D.C. Dead (20 page)

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Stone and Dino met with Brixton Kendrick’s former secretary, Charlotte Kirby.

“I believe we spoke on the phone,” Stone said.

“That’s correct,” she replied. She was an interesting-looking woman—in her early forties, he reckoned.

“And how long have you worked for Fair Sutherlin?”

“About seven months. After Mr. Kendrick’s death, his replacement wanted to bring his own secretary with him, so I stayed just long enough to get her up to speed, then I accepted an offer to work for Ms. Sutherlin.”

“Tell me, Ms. Kirby,” Stone said, “were you aware that Brix was conducting at least one affair in the White House?”

She froze. “And where did you get that idea?” she asked.

“From someone who saw him with a woman in the family quarters.”

“I can’t believe Mr. Kendrick would do something so outrageous.”

“Were you aware that he was sleeping with women other than his wife, not necessarily in the White House?”

She glanced at her nails. “I guessed that he was,” she said.

“On what evidence?”

“Mr. Kendrick took long lunch hours, something that’s very rare in the White House. He would sometimes disappear in the afternoons, too. He’d say that he was ‘making the rounds’ of the property. He’d be gone for a couple of hours, and he wouldn’t answer his cell phone.”

“Ms. Kirby,” Stone said, “did Brixton Kendrick ever have an affair with you?”

Her mouth fell open. “That’s preposterous,” she said.

“We know now that he was having affairs, and you’re an attractive woman,” Stone said. “What’s so preposterous?”

“That anyone would think I would do such a thing.”

“Not that Brix would.”

“He was his own person, he didn’t ask my permission for the things he did.”

“Did you ever know or suspect the names of the women he was sleeping with?”

“Well, there were rumors about the Hart woman,” she said, disdain creeping into her voice. “That’s the business she’s in, or so I hear.”

“You heard wrong, Ms. Kirby. Milly Hart had affairs, but not for money.”

The woman shrugged. If you say so.”

“Any other names? Particularly in the White House?”

“The White House staff is, in some ways, like any other group of workers. These things happen.”

“With whom did they happen, in the case of Mr. Kendrick?”

“I wouldn’t know,” she said, in a manner that made Stone think she knew.ink she “Is that all?”

“For the present, Ms. Kirby. Thank you for your help.”

Her reaction, as she stood to leave, made Stone think she was happy she hadn’t helped too much.

33

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, EARLY, STONE AND HOLLY WERE having breakfast with Dino and Shelley, when the phone rang. Dino got up and answered it. “For you,” he said to Shelley, holding up the phone. “It’s the FBI lab.”

Shelley left the table and went to the phone. “Yes?” She listened. “You got both? That’s great. Have you run them against the database? Thank you very much!” She hung up and returned to the breakfast table.

“Come on, tell us,” Stone said.

“This is your lucky day,” Shelley said. “The lab got both a fingerprint and a DNA sample.”

“Any idea whose?”

“They ran it against the database and got a hit on a White House employee.”

“Who?” Dino asked, hanging on her every word.

“One Esmerelda Feliciano.”

“Shit,” Dino said.

“Why aren’t you happy?” Shelley asked.

“Because Feliciano is the White House maid who found the lipstick. I guess she’s been using it ever since.”

“We should have expected this,” Stone said. “I refuse to be disappointed.”

“You go right ahead and refuse to be disappointed,” Dino said. “I’m pissed off.”

They ate for a couple of minutes in silence. Finally, Holly spoke. “I’m going to have to try that lipstick. The people who wear it do such exciting things. What’s it called?”

“Pagan Spring,” Dino said.

Holly began laughing, and soon they were all laughing.

“Where do they get these names?” Shelley said.

“Marketing and advertising people sit around having what they like to call ‘brainstorms’ and make them up.”

“Are they drunk when they’re doing this?” Shelley asked.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

The phone rang again, and again Dino got it. He pointed at Stone. “It’s for you, this time.”

Stone got up and went to the phone. “This is Stone Barrington.”

“It’s Fair Sutherlin.”

“Good morning. This is a pleasant surprise.”

“First of all, thank you for your thank-you note. I was glad you could come to my dinner party.”

“I was glad, too. We all had a good time.”

“Are you free for dinner this evening?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Come for a drink at my house at seven, and we’ll go on from there. Dress casually.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.”

“Oh, I almost forgot my original reason for calling: Paul Brandon’s wife, Muffy, was murdered early this morning.”

Stone didn’t speak for a moment.

“Hello?”

“I’m here. Where did this happen?”

“At her home. You were there earlier, I believe.”

“Yes, I was. Where was Paul Brandon at the time?”

“Attending a conference on government and business in Chicago, at the request of the president.”

“I see. How did you hear?”

“A Lieutenant Padgett from the DCPD called me at home five minutes ago. He said the murder bore striking similarities to that of Milly Hart.”

“When did it happen?”

“Between five and six this morning.”

“Thank you for letting me know,” Stone said.

“See you at seven.”

“Yes.” Stone hung up and went back to the table.

“You look kind of funny,” Dino said.

“Well, I don’t feel very funny,” Stone said. “That was Fair Sutherlin, from the White House. The D.C. cops called her a few minutes ago and told her that Muffy Brandon was murdered early this morning.”

“Where was Paul Brandon?” Dino asked.

“In Chicago, sent by the president to attend a meeting.”

“Too bad,” Dino said. “If he hadn’t had an alibi, we might have cleared two murders in one fell swoop.”

“Fair said the cops said the two murders resembled each other.”

“Well,” Dino said, “if you’re a murderer, and you’ve got a technique that’s working, why change it?”

Holly burst out laughing. “You sound like you’re talking about somebody’s golf swing.”

“Golf swing, ball-peen hammer swing, what’s the difference? It’s all muscle memory.”

“Actually, it was a claw hammer,” Holly said. “At least that was the tool in the Hart murder. Lieutenant Padgett told me.”

“Time for you to do me that favor again,” Stone said.