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“Old story,” Barrie said. “There was speculation on that before.”

“This time it’s serious,” Howie said nervously. Bondurant was still scowling.

“What hospital?”

“I don’t know. No one knows. And it could be just gossip.”

Bondurant looked across at Barrie. Barrie shook her head. Bondurant shrugged and bumped Howie’s forehead with the pistol again.

“D… Dr. Allan takes a helicopter from the White House lawn every day,” he rushed on. “He’s usually back in an hour, hour and a half. But nobody knows where he’s going or even if these quick trips have anything to do with the First Lady. And there’s talk that he has trouble at home.”

“The Allans’ marriage is solid,” Bondurant said. “I’ve been around them. They’re crazy about each other.”

“He and the missus aren’t getting along. That’s the gossip. So maybe he’s flying off to visit some skirt, who knows?”

Howie turned his head, looking hopefully at Barrie, then at Bondurant. “I swear to God that’s it. That’s all I’ve heard. Jenkins said he’d shove the Washington Monument up my ass if I even talked to you. So, if you do anything with this info, you can’t let him know I told you. Promise, Barrie, okay?”

“What do you think?” Bondurant asked her. “Is he lying?”

“I’m not!” Howie cried.

“I’m not sure,” she said, gnawing the inside of her cheek. “He could be, just to save himself. On the other hand, he knows that if he’s feeding us bullshit, you’ll only come back for him.”

“I’m not. You won’t,” Howie said hastily.

Bondurant fixed a blue-hot gaze on him. Howie’s entire life flashed before his eyes at least three times before Bondurant uncocked the hammer and withdrew the pistol. “Tell you what, Howie. I won’t kill you tonight if you give us a reason to come back tomorrow.”

“What for?”

“The name of the hospital. That’s not asking too much, is it? The name of a hospital in exchange for a nice take-out Chinese meal like you’ve got yourself there, and a chance to eat it.”

“I don’t… How am I gonna find out the name of the—”

“That’s your problem. But I bet you come through.”

“Don’t count on it,” Barrie said. “He’ll agree to anything to save his sorry butt. Then he’ll probably double-cross us.”

“No I won’t!” Howie squealed. “Swear to God I won’t, Mr. Bondurant.”

“Do what you want, Gray,” Barrie said. “But I don’t trust him. He’s a maggot.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” Bondurant’s voice sent chills up Howie’s clammy spine. “She tells me that you used to give her a hard time at work, Howie.”

“That’s not true.”

“He’s not only a sexist sleazoid, he’s a lying sexist sleazoid,” she said.

The dangerous blue eyes narrowed another fraction of an inch.

Howie squirmed in his seat. “Okay, maybe… maybe I did joke with her some, but I never meant anything by it.”

“You look like the kind of guy who would make lewd comments to a woman because you can’t get her attention any other way.”

“That’s exactly what he did,” Barrie said.

“That’s right, I did.” Howie’s enthusiastic nod of agreement made his head wobble on his neck. “Whatever Barrie says, I’m guilty as charged.”

“Did you make snide comments about her sex drive, her love life, her figure, her sex in general?”