark wouldn't tolerate more than two or three. After that, the senator was likely to remind him that if he'd like to leave with his balls still attached to his body, he'd better mind his manners. That had happened once before, and Brown was still smarting from it. «Have you talked to Secretary Midleton this evening?» Brown looked for the slightest sign of guilt. There was nothing.
«No, I haven't, but I heard about his meeting with the president this morning.» Clark set his empty wine glass down. «Midleton is to announce his resignation in the morning.»
«I don't think that's going to happen.»
Clark took his feet off the foot stool and sat forward, a look of genuine concern on his face. «What do you mean, it's not going to happen?»
«You honestly don't know, do you?»
«Know what?»
Brown couldn't decide if Clark 's reaction thus far was real or fake. He decided he would probably never know for sure, so he said, «Secretary Midleton is dead.»
«What?» asked a shocked Clark.
Brown kept his eyes on the man who owned him. «He's dead.»
«How?»
«It appears to be a suicide, but one never really knows in this town, does one?» Brown sat back and crossed his legs. «You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?»
The tone in Brown's voice was not lost on the senator. Clark studied Brown for a long moment and then said, «Charles Midleton was an inherently weak man. Everything he got in life was given to him. It doesn't surprise me that he would take his life rather than fight. As to your implication that I might have had something to do with his death, my answer is no, I held no ill will against the man. His career was officially ended this morning when the president asked for his resignation. There was no need for me to do something so risky.