The Apostle

“Like maybe the president?” offered Holland as he clamped down once more on his cheeseburger and tore off another bite.

“If they were actually together, then yes.”

“Leave it alone, Elise.”

“Why? What if the president actually had something to do with what happened that night?”

Holland chewed his food slowly and then took a long swallow of his Bud Light. “I’m going to eat my di

“What are you talking about?”

“Elise, why are you so interested in Nikki Hale’s death?”

Campbell knew from being a cop that when someone answered a question with a question, he was usually avoiding telling you something.

Prepared for the fact that her next question could very well end her career with the Secret Service, she took a deep breath and let it fly. “You were working Alden’s detail the night Nikki Hale died. I want to know if the president had anything to do with it.”

Slowly, Holland put down his cheeseburger and pushed his plate away. Picking up his napkin, he wiped the grease from his fingers. “In sixty seconds, I’m standing up and walking out of here.”

“Why?”

“Fifty-nine seconds,” he replied as he raised his glass to his mouth and knocked back half of his beer.

Campbell waited for him to put the glass back down and then said, “You’re going to be subpoenaed over what happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s going to be a new investigation.”

Holland couldn’t tell if the woman was telling the truth or not. “How would you know?” he asked.

“Trust me, I know.”

Holland laughed, removed two twenties from his wallet, and dropped them on the bar. “See you around.”

Elise put her hand on his arm as he rose from his stool. “I’m doing you a favor, Max,” she said, and then corrected herself. “Actually, I’m doing the Secret Service a favor, a big one, but I can only do it if you help me.”

The elder Secret Service agent closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, and sat back down. “What is this all about, Elise?”

“It’s about a new lawsuit against the president for his involvement in Hale’s death.”

“Who says he had anything to do with it?”

“Stephanie Gallo.”

“Gallo? What are you talking about? Did she tell you this?”

“Not directly, no.”

Holland stared at her for a moment before it hit him. “Jesus, Elise. You overheard the president and Gallo talking about something, didn’t you?”

“This isn’t about me.”

“For the first time tonight, you’re right. It isn’t about you. It’s about the Secret Service and our ability to protect the president. How the hell are we supposed to do that if he won’t let us get close enough to him because he’s worried we’re eavesdropping on him?”

When Elise tried to reply, Holland interrupted her. “If you hate the guy so much, why don’t you just resign like the others did? Why do this?”

“I don’t hate the president. I voted for him. But that doesn’t mean we should look the other way if a crime has been committed. We’re law enforcement officers.”

“Whose job it is to protect the president,” replied Holland, “not to solve crimes. We’re in protection, not detection.”

“Max, listen-” she began.

“No, Elise, you listen. Nikki Hale got drunk, she got behind the wheel, and she caused a horrible accident. She took four other people along with her. It was tragic, but it’s over. Don’t pick at the scab.”

“Max, I can help head this thing off and save us all a lot of trouble and embarrassment, but I can’t do that if you won’t cooperate.”

“Hale’s dead, Elise. She’s the one responsible for what happened. Case closed.”

“You’re wrong about that.”

“How do you know?” Holland asked. “How do you know there are going to be subpoenas? Who’s behind all this?”

“Are you going to help me or not?”

“That depends. You’ve got to give me something first.”

Elise reached for the remnants of her Diet Coke and weighed what to tell him. “The family Hale plowed into and killed-”

“The Colemans.”

She nodded. “Their only living relatives were Charlie Coleman’s parents. They started a lawsuit, but eventually agreed to an out of court settlement, supposedly paid for by Stephanie Gallo.”

“Big deal. Gallo’s free to do what she wants with her money. And why wouldn’t she want to make the lawsuit disappear? She had a lot invested in Alden’s campaign, and the drinking that night happened at her fund-raiser, on her property. With a bank account like hers, I would have done the same. Plus, with Nikki Hale dead, there’s no one to charge with a crime. And when the elder Colemans folded their tents and went home, that was the end of any civil suits too.”

“Not necessarily. There’s someone else who can bring a suit for what happened that night.”

“Who?”

“Sheryl Coleman’s business partner.”

“I don’t understand how you know all of this,” said Holland.

“I was invited to talk to her.”

“Invited by whom?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“The hell it doesn’t. This smells like a political hatchet job. Who’s putting you up to this?”

Elise resented the insinuation. “Nobody’s putting me up to this.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Because it’s my job.”

“No it isn’t. Let it go, Elise.”

“What are you so worried about?”

Holland drained the last of his beer and then held the empty glass up to get the bartender’s attention again. “What I’m worried about,” he said as he set it back onto the bar, “is how the Secret Service could be made to look in all of this.”

“Why should that matter? Has the Secret Service done something wrong?”

Holland waited until the bartender had set down his new Bud Light and walked away before responding. “You said you could do the Secret Service a favor. How?”

“I might be able to convince Sheryl Coleman’s business partner not to pursue the lawsuit.”

“So might Stephanie Gallo and her mighty checkbook.”

“Not this woman,” said Elise. “I’ve met her. This isn’t about money.”

“You know,” he said as he raised his glass, but stopped just before it reached his mouth, “it’s fu

“I have, Max. Believe me. So about that night?”

Holland took another long sip of beer and set the glass back on the bar. “Are you sure about this?”

Elise nodded.

“Yes, after the di

“What were they doing?”

“I wouldn’t know. Unlike some agents, I don’t eavesdrop on the president.”

Elise let the remark slide. “What do you think was going on?”

“I’m not going to speculate.”

“There was a lot of talk that they might have been having an affair.”

“Is that a question?” asked Holland.

“Yes, it’s a question.”

“You worked his detail. What do you think?”

“I was an advance person for most of the campaign. If there was anything between them, I didn’t notice it.”

“Like I said,” replied Holland. “I’m not going to speculate.”

“Fine. How long were they together after the party that night?”

“About forty-five minutes.”

“Were they drinking? Do you think Alden could be held liable for her condition that night?”

“First of all,” said Holland as he raised his beer to take another swig, “I’m not an attorney. And second, I think Nikki Hale bears the ultimate responsibility for her condition. You remember what her reputation was.”

Elise looked at him. “I do, and I also know what people have said about Alden. I need to know you’re not covering for him, that this isn’t some wink-wink, boys-will-be-boys sort of thing.”

“The man’s personal life is his business. You can say what you want about Ke