The Accused Read Online Free PDF

talking about!” Purdy said, pulling his feet off the desk and slapping the top of the desk with his hand. “That Mexico deal is exactly what I’m talking about. We got some kind of massacre that’s going on down there. The Pentagon’s not telling us. Everybody’s scratching their heads over that. I can smell a feeding frenzy on this deal. We got that group of marines—what do you call that, a…you know, a small group…”
    â€œA squad?” Myron asked with a wry smile.
    â€œThat’s exactly right,” Purdy continued. “This squad of marines goes down there and shoots up a bunch of innocent people. Now I know we’ve gotta tip our hats to them for the rescue of our Secretary of Commerce. And I do tip my hat—I thank God for his safe rescue. But this colonel—what’s his name?”
    â€œMarlowe. Colonel Caleb Marlowe,” Linda, the press secretary, said.
    â€œRight. Colonel Caleb Marlowe. He needs to be investigated. I think there is some slime on the bottom of this pond. I think the Pentagon is trying to make some kind of covert move—or maybe even the White House—I’ve just got that sense. They’re not telling us the full story.”
    â€œWith all due respect,” Jimmy, the LA said, “Chairman O’Brien has got that as his number-one agenda item—”
    â€œI don’t want to hear what Chairman O’Brien has on his little shopping list,” Purdy snapped back. “I’m here to tell you what’s on the top of my list. And this is what I want for Christmas, little boys and girls, so listen up—I want a Senate subcommittee hearing—I want to chair it, and I want to look into this Mexico massacre and this whole Marine Corps incident. And I want that to happen.”
    The senator dismissed his chief of staff and legislative assistant but asked his press secretary to stay.
    After the two male staff members left, Jason Bell Purdy grabbed the crystal golf ball off of the brass golf-ball holder on his desk and poised it between his index finger and thumb.
    â€œLinda—you have any plans tonight? I was hoping we could order in some Chinese food—go over some of these press releases that need to go out tomorrow.”
    â€œSure,” the young press secretary said, with a tinge of hesitation in her voice.
    â€œWhy don’t you go order the food—I’ve got a call I need to make.”
    She stood up dutifully and left his office, closing the door behind her.
    Then Purdy grabbed his cell phone and punched the number for Howard John “Howley” Jubb.
    Jubb picked up the cell phone in his black Hummer as he was nearing downtown Atlanta.
    â€œHey,” Purdy said. “Jason calling. I want you to be by your landline at ten o’clock tonight. I’ve got to talk to you about something.”
    â€œAre you sure?” Jubb asked. “I was heading into the city to have some fun tonight.”
    â€œChange of plans. Be by your landline. I need you to start thinking about contacts we might have down in Mexico. I’ve gotta have you do an investigation for me. I need some inside stuff on that Mexican shoot-up down there in the Yucatán involving the marines. Think about some of the banditos down there who are willing to give us some information.”
    â€œSure—I’ll be by the phone. We’ll work it out then. Say,” Jubb added, “are you all settled in in your new house up there in Chevy Chase?”
    â€œYeah—I sure am. I’ll have you over some time. We’ll bring you out here to DC.”
    â€œSure,” Jubb replied, sounding as if he didn’t believe it. “I thought when you went east, I was going east with you.”
    â€œWe’ll talk about it. See ya.”
    Linda knocked on the door, and Purdy told her to open it.
    She poked her head in and asked, “What kind of Chinese do you want?”
    The senator