THIRTEEN
Washington, D.C. Monday, 2:17 p.m.
The telephone call came from Detective Robert Howell of the D.C.
Metropolitan Police. Kendra Peterson took it in her office. The detective asked to speak with the senator. He would not say why. Orr was working in the sunlit conference room with Admiral Link and Kat Lockley. Kendra conferenced in the senator, then joined them. Orr put the call on the speakerphone. His American flag tie was loose, and his shirtsleeves were opened at the cuffs and pulled back along his forearms.
'Senator, before the news hits the grapevine, I wanted you to know that William Wilson appears to have been murdered.'
Howell said it quickly, efficiently, and unemotionally. The impact was like Franklin Roosevelt describing the day that would live in infamy.
'How did it happen?' Orr asked. He realized he had to take charge of the discussion. Everyone else was too stunned.
'Mr. Wilson was apparently given an injection of a heart-inhibiting drug,' Howell replied.
'Presumably by the woman he met in his hotel?' Orr asked.
'That is our assumption. We'll require fine tissue analysis beyond the scope of the original autopsy to determine what the heart muscle may have absorbed. That will take several days of extensive circulatory analysis.'
'Detective, this is Admiral Ken Link. Was the new evidence discovered after the autopsy was completed?' he asked.
'Just a few hours ago, Admiral,' Howell said. 'The medical examiner tells me that a gentleman from Op-Center had a look at the body and discovered the puncture mark.'
'Op-Center? What were they doing there?' Link asked.
'I don't have that information, sir,' Howell said.
'And they found this wound in the presence of an ME?' Link pressed.
'Yes. Why?'
'I wouldn't trust those spy boys to run a fair Bingo game,' said the Oregon-born officer.
' 'Those' meaning from Op-Center?' Howell asked.
'Yes, sir.'
'Do you have reason to suspect they would falsify something like this?'
Howell asked.
'Their budget was gutted this morning,' Link replied. 'Paul Hood needs something to get back in the game.'
'Including sabotaging a body on short notice?' Howell asked.
'Jury-rigged sabotage is what field operatives do,' Link pointed out.
'Detective, I'm not accusing Op-Center of wrongdoing. I am only saying that the timing is suspicious.'
Kat touched the mute button. 'Ken, we can ask Mike Rodgers about that when he gets here.'
'That may not be wise,' Link said.
'People, we're getting ahead of ourselves,' Orr said. The senator deactivated the mute function. 'Detective Howell, what kind of scrutiny is this office facing?'
'I honestly don't know, sir,' Howell told him. 'We need to find that woman. If he met her at a bar on the way
