prepared to go all the way?”
Her heart was beating rapidly. “All the way, Bill.”
“Good. We’ll know the time you should speak.”
“I hope so.”
“No,” Bonassi said gently. “You’ll pray so. You’re a Christian now, with all the privileges of a child of God. One of those is prayer. We’ll need it. This is a spiritual battle.”
“I have a suggestion,” he continued. “Let’s pray for Sam Levering.”
9
The Senate dining room had two sections. One was for members and guests, the other – called the inner sanctum – was for senators alone. Sam Levering was eating his usual – bourbon and bean soup – when the maitre d’ informed Levering a cop wanted to see him.
“Can you make this short?” Levering said to the cop, who said his name was Markey. “I’ve got an appropriation rider to propose in” – he looked at his watch – “twenty minutes.”
“I’ll get right to it, then,” Markey said, sitting opposite Levering. “There’s been a disappearance. I was hoping you could shed some light on it.”
“What sort of light would that be?”
“Just the facts.”
Levering could not help rolling his eyes. “Don’t foul up my air with platitudes, will you, boy?” He hadn’t meant it in a racial way, but that’s the way it sounded. Well, too bad.
Markey did not look upset. In fact, he looked a little like that actor, what was his name, Denzel Washington. Why wasn’t this guy out making movies instead of harassing senators?
“I am conducting an investigation, sir,” Markey said, “and I would appreciate your cooperation.”
“Ask your questions and then leave.”
Markey took out a pad and pen. “Do you know anything about a homeless man named Elijah?”
“Sounds like a Bible story.”
“That was his street name, sir.”
“Never heard of the guy. Why would I?”
“Your aide, Anne Deveraux, knew him.”
Levering’s skin began to itch. “What’s Anne got to do with this?”
“Hasn’t she ever mentioned this man?” Markey asked.
“Some homeless man? No.” The booze was helping him keep calm. What did this detective know, anyway?
“She had an encounter with this man,” Markey said.
“Look, her private life is her private – ”
“I don’t mean that kind of encounter,” the cop interrupted. “She sprayed him with mace.”
Plausible deniability. It would save him again. “I have no idea what you’re alluding to. If you’re trying to connect me with this man, whoever he is, and something Anne did in her off time, it’s just not going to fly.”
“Funny,” Markey said.
“What is?”
“Oh, just the way Ms. Deveraux spoke about your working relationship. How close it was. You’d think she would have mentioned an incident like that to her boss.”
“Well,” Levering said, “she didn’t.” He looked for a waiter. That second Jim Beam was calling. Steady.
“So your official statement is that you have no knowledge of the whereabouts of this man Elijah?” Markey asked.
“You do pretty good cop-speak. They teach you that?”
“No.” Markey put his pen and pad back in his coat pocket. “My father did.”
“Really now? Your daddy a cop?”
“Preacher.”
For some reason Levering felt sweat seeping into his collar.
“Isn’t that nice,” Levering said. “Your daddy teach you to interrupt citizens with pointless questions?”
The cop’s demeanor did not change. “May I have your permission to speak plainly?”
Odd request from a detective. “Sure.”
Markey said. “I have a feeling about this case. Maybe it has something to do with you, Senator, and maybe not. Maybe it has something to do with Ms. Deveraux, and maybe not. But if my feeling is correct, some bad things are going down around here. And I will find out what they are.”
Levering was brought up short. Not because of his brashness, but because of the seeming sincerity with which this detective spoke. Like he knew things he had no way of knowing. Levering inhaled, trying to keep himself as calm as possible.
“Is that the end of your sermon?” Levering responded.
“Amen,” Markey said.
“Then get out.”
With a curt nod, the detective turned and walked out of the inner sanctum. Levering waited a moment, then yelled to the waiter for another drink.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1
New York Times
Wednesday, November 12
A request for an impeachment investigation of Chief Justice Millicent Mannings Hollander has been officially lodged in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Leigh Barbaros, a California Democrat.
Rumors of such a move have been circulating throughout the Capitol for days. The investigation seeks to delve into the veracity of Hollander’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in light of recent revelations of a religious conversion that could tip the delicate balance of the nation’s highest court.
The request will be reviewed by the House Judiciary Committee and its Subcommittee on the Constitution. If the subcommittee determines there is merit to the charges, Articles of Impeachment will be drawn. The full Judiciary Committee must approve the Articles before they are sent to the full House for a vote. A simple majority is all that is required to approve the Articles and send the matter to the Senate for trial.
“It’s not that we’re against someone converting,” one congressman, who
