Recipes for Disaster by Josie Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

is a single line, typed:
    You will soon face the consequence of your most shameful act. 
    “Can’t be anymore cryptic than that,” I point out. “Does he have any idea what this may refer to?”
    “He has faced hecklers on all of his campaign stops. They aren’t too happy that he co-wrote the bill that bailed out the banks and mortgage lenders during the home loan crisis. At the same time, now that the rates are rock bottom, he’s given little support for homeowners who wish to negotiate a reduced rate, rather than being tossed out of their homes.”
    “They’ve got a point,” Arnie reasons. “Now that the housing bubble has burst and massive layoffs have taken place in all business sectors, selling your home is almost impossible. To top it off, those who can still purchase homes are finding it hard to qualify. It’s a vicious circle.”
    Ryan nods. “Some of those who are most vocal against Senator Percy are retired vets who were once homeowners, but who now live in their cars.” He shifts to Jack. “While he’s on our turf, you’ll be part of his entourage at all times. You’re a few years younger, but your military background aligns with his. He can always introduce you as a former aide, when he was assigned to the Pentagon after active duty.”
    Jack nods. “What’s his itinerary?”
    “His first stop is the port of Long Beach, for a photo op with union dock workers. Next he’ll head over to the West Los Angeles VA Hospital, for a tour. Afterward, he’s speaking at a luncheon at the Sunset Tower, with entertainment media executives. Then he’s speaking to UCLA students on the necessity of an aggressive NSA. He’ll see reporters for an hour before heading to a private dinner in his honor, held by a banker’s trade association.”
    “His itinerary will certainly keep us on our toes,” Dominic murmurs.
    “To say the least.” Ryan grimaces. “The dossiers have your covers for each event. Emma will be in a van marked as a press vehicle, which will serve as mission central.” He dismisses us with a nod toward the door. “Bring your A game. One of the lives you save will be our next president. If we blow it, Acme won’t be the contractor of choice for POTUS or any of the security agencies."
    Jack walks me out to my van. “Hey, got time for a quick bite?” I ask.
    He starts to nod, but then frowns. “Wish I could, but Dominic still has to debrief me on his trip to London. Apparently our cousins across the pond are also looking into our new neighbor, Mr. Chiffray.”
    “Really? Why so?”
    “Remember Sugar CEO Number 3—the Quorum member you so aptly nicknamed Jabba the Hutt?”
    “The food fetishist? I’ll never forget him! I’ve had an aversion to mint jelly ever since.” I shiver at the thought of greasing myself up with the stuff, in order to crawl out from under his dead carcass.
    Trust me, you had to be there.
    “In the twenty-four hours before MI5 could get in there and search the place, Lee purchased Baron McBacon’s townhouse on Kensington Palace Gardens then gutted it.”
    “Maybe he did it as a pre-wedding present for Babette.”
    “Or maybe he’s looking for something he thought the Lord Lard Ass left behind, that may have incriminated him and the rest of Quorum 2.0. In any regard, it’s something to put in Mr. Chiffray’s much-too-thin dossier.”
    “As it turns out, I had a Chiffray sighting of my own.”
    His right brow arches in anticipation. 
    “Like Trisha, Janie is enrolled in Hilldale Elementary School. And like all good daddies, Lee was there for the first day of school.”
    “Hey, I would have been there, too, but I had my own carpool duties.”
    “Yes, so I heard—after the fact.” I shrug. “That’s okay, I get it. Only one of us gets to be the ‘cool parent.’”
    “‘Cool’ is outdated. I’m considered ‘wicked.’” He smiles as if to say, Don’t we both know it . “Other than exchanging longing glances, were you able to get anything