Private Monaco

Chapter 78

Justine hurried along the walkway toward the Monte Carlo Casino stand, but was stopped by a man in a dark gray suit. His large build, aviator sunglasses, buzzcut, Stars and Stripes pin and MARIE transceiver in his left ear all screamed Secret Service.

“Ma’am, this stand is off-limits,” he yelled above the thunderous roar of an approaching race car. His Texan accent was another giveaway.

“I’m a guest of Secretary Carver,” Justine said. She craned to peer around the man, but couldn’t get a view of the stand, just the steps that led to the seating area.

“Name, please,” he responded automatically, producing a tablet computer.

“Justine Smith.”

He checked the device and frowned.

“I’m afraid your invitation to be in the Secretary’s party has been rescinded, ma’am,” he revealed. “I’m sorry. You’ll need to make your way to another part of the course.”

Justine stood in stunned disbelief for a moment.

“Ma’am, you’ll need to move along.”

She couldn’t understand why Carver would retract her invitation.

“What about Jack Morgan? Is he still on the list?” she asked.

“Ma’am, I can’t share any details about other people in the Secretary’s party,” he replied. “I have to ask you to move along, please.”

Justine found herself eyeing the stand. She couldn’t have been more than forty feet from the steps and thought about pushing past the huge guy and making a run for it, but there were two more agents by the grandstand, and she had no doubt the men were armed and would shoot her if they deemed her a threat.

“Could you check with Secretary Carver,” she said. “I think there’s been some mistake.”

The thunder of the engines, clamor of the crowd and wild atmosphere made the conversation even more difficult and fraught.

“I can’t do that, ma’am,” the agent replied loudly. “The list doesn’t make mistakes.”

“I saw the Secretary yesterday,” Justine said. “He reiterated his invitation. Why would he have done that?”

The Secret Service agent shrugged. “I can’t answer for the Secretary, ma’am.”

“Could you please, please, please check for me?” she asked again. “I really do think there’s been a mistake.”

He set his jaw and his tone turned darker. “You need to move along, ma’am.”

Justine glanced around desperately and saw a familiar face coming along the walkway. Henry Wilson, Carver’s aide, was talking on his phone. His jovial expression fell away momentarily when he saw Justine, but he recovered with a quick, false smile. She wondered why she was suddenly unwelcome. Was it because she and Jack had warned of danger? Were they regarded as obsessive alarmists?

“Ms. Smith,” Henry said, a little too sweetly. “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you had your hands full.”

“I need to talk to the Secretary,” she told him. “But this gentleman says my invitation has been rescinded.”

“We reviewed the Secretary’s security protocols on your recommendation and pared the guest list down to the absolute minimum,” Henry replied.

“Does he know?” Justine said.

The aide didn’t respond.

“Does he know? Or did you do this?”

Henry drew close. “Ms. Smith, please don’t cause a scene. The Secretary doesn’t need the scandal associated with your abduction and alarmist talk of conspiracy with the Dark Fates, Propaganda Tre and Roman Verde.”

Justine stepped back and studied him.

“Who told you about Roman Verde?” she asked.

“The Secretary. It was in the intel you sent him,” Henry replied, but he seemed flustered.

“His schedule had to have been leaked by someone close to him,” Justine remarked.

“Oh, come now,” he scoffed. “You don’t seriously think... Please don’t draw me into your web of insanity.”

“Show me your arm,” Justine said, and lunged for him. “Show it to me!”

He stepped back. “I don’t know what’s got into you, Ms. Smith, but this is precisely why you were removed from the list.”

He turned to the Secret Service agent.

“Get her out of here. Eject her from the course and take her pass. Now.”

The huge guy grabbed Justine, who screamed and fought against him as he marched her toward the exit. Her cries were lost beneath the cacophony of the race and hardly anyone noticed her being taken away.