Free Exclusive by Sandra Brown, Sandra Page A
Authors: Sandra Brown, Sandra
as anybody's."
"He didn't just materialize when Merritt appointed him as adviser," she said with frustration.
"But it looks that way," Daily remarked. "Spencer Martin is just as secretive. What's known about them before the Merritt administration wouldn't fill a thimble. My opinion-they cultivate that mysterious aura."
"What for?"
EXCLUSIVE 69
"Effect, I imagine."
"What did Bondurant do before the rescue mission?"
"Planned it, I guess. The three of them-Martin, Bondurant, and Merritt-had Marine recon training. Of the three, the President is the most polished, the natural politician. Spencer Martin is a devious sneak. He fits his role in the administration to a tee. And Bondurant . . . He's the most complex of the trio. Want to know something? The guy always scared the shit out of me. Truth be known, I think he scared the shit out of the President, too."
"I thought Merritt fired him because he had become a little too attached to Vanessa."
Daily grunted. "How come you're so rusty on this? Where were you when this was going on? It wasn't that long ago."
"Howie was mad at me for something or other, so he had me covering alleged misconduct in professional wrestling. I missed out on Bondurant's return and then his split from Washington."
"Actually, there wasn't much to miss. Bondurant had every reporter in Washington frustrated. He dodged cameras and granted no interviews. The tabloids printed their usual tripe, but of course they didn't give the true story."
"What was the true story?"
"I don't know. But if Merritt had thought that Bondurant was humping the First Lady, why would he have picked him to lead that rescue mission? He made Bondurant a national hero. That doesn't sound like the act of a jealous husband, does it?"
Daily wagged his index finger at her. "And there's another fact you've got wrong. The President didn't fire him. Following the mission, he asked Bondurant to resume his position at the White House. Bondurant said,
`Thank you, but no.' "
70 Sandra Brown
"How do you know all this?"
"You're not the only one with sources, missy. I may have one foot in the grave, but the other one is still welcome in several camps in Washington."
"If you're so in-the-know, where is Bondurant now?"
"He moved someplace out West. To one of those square states."
Chapter
Eight
She went so far as to invite him to lunch. They went to his favorite deli.
She even let him eat before pleading her case.
"Please, Howie. Give me the green light. A few days should do it." He mopped up the juice from his meatball sandwich with the last scrap of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. Chewing, he said, "Travel's expensive, you know. We've got no budget for it."
"I'll pay as I go with my own money. I'll keep receipts. The station can reimburse me later. But only if I produce the story."
She hoped this self-sacrifice would win him over. It also heightened her incentive to produce an exclusive that would electrify the nation, which she believed she was on the brink of doing. Only a story of this magnitude would have compelled her to break bread with Howie Fripp.
He ruminated-on a raw onion and her request. "Where are you going?"
"I can't say."
72 Sandra Brown
"You expect me to give you the go-ahead when you won't tell me where you're going or what the story is?"
"It's explosive. Secrecy is the key to breaking it." She lowered her voice to a hush and leaned in closer, although the onion and garlic fumes emanating from his mouth caused her eyes to tear. "If word got out that I was working on this, it could be dangerous for anyone who knew."
"Gimme a break," he moaned. "Why don't you try selling that crock of shit over at NBC? Some schmuck over there might actually buy it."
"Thanks, Howie. I was hoping you'd say that." She reached for her satchel.
At first taken aback, Howie narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "How come you're not sore?"
"Because now I can go to Jenkins with a clear conscience. I didn't want to jump the chain of
"He didn't just materialize when Merritt appointed him as adviser," she said with frustration.
"But it looks that way," Daily remarked. "Spencer Martin is just as secretive. What's known about them before the Merritt administration wouldn't fill a thimble. My opinion-they cultivate that mysterious aura."
"What for?"
EXCLUSIVE 69
"Effect, I imagine."
"What did Bondurant do before the rescue mission?"
"Planned it, I guess. The three of them-Martin, Bondurant, and Merritt-had Marine recon training. Of the three, the President is the most polished, the natural politician. Spencer Martin is a devious sneak. He fits his role in the administration to a tee. And Bondurant . . . He's the most complex of the trio. Want to know something? The guy always scared the shit out of me. Truth be known, I think he scared the shit out of the President, too."
"I thought Merritt fired him because he had become a little too attached to Vanessa."
Daily grunted. "How come you're so rusty on this? Where were you when this was going on? It wasn't that long ago."
"Howie was mad at me for something or other, so he had me covering alleged misconduct in professional wrestling. I missed out on Bondurant's return and then his split from Washington."
"Actually, there wasn't much to miss. Bondurant had every reporter in Washington frustrated. He dodged cameras and granted no interviews. The tabloids printed their usual tripe, but of course they didn't give the true story."
"What was the true story?"
"I don't know. But if Merritt had thought that Bondurant was humping the First Lady, why would he have picked him to lead that rescue mission? He made Bondurant a national hero. That doesn't sound like the act of a jealous husband, does it?"
Daily wagged his index finger at her. "And there's another fact you've got wrong. The President didn't fire him. Following the mission, he asked Bondurant to resume his position at the White House. Bondurant said,
`Thank you, but no.' "
70 Sandra Brown
"How do you know all this?"
"You're not the only one with sources, missy. I may have one foot in the grave, but the other one is still welcome in several camps in Washington."
"If you're so in-the-know, where is Bondurant now?"
"He moved someplace out West. To one of those square states."
Chapter
Eight
She went so far as to invite him to lunch. They went to his favorite deli.
She even let him eat before pleading her case.
"Please, Howie. Give me the green light. A few days should do it." He mopped up the juice from his meatball sandwich with the last scrap of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. Chewing, he said, "Travel's expensive, you know. We've got no budget for it."
"I'll pay as I go with my own money. I'll keep receipts. The station can reimburse me later. But only if I produce the story."
She hoped this self-sacrifice would win him over. It also heightened her incentive to produce an exclusive that would electrify the nation, which she believed she was on the brink of doing. Only a story of this magnitude would have compelled her to break bread with Howie Fripp.
He ruminated-on a raw onion and her request. "Where are you going?"
"I can't say."
72 Sandra Brown
"You expect me to give you the go-ahead when you won't tell me where you're going or what the story is?"
"It's explosive. Secrecy is the key to breaking it." She lowered her voice to a hush and leaned in closer, although the onion and garlic fumes emanating from his mouth caused her eyes to tear. "If word got out that I was working on this, it could be dangerous for anyone who knew."
"Gimme a break," he moaned. "Why don't you try selling that crock of shit over at NBC? Some schmuck over there might actually buy it."
"Thanks, Howie. I was hoping you'd say that." She reached for her satchel.
At first taken aback, Howie narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "How come you're not sore?"
"Because now I can go to Jenkins with a clear conscience. I didn't want to jump the chain of
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