Executive orders - Tom Clancy [134]
INSPECTOR O'DAY AND three other agents from Headquarters Division left their car right in front of the building. When a uniformed guard came over to object, O'Day just flashed his ID and kept on going. He stopped at the main security desk and did the same.
I want your chief to meet me on the seventh floor in one minute, he told the guard. I don't care what he's doing. Tell him to come up right now. Then he and his team walked to the elevator bank.
Uh, Pat, what the hell-
The other three had been picked more or less at random from the Bureau's Office of Professional Responsibility. That was the FBI's own internal-affairs department. All experienced investigators with supervisory rank, their job was to keep the Bureau clean. One of them had even investigated a former Director. OPR's charter was to respect nothing but the law, and the surprising thing was that, unlike similar organizations in city police forces, it retained, for the most part, the respect of the street agents.
The lobby guard had called ahead to the guard post on the top floor. It was George Armitage this morning, working a different shift from the previous week.
FBI, O'Day announced as the elevator door opened. Where's the Secretary's office?
This way, sir. Armitage led them down the corridor.
Who's been using the office? the inspector asked.
We're getting ready to move Mr. Adler in. We've just about got Mr. Harrison's things out and-
So people have been going in and out?
Yes, sir.
O'Day hadn't expected that it would be much use bringing in the forensics team, but that would be done anyway. If there had ever been an investigation that had to go strictly by the book, this was the one.
Okay, we need to talk to everyone who's been in or out of the office since the moment Secretary Hanson left it. Every single one, secretaries, janitors, everybody.
The secretarial staff won't be in for another half hour or so.
Okay. You want to unlock the door?
Armitage did so, letting them into the secretaries' room, and then through the next set of doors into the office itself. The FBI agents stopped cold there, the four of them just looking at first. Then one of them took post at the door to the main corridor.
Thank you, Mr. Armitage, O'Day said, reading the name tag. Okay, for the moment, we're treating this as a crime scene. Nobody in or out without our permission. We need a room where we can interview people. I'd like you to make a written list of everyone you know to have been in here, with date and time if that's possible.
Their secretaries will have that.
We want yours, too. O'Day looked up the corridor and was annoyed. We asked for your department chief to join us. Where do you suppose he is?
He usually doesn't get in until eight or so.
Could you call him, please? We need to talk to him right now.
You got it, sir. Armitage wondered what the hell this was all about. He hadn't seen the TV this morning, nor heard what was going on yet. In any case, he didn't care all that much. Fifty-five and looking forward to retirement after thirty-two years of government service, he just wanted to do his job and leave.
GOOD MOVE, DAN, Martin said into the phone. They were in the Oval Office now. Back to you. The attorney hung up and turned.
Murray sent one of his roving inspectors over, Pat O'Day. Good man, troubleshooter. He's being backed up by OPR guys-Martin explained briefly what that meant-another smart move. They're apolitical. With that done, Murray has to back away from things.
Why? Jack asked, still trying to catch up.
You appointed him acting Director. I can't be involved much with this, either. You need to select someone to run the investigation. He has to be smart, clean, and not the least bit political. Probably a judge, Martin thought. Like a Chief Judge of a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. There's lots of good ones.
Any ideas? Arnie asked.
You have to get that name from somebody else. I can't emphasize enough, this has to be clean in every possible respect. Gentlemen, we're talking about the Constitution of the United