Katherine led Sean through to the Governor’s study where the Governor sat, despondently staring into space.
“Good afternoon, Governor Brown,” said Sean, taking the seat next to him.
Katherine waited until Sean looked at her, took the hint and left.
“I’ll leave you to it,” she said, closing the door behind her.
Sean had a list of things he had been told not to discuss with the Governor. Specifically anything to do with Surkov and what they may or may not think he was up to, along with the Russian President. As they had been warned previously, relations with Russia were at an all time high. It was not the time for the next US President to storm into Russia and declare their president was hooked up with a lunatic of world ending proportion.
The man was broken. Nothing Sean said was going to change that. And nothing he said was going to get the Governor on a plane to Moscow any time in the near future. He stood up and patted the man on the back before joining Katherine in the hallway.
“Well?” she asked
Sean began to shake his head but stopped as he considered what he had been through the previous day. Five CIA agents had given their lives and all because of Dr Boris Surkov. For all they knew, it was Surkov who had had the Governor’s wife killed.
“Just give me another minute,” said Sean, before rejoining the Governor.
Katherine paced the hallway as Sean did whatever he was doing. After ten minutes, a cry came from the study. “Katherine!” had her rushing into the room.
She looked at the sofa where the governor had become a feature. He wasn’t there. She looked at his desk where the Governor stood, reviewing his diary.
“What time are we leaving?” he asked, all business.
“Five pm Sir, in just over three hours.”
“Anything in the diary for this afternoon?”
'No I cleared it,” replied Katherine.
Governor Brown looked over at Sean. “Well, I don’t see any reason to wait, let’s go now! It’s not like we’re flying commercial,” he announced.
As the Governor marched out of the room, Katherine looked across at Sean, hoping for some inkling as to how he pulled off the impossible.
Sean shrugged in response. It was bad enough he had spilled his guts for the Governor, he wasn’t about to do it for Katherine as well.
“Oh, and Katherine,” the Governor paused at the door. “Get the FBI to investigate Nicole’s death more fully. I want a full report on my return!”
“Of course, Sir!” replied Katherine, remaining as calm on the outside as her body would allow. Tricking the Austin police force with her killing was one thing, the FBI was another.
She immediately turned back to Sean who gave her a 'what can you do’ shrug, as he followed the Governor into the hallway.
Katherine went to the desk and picked up the phone. If she called the FBI, they wouldn’t rest until they found something. Her affair with Nicole might even be uncovered if they decided to look deep into Nicole’s life before her death. The local police had not done any of this, accepting, as expected, the tragedy at face value.
She hovered over the telephone, the FBI could destroy everything she had spent a lifetime preparing. Involving them now couldn’t be undone. But nobody would know but her, she realized. They were about to leave. The FBI wouldn’t arrive until after they had left in any event. And after Moscow, well none of it would matter, she thought. The White House and first lady remained the goal.