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knew all the local special agents and Applewhite wasn't a name he was familiar with.
    "Wanting what?"
    "She didn't say."
    Kerney made a face.
    "Welcome to the Crystal Palace," Helen said.
    "The what?"
    "The chief's office was dubbed the Crystal Palace a couple of administrations ago. It is not a term of endearment."
    "No, of course not," Kerney said.
    Somewhere in her thirties, Special Agent Elaine Applewhite wore a cardigan sweater over a white turtleneck top and a pair of blue jeans.
    The outfit didn't hide her sturdy-looking frame. She had a sharp chin, an oval face, a small, turned-down mouth, and empty eyes that reminded Kerney of the thousand-yard stare he'd seen on the faces of soldiers in Vietnam. A bright new red ski parka hung neatly over a chair at the small conference table that butted against the front of Kerney's desk.
    "Make yourself at home," Kerney said as Applewhite arranged herself in a chair.
    He moved to his desk, sat, and waited.
    Applewhite adjusted her position to face Kerney head-on.
    "The wife of a Federal official has been murdered, Chief Kerney. The Bureau has jurisdiction in the matter."
    "Are you here to assume oversight?"
    "That's not my role," Applewhite replied.
    "I understand you have a suspect in custody."
    "What exactly is your role, Agent Applewhite?" Kerney asked.
    Applewhite leaned forward.
    "We don't have to joust, Chief Kerney. I'm a liaison agent to the State Department. I've been asked to interrupt my vacation and assist you, until a task force arrives from Quantico."
    "You're here vacationing?"
    Applewhite smiled tightly.
    "I was."
    "Really? Where?"
    "Taos. My husband and I are on a week-long skiing trip. He's not too happy about having our plans interrupted, I can tell you."
    "I'm sorry to hear it," Kerney said.
    "Why isn't the local FBI field office handling the case?"
    "Because Mrs. Terrell's murder may have national-security implications."
    "Such as?"
    "I can't go into that."
    "Then I assume you're the point man until the task force arrives."
    "Not at all. I've been asked to provide you with some background information."
    Applewhite paused.
    "Ten years ago Ambassador Terrell divorced his first wife.
    Within the year he married Phyllis Carol Straley Hasell, a woman twenty years his junior. In both her previous and current marriage Mrs. Terrell maintained a rather liberal attitude regarding her marriage vows, and was somewhat indiscriminate about her choice of sexual partners."
    "Are you suggesting Mrs. Terrell may have been killed by a lover?"
    Kerney asked.
    "Its a highly speculative notion, but not outside the realm of possibility."
    "Are Mrs. Terrell's past and present lovers known to the Bureau?"
    "Our background investigations on family members are confidential, Chief Kerney.
    But I can say that when the Terrells separated, the ambassador provided the State Department and the Bureau with a full, voluntary statement as to the reasons why."
    "The ambassador told your department about his wife's lovers?"
    "In the interest of national security he felt it was his obligation to do so. On a political note, you need to be aware that Proctor Straley is Mrs. Terrell's father. You may know of him. He owns the El Moro Land and Cattle Company in Ramah, New Mexico. He moved here from Texas and bought the property about twenty years ago. I understand it's quite a large tract of land. He's a close friend of your governor, and quite influential in state and national politics."
    "I know who he is," Kerney said.
    "How did you come to learn so quickly about Mrs. Terrell's murder?"
    "The State Department advised the Bureau as soon as your department requested assistance in locating Ambassador Terrell."
    "What is your role with the task force?"
    "I've been asked to coordinate information sharing between you, the Bureau, and the State Department."
    Kerney digested the statement and stared thoughtfully at the woman.
    Although Applewhite had denied it, Kerney's hunch wasn't wrong;
    Applewhite was the