Synopsis

In this sequel to Pullen’s best selling thriller, Naked Ambition, Chief Justice Nino Castiglia is scheduled to have breakfast with the disgraced newspaper reporter Beck Rikki, but shows up dead instead.

Rikki, once Washington’s premiere investigative reporter, immediately focuses on a prostitute who spent the evening with the justice. As he digs deeper, it starts to become obvious there is more to this than murder. Yet the deeper he goes, the more he suspects he is being manipulated.

He dashes back and forth between Texas and Washington, D.C. in hopes of solving the riddle and realizes he has not only put his life in danger, but the lives of others.

What has he gotten into? This is Washington where you can’t believe anyone. In this story of blackmail and manipulation, no one would believe the astonishing truth. And just how would an ex-newspaperman who has been exiled from his profession get anyone to believe the truth anyway?

Excerpt

He rang the doorbell and waited.

“Coming,” he heard. Beck held his breath.

The door opened as far as the safety chain would allow. He could see through the small opening that he must have just gotten her out of the shower. Her hair was wrapped in a white towel and she was wearing a thick white bathrobe. Even so, he immediately recognized her from the party the night before.

“Ms. Fiori?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Beck Rikki. I’m a reporter and I’d like to talk to you.”

“What about?” she asked.

“There’s been a murder. I’m not sure you’re aware of it.”

She gasped and slammed the door. The safety chain scraped against the lock and the door swung open again with such ferocity that her extended arm motion pulled loose her hastily tied belt. It fell to her sides and her robe gaped open. Beck gaped too, looking down at her exposed body. He fixed on her breasts, her smooth flawless skin and her taut belly. His eyes stopped there as she grasped at her robe with her free hand.

He tried to pretend he’d seen nothing, but her expression revealed she wasn’t buying it.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t—”

“Was it my sister?”

“Your sister?”

“The murder.”

“Oh no.” Beck cleared his mind of the accidental striptease. “I’m not here about your sister.”

“Oh thank God.”

“What about your sister?” Now Beck was curious. But he was getting off topic. Her family life was her own.

“She has issues. Never mind.”

“That’s not why I’m here. Chief Justice Nino Castiglia was murdered last night. I think you were the last one to see him alive.”

She gave him a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”

“I saw you at dinner last night at the resort and then you left with the chief justice to go to his room.”

He gazed into her wide crystalline blue eyes. Her face was delicate and flawless. The short narrow nose and pointed chin were offset by high cheekbones.

“Mister, Mister Rikki, is it?” she said.

Her tone changed. He had put her on the defensive. Not good.

“Mr. Rikki, I don’t know what your game is or what you’ve been smoking, but I’ve never laid eyes on this justice of yours, and you most certainly did not see me at dinner last night. Please leave.”

Beck hesitated. This was his best lead. He couldn’t lose it.

“But I saw you there. I was a few tables away.”

“You obviously saw someone, but it wasn’t me.”

Beck knew better. Why would she deny being there?

“Now please leave before I call the police.”

About the Author

Rick Pullen is an award winning career journalist. He started out as an investigative reporter and eventually became a magazine editor. In 2015 he was named runner up for editor of the year. Also in 2015 Rick was named to the Folio 100—the 100 most influential people in magazine publishing.

He began writing political thrillers in 2011. His first, Naked Ambition, was a 2016 bestseller. Naked Truth, a sequel, was just published in September. The Apprentice was published in 2017.

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