Detective Danny Cavanaugh 01 - The Brink

president replied. “Good morning, Sergeant.”
    “I believe that you and I need to have a conversation.”
    “I agree.”
    Danny had the place and time ready to go. “Arlington Cemetery, the JFK Memorial. In two hours.”
    “I can’t possibly—”
    Danny cut him off. “Find a way, or I go public with what I know.”
    Another long pause. “I’ll be there,” the president finally said.
    “One more thing, this is the deal breaker.”
    “What?”
    “Bring Sydney along.”
    Danny didn’t give the president a chance to say no. He ended the call and turned the phone off. Even though it was powered down, as long as the battery was still connected, a cell phone still sent out a signal that could be tracked by GPS. That’s why Danny chose to place the call at the zoo. He figured the president would track the call to a nearby tower and assume that Danny was hanging out in the zoo, a very public place, until their meeting.
    As he walked back toward the cab, Danny pried the battery out of the phone and threw it in a nearby trashcan. He broke the phone in half, tossed the parts into another trash can, and jumped back in the cab.
    “Where to now?” the cabbie asked.
    “GWU,” Danny told him.
    The cab stopped across the street from the George Washington University Visitor Center. Danny got out and crossed the street. He was dressed in a navy blue T-shirt and camouflage cargo shorts he borrowed from Chip. He pulled the navy blue Washington Senators cap low on his head, his eyes everywhere behind Chip’s aviator sunglasses. No one even glanced his way.
    Danny entered the Visitor Center. The university’s spirit shop was just inside to his left. He strolled into it like he didn’t have a care in the world. A cute coed in full GWU apparel approached him from behind the counter.
    “Is there something I can help you with, sir?”
    “Do y’all sell disposable cell phones?”
    “We do.” She motioned to the side wall of the store where various electronics hung.
    “And do y’all have warm-up suits? Both men’s and women’s?”
    “We do. Just follow me.” She turned and led him toward the back of the store. “Are you with the tour group?”
    “Tour group?”
    “The alumni tour group.”
    “No, why?”
    “Oh, it’s just some of them have stopped by to make sure we haven’t canceled it because of the weather.”
    “What weather?”
    “There’s an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms moving in.” Seeing a sales opportunity, the girl stopped at a nearby display and grabbed a buff and blue-colored umbrella. “Do you need an umbrella?”
    The weather. Danny didn’t even think about it. Instantly, he visualized how rain would affect his plan.
    Danny grinned at the salesgirl. “I’ll take two if you tell me a little more about this alumni tour.”

Chapter 103
    Jack Butcher popped open the black, double canopy umbrella as he stepped from the passenger seat of the late-model Mini Cooper, a vehicle in which the president of the United States wouldn’t normally dare ride. He looked around, as he pulled the lapel of his tan trench coat up around his chin. He tugged on the brim of the matching fedora, lowering it until it touched the pair of sunglasses concealing his eyes.
    He pulled the seat back forward and Sydney got out. She was dressed in a Jones of New York belted trench coat. There were several colors and sizes from which to choose in the White House’s inventory, but Sydney chose the very form-fitting one with the leopard print so loud it might as well have growled. Jack thought back to the words he used on Cavanaugh to persuade him to investigate L’Enfant Plaza, words that Cavanaugh himself had used in the same conversation.
    Hidden in plain sight.
    Jack was confident that he had also conned Sydney the same way now.
    Danny’s lost it, Sydney. I need to help him. I need you to go with me.
    Jack leaned down and nodded at Simon, who was behind the wheel. Simon returned the gesture. Jack closed the door and Simon sped off, spinning the tires slightly on the wet pavement.
    The rain drizzling from the gray sky couldn’t keep visitors away from Arlington Cemetery. Jack and Sydney fell in behind a tour group wrapped in ponchos like action figures sealed in shrink-wrap. They were all intently listening to their guide’s respectful whisper as she led them up the granite stairs to the viewing platform next to the JFK Memorial.
    Jack tightened his grip around Sydney’s waist as he steered past the tour