“If they give me a bodyguard tomorrow, I don’t see why I can’t go home,” she complained as they got their bags and went through customs. Neither of them had anything to declare so five minutes later they were on the sidewalk, and then in a cab. She was going to Brooklyn with him. She had just texted Faye to say she had landed and would be staying with Ben again. And Felix had assured her that Faye still had security with her at school, until they knew who the threats were coming from, or they stopped.
“I’m better trained than the FBI guys,” Ben said calmly about bodyguards for Alix.
“Well, I can’t move in with you. And besides, I want to go home.”
“You don’t like my guest room?” he asked, pretending to be insulted, and she laughed. It was fine, but it wasn’t home.
“Thank you for being a good sport for another night,” she said in the cab.
“I like having you there,” he said easily. They stopped to pick up a few groceries, enough to make breakfast, and she was hoping they’d let her go home the next day. She couldn’t even unpack at Ben’s since she didn’t know how long she was staying. She wondered if they had made any discoveries they were going to share with her. More often than not, federal agencies did not share full information with victims, and sometimes none at all.
Typically, the next morning when Officer Pelham came to see her, with two of his colleagues, they had nothing to tell her, or didn’t want to. What they wanted was for her to contact Olympia Foster again.
“Why don’t you go to see her?” she asked them bluntly, and Pelham pointed out that Alix had already established a rapport with her, and they had a difficult project to suggest. They had been informed that Olympia had dinner regularly with the Vice President at her home, and they wanted her to question him on some delicate subjects, and wear a wire so they could listen from an unmarked van outside.
“Oh God,” Alix said, looking at Ben, who was with them. “She’ll never do it. He’s her whole support system now. She trusts him completely. She won’t set him up or betray him, and she’ll never believe that he’s done something wrong. I touched on it lightly and she sprang to his defense immediately. I don’t think there’s a chance in hell that she’ll do it, and why do I have to be the one to convince her?”
“She may think we’re trying to frame him.”
“And if she won’t do it?”
“Her husband may get blamed for malfeasance along with Clark. This has been going on for a long time. People may think that Foster was part of the plan, even if no one can prove it now. A cloud could hang over him forever, they’ll think he’s just as much to blame and just as guilty as Clark. They wanted to run on the ticket together.” Alix was silent while she thought about it, and realized it was the only card they had to play with her. As much as Olympia wanted to protect Tony, she wanted to protect her husband’s spotless reputation even more. But it was going to be a hard sell to get her to set Tony up with a hidden wire. Alix cringed at the thought, and asking her to do it was going to be difficult at best.
“You want me to ask her this on my own?” Alix asked, hoping that at least one of them would come with her.
“Yes, I do,” Pelham said, looking grim. “She knows you, you have a better chance with her than we do. We want her to ask him casually about the lobbyists he spends time with, and the Saudis.” It didn’t sound casual to Alix, and it wouldn’t to Tony either. It seemed like a crazy idea to her, and Olympia was likely to throw her out, and she wouldn’t blame her.
“I’ve only met her once,” she reminded them. “That’s not a lot to trade on.”
“All you can do is ask her, but I was serious about her husband. This could tarnish his reputation forever, by association.” Alix knew that was true. The question was if Olympia would believe her and agree to set Tony up over dinner. The CIA left half an hour later, and she sat in her office with Ben and Felix.
“Why do I get to do all the dirty work here?” she said. The vacation was definitely over, and they had told her she couldn’t go home, unless she had a bodyguard. They were willing to have the FBI provide security for her or she could hire her own, but she had to have protection because of the threats she was getting. And Faye still had an FBI agent with her at Duke. And now Alix had to set up a perfectly nice woman, and coerce her into cooperating with the CIA against the man she had considered to be her best friend, her only friend, for the past six years. It was a miserable situation.
Alix called Olympia after Felix and Ben went back to their offices. She didn’t want an audience when she called. Jennifer answered, and Alix asked to speak to Olympia, and was relieved when the senator’s widow came on the line. Jennifer sounded suspicious of her and was fiercely protective.
“I’m sorry to disturb you,” Alix said to Olympia in an apologetic tone. “I was wondering if I could come and talk to you for a few minutes.”
“Now?” Olympia was startled. She couldn’t imagine what Alix wanted and she remembered Tony’s warnings.
“Whenever it’s convenient for you, but soon.” There was a sense of urgency in Alix’s voice that telegraphed to Olympia that it was important.
“Is something wrong?” She was worried.
“There could be,” Alix said honestly. “I think we should talk. I have some information I think you’ll want.” Alix’s stomach turned over as she said it, and she knew Olympia’s would too when she heard. She hated to put her through it, but now she had no choice. Olympia could hear it from Alix or the CIA, and Alix would be gentler.
“You can come now, if you want,” Olympia said thoughtfully. She was wondering if she should warn Tony that Alix was coming back, but something told her not to. She could always tell him later, if it had anything to do with him. After she hung up, she told Jennifer that Alix was coming by.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Jennifer asked her, concerned.
“Yes, I do,” Olympia answered in a firm voice. Twenty minutes later, Alix was there. Felix had sent one of the security guards from the network with her, and he waited outside.
Jennifer let her in and escorted her up the stairs to Olympia’s office. She was sitting in one of the big comfortable chairs and stood up when Alix walked in. The two women exchanged a long, serious look and said very little until Jennifer left the room. Olympia didn’t offer her coffee, and waited to hear why she’d come. They sat down facing each other, and Alix took a breath before she explained.
“I’m not sure where to start. The last time I came to see you, I asked you about the Vice President and his relationship with lobbyists. The question had been raised by some of our sources, but now it’s a lot more than that. The CIA have gotten involved and conducted their own investigation, and I’m fairly certain he’s going to be accused of taking large sums of money from at least one of the most important lobbies, and two or three lobbyists, possibly to start building his campaign fund, in exchange for favors and bills he could get passed if he wins. Now there are at least two people willing to testify against him in exchange for immunity. Apparently he’s been doing it for a long time, even before Senator Foster died. He stopped for a while, but now there are large amounts involved, and he’s doing it again.” Alix looked serious as she explained it to her, and Olympia was visibly upset by what she heard. “I wanted to tell you myself.”
“I appreciate that. But are you sure? That doesn’t sound like him.” Olympia was paler than usual, and Alix’s palms were sweating. She hated to have to tell her all of it. “Could it be someone trying to set him up?”
“Anything is possible, but the CIA Clandestine Service is involved. I don’t think they make mistakes, or not very often. And there’s more. He’s involved with the Saudis, and has been for years, he’s taking bribes on oil deals he can help place for them. And he’s done that for a long time as well. He’s involved with four very important Saudis, he’s met with them in Tehran and Dubai. This is going to be a very big deal when it comes out.” Olympia looked sick as she listened, and
averted her eyes. Alix couldn’t tell if this was news to her or not, but she was obviously distressed.
“Why are you telling me now? And why you and not the CIA?” She was frightened and suspicious. She no longer knew who to trust.
“The CIA operations officer in charge asked me to talk to you. Did Senator Foster know? Did he suspect? Did he ever say anything to Vice President Clark about it? I’m not here for a story, I’m here because I don’t want to see your husband’s reputation tarnished. I think he was an incredible man. The CIA will want to talk to you, but they wanted me to talk to you first, informally. I think we’re all hoping that Senator Foster knew nothing about it. No one wants to see your husband implicated or accused of the Vice President’s crimes.” Olympia sat silent for a long time, staring into the fireplace, as though listening to her husband talking to her, and then she met Alix’s eyes. She was clearly agonized and afraid. She had just made a conscious decision to be honest with Alix, for Bill’s sake. Alix had done her job well and gotten the point across, that Bill Foster’s flawless reputation was at stake.
“Yes, he knew,” she said in a barely audible voice. “Not everything you just told me, but some of it. We talked about it. He was furious with Tony for making friends with the lobbyists. Tony said it was just social, but Bill didn’t like the way it looked, or would look if it came out. He told him to back away from them. They had a terrible argument about it, and then Bill heard he was making trips to meet the Saudis. Tony said he wasn’t taking money from them, he was just facilitating things for them, in exchange for favors later on.” It was precisely the kind of arrangement Bill hated. Bill never sold out to anyone, and didn’t make deals like that. And he didn’t want Tony to either. He said Tony didn’t realize how dangerous it was and could cost them the election if it came out.
“Tony Clark is a dealmaker and he’s brilliant at it. Bill thought too much so for his own good. He didn’t want any secrets in their past when they ran as their party’s nominees for President and Vice President.”
“Reliable sources say that Tony Clark was paid huge amounts of money that were deposited in a Swiss bank for him, in a numbered account,” Alix added. “The CIA is looking into it, and I have no idea what they’ve found out. But if it’s true, and he did that, he’s going to take Bill down with him, or maybe even sell him out and blame him to save his own hide. He’s involved with at least one lobbyist who has admitted buying him, and a group of Saudis who are paying him a fortune. Your husband’s reputation is on the line. Only you can protect him now by exposing what you know about Tony Clark.” Alix hadn’t minced words, and Olympia was shocked. The full force of what Alix had said had hit her. And she decided she would tell her what no one had ever suspected or known about Clark.
Olympia spoke in a hoarse voice, filled with emotion. “Two weeks before he died, Bill knew enough about it, but not all of it, to tell Tony he wouldn’t run with him. They were best friends, but he said Tony was dirty and he wanted no part of it. It would have destroyed their campaign. He was going to announce his separation from him. Tony said he’d run against him for the nomination, but he didn’t have the political clout to do that. Bill did, but Tony didn’t. He needed Bill to run. Bill was sick over it, but he told him there was no way he wanted to run with him as Vice President if Bill got the nomination. Bill was convinced Tony had sold out. Tony denied it. But Bill finally had evidence, I don’t know what it was. Tony tried to convince him to let him run with him anyway, but he was tainted. It was a terrible decision for Bill to have to make. If any of this had come out, Bill would have gone down with him.
“Bill never had a chance to announce the separation. Tony had asked Bill to reconsider. Bill didn’t change his mind, but he was killed before he could announce it. He was going to say they were separating due to different personal opinions, not expose him. I didn’t want to tell you when you asked me because Tony has been wonderful to me, and my children, since Bill died. I wouldn’t have survived it without him. And I didn’t think lobbyists were still an issue. It was in the past, and I assumed he was clean now since he’s the Vice President, and wants to run for President next time. I didn’t think he’d take the chance to continue those activities. And maybe he hasn’t, maybe the CIA and the informants are wrong and they’ve unearthed his mistakes from the past. But if they’re not wrong, I can’t let him take Bill down, not now, when Bill isn’t here to defend himself.
“Bill loved him, in spite of his bad decisions. He didn’t want to run with him, but he cared about him deeply, and so do I. He’s a wonderful man, but he can’t destroy Bill’s reputation now, after everything my husband worked so hard to build. This is exactly what he was afraid of happening, before he died, and why he told Tony he wouldn’t run with him. But Bill was loyal to him till the end, and Tony is the best friend I have. What will happen to him if all of this, or even some of it, is true?” she asked with a look of deep concern for Tony Clark. But her deepest loyalty and allegiance were to the man she had been married to. She would let nothing touch him now.
“I’m only guessing, but I assume he’ll be removed from office, and he could go to prison. These are serious crimes,” Alix answered her. “How did your husband find out?”
“I don’t know. I think he found out by accident. An informant, a rumor. He had no legal proof, but enough evidence to convince him it was true. He had no doubt. But Tony has no idea that Bill told me any of it. I still find it hard to believe. Tony is such a decent man.” And convincing too, Alix thought but didn’t say.
“They were almost like brothers, they had been best friends since they were kids. But Bill couldn’t take the chance that Tony was taking bribes, and he was sure he was. Money is very important to Tony, much more than it was to Bill. And Bill had nothing to do with what Tony did. My husband was a very principled man.”
“I know,” Alix said quietly.
“I never said anything because I didn’t see the point of damaging Tony’s career now. I had no idea that he actually has taken bribes and made deals with the Saudis and is even more deeply involved. What is the CIA going to do?”
“You’ll have to ask them, I honestly don’t know,” Alix answered, and then took a breath and went on. “But they want your help now.”
“How?” Olympia looked panicked. “What do they want?” The thought of betraying Tony made her feel sick, but allowing him to tarnish Bill’s reputation by association broke her heart. She couldn’t let that happen.
“They know he comes to see you frequently for dinner. They want you to have him here, and wear a wire, ask him pertinent questions, and see what he says. They’ll be outside listening, in a truck.” Alix didn’t envy her that task, and she felt sorry for her, having to betray a friend who meant as much to her as Tony did. Olympia’s eyes filled with tears and her whole body seemed to sag. There were tears rolling down her cheeks when she looked at Alix again. She wasn’t afraid, she was crushed.
“They want me to set him up,” Olympia said and Alix nodded confirmation. There was no other way to put it. “But Tony doesn’t know that I knew. Bill didn’t want to drag me into it. He never told Tony, but Bill used to tell me everything. I knew he had told Tony it was over, but since Bill never got a chance to announce it publicly, I think he assumes Bill kept it to himself.”
“What if you told him you came across some papers of your husband’s, while doing research for the book? You could hint at the lobbies and the Arabs, or even the senator’s decision not to run with him, and see what the Vice President says. You don’t have to accuse him or be blunt, don’t put yourself in any kind of danger, but you could act confused about what you found and see how he responds. He’ll probably deny it and try to minimize it. I doubt that he’ll confess to you, but the Clandestine Service wants to see what he says. In the world as it is today, they think he’s a threat to national security, and they want your help. I hate to say it, but if I were you, I would do it to help Bill.” She took the liberty of calling the late
senator by his first name, but Olympia didn’t seem to mind.
“I have no other choice,” Olympia said with a look of despair. She had to sacrifice her best friend out of loyalty to her husband, but there was no question in her mind of where her loyalties lay. They had always been with Bill and still were. She was heartbroken to hear what Tony had been foolish enough to do. Bill had told his wife at the time that Tony had become the kind of friend that he could no longer afford, and it nearly broke his heart. And now it was breaking hers, again. His betrayal was unforgivable. But there was no other way, and she knew that Bill would have expected it of her, and done it himself with proof of the bribes. Tony had played a very dangerous game, and was about to lose big-time. His political career would be over, and his dreams of the presidency. It had all been within reach and he had thrown it away and would probably go to jail. Olympia was devastated for him. “How much money do you think is involved?” she asked Alix.
“I have no idea. Billions? Or certainly millions. They’re not small amounts.”
“Bill always worried about where Tony’s money came from. He made a lot in a short time and always said he did well with his investments.” But they hadn’t been investments, they were bribes, on a massive scale.
“I’m sorry I had to tell you all this, Mrs. Foster. I know it’s got to be incredibly hard.” Olympia nodded silently for a minute and then looked at her again.
“Thank you for coming to see me. I’d rather have heard it from you than from the CIA. I know you respected my husband.” She could sense it, and she was right. And Alix admired her too, as a loyal and honorable woman.
“I think the CIA will contact you now,” Alix said quietly. “They’ll want to know if you’re willing to wear the wire the next time you see Tony Clark. It’s up to you.”
“I have to think about it,” she said in a ragged voice. “I don’t know if I can pull it off. He knows me too well. Why can’t they get someone else to do it?”
Dangerous Games Page 12
