He spoke in a clipped manner. “Thanks. If we come across anyone you might be able to tell us about, we’ll ask you. Right now, we’re just trying to get a handle on the big picture.”
That was a euphemism if I had ever heard one. A “handle on the big picture”? My instincts were correct. It was going to be extremely difficult for an outsider to develop a list of concrete suspects who had a reason to kill Lyndon Langsford.
“Does your big picture include Vivian Langsford?” I looked slyly at the Detective. I didn’t want to divulge all my information, but I wanted him to recognize my familiarity with the cast of characters in Langsford’s world.
O’Halloran gave me a hard stare. “And why would you ask that question about Senator Langsford’s wife?”
If he wanted to be obtuse, that was fine with me. “Oh, no reason, really. I just heard she might have a motive for killing her husband.” I tried to act nonchalant, as blasé as humanly possible while accusing my former boss’s wife of murder.
O’Halloran shook his head. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but you shouldn’t be poking around in police business. This is a job for the professionals. If you didn’t murder Langsford, as you contend,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “you should feel lucky to be alive. The autopsy concurred with the medical examiner’s initial findings. Senator Langsford had been dead only a short while before you found him. Besides, we’ve already checked out his wife, and she’s got an alibi for yesterday morning.”
“Where was Vivian? She wasn’t at home? I didn’t know she was particularly active in the morning hours.” I tried not to sound overly cynical. In the Senate office, Vivian wasn’t known as an early riser. Our scheduler Kara had told me Vivian couldn’t be booked for any appearances before ten in the morning. She simply wasn’t willing to get up earlier for events with the senator.
“If you must know, and I’m not sure why I’m telling you this, she was working out with her personal trainer during the time period in which we think Senator Langsford was stabbed.”
Vivian had several motives for killing her husband. First, she didn’t like the decision he’d made concerning Carter Power. Second, Langsford had recently increased his life insurance policy. Neither motive put me any closer to solving the murder if she had an airtight alibi, although the personal trainer excuse seemed a little shaky. Like I said, Vivian wasn’t known as someone who woke at the crack of dawn. I couldn’t imagine her working out that early in the morning, yet Detective O’Halloran seemed convinced the alibi was legit.
I nodded vaguely. I didn’t want O’Halloran to know quite yet that Meg and I were informally investigating Senator Langsford’s death. The police never appreciated the help of amateurs. However, after talking to O’Halloran, I was more convinced than ever that we needed to keep snooping around for clues. O’Halloran had certainly figured out by now that Senator Langsford’s network was vast and complex. An outsider might take days to figure out the most important people, then even more time to winnow that group down to suspects who had motive or opportunity. I could eliminate the entire first part of the process, given that I knew everyone of consequence in Senator Langsford’s professional life.
Before I had a chance to get away, O’Halloran stopped me. “Wait a second. I almost forgot why I wanted to talk to you in the first place. We’ve been able to determine that Senator Langsford was probably killed less than an hour before you discovered his body. Possibly as short a time as half an hour.”
I shuddered. I hadn’t realized that Senator Langsford was so recently dead when I saw him.
“If you didn’t kill Langsford, that means there’s a slight chance the killer was still in the building when you entered to come to work.” Another macabre thought, for sure.
“What I’m trying to say, Ms. Marshall, is I need you to think carefully about what you saw yesterday morning, especially while it’s fresh in your mind. Do you remember seeing anyone suspicious or out of place in the Hart Building when you arrived? Anyone at all? Perhaps even someone leaving the elevator or headed into a restroom?”
O’Halloran looked at me with pleading eyes. I was starting to feel sorry for the man. He didn’t have many leads, and pressure from his boss to solve the case as soon as possible was likely increasing. Right now, I was his only potential eyewitness.
I chose my words cautiously. “I wish I could help you, Detective O’Halloran. I just don’t remember seeing anyone I knew that morning. If something comes to mind, I’ll be sure to let you know.” I reached out to shake his hand, and he politely took it.
I thought about our office’s secret exit on the upper floor of the suite. If that was how the killer had escaped detection after committing the crime, it definitely had to be an insider or someone the senator knew very well indeed.
“Thank you, Ms. Marshall.” He turned to walk away, then spun around abruptly. “Something else. Please be careful. You may not remember seeing anyone who left the building yesterday, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t see someone, or you don’t remember you saw someone. In that case, the murderer might have seen you.”
Nodding in acknowledgement, I felt the sting of the detective’s words. Perhaps my sleuthing had taken on a new purpose. It wasn’t only about clearing my name. It was about catching the killer before I became the next victim.
Chapter 10
I headed toward Matt’s office. He had made himself scarce this morning, and I wanted to make sure I was attending to my duties. Given that we didn’t really work for a living United States Senator anymore, I assumed our responsibilities were limited. But assumptions had a way of getting me in trouble.
Like Detective O’Halloran, Matt looked like he hadn’t slept much last night. His tie was crooked, and his demeanor, usually vibrant and good-natured, seemed strained. Matt had known Senator Langsford for almost a decade. He had to be hurting both professionally and personally.
He smiled wryly when he saw me, though. “Kit, have a seat. I hope you’re not still the prime suspect in our boss’s murder?”
“Well, sir, it looks as though they’re trying to identify other suspects, but I don’t think Detective O’Halloran has cleared me yet.”
“I just had a long interview with the police, and I must admit, I don’t think they have any idea who killed the senator,” Matt offered.
“I know what you mean. I just talked to Detective O’Halloran and I didn’t get the impression they have a suspect in mind.”
Matt winced. “I was afraid my suspicions were correct. I hoped the police would have several solid leads by now.” He sighed. “I guess this case is a hard nut to crack. Who would want to kill Lyndon Langsford?”
Now it was my turn to smile wryly. Matt was the best boss I could ask for, but he had a blind spot when it came to Senator Langsford. Without fail, he cast Langsford’s maverick positions in the best possible light, justifying them by saying a particular stance was “for the people” or “the right thing to do.” Most of the time, Matt was right. He refused to believe that even Langsford occasionally made choices on the basis of pure politics. Matt chose to view Senator Langsford through rose-colored glasses. No wonder he had no concrete ideas as to who might have killed him. To Matt, Senator Langsford was the model public servant.
“Honestly, sir, I don’t know who would want to kill Senator Langsford, either. But I hope, for everyone’s sake, that the police figure it out soon.”
Matt nodded. “Especially for Vivian’s benefit. I don’t know how she’s coping with all this.”
Matt’s mention of Vivian gave me an opening. “Yes, and his death must be quite messy, given the recent increase in Senator Langsford’s insurance policy.” My words hung in silence for several moments.
Matt raised his eyebrows. “How do you know about an increase in his insurance policy?”
I hadn’t been a detective for long, but something told me part of the gig was protecting my sources, much like a journalist. I didn’t want to name Meg or her friend Jerry, even
though I trusted Matt would never use that information inappropriately. Still, some things were better left unsaid. My instincts told me this was one of them.
I gave Matt my most innocent look. “Oh, you know, people talk. I heard someone mention it casually in conversation.” At least that wasn’t a lie.
With a stern voice, Matt said, “Kit, it sounds like gossip to me. I have no idea whether it’s actually true. But you need to be careful dropping pieces of information like that. Someone might take it the wrong way.”
He had a point. It didn’t make sense to fuel any rumors. I only needed to share what I knew with those people who could help me discover more leads. Showboating wouldn’t get me anywhere, except in a heap of trouble.
I saw an opportunity to change the conversation’s direction. “Since we’re talking about Vivian, do you know about the plans for a memorial service for Senator Langsford? Mandy didn’t give us details this morning.”
“Lucinda was going to announce the plans later today to staff. There will be a memorial service the day after tomorrow at the Langsfords’ home in McLean.”
The senator and Vivian lived in a distinguished home in the affluent Virginia suburb a few miles from where I lived. I had visited their house several times to drop off an urgent document or to attend the Langsfords’ annual summer barbecue for staff. The house was beautiful. I always got nervous when visiting because if I broke anything, it would cost me an entire year’s salary to replace it. Vivian brought considerable wealth to their marriage, and by the looks of their house, she never lost her taste for the finer things in life.
“Can I ask Mandy any specific questions about the wake? I’m getting a lot of inquiries from my contacts who had professional dealings with Senator Langsford.”
Matt shook his head. “I would ask Lucinda. I’m not sure Mandy is going to remain on staff for the duration of the transition.”
That was news. “Did she find another job already?”
Matt averted his eyes. “As a matter of fact, she did. Mandy will be moving to Senator Regan’s office, effective next week.”
Mandy didn’t waste any time. That conversation I had interrupted yesterday was her overture, which meant she had sealed the deal with Senator Regan in less than twenty-four hours.
“I guess that means one of us has found employment. At least she has somewhere to report next week. Who knows if we will?”
Matt rubbed his hands together nervously. “I hate to admit it, but you’re right. The governor will probably wait an appropriate amount of time—maybe a week after the wake—then he’ll appoint a successor. That person won’t be from our political party.”
I remembered this morning’s conversation with Trevor. “There’s no chance Mrs. Langsford will be appointed as a caretaker for the remainder of the term?”
“We thought initially that Vivian might be in the running. That would have given us a soft place to land until staff secured permanent offers from other offices. But we heard this morning from the governor’s representative in Washington that he’s headed in another direction. There’s a lot of pressure on him to appoint someone who will be useful to the Republicans.”
“Matt, who do you think will get the appointment?” He knew the state and its politics better than anyone in the office, so his opinion counted.
“The odds-on favorite is certainly Jessop. He ran for the seat and put up a decent fight. The governor knows Jessop’s House seat is a safe one, so it’s likely to stay within his party if he leaves it and becomes a senator. There are other possibilities, of course, but most people expect Jessop will be occupying this office.” He sighed and put his face in his hands.
I understood Matt’s frustration, especially since Senator Langsford had defeated Jessop in the last election, and his victory had required the all-out efforts of many of the staffers currently employed in our office. It seemed like a moral defeat after such a hard-won race. Langsford had pulled ahead only a few days before the election. Jessop was close to becoming a United States Senator, perhaps the dream of every member of the House of Representatives. He’d had a glimpse of the brass ring, yet it had ended up out of reach. That glimpse made Jessop a bitter man. The relationship between the two politicians had not improved after the campaign, despite several attempts by Langsford to mend fences.
Matt needed an emotional boost. “Don’t worry. It’s only for a couple of years. Even if Jessop gets the appointment, he’s going to have to run again to keep it, and we all know he wasn’t successful the last time he tried to do that.”
Matt gave me a small smile. “Thanks for putting a positive spin on an absolutely bleak situation.” He paused for a second. “Let me know if you find out any more colorful gossip.” He winked at me, and I grinned back at him. Matt had to give me a lecture about why gossiping was poor form, but when push came to shove, he wanted to know details about the murder investigation, too.
I left Matt’s office and had only taken a few steps outside when I nearly collided with Mandy. She appeared to have recovered from yesterday’s maelstrom. She looked fantastic in high heels, a slim skirt, a freshly pressed white blouse, and a delicate pearl necklace with matching earrings.
“Mandy, I hear congratulations are in order.” I gave her the biggest smile I could muster.
Instead of returning the pleasantry, she scowled. “What do you mean?”
She was going to make this difficult. I suppressed a groan. “I heard you got a new job with Senator Regan and you start next week.”
Her eyes narrowed as she glowered at me. “How did you hear about that?”
There was no point in lying, and Mandy had officially annoyed me. “I just came out of Matt’s office, and he told me. Is it a secret?”
She shook her head. “No, Miss Busybody, it’s not a secret. I was going to announce it tomorrow on my morning video update, but there’s no point. Now that you found out, everyone in the office will know soon.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and flounced down the hallway. She had only gone a few steps before she turned around and added, “If you haven’t already noticed, this is a sinking ship, Kit. I wouldn’t stay onboard too much longer.”
What a drama queen! Goodbye and good riddance, Mandy Lippman. The less said, the better. Though I hadn’t adhered to that mantra very well so far, I vowed to follow it in the future.
Chapter 11
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I disciplined myself to finish up several administrative tasks and dutifully answered emails and phone calls as they came in. Finally I took a few minutes to call Doug and let him know I had scheduled drinks after work with Meg and Jeff Prentice, the lobbyist from Carter Power.
Doug sounded suspicious when I told him I wouldn’t be home for dinner tonight due to happy hour plans. He knew I never jumped at the chance to spend time with Jeff Prentice. He also knew my involvement with Carter Power had died with Senator Langsford.
“That’s curious. Why did you make plans with Prentice? As I recall, he was never your favorite lobbyist.”
I gritted my teeth. One of the downsides of being involved with a professor was the impossibility of getting anything past him. He had an exceptional memory, and beyond his early morning fog, he rarely forgot a comment or detail. Some old-fashioned spin was in order so he wouldn’t worry too much about my machinations. When in doubt, just blame it on your best friend.
“Well, it was Meg’s idea.” That wasn’t a complete fabrication. Meg had suggested we have drinks with Jeff Prentice tonight.
Doug wasn’t buying it. “Well, why are you tagging along? You’re no longer involved with the Carter Power deal, are you?”
This was unusual behavior for Doug. He never cared about my happy hour exploits, and he understood that part of working on Capitol Hill meant I attended social events after work. He was being nosy because he suspected ulterior motives, which included snooping around for clues.
“You’re right. I’m not directly involved with the Carter Power business anym
ore. However, I should be on the lookout for a new job, and I want to concentrate my search on senators who focus on issues similar to those that interested Langsford. I’d better keep all my relationships intact, right?”
Whether or not Doug still doubted my reasons for meeting with Jeff, he gave up. The argument about finding another job resonated with him. “I guess that makes sense. You’d better not burn any bridges.”
“Exactly. I’m so happy you understand. I’ll see you later tonight.” I hung up quickly before he could ask more questions.
Glancing at the clock on my desktop, I realized it was almost 6 p.m. Normally this would have been the end of the official workday in the Senate, although staff often stayed later to write memos or other documents they couldn’t finish earlier because they were busy with meetings or hearings. Without an elected boss, burning the midnight oil seemed irrational. I sent Meg an Instant Message: “Are you ready to go?”
“I can hear a Cosmo calling my name,” she typed back.
My reflexive chuckle was followed by a wave of sadness. There wouldn’t be many more evenings like this. It would be next to impossible to find jobs in the same Capitol Hill office, and one of us—me, most likely—would have to look for employment somewhere other than Congress. We would both land on our feet, but those feet wouldn’t be planted in the same place.
I gathered my purse and headed over to Meg’s desk. She had apparently embraced the notion that our jobs weren’t all that serious at this point; she was listening to her iPod full blast while playing Solitaire on her computer. I stood by her desk, and she paid me no attention. I poked her on the shoulder to announce my presence.
She said loudly to me, “Want to head out now?”
I nodded. Was I standing at her desk for the heck of it? Meg definitely marched to the beat of her own drummer.
Stabbing in the Senate Page 8