|
Chapter 1
Tuolos Restaurant, adjacent to Capitol Hill, boasts a politically incorrect menu of
baby veal and horse carpaccio, making it an ironic hotspot for the quintessential
Washingtonian power breakfast. This morning Toulos was busy --- a cacophony of clanking
silverware, espresso machines, and cell-phone conversations.
The maitre d' was sneaking a sip of his morning Bloody Mary when the woman entered. He
turned with a practiced smile.
"Good morning, " he said. "May I help you?"
The woman was attractive, in her mid-thirties, wearing gray, pleated flannel pants,
conservative flats, and an ivory Laura Ashley blouse. Her posture was straight --- chin
raised ever so slightly --- not arrogant, just strong. The woman's hair was light brown
and fashioned in Washington's most popular style --- the "anchorwoman" --- a
lush feathering, curled under at the shoulders… long enough to be sexy, but short
enough to remind you she was probably smarter than you.
"I'm a little late," the woman said, her voice unassuming. "I have a
breakfast meeting with Senator Sexton."
The maitre d' felt an unexpected tinge of nerves. Senator Sedgewick Sexton. The
senator was a regular here and currently one of the country's most famous men. Last week,
having swept all twelve Republican primaries on Super Tuesday, the senator was virtually
guaranteed his party's nomination for President of the United States. Many believed the
senator had a superb chance of stealing the White House from the embattled President next
fall. Lately Sexton's face seemed to be on every national magazine, his campaign slogan
plastered all across America: "Stop spending. Start mending."
"Senator Sexton is in his book," the maitre d' said. "And you are?"
"Rachel Sexton. His daughter."
How foolish of me
, he thought. The resemblance was quite apparent. The woman had the senator's
penetrating eyes and refined carriage --- that polished air of resilient nobility. Clearly
the senator's classic good looks had not skipped generations, although Rachel Sexton
seemed to carry her blessings with a grace and humility that her father could learn from.
"A please to have you, Ms. Sexton."
As the maitre d' led the senator's daughter across the dining area, he was embarrassed
by the gauntlet of male eyes following her … some discreet, others less so. Few women
dined at Toulos and even fewer who looked like Rachel Sexton.
"Nice body, "one diner whispered. "Sexton already find himself a new
wife?"
"That's his daughter, you idiot," another replied.
The man chuckled. "Knowing Sexton, he'd probably screw her anyway.
When Rachel arrived at her father's table, the senator was on his cellphone talking
loudly about one of his recent successes. He glanced up at Rachel only long enough to tap
his Cartier and remind her she was late.
I missed you, too, Rachel thought.
Her father's first name was Thomas, although he'd adopted his middle name long ago.
Rachel suspected it was because he liked the alliteration. Senator Sedgewick Sexton. The
man was a silver-haired, silver-tongued, political animal who had been anointed with the
slick look of a soap opera doctor, which seemed appropriate considering his talents of
impersonation.
"Rachel!" Her father clicked off his phone and stood to kiss her cheek.
"Hi, Dad." She did not kiss him back.
"You look exhausted."
And so it begins, she thought. "I got your message. What's up?"
"I can't ask my daughter out for breakfast?"
Rachel learned long ago her father seldom requested her company unless he had some
ulterior motive.
Sexton took a sip of coffee. "So, how are things with you?"
"Busy. I see you campaign is going well."
"Oh, let's not talk business." Sexton leaned across the table, lowering his
voice. "How's that guy at the State Department I set you up with?"
Rachel exhaled, already fighting the urge to check her watch. "Dad, I really
haven't had the time to call him. And I wish you'd stop trying to --- "
"You've got to make time for the important things, Rachel. Without love,
everything else is meaningless."
A number of comebacks came to mind, but Rachel chose silence. Being the bigger person
was not difficult when it came to her father. "Dad, you wanted to see me? You said
this was important."
"It is." Her father's eyes studied her closely.
Rachel felt part of her defenses melt away under his gaze, and she cursed the man's
power. The senator's eyes were his gift --- a gift Rachel suspected would probably carry
him to the White House. On cue, his eyes would well with tears, and then, an instant
later, they would be clear, opening a window to an impassioned soul, extending a bond of
trust to all. It's all about trust, her father always said. The senator had lost
Rachel's years ago, but he was quickly gaining the country's.
"I have a proposition for you," Senator Sexton said.
"Let me guess," Rachel replied, attempting to refortify her position.
"Some prominent divorcé looking for a young wife?"
"Don't kid yourself, honey. You're not that young anymore."
Rachel felt the familiar shrinking sensation that so often accompanied meetings with
her father.
"I want to throw you a life raft," he said.
"I wasn't aware I was drowing."
"You're not. The President is. You should jump ship before it's too late."
"Haven't we had this conversation?"
"Think about your future, Rachel. You can come work for me."
"I hope that's not why you asked me to breakfast."
The senator's veneer of calm broke ever so slightly. "Rachel, can’t you see
that your working for him reflects badly on me. And on my campaign."
Rachel sighed. She and her father had been through this. "Dad, I don't work for
the President. I haven't even met the President. I work in Fairfax, for God's sake!"
"Politics is perception, Rachel. It appears you work for the President."
Rachel exhaled, trying to keep her cool. "I worked too hard to get to this job,
Dad. I'm not quitting."
The senator's eyes narrowed. "You know, sometimes your selfish attitude really ---
"
"Senator Sexton?" A reporter materialized beside the table.
Sexton's demeanor thawed instantly. Rachel groaned and took a croissant from the basket
on the table.
"Ralph Sneeden," the reporter said. "Washington Post. May I ask
you a few questions?
The senator smiled, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "My pleasure, Ralph. Just
make it quick. I don't want my coffee getting cold."
The reporter laughed on cue. "Of course, sir." He pulled out a minirecorder
and turned it on. "Senator, your television ads call for legislation ensuing equal
salaries for women in the workplace… as well as for tax cuts for new families. Can
you comment on your rationale?"
"Sure. I'm simply a huge fan of strong women and strong families."
Rachel practically choked on her croissant.
"And on the subject of families," the reporter followed up, "you talk a
lot about education. You've proposed some highly controversial budget cuts in an effort to
allocate more funds to our nation's schools."
"I believe the children are our future."
Rachel could not believe her father had sunk to quoting pop songs.
"Finally, sir," the reporter said, "you've taken an enormous jump in the
polls these past few weeks. The President has got to be worried. Any thoughts on your
recent success?"
"I think it has to do with trust. Americans are starting to see that the President
cannot be trusted to make the tough decisions facing this nation. Runaway government
spending is putting this country deeper in dept every day, and Americans are starting to
realize that it's time to stop spending and start mending."
Like a stay of execution from her father's rhetoric, the pager in Rachel's handbag went
off. Normally the harsh electronic beeping was an unwelcome interruption, but at the
moment, it sounded almost melodious.
The senator glared indignantly at having been interrupted.
Rachel fished the pager from her handbag and pressed a preset sequence of five buttons,
confirming that she was indeed the person holding the pager. The beeping stopped, and the
LCD began blinking. In fifteen seconds she would receive a secure text message.
Sneeden grinned at the senator. "Your daughter is obviously a busy woman. It's
refreshing to see you two still find time in your schedules to dine together."
"As I said, family comes first."
Sneeden nodded, and then his gaze hardened. "Might I ask, sir, how you and your
daughter manage your conflicts of interest?"
"Conflicts?" Senator Sexton cocked his head with an innocent look of
confusion. "What conflicts do you mean?"
Rachel glanced up, grimacing at her father's act. She knew exactly where his was
headed. Damn reporters, she thought. Half of them were on political payrolls. The
reporter's question was what journalists called a grapefruit --- a question that
was supposed to look like a tough inquiry but was in fact a scripted favor to the senator
--- a slow lob pitch that her father could line up and smash out of the park, clearing the
air about a few things.
"Well, sir…" The reporter coughed, feigning uneasiness over the
question. "The conflict is that your daughter works for your opponent."
Senator Sexton exploded in laughter, defusing the question instantly.
"Ralph, first of all, the President and I are not opponents. We are simply
two patriots who have different ideas about how to run the country we love."
The reporter beamed. He had his sound bite. "And second?"
"Second, my daughter is not employed by the President; she is employed by the
intelligence community. She compiles intel reports and sends them to the White House. It's
a fairly low-level position." He paused, and looked at Rachel. "In fact, dear,
I'm not sure you've even met the President, have you?"
Rachel stared, her eyes smoldering.
The beeper chirped, drawing Rachel's gaze to the incoming message on the LCD screen.
--- RPRT DIRNRO STAT ---
She deciphered the shorthand instantly and frowned. The message was unexpected, and
most certainly bad news. At least she has her exit cue.
"Gentlemen," she said. "It breaks my heart, but I have to go. I'm late
for work."
"Ms. Sexton," the reporter said quickly, "before you go, I was wondering
if you could comment on the rumors that you called this breakfast meeting to discuss the
possibility of leaving your current post to work for your father's campaign?"
Rachel felt like someone had thrown hot coffee in her face. The question took her
totally off guard. She looked at her father and sensed his smirk that the question had
been prepped. She wanted to climb across the table and stab him with a fork.
The reporter shoved the recorder into her face. "Miss Sexton?"
Rachel locked eyes with the reporter. "Ralph, or whoever the hell you are, get
this straight: I have no intention of abandoning my job to work for Senator Sexton, and if
you print anything to the contrary, you'll need a shoehorn to get that recorder out of
your ass."
The reporter's eyes widened. He clicked off his recorder, hiding a grin. "Thank
you both." He disappeared.
Rachel immediately regretted the outburtst. She had inherited her father's temper, and
she hated him for it. Smooth, Rachel, Very smooth.
Her father glared disapprovingly. "You'd do well to learn some poise."
Rachel began collecting her things. "This meeting is over."
The senator was apparently done with her anyway. He pulled out his cellphone to make a
call. "Bye, sweetie. Stop by the office one of these days and say hello. And get
married, for God's sake. You're thirty-three years old."
"Thirty-four," she snapped. "Your secretary sent a card."
He chuckled ruefully. "Thirty-four. Almost an old maid. You know by the time I was
thirty-four, I'd already --- "
"Married mom and screwed the neighbor?" The words came out louder than Rachel
had intended, her voice hanging naked in an ill-timed lull. Diners nearby glanced over.
Senator Sexton's eyes flash-froze, two ice-crystals boring into her. "You watch
yourself, young lady."
Rachel headed for the door. No, you watch yourself, senator.
Excerpted from DECEPTION POINT © Copyright 2010 by Dan Brown. Reprinted with permission by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.
Click here to get the audiobook from Audible.com.
Back to top.
|
