The Bitter Truth

An undistinguishable chatter filled the room. Someone was speaking on the Secret Service’s earpiece and he listened intently while touching his right ear. Then, he looked at both women and they gave him their undivided attention.

​“The Prime Minister’s wife is safe.” He announced.

​“Oh! Thank God!” The Secretary whispered while clasping her hands.

​“What about the Prime Minister himself?” The C.I.D. Detective arched her eyebrows. “Where is he?”

​Silence.

​The Agent leaned forward and rested his hands on top of the table. “No one knows where he is.”

*** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ***

​Richard understood that the mood inside of the Parliament would turn grim once they realized that the Prime Minister had disappeared. He saw it happening ahead of time. Now what he still wondered was what would happen if they located him with a suicide letter folded in one of his hands?

​Would that be disturbing…?

​…Or disgusting?

*** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ***

​A Security Guard appeared behind Agent Fox and looked at Lucia.

​“Ma’am, I am going to check the premises.”

​She nodded, and then looked out the kitchen window towards the backyard. As the sunlight spilled in through the glass, Agent Fox saw gleams of daylight in her eyes. They sparkled brilliantly. He tried to follow her gaze through the glass of the sliding door and caught two Agents walking by the fence in the backyard. The garden was in full bloom. Chirping birds flew away from a white stoned birdbath as soon as they noticed the presence of the Agents.

​He returned his attention towards her and asked.

​“Ma’am, I’m going to need to inspect your Husband’s study. Could you take me there please?”

​She nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Her sandals clapped against the mahogany wooden floor. He followed her through the living room while readjusting the position of his earphone in his right ear. The air was cool and the house was quiet. A wooden fan spun slowly on the ceiling. They passed by a medium size pot of fresh cut orchid and tulips that was on top of a coffee table, and he noticed that the flowers were filling the room with fragrance. He saw a sixty-inch flat screen T.V. against one of the walls, and the reflection of the Agent who had passed by them moments ago, was heading upstairs.

​Lucia stopped at the door to the Prime Minister’s study and punched in the code for his security lock. The light turned red to green and she twisted the handle. The Prime Minister’s study looked terrific and well organized. Red carpet; stoned walls; a leather armchair that faced a fireplace paved with red bricks. Fire irons were hooked from above on a horizontal ledge. The wood made popping noises as they were burned in the hearth.

​Agent Fox walked to the Prime Minister’s desk and glanced around. He moved his fingers on top of the desk and felt the smooth surface. There was a desk lamp with green lampshade illuminating a book on top of the desk. He spun the book so he could read the title: The Imperfect Plan. He took his fingers off the book, and was about to turn around when a red dot reflecting off the glass of a cabinet behind the desk grabbed his attention. He also saw Lucia’s reflection. She was standing by the door while holding a picture frame.

​Returning his attention to the red flashing dot reflecting on the glass of the cabinet, he pulled the chair towards him and looked down.

​What is this? He caught a glimpse of the object. A bomb canister…

​Crouching, he quickly realized that he had been wrong and he felt alleviated. It was a fax machine. The blinking light was to alert the user that the fax machine had run out of paper.

He also observed that the Prime Minister had received a fax and it was lying upside down on the received slot. He grabbed the paper and straightened. The glow from the fire illuminated the paper with bright colors. His eyes grew big as he continued to read the paper and his hands started trembling.

​For the love of God!

​“No…No…No!”