“So,” he said to Holly, “I know who you are. Who are these two?”
“Lieutenant Dino Bacchetti, NYPD, and Stone Barrington, NYPD, retired.”
The detective nodded. “I read the papers. This got something to do with that lady from the White House?”
“The corpse in the bedroom is the lady from the White House,” Holly replied.
“Be right back,” the detective said. “You three stay here.” He walked down the hall toward the bedroom.
“Don’t you dare give him that diary,” Holly said to Dino.
“I hadn’t planned to,” Dino replied.
The detective returned. “How come you’re gloved?” he asked Dino.
“Because I’m the only one carrying gloves.”
“What did you touch with those gloves?”
“I had a look in the filing cabinet in the study and in the top desk drawers.”
“What did you find?”
“Nothing I’d want in my scrapbook.”
“Did the lady have a diary?”
“I looked in the bedside drawer,” Stone said, “and there was no diary. I didn’t touch anything, though. Your people have a clean shot at prints.”
“Gee, thanks,” the detective said. “Suppose I print all of you, anyway?”
“Suppose you go fuck yourself,” Dino said.
“Now, gentlemen,” Holly interjected. “Everybody be nice. Detective, I’ll confirm that nobody touched anything.”
“How’d you get in the house?” he asked. “The front door was locked.”
“The b?ack door isn’t,” Holly said, careful about her use of tense.
“You spooks don’t run the Arlington PD,” he said.
“We have neither the time nor the inclination,” Holly replied. “We’re grateful for your help.”
Stone spoke up. “You should be grateful,” he said to the detective.
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because if she hadn’t made the request, you’d have two TV trucks out there and a yard full of reporters clamoring for a statement.”
The detective made a mock curtsy in Holly’s direction. “Thanks for keeping my picture out of the papers. The chief might have seen it.”
“Here’s an idea,” Dino said. “Why don’t you call them back in?”
“Good idea,” the detective replied.
“Detective,” Holly said, “I don’t think you need us anymore.”
“Christ knows that’s true,” he replied. “Good afternoon and good riddance.”
Holly herded Stone and Dino out the door. “Let’s move,” she said. Then, when they were outside: “Dino, don’t let that diary fall down your pants.”
They were back in the suite at the Hay-Adams before Dino produced the diary. Holly grabbed it, sat on the sofa, opened it to the last page, and read aloud.
“‘Those two from New York grilled me relentlessly this afternoon. I told them everything, and it was embarrassing, but it turned me on. Took care of that when I got home. Now I’m depressed.’”
“She doesn’t sound all that depressed,” Dino said, “not if she could do herself after our conversation.”
“I never knew being interrogated was a turn-on,” Stone said.
“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Dino replied.
Holly was turning pages, scanning them. “My goodness, she described every sexual encounter with Brix, even the masturbatory ones!”
“Was she sleeping with anybody else besides Brix?” Stone asked.
“Apparently not,” Holly replied.
“Then the paraphernalia in her bedside drawer was just in case?”
Holly closed the diary and tossed it to Stone. “This only goes back to the first of last year. She must have earlier ones.”
“I don’t think it’s worth trying to get them out of the Arlington cops,” Stone said. “Not if this one covers the time leading up to the deaths of Brix and his wife.”
“You can read the whole thing,” Holly said, rising. “I’m going back to the office.”
“Why don’t you brief the director,” Stone said. “I’m not ready to face her again.”
“What can I tell her?”
“Tell her we’ve hit a brick wall. Tell her all our possible witnesses are dead.”
“I’ll do that,” Holly said, then took her leave.
“There’s one still alive,” Dino said when she had gone. “The March Hare.”
“Well,” Stone said, “if you’d like to introduce me tntroduceo her, I’ll be glad to ask her all the right questions.”
“I think you already know her,” Dino said.
“Yeah?”
“Sure, she’s somebody at the White House, and you know who you know there.”
“Fair Sutherlin?”
“Who else?”
“I don’t buy it.”
“Who else you got?”
Stone shrugged. “We can’t nail her for all this just because we don’t have another suspect.”
“Stone, do you remember ever having been a cop?” Dino asked.
“Vaguely.”
“What does a cop do when he’s eliminated all the suspects but one, but he doesn’t have any evidence?”
“You want us to interrogate Fair?”
“Why not? I’d beat her with a telephone book if I could get away with it.”
“I don’t think my heart would be in it,” Stone said.
“I think you’re referring to another part of your anatomy,” Dino said.
“You think that just because I slept with her, I’d give her a pass?”
“I can’t think of any other reason for you to give her a pass,” Dino said. “Tell me one.”
“I just don’t think she’s capable of all this. Under the political hard shell, she’s a decent person.”
“That’s not an assumption I’m willing to make,” Dino said. “Call her.”
43
Fair Sutherlin’s new secretary showed them into her office. “Hey, fellas,” she said, waving them to the sofa. “What’s up?”
“You already have a new secretary?” Dino asked.
“They’re lined up, wanting to get into the West Wing,” Fair replied. “It only took a phone call. I hear you went out to Charlotte Kirby’s house, just in time to discover the body.”
“Yes,” Stone said, “we always seem to get places just a little late.”
“What did you find?”
Dino snorted. “You mean you haven’t seen the crime-scene photos yet?”
“Actually, I did. They were e-mailed to me. I’ve never seen anything quite like that. I’ve only got twenty minutes, fellas, and you’ve already used up five. What do you need?”
“Just some answers,” Dino said.
Stone crossed his legs and looked at a picture on the wall across the room. “Is that one from the National Gallery?” he asked.
Fair started to answer, but Dino cut her off.
“Never mind that. You were in the White House when Brix’s wife’s body was found, weren’t you?”
“Don’t you remember our last conversation about that?” she asked irritably.
“Indulge me.”
“I’m at the White House every day of my life,” she said, “weekends included, and a lot of nights, too. Ask?c me if I killed her.”
“Did you kill her?” Dino asked, following instructions. “Even accidentally?”
“No. What else?”
“But you knew her.”
“Asked and answered the first time we talked. Listen, do you think that by asking me the same questions over and over, you’re going to get different answers?”
“I’ve known it to happen,” Dino said.
“Well, this is not a police interrogation room, and I’m not the perp, so don’t try that shit with me.”
“Shall I tell the president you said that?” Dino asked.
“Tell him anything you like,” Fair said, shrugging. “Now, let’s cut to the chase, fellas. We’re busy around here saving the country.”
“Saving it from what?” Stone asked.
“Whatcha got?” she asked. “We’ll save the country from it. We do that every day. Some days, we save the world.”
“How did that story about us interviewing Charlotte Kirby get into the papers?” Dino asked. “And don’t tell me it’s Washington.”
“It’s Washington,” Fair replied.
“Did you give it to somebody?”