‘John, can I have a quick word?’
On his way out, Cooper looked at the Secret Service men a few yards away who were trained to watch and trained to be aware, as well as to listen acutely to what was going on around them. Feeling it would be prudent to move away a little bit more, Cooper stepped into the doorway of Jackson’s hospital room.
He said, ‘I don’t know if Beau told you, but we managed to speak to Bill Travis.’
Woods checked and whispered and checked again no-one could hear him. ‘I told you to leave it!’
‘And I told you I wasn’t going to… Anyway the point is that was Simon Ballard in the photo. AKA, Papa Bemba. I bet your life Charles and this Donald Parker probably know exactly who he is. But I’m flying back out there tonight, and you can be damn sure I’m going to find out.’
The president, digesting the information, stared coldly at Cooper. ‘Look, Coop, you’re putting me in a really difficult situation here.’
‘Why?’
John’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘Because you’re digging up stuff you shouldn’t and you’re trying to find some dirt on somebody because you have a feeling something’s wrong. You’re really going to cause a whole heap of problems over goddamn feelings?’
Cooper noticed some of Wood’s staff glance over. ‘I’d keep your voice down if I were you, John. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Donald Parker but I do know if there’s anything going on at Lemon water treatment, you need to know about it.’
‘I don’t.’
Cooper looked bewildered. ‘I don’t get it, of course you do.’
Woods snarled and moved in real close. ‘This is what I’m trying to tell you, Coop. I don’t want to know, because if I do, then I might have to do something about it.’