Page 127 of The First Gentleman

I’m nervous to hear where this is going. But I have to ask. “What did Cole do?”

“He kissed me. Right on the nose. Like I was some puppy dog or something. And that was it. I was so embarrassed. I hated him from that day forward.”

A thought occurs to me. “Teresa,” I say, “were you trying to get back at Cole when you told me what happened? Did you make up that story about Cole threatening your sister because he rejected you back then?”

Teresa looks down at the ground. “I know there was yelling, but I’m not sure what I heard. I was pretty drunk most of the time back then.”

“Is that why you made me drive all this way, Teresa? So you could come clean about trying to seduce Cole Wright?”

“No, there’s something else.” Teresa flicks her cigarette into the sand. “I heard that a doctor testified that Suzanne might have been pregnant.”

“Right. But there was no scientific proof. No way to be sure.”

“I’m sure,” Teresa says. “She was.”

What?

I need to get to the bottom of this. I see a bench a few yards ahead and suggest we sit down. “Teresa,” I say, looking her in the eye. “How do you know Suzanne was pregnant?”

“Because she told me—the night before she disappeared. She said she was gonna break up with Cole because of it.”

“Why? Because it would get him kicked off the team?”

“No. Because it wasn’t his baby. It was Tony Romero’s.”

CHAPTER

116

The White House

President Madeline Wright is sitting in the crowded Situation Room, one floor down from the Oval, watching a situation in the South China Sea unravel. It turns out the world doesn’t stop just because your husband is on trial for murder.

Around the table are Secretary of Defense George Flanders, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Buck Franklin, Chief of Naval Operations Rick Boone, and Maddy’s national security adviser, Lydia Carmichael. Junior staff and liaisons are crowded against the walls behind them.

“Can we get any closer?” asks Maddy.

On one of the large screens in the front of the room, an electronic map zooms in on Bajo de Masinloc, also marked as Scarborough Shoal, a small atoll two hundred and twenty kilometers west of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. The tiny scrap of land in the middle of the sea has been a smoldering issue for years. And now it looks like it’s ready to ignite.

China has claimed sovereignty over the atoll, and crews haveconstructed floating barriers to block Filipinos from accessing local fishing grounds, areas where they’ve fished for generations.

A few hours ago, a Philippine navy frigate, the BRPAntonio Luna,crossed the area, tearing out the floating barriers and taking fire from two lightly armed Chinese coast guard vessels in the process. TheAntonio Lunacrew returned fire with rifles.

“Any casualties?” asks Maddy.

“Unknown, ma’am,” says Flanders. “The shooting has stopped, but our problem is the Chinese navy.”

Maddy looks at Admiral Boone. “What’s the latest?”

“Chinese destroyers CNSGuilinand CNSChangshamoving at flank speed to the disputed area. We expect them to be on station within the hour.”

“And our assets?” asks Maddy.

“The USSRonald Reagancarrier group is about two hundred miles south, but well within air cover of the location. And we also have the USSJefferson City,a Los Angeles–class attack submarine, on patrol nearby. TheJefferson Citycould be moved closer, Madam President. I wouldn’t consider that a direct provocation.”

“Give the order,” says Maddy.

“The Chinese destroyers are the issue, ma’am,” says Boone. “We’re not sure what they’re up to. Maybe they’re just coming to show the flag and make a point.”

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