as soon as I could get away, Sophie,” he said. “It’s a madhouse on the Hill today, with Stevens’ announcement, but I wanted to see Ed as soon as possible.”
He turned to Tom Sawatski and stretched out his hand. “I’m Jim Donahoe. None of us can believe that this has happened. We are so impressed by your son’s work, and we hope that he’ll recover and be back in the office very soon.”
Beverly Sawatski started to sob quietly.
“Well, the doctor doesn’t know how soon that might happen,” said Tom Sawatski. “We’re hoping for the best. They don’t know whether ... ”
He looked away and then sat down and took his wife’s hand again.
Donahoe stepped over to the bed where Ed was staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Ed,” he said. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but we’re all pulling for you. We need you to get better and back to the office just as soon as you’re able. We know what a fighter you are, and we’re counting on you to fight this.”
He stood for a moment, then squeezed Ed’s hand and stepped away from the bed. He took a pen and a business card from his pocket, wrote down his cell number and passed it to Tom Sawatski. “This is my number. If there’s anything I can do for you, call me anytime.”
He noticed Cochrane standing in the doorway. “Dave, give them your card as well, will you?” He motioned toward Dave. “This is Dave Cochrane, my chief of staff. He worked with Ed, and I want him to keep closely in touch with you. It would mean a lot to us if you could keep us in the loop.”
Beverly Sawatski cleared her throat. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears.
“There isn’t much of a loop, Mr. Donahoe,” she said. Then she excused herself and walked out of the room.
Donahoe looked at her husband. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We just want to keep track of his progress.”
“It’s okay,” said Tom Sawatski. “She’s just very upset.” Then he wiped his eyes and followed his wife out into the hallway.
Donahoe turned to Sophie. She stood hugging herself. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks tear-stained.
“Sophie,” he said. “I can’t even imagine how awful this is for you, but I need to ask you a question.”
Sophie nodded.
“The police told Dave here that Ed’s BlackBerry is missing,” he said. “This is a potential security breach, and we’re concerned. As a policy adviser, Ed was involved with some very sensitive files, and we’re worried that if his phone fell into the wrong hands, it could have serious consequences.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know where it is.”
Cochrane spoke up. “Do you know what Ed was doing last night?”
“He was out drinking with Jack Macdonald.”
“The reporter?”
“Yes.”
Cochrane and Donahoe exchanged looks.
“And you have no idea where the BlackBerry is?” asked Cochrane.
“No.”
Donahoe patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry we have to bother you with these questions. You’re being very brave. Minister Mowat is lucky to have such a great person working for him. You look after Ed and the Sawatskis.”
He stepped away and started for the elevators, but Cochrane lingered.
“Sophie,” he said. “This could be very important. If you get any idea of where Ed’s BlackBerry is, I need you to let me know. Even before the police. It’s a question of national security.”
Sophie nodded, he squeezed her arm and turned to go.
In the lobby, as Donahoe and Cochrane waited for the elevator, the door opened and Greg Mowat and Donahoe came unexpectedly face to face. Mowat’s face turned momentarily into a scowl, then brightened. He was trailed by Claude Bouchard, his chief of staff.
“Jim!” said Mowat. “You must have come to look in on Ed. How is the poor fellow?”
“He hasn’t said a word since they pulled him from the water. His parents and Sophie were sitting with him when I arrived. They’re very upset.”
“I can well imagine,” said Mowat. “A terrible
He turned to Tom Sawatski and stretched out his hand. “I’m Jim Donahoe. None of us can believe that this has happened. We are so impressed by your son’s work, and we hope that he’ll recover and be back in the office very soon.”
Beverly Sawatski started to sob quietly.
“Well, the doctor doesn’t know how soon that might happen,” said Tom Sawatski. “We’re hoping for the best. They don’t know whether ... ”
He looked away and then sat down and took his wife’s hand again.
Donahoe stepped over to the bed where Ed was staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Ed,” he said. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but we’re all pulling for you. We need you to get better and back to the office just as soon as you’re able. We know what a fighter you are, and we’re counting on you to fight this.”
He stood for a moment, then squeezed Ed’s hand and stepped away from the bed. He took a pen and a business card from his pocket, wrote down his cell number and passed it to Tom Sawatski. “This is my number. If there’s anything I can do for you, call me anytime.”
He noticed Cochrane standing in the doorway. “Dave, give them your card as well, will you?” He motioned toward Dave. “This is Dave Cochrane, my chief of staff. He worked with Ed, and I want him to keep closely in touch with you. It would mean a lot to us if you could keep us in the loop.”
Beverly Sawatski cleared her throat. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet with tears.
“There isn’t much of a loop, Mr. Donahoe,” she said. Then she excused herself and walked out of the room.
Donahoe looked at her husband. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We just want to keep track of his progress.”
“It’s okay,” said Tom Sawatski. “She’s just very upset.” Then he wiped his eyes and followed his wife out into the hallway.
Donahoe turned to Sophie. She stood hugging herself. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks tear-stained.
“Sophie,” he said. “I can’t even imagine how awful this is for you, but I need to ask you a question.”
Sophie nodded.
“The police told Dave here that Ed’s BlackBerry is missing,” he said. “This is a potential security breach, and we’re concerned. As a policy adviser, Ed was involved with some very sensitive files, and we’re worried that if his phone fell into the wrong hands, it could have serious consequences.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t know where it is.”
Cochrane spoke up. “Do you know what Ed was doing last night?”
“He was out drinking with Jack Macdonald.”
“The reporter?”
“Yes.”
Cochrane and Donahoe exchanged looks.
“And you have no idea where the BlackBerry is?” asked Cochrane.
“No.”
Donahoe patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry we have to bother you with these questions. You’re being very brave. Minister Mowat is lucky to have such a great person working for him. You look after Ed and the Sawatskis.”
He stepped away and started for the elevators, but Cochrane lingered.
“Sophie,” he said. “This could be very important. If you get any idea of where Ed’s BlackBerry is, I need you to let me know. Even before the police. It’s a question of national security.”
Sophie nodded, he squeezed her arm and turned to go.
In the lobby, as Donahoe and Cochrane waited for the elevator, the door opened and Greg Mowat and Donahoe came unexpectedly face to face. Mowat’s face turned momentarily into a scowl, then brightened. He was trailed by Claude Bouchard, his chief of staff.
“Jim!” said Mowat. “You must have come to look in on Ed. How is the poor fellow?”
“He hasn’t said a word since they pulled him from the water. His parents and Sophie were sitting with him when I arrived. They’re very upset.”
“I can well imagine,” said Mowat. “A terrible
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