Capital Offense полностью

Carolyn stopped in the kitchenette and made herself a cup of tea before going on to her old office. The desk once occupied by her assistant, Katherine, sat vacant. Carolyn stepped past it and into her former domain. She sat down behind her desk. Although it felt good to be back, this office represented her past – a past she had no desire to revisit.

She turned her attention back to the campaign, and pulled a legal pad from her top desk drawer.

President Washman and Vice President Dexter would be dealt with later. For now, she needed to focus on the primaries.

Her biggest concern remained Senator Richard Young. What puzzled her was Warner’s relaxed attitude about the man. Young was, by far, the most serious potential presidential candidate aside from Warner.

His Boy Scout public image, however, frustrated her. She grasped the mug of steaming tea and held it between her two hands, taking tiny sips.

Other than a weakness for women, Young’s only other vulnerability was his devotion to his children. While this genuine love for his family aided him with the voters, she sensed that it might be the key to slowing down his momentum. Carolyn pondered the possibilities and concluded that, whatever it took, they would give Richard Young the fight of his political life.

She considered their other adversaries. Martin Gaston from New Hampshire and Frank Landon were both contenders. She’d heard rumors that Bradley Davis of California was on the verge of declaring, but she knew he’d be an easy target. Nebraska Senator David Taylor posed a more viable threat.

Carolyn decided to concentrate her energy on Taylor ’s personal past. He had to have ghosts, she concluded. Ghosts that the voters needed to be aware of when deciding the country’s leadership.

She had met Taylor once. He was an eloquent, charismatic speaker and his record included a Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War. He could be legitimately touted as a war hero. Compared to Taylor ’s record, Warner’s lackluster military career became a liability. She tapped the pencil against the bridge of her nose.

Her glance fell on the stack of mail in her basket that had yet to be forwarded on to her home. Carolyn set aside her pencil and flipped through the stacks of solicitations, letters and periodicals. Most of it was junk. She picked up the most recent issue of Today and began leafing through it.

“Just what we need right now.” she muttered as she read the bold-print header of the article

Allergy Claim Keeps Lane from Combat

Duty

Senator Warner Hamilton Lane, a rising star in politics, appears to have made a miraculous recovery from his severe allergies, the malady that kept him out of combat during the Vietnam War.

Carolyn skimmed the text.

Medical records, from Lane’s personal physician, claim that his condition worsened during the war, forcing him to maintain a desk post in Hawaii. Remarkably, however, the allergies seem to have disappeared. In medical records released by the Senator himself, during his last campaign, he was given a clean bill of health and no mention was made of the severe sensitivity.

Carolyn turned the page, finding the byline – by Jack Rudly.

How in the world had Rudly acquired confidential medical and military records? Carolyn wondered. This was typical of his silent, but deadly, attack style. Like a shark, he came out of nowhere, his prey clenched between his jaws.

Carolyn checked the date. No wonder, she thought, the conversation between Nick and Jack had been so intense. Nick must have known about this article. She snatched up the phone, her fingers shaking as she dialed.

“Nick, why didn’t you tell me about Rudly’s article?” She didn’t wait for his response. “Nothing, and I mean – nothing – goes on in this campaign without my knowledge. I thought you understood that. Now, please find out how Rudly got his information, then shut it down. We’ve got friends at that magazine – call them.”

“ Edmund Lane called me about this,” Nick said. “He told me he and Warner had handled it.”

“Say that again,” she instructed ever so softly.

“Edmund said he’d handle it because he was afraid he’d caused the problem for Warner. Since they obviously have some pull with the magazine, they assured me it would never happen again.”