said, âbut weâre not wrong.â
She shook her head as she said, âAll right, all right, who killed him? How? Why? I know that he enjoyed visiting the SupremeCourt Building after hours, that he liked the solitude and the privacy, but what was he doing there last night, for heavenâs sake?â
Detective Raven said, âWe donât know much of anything yet. An FBI forensic team is at the Supreme Court Building, along with about six of our guys and a gazillion or so Feds. Judge Califano was garroted. We donât know who did this as yet, but we will find out, Ms. Markham.
âThe media will have found out about this by now, even though we laid down a temporary blackout until we got security under control and reached your mother. The media have as many grubs as we do. I expect both the print media and TV reporters to roll up here any moment. Iâm to get the two of you down to the Daly Building before the vultures light and start coming down the chimney.â
âI can handle the media. I donât think my mother is up for going anywhere.â
âMs. Markham, it would be better than being barricaded in here with the media pounding on the windows, using bullhorns to ask you how you feel.â
But Callie, now stroking her weeping motherâs back, said to him, barely above a whisper, âHeâs dead? Stewart is really dead?â
âYes. Iâm sorry.â
She stared over at him, through him really, he thought, trying to make sense of the situation. She said, âNo, donât say anything more. All right, tell me this. Where were the guards? There are a zillion guards in that building. Theyâre sharp, theyâre smart, and my stepfather knew most of them. They wouldnât hesitate an instant if someone dangerous broke in. Theyâd shoot him dead. And the whole building is monitored.â
âIâll tell you everything we know, Ms. Markham, but letâs get out of here first. Trust me on this, neither the FBI nor the local cops nor the Justice Department want you hounded by the press right now. Please come, weâve got to go.â
Callie stared up at him. âWho are you, exactly, besides a big mean guy and a snappy dresser?â
âIâm Detective Ben Raven, Washington Metro.â He flipped out his badge. She studied it. âYou can check out Officer Kreider and Detectives Boaz and LeBeau later.â Come on, letâs get out of here. Captain Halloway said the FBI is bringing in one of their hotshots. The guy was out of town, probably off skiing somewhere. Heâll be meeting us at the Daly Building. Of course Director Mueller and Deputy Assistant Director James Maitland will be in charge of the investigation.â He held out his hand to her. âThis FBI hotshot theyâre bringing in will probably want to lay you out on a rack, and find out everything you donât even realize you know.â
âI see. Youâve already pounded the grieving widow and now youâre ready to move on to the daughter.â
âYes. Actually, youâre his stepdaughter, arenât you?â
Callie rose, in his face now. âAnd your point would be?â
âJust trying to be accurate, Ms. Markham. In my line of work, accuracy is important.â
âAccuracy is important in mine too, Detective Raven, but I try not to be a moron about it.â
He couldnât find another lick of patience. âWe must leave now.â He knew she was angry, for her mother, he imagined. Heâd seen her eyes go glassy there for a while, and heâd worried sheâd collapse along with her mother. But he wasnât worried now. Shewas ready to do battle, ready to chew some nails. He had a feeling that nails were a staple in her daily diet.
Margaret Califano was no help at all. It took both Officer Kreider and Callie to get her into her lovely dark blue cashmere coat, to pull boots on her feet, and to work the gloves