Shelley rose. “Excuse me, Mr. President, Mrs. Lee,” she said, then left the room.
“Stone,” the president said, “what is your work in New York like these days?”
“Well, my two largest clients for a while were Strategic Services, the security company, and my wife’s affairs.”
“We were very sorry to hear of her death,” the president said.
“Thank you, sir. I also spend a good deal of time supervising the legal work for an insurance group, Steele, that came to us recently.”
“I understand you get called upon by Lance Cabot from time to time,” Kate said.
“I’m afraid so,” Stone said wryly. “Sometimes I’m sorry I signed that contract with your agency.”
Kate laughed. “I suppose you’ve learned that our work isn’t great fun.”
“Perhaps not,” Stone said, “but it’s always interesting.”
“Dino,” the president said, “what keeps you occupied these days?”
“Well, Mr. President, even though New York City crime is down in almost every area, we still have enough murders, rapes, and robberies to keep my detectives in the Nineteenth Precinct busy.”
Shelley Bach returned to the dining room. “Mr. President, Mrs. Lee,” she said, “I’ve just had word that Fair Sutherlin has been murdered.”
There was a loud clink as the president dropped his fork onto his plate. “Where? How?” he asked.
“She was bludgeoned to death in her apartment, apparently late this afternoon,” Shelley replied. “Her body was discovered by her building superintendent less than half an hour ago, and, knowing that she was a federal employee, he called the FBI. My people are on their way to the scene, and, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go over there now.”
“Of course,” the president said. He and his wife stood and shook her hand. “Stone, Dino? I expect you’ll want to go there, too.”
“Yes, sir,” Stone said, standing. He and Dino said their good-byes.
“Holly,” Kate Lee said, “you’d better go, too. I want a full report as soon as possible.”
The four left the quarters and got into the elevator.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to pin this one on Charlotte Kirby,” Stonirby,”e said as they rode down.
45
They arrived at Fair Sutherlin’s apartment building and took the elevator upstairs. The door to her apartment stood open, and men in suits were inside.
“Wait here a moment,” Shelley said. She took latex gloves, a hairnet, and booties from her handbag and donned them, then disappeared inside. A moment later, an agent appeared and issued the same equipment to Stone, Dino, and Holly.
“Careful, aren’t they?” Dino said. “Most cops would just blunder into the place.”
Fair Sutherlin’s body lay under a sheet in the living room.
Shelley called a man over. “This is Special Agent Dave King,” she said, “the supervisor on this investigation.”
“I thought that was you,” Holly said.
Shelley shook her head. “Dave and his people are homicide specialists. I’m just a bureaucrat, as far as they’re concerned.”
“That’s not true,” Dave King said to them. “Assistant Director Bach always sees something we don’t. We’re happy to have her at a scene.”
Shelley made a motion with her hand, and Dave King stooped and pulled back the bloodstained sheet. Fair’s face bore an expression of surprise. The eyes were open, the right side of her head was crushed, and her hair was matted with blood.
Stone turned away, feeling horribly sad.
“Maybe this homicide isn’t connected to the others,” Holly said.
“That’s nice of you, Holly,” Stone replied, “but it’s clear that Dino and I backed away from this too soon.”
“Thanks, Holly,” Dino said, “but Stone’s right.”
Shelley spoke up. “If this is connected, and I’m inclined to think it is, then Fair must have been having an affair with Brix Kendrick, too. All the other victims were.”
“We never turned up any evidence to connect her to Brix,” Stone said.
“Just one more thing we missed,” Dino added.
Dave King brought over a large clear plastic bag containing what appeared to be a marble statuette, covered with blood. “The murder weapon,” he said.
“That’s a weapon of opportunity,” Dino said. “Indicates her murderer didn’t necessarily come here to kill her. Indicates anger, too. But it wasn’t a burglary gone wrong. I’ll bet nothing’s missing.”
Fair’s large handbag, tagged, sat on the floor near her body.
“Anything missing from that?” he asked Dave King. “Money? Credit cards?”
“The bag seems to be intact,” King replied.
“May we look in the bedroom?” Stone asked.
“Sure, just don’t move anything.”
Stone walked into the bedroom and looked around. It seemed the same as it had been on his earlier visit. Her tube of Pagan Spring lipstick was still on the dresser. So much for clues, he thought.
Dino walked to the dressing table and raised the lid on a jewelry box. “Some nice pearls,” he said, “and a few rings and bracelets.”
“You’re right,” Stone said, “it wasn’t a burglary.”
There was a scream from the other room, and they both ran back there. The young woman who had shown them into Fair Sutherlin’s office earlier stood in the doorway, being consoled by Shelley Bach, who finally got her quieted down.
“Who are you?” Shelley asked.
“My name is Rose Marie Dyvig,” she said, and spelled the last name, as if she were accustomed to doing so. “I’m Ms. Sutherlin’s secretary. One of them.”
“Dino and I can confirm that,” Stone said.
“I came to check on her,” the young woman said. “She got a call on her cell phone late this afternoon and left the White House, saying she’d be back in an hour. I waited for her, because I had some papers to deliver that needed her signature. Finally, I called her a couple of times, and when I didn’t get a reply and when she didn’t come back, I came over here.”
Shelley sat her down and turned to Dave King. “Did you find her cell phone?” she asked.
“No, there wasn’t one anywhere in the room-not in her handbag, either.”
“The murderer took it,” Dino said, “so we couldn’t check it to see who called her this afternoon.”
“That was very thorough,” Stone said. “I wonder what else she took.”
“Why do you think it was a woman?” Holly asked.
“It’s the March Hare,” Stone replied.
“Who else?” Dino asked.
“I don’t think there’s anything more we can do here,” Shelley said. “Let’s get out and let my people do their work.”
Shelley walked Rose Marie Dyvig to her car, parked at the curb, then Stone and Dino went to the Agency SUV that they had been loaned, and Shelley and Holly to their respective cars.
“You ladies may as well join us for dinner at the Hay-Adams,” Stone called out. They both nodded and got into their cars.
“Have you told the hotel we’re checking out tomorrow?” Dino asked.
“No.”
“Just as well. Looks like we’re not going anywhere.”
Room service did its usual fine work, and they dined without much chat. After dinner, the two couples adjourned to the bedrooms and closed the doors.
Stone and Holly lay naked in bed, holding hands, but they had not otherwise touched each other.
“You seemed familiar with Fair Sutherlin’s apartment,” she said. “Did you sleep with her?”
“Yes,” Stone said. “Once. Dino and I went to a dinner party there, too.”
“Don’t get the idea that I mind,” Holly said.
“Thanks for not minding.”
“We don’t have that kind of relationship,” Holly said. “What was your impression of her?”
“I liked her. I admired the way she did her work.”
“Do you think she had an affair with Brix Kendrick?”
“On no evidence but evidencethe manner of her death, yes.”
“I wish I had met the guy,” Holly said. “I’d like to see what sort of man could string together that many affairs and get away with it in a town where everybody talks about everybody.”