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street. When he didn’t show, they investigated. The killings were very clean and professional. He described what he knew about Jensen. Broken neck. Strangulation. Found by another character in the balcony. No one saw anything, evidently. Voyles was not as gruff and blunt as usual. It was a dark day for the Bureau, and he could feel the heat coming. But he’d survived five Presidents, and he could certainly outmaneuver this idiot.
    “The two are obviously related,” the President said, staring at Voyles.
    “Maybe. Certainly looks that way, but—”
    “Come on, Director. In two hundred and twenty years, we’ve assassinated four Presidents, two or three candidates, a handful of civil rights leaders, couple of governors, but never a Supreme Court Justice. And now, in one night, within two hours, two are assassinated. And you’re not convinced they’re related?”
    “I didn’t say that. There must be a link somewhere. It’s just that the methods were so different.And so professional. You must remember, we’ve had thousands of threats against the Court.”
    “Fine. Then who are your suspects?”
    No one cross-examined F. Denton Voyles. He glared at the President. “It’s too early for suspects. We’re still gathering evidence.”
    “How’d the killer get into Rosenberg’s place?”
    “No one knows. We didn’t watch him go in, you understand? Evidently, he was there for some time, hiding in a closet or an attic, maybe. Again, we weren’t invited. Rosenberg refused to allow us into his home. Ferguson routinely inspected the place each afternoon when the Justice arrived from work. It’s still too early, but we’ve found no evidence of the murderer. None, except three bodies. We’ll have ballistics and autopsies by late this afternoon.”
    “I want to see them here as soon as you have them.”
    “Yes, Mr. President.”
    “I also want a short list of suspects by 5 P.M. today. Is that clear?”
    “Certainly, Mr. President.”
    “And I would like a report on your security and where it broke down.”
    “You’re assuming it broke down.”
    “We have two dead judges, both of whom were being protected by the FBI. I think the American people deserve to know what went wrong, Director. Yes, it broke down.”
    “Do I report to you, or the American people?”
    “You report to me.”
    “And then you call a press conference and report to the American people, right?”
    “Are you afraid of the scrutiny, Director?”
    “Not one bit. Rosenberg and Jensen are dead because they refused to cooperate with us. They were very much aware of the danger, yet they couldn’t be bothered. The other seven are cooperating, and they’re still alive.”
    “For the moment. We’d better check. They’re dropping like flies.” The President smiled at Coal, who snickered and almost sneered at Voyles. Coal decided it was time to speak. “Director, did you know Jensen was hanging around such places?”
    “He was a grown man with a lifetime appointment. If he chose to dance naked on tables we couldn’t stop him.”
    “Yes sir,” Coal said politely. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
    Voyles breathed deeply and looked away. “Yes. We suspected he was a homosexual, and we knew he liked certain movie houses. We have neither the authority nor the desire, Mr. Coal, to divulge such information.”
    “I want those reports by this afternoon,” the President said. Voyles was watching a window, listening but not responding. The President looked at Robert Gminski, director of the CIA. “Bob, I want a straight answer.”
    Gminski tightened and frowned. “Yes sir. What is it?”
    “I want to know if these killings are in any way linked to any agency, operation, group, whatever, of the United States Government.”
    “Come on! Are you serious, Mr. President! That’s absurd.” Gminski appeared to be shocked, but thePresident, Coal, even Voyles, knew anything was possible these days at the CIA.
    “Dead serious,