Free Removal by Peter Murphy

in all honesty, it’s not looking that way right now.’
    ‘What the hell do you mean?’ the First Lady asked furiously.
    ‘Well, in the first place, Harold did specifically tell me she wasn’t the source.’
    ‘And you swallowed that?’
    ‘Yes, Ma’am, actually I did. Harold has as good an eye for a story as any newspaper man, but he’s a straight shooter. He will protect his source, but he wouldn’t tell me a deliberate lie. He could have just kept quiet.’
    ‘And in the second place?’ the President asked.
    ‘In the second place, if she were a gold-digger we would have heard from her by now. She would have a lawyer, and they would be taking the lead, scheduling a press conference of their own. They wouldn’t wait for the press to come to them. They certainly wouldn’t lie low and let the Post put its own spin on the story. Not unless she’s being very badly advised.’
    ‘So, I’m being set up? The opposition is doing this?’
    ‘That would be my guess, Sir.’
    ‘God damn it.’
    Martha hesitated and swallowed hard.
    ‘Mr. President, if you don’t feel inclined to just ride out the storm, there are some things we can do.’
    ‘Let me hear it.’
    ‘Well, Sir, we could do some digging of our own.’
    ‘What kind of digging?’ the First Lady asked sharply.
    ‘We could have the Bureau run a check on her. Also the Secret Service. We could find out whether she’s ever been to the White House.’
    ‘Why the hell should she have been in the White House?’ Julia asked, looking at her husband.
    ‘Ma’am, thousands of people come to the White House in any given year, for functions and so on. It might help to know who she associates with. Maybe we can prove that she has connections with the opposition.’
    Steve Wade turned his back on them, and finished his coffee.
    ‘If you think it may get us somewhere, have someone take a look. Very discreetly, and for my eyes only.’
    ‘I’ll get right on it, Mr. President.’
    ‘I’m still coming to the press conference.’
    ‘Mr. President…’
    ‘No, Martha, my mind is made up.’
    Martha headed for the door.
    ‘I’ll alert them… if you’re quite sure that’s what you’ve decided?’
    ‘He didn’t decide,’ Julia Wade said. ‘I did.’
    * * *
    The President was just entering the White House press room when Ted Lazenby’s call came in to his private secretary, Steffie Walinsky. After agonizing over it for some time, the Director had decided that he should tell Steve Wade what was going on, even though it had to be unofficially until the facts were confirmed. It was an uncomfortable decision. Whatever he did, the situation would do nothing to improve his relationship with the President. But Lazenby concluded that it was the best of the several unattractive options open to him. As soon as he made the decision, he called Steffie to arrange a meeting. He was a couple of minutes too late.
    ‘This is important,’ he said. ‘Can’t you interrupt him?’
    ‘I’m afraid not, Director, not during a press conference. Not unless the United States is under attack. Standing orders from Miss Graylor. It could give the impression that there’s some panic going on.’
    Lazenby fought back an urge to tell her there was.
    ‘I’ll have him call you right back. We don’t expect it to last very long. He’s just making a cameo today. Miss Graylor’s handling most of it.’
    Lazenby went hot and cold in turn.
    ‘A cameo? Why?’
    ‘I’m not sure, Director. Will you be in your office?’
    ‘Don’t bother, Steffie. I’ll call the President myself later.’
    ‘All right, Director.’
    Lazenby replaced the receiver.
    ‘Oh, fuck,’ he said out loud.
    * * *
    Steve Wade’s arrival caused something of a stir in the press room. Martha had told the journalists only that the President would make a short statement and would take a few questions, and she had abruptly fended off further inquiries. No, she could not speculate about it, and no, there were