Acts of Mercy

Seventeen

Augustine was about to leave his office and join Claire when Maxwell returned and asked if Justice had reported back.

“No,” Augustine said. “You mean he hasn’t turned up Wexford for you yet?”

“Certainly that’s what I mean,” Harper said. “I’ve been waiting in my compartment for the last hour. Nicholas, I’m frankly becoming concerned about-”

And there was a sudden sharp, urgent rapping on the office door.

They exchanged a brief look, and immediately Harper went to the door and slid it open. Justice. He seemed to hesitate at the sight of Harper, then came quickly into the compartment and stood uneasily with his arms flat against his sides. Looking at him, at the distressed planes of his face, Augustine thought with cold alarm: My God, there is something wrong “Mr. President,” Justice said, “may I speak to you privately?”

Harper shut the door and came over in front of him. “Is it about Wexford?”

Justice hesitated.

“Is it about Wexford?”

“Yes sir.”

“Then for Christ’s sake, man, spit it out.”

“Mr. President?”

“Yes, yes,” Augustine said, “go ahead, Christopher.”

Justice took a breath, let it out sibilantly. “I couldn’t find him,” he said. “I’m sorry, sir, but he’s… disappeared.”

A tic began to flutter Augustine’s left eyelid. “Disappeared?”

“Yes sir.”

“Are you sure of that?”

“Positive, sir. I’ve been through the entire train twice; I looked everywhere.”

Harper said, “Jesus.”

The same kind of shock Augustine had felt two nights ago in Washington, when Justice brought him the news of Briggs’s fatal accident, seemed to take hold of him again. “It isn’t possible,” he heard himself say. “How could a thing like that happen?”

“I don’t know, sir,” Justice said. “But Mr. Dougherty told me he saw Mr. Wexford out on the observation platform last night, after midnight. Maybe he lost his balance when the train lurched, or had a stroke or something, and… well, fell off the platform.”

Harper pivoted and stared at Augustine as if in accusation. But I was only joking earlier, Augustine thought numbly. I never imagined it might be true. How could I imagine anything like that would be true?

“What should we do, sir?” Justice asked him.

“Do?”

“Yes sir.”

Harper said, “There’s nothing to do,” in a curiously dull, hollow voice-a tone Augustine had never heard him use before.

“But there’s a chance he might still be alive, badly hurt somewhere along the tracks-”

“Don’t be a fool, Justice. A man Wexford’s age could never survive a plunge from a speeding train.”

“I guess you’re right, Mr. Harper. Still, shouldn’t a search party be sent out right away?”

“Yes,” Augustine said. “A search party.”

He went behind his desk, sank heavily into the chair. I hated Julius, he thought, I hated him for what he tried to do to me-but he was a friend for twenty years, I never wanted him dead. I never wanted Briggs dead either. Briggs. And now Wexford. One is bad enough, but two; two. No way to cover this one up, even if I wanted to. And Briggs will be found anytime now back in Washington.

Why did they have to die? Goddamn them, why did they have to do this to me?

Outside, the train’s air horn echoed loudly through the quiet morning. Augustine lifted his head, realized that the Presidential Special had slackened speed and that they were passing through the long limestone-walled cut into the narrow valley where The Hollows station was located. Less than five minutes now before arrival.

He also realized Justice was speaking to him. “… all right, sir?”

“What did you say?”

“I asked if you were all right, Mr. President.”

“Yes. A little shell-shocked, that’s all.”

“Do you want me to have Communications radio in a report to the FBI?”

“No,” Harper said.

Justice shifted his gaze. “Sir?”

“What’s happened is terrible enough without risking an immediate leak to the media. We can contact the FBI directly from The Hollows; a half-hour or so isn’t going to make any difference to Wexford. And there’ll be time to prepare an official announcement for when the body is found.” He looked at Augustine. “Don’t you agree, Mr. President?”

“Yes,” Augustine said.

“Then that’s how we’ll handle it.” And to Justice, “Not a word to anyone, do you understand?”

Justice seemed to want to say something; instead he nodded grimly, silently.

Augustine thought: Why couldn’t they all have been as strong and as loyal as Maxwell and Christopher? And Claire too… Claire. God, what will she say? I’ve got to tell her-but not right away, not until we get to The Hollows. I can’t face her with it until then.

“We’ll be at the station any minute,” Harper said. “Can you put up a front for the media, Nicholas?”

Augustine looked across at the liquor cabinet, then imme. diately pulled his eyes away from it again. “Don’t worry about the media,” he said.

The air horn sounded another time and the train lost more of its speed, coasting as they neared the station.

Augustine got slowly to his feet. “We’ve all got things to do before we disembark,” he said. “We’d better do them.”

Harper nodded. “Just the amenities at the station and straight to The Hollows. All right?”

“Yes. All right.”

When they were gone Augustine stood staring at the closed door. How can I beat them now that Wexford is dead too? he thought, and felt a coldness settle on the back of his neck.

How can I beat them now?