Full Disclosure (28 page)

The VP nodded. “Exactly, Reece. This cover-up was done with the intent of causing less harm than what would have occurred had events become public the day this happened, and I believe that was accomplished. But I did actively seek to deceive and hide the truth, and I have to live with that and its consequences. Reece and the others helped because I asked them to do so. I still consider it the right decision. The cover-up accomplished what I hoped for, and that was time for the matter to be investigated and settled without the press involved.” The VP got to his feet. “Paul, I look forward to hearing your decision. I'll leave you with Ann, to show you what we've gathered on this matter. If you would join me for breakfast tomorrow and give me your answer?”

“I'll do that, sir.”

“Thank you.” Two dogs appeared in the door, a white Samoyed followed by Midnight. They both headed to the VP and crowded against his knees. “I'm going to take these two for a stroll around the grounds, then turn in early for the night with a good book.”

Paul watched the former vice president leave the room, and took his first clear breath since meeting him.

“Paul.” Ann waited until he turned his attention to her. She gestured toward the door and led the way back through
the house. “I'm sorry for putting you in this position without warning.”

“Were you the one who suggested the VP should ask me to do this?”

“He came up with your name on his own—my guess from the lady shooter case. But I was glad he suggested you.”

“You've kept this secret for years.”

“I have. It wasn't my secret to tell. And that has caused me more than a few difficult nights. From a law-enforcement point of view, the killer was caught and his victims identified. From a legal point of view, if his name was known, the victims could sue the estate of the killer. But the reality is the chief of staff's will still listed the VP as the executor, the man had no children, and left the disposal of the estate up to the VP's discretion. The estate took several years to liquidate and settle, as some of it was in trusts which had come through generations, but the money was distributed in full to the families of the victims three years ago. It was called an advance against the book royalties. From an ethical point of view, they have a right to know the truth. And the chapter about the chief of staff does that—it gives them the truth. Justice came a long time after the fact, but it's happened. I can live with that fact, as I understand the motivations of those involved.”

“Your legal exposure is the fact you knew the truth.”

“Yes. I'm a sworn officer, and the name of the killer is a material fact. I'm liable for what I didn't do. And I didn't make the information I had public.”

She coded them through a door and into a hallway.

“The archives for the VP's book are kept in this wing of the house. There are several secured rooms for classified materials.” She stopped at the third door. “This secure room can be accessed by only three people: Gannett, Reece, and myself.” She opened the door.

“Aaron Crown murdered some very nice people, Paul. That's what is so senseless. You've met the people he killed”—she
turned on the lights—“now meet the one who killed them. In this room is the life of the chief of staff.” The room was large, with two tables in the center, file cabinets and storage lining three walls. The door closed behind them. He heard the locks click and engage.

“We spent years after the abduction working it as a criminal case, using the diary he gave as a road map and independently confirming what he had said. We collected everything that was out there about the chief of staff and his life going back decades. Personal calendars, receipts, tax documents, financial statements, personal letters—everything we could find. There are also campaign photographs, and interviews with those who worked with him on various campaigns going back to the VP's first election as state attorney general. We wrote the biography of Aaron Crown.

“The materials are organized in the files by date and cross-referenced by subject. The critical documents have been scanned and are searchable. That database of materials will be released to the public along with the VP's autobiography.” She pointed to the near table. “I have a copy of the diary and a copy of the VP's chapter printed out for you.”

“Ann, do you believe the chapter and these files are an accurate record of what occurred?”

“I'm skeptical by nature. I can say having spent years with these records and investigating the victims, that it feels reasonably complete. The records here are consistent with the diary. The VP chapter matches what I can put my hands on to prove or disprove what he says.

“The VP knows how to manage a cover-up. It has held together for years. He kept the truth of what happened at the cabin to five people. Who knows what else he covered up, if he left it to only himself? The VP is a smart man. Did he never suspect the chief of staff was a murderer? I think he had to suspect something was wrong somewhere along the way.

“I dated Reece Lion, so I'm not exactly an impartial observer,
but I consider him to be an honest man. His actions are consistent with what is here. He helped a man he was assigned to protect, a man he trusted, cover up what occurred. The VP would do it with or without his help, and Reece understood why the decision had been made. He did it out of loyalty. I also like Gannett and believe he's a complicated but good man. But ghostwriting his autobiography has shown me the VP will do what he believes is in the best interests of the nation, and he can live with the gray areas if he has to. He would cover up what occurred and sleep well with the decision. So I don't disbelieve what is here. I just don't know if it is everything. If pushed, I would assume it is not, as there is always something that gets tucked away and not said.

“Did the chief of staff murder eighteen people? Yes. Is the diary his words and rationale for why he killed them? Yes. Did he abduct the VP and intend to kill him? Yes. Did the VP cover up what happened at the cabin? Yes. Is this the record of all that happened? Probably not. I know it can be accurate and still not be complete. The skeptic in me always doubts, and I assume I don't know everything that happened.”

Paul went to the core question he had. “Did the VP kill the chief of staff?”

“He says no, that the chief of staff pulled the trigger and shot himself in the head during a desperate struggle with the VP and the lady who wrote the diary. I believe that is the truth. It is consistent with the medical examiner's report on the body.”

Ann leaned back against the closed door. “Do you want this, Paul? Or would you rather have this dumped on someone else? It's not going to hurt your career or what I think of you for you to wisely say let this be someone else's problem.”

Paul smiled. “Do you expect me to decline? Or do you not know me that well?”

“I expect you to take this case, run with it, and relish every minute of it. And that's because I do know you.” She ran her
hand through her hair in a gesture he had rarely seen before. “This is a bombshell that is going to go off in a few months. You want Sam and Rita? This is going to have to be done quietly and fast, and you trust the two of them.”

“It will be like old times. The lady shooter case is quiet until her next letter arrives, and I'm not expecting it for another two or three weeks. Rita's watching for it, but I can shift that to Zane, as he's already read into the case. We can be back in Chicago the same day the letter comes in. It's not the first time we'll have juggled two critical investigations at the same time. When the lady shooter case goes hot again, we're in Chicago, and when it pauses we're back on this. Or I tell the VP now to hand this case to someone else.”

“Keep it, Paul. You'll do a good job, and that's what matters. I'll fly your team back and forth to Chicago as needed. I'll get you security codes for this room, a lot of coffee, and dinner. The VP's chapter will take about three hours to read, taking notes. The diary, it's much tougher reading. I'd recommend saving that for tomorrow. Are you still interested in a good steak?”

“Only if you join me.”

“There's a good chef here. I'll be back in thirty minutes. I'm now hungry.”

He laughed. “I find I am too.”

He glanced at the clock as the door closed. And then he picked up the chapter the VP had written and settled in to read.

Ann was back in twenty-five minutes and kicked the door. “Paul, hands.”

He pushed open the door and rescued two plates and carefully balanced silverware. The plates were so hot he hurried to set them on the table. She disappeared and came back with two more plates and drinks. “One more trip.” This time she came back with a stacked plate of brownies. “This day demands chocolate.”

“Nicely done, Ann. Two perfect steaks, French fries, and dessert. I'm impressed.”

She looked at the arranged meal. “I forgot the ketchup.” She went out again and came back with ketchup and steak sauce. “Now that looks right.”

She settled in with him at the table. He reached across for her hands and asked if he could pray. At her quick nod, he asked God's blessing on the food, and for direction on the important decisions they had to make.

Ann cut into the steak and sighed after the first bite. “I'm glad I know people who can cook.” She glanced at him. “I have a friend who can fly Sam and Rita here. Or I can go get them. I wouldn't mind getting out of here for a few hours.”

“Have your friend bring them down.”

“You're spoiling my fun.” She jotted a name and number on his pad of paper. “Hangar six, east end of Victory Airport. He runs a charter with three planes, and he's working on repairing a plane he just picked up, so he's practically living at the hangar. He'll get in the air as soon as they show up, tonight, tomorrow, whatever you arrange. He's flexible.”

“I'm calling them after this meal. It's a good steak.”

“It's a wonderful steak. There is a place here on the grounds for guests. I can arrange for the three of you to stay here for the duration of your work. Or if you prefer, there is a hotel about thirty minutes from here that is a comfortable place for an extended stay.”

“For security reasons, make arrangements here. I want to spend another hour reading tonight, and then I want to go enjoy a piece of Neva's pie on her front porch swing with you. Tomorrow we'll come back here for breakfast with the VP and get this officially started.”

She ate more French fries. “It needs to be thorough-beyond-thorough, and it needs to be fast. And for the VP's sake, it needs to be right. I've done what I can do, but I've got butterflies in
my stomach that have me wondering if something was missed. If it was, I need you to find it.”

“Eventually every secret comes to the surface. You know that.”

“I won't be able to keep my name out of this. The victim profiles' book would be enough to put me in the spotlight, but I know my involvement with the VP's autobiography will eventually be out there. People will assume I have known the truth for a number of years, and they would be right. I'm planning for a pretty ugly six months to a year ahead once the book is released. That's why I want some distance between us, Paul. I've known this day was coming, and now that it has arrived, I would rather not mess up more lives than I have to with the fallout.”

“One day at a time, Ann. Right now I simply want to know this material as well as you do. The idea of the press doesn't bother me. But I agree, the report itself has to be credible and above reproach, or it is not going to do the job that needs done. When you need a lawyer, and you will, you'll let me give you a name?”

“When it gets to that point, I'll ask.” She pointed her fork at him. “And before you wonder and ask, money for it is not going to be a problem. I've known this was coming. There's been a legal fund building value for a lot of years. I managed to acquire a sizable amount of silver back when it was trading at four dollars an ounce, and it will more than cover what could come.”

“Dave mentioned you had built a fabulous rare-coin business.”

“I found an Indian-head penny in a roll of pennies I got from the bank when I was eight years old, and it was worth two dollars. That started a lifelong love affair with coins. My childhood hobby turned into a nice business in the years after I graduated college. I had enough capital to start acquiring coins that ran in the fifty- to five-hundred-dollar range. I sold the business and its inventory a decade ago, but moved most of the proceeds into silver bullion since fiat currencies are an accident waiting to happen over time. It sits there and grows in value year after
year without me having to do anything but pay the insurance and storage fees on a good vault. I kept a handful of beautiful coins—silver-capped bust half dollars from 1834 to 1838, the ones I personally love. And I dabble from time to time when I spot a value I can't resist.”

“Dad is like that with business. He says he's retired, and he lets my brothers run the day-to-day of the Falcon empire, but he'll dabble again when he spots something he can't resist. He'd be bored if he didn't have his hand in the happenings of a business.”

“I like your dad.” She gathered up the dinner plates and left him the brownies. “I'll come get you in an hour.”

“Thanks.”