Read Online Carnal Vengeance by Marilyn Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Marilyn Campbell
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driver of the taxi he'd observed in front of the hotel dropped the mouse off at the Internal Revenue Service building. He had no idea why employees of two branches of government would be meeting with Erica Donner, but he bet his next paycheck there was some sort of story behind it. Again, his nose told him it could have something to do with Tim Ziegler's call. What he needed were some names to attach to the faces.
He didn't have a contact inside the FBI but he had a companionable relationship with a city police detective. It seemed reasonable that the man would know at least one agent that might be able to identify Red. If memory served, the detective was a major football fan. An invitation to an upcoming game would probably net him a name and maybe a bit more.
Identifying the other three women was going to be more of a challenge, but he determined to describe them to everyone he knew until he got some answers.
Before he began that, however, he needed to ask Valerie for another favor—a roster of the students enrolled in the freshman class at Dominion the year Cheryl Wallace and Erica Donner were there.
"Is that it?" Valerie asked with a laugh. "You sure you don't want the upperclassmen as well? I've already been asked to come up with the names of all of Senator Ziegler's fraternity brothers. Don't you want a copy of that too?"
"That would be terrific," David replied. "If it's not too much trouble." He wasn't surprised that another reporter was working on that angle. Cheryl Wallace's list of alleged attackers had caused a lot of speculation all over the country.
"Well, I'll tell you the same thing I told the other reporter. I've got a stack of rush requests that could get me fired if I don't do them first. But I already did a quick check of their website and came up with nothing. That was a long time ago, before everything was computerized, and although the university should have retained the records, they've probably been buried in some storage vault. I also placed a call to the school but so far no call back. They probably aren't anxious to talk to any media right now. It may not be so easy to get the information. What you need is a yearbook."
Or an alumnus, like Cheryl Wallace. "Well, if anybody can do it, I know you can," David said with complete sincerity.
He made several more calls then headed back to the Kessler Hotel in hopes that Mrs. Donner might be planning to go out to dinner.
* * *
Holly and Philip arrived at her apartment in Georgetown with plenty of time to spare, but Holly was too anxious to be on her way to sit and relax. Philip poured himself a club soda while she went into her bedroom to throw a few things in a bag.
Thirty minutes later, she started to walk into the living room and froze in the doorway. Philip was seated on the couch with his back to her—and was closing the lid on her briefcase. "Philip? Were you looking for something?"
"Yes. Or rather I was about to." He latched the case and set it back down on the floor where she had left it. Standing up and turning to her with a sheepish grin, he said, "I didn't want to admit to Evelyn that I misplaced the last report from the House Ways and Means Committee. I had the sudden thought that it had somehow gotten mixed up with your folders and ended up in your briefcase. I apologize. Without thinking, I opened it to check. I should never have done that without asking. I swear I didn't rearrange a single sheet of paper."
He appeared to be appropriately embarrassed at having been caught, but it left Holly feeling a little uneasy. Certain he was telling the truth, however, she could see no reason to make an issue of it. "Did you find the report?"
He laughed. "No. As soon as I opened that portable office of yours and saw how much work you have in there, I just closed it up again. If you get a chance, I'd appreciate your taking a look for it, though. Are you ready to go?"
She nodded and let him take the bag from her. Though she hadn't planned on
He didn't have a contact inside the FBI but he had a companionable relationship with a city police detective. It seemed reasonable that the man would know at least one agent that might be able to identify Red. If memory served, the detective was a major football fan. An invitation to an upcoming game would probably net him a name and maybe a bit more.
Identifying the other three women was going to be more of a challenge, but he determined to describe them to everyone he knew until he got some answers.
Before he began that, however, he needed to ask Valerie for another favor—a roster of the students enrolled in the freshman class at Dominion the year Cheryl Wallace and Erica Donner were there.
"Is that it?" Valerie asked with a laugh. "You sure you don't want the upperclassmen as well? I've already been asked to come up with the names of all of Senator Ziegler's fraternity brothers. Don't you want a copy of that too?"
"That would be terrific," David replied. "If it's not too much trouble." He wasn't surprised that another reporter was working on that angle. Cheryl Wallace's list of alleged attackers had caused a lot of speculation all over the country.
"Well, I'll tell you the same thing I told the other reporter. I've got a stack of rush requests that could get me fired if I don't do them first. But I already did a quick check of their website and came up with nothing. That was a long time ago, before everything was computerized, and although the university should have retained the records, they've probably been buried in some storage vault. I also placed a call to the school but so far no call back. They probably aren't anxious to talk to any media right now. It may not be so easy to get the information. What you need is a yearbook."
Or an alumnus, like Cheryl Wallace. "Well, if anybody can do it, I know you can," David said with complete sincerity.
He made several more calls then headed back to the Kessler Hotel in hopes that Mrs. Donner might be planning to go out to dinner.
* * *
Holly and Philip arrived at her apartment in Georgetown with plenty of time to spare, but Holly was too anxious to be on her way to sit and relax. Philip poured himself a club soda while she went into her bedroom to throw a few things in a bag.
Thirty minutes later, she started to walk into the living room and froze in the doorway. Philip was seated on the couch with his back to her—and was closing the lid on her briefcase. "Philip? Were you looking for something?"
"Yes. Or rather I was about to." He latched the case and set it back down on the floor where she had left it. Standing up and turning to her with a sheepish grin, he said, "I didn't want to admit to Evelyn that I misplaced the last report from the House Ways and Means Committee. I had the sudden thought that it had somehow gotten mixed up with your folders and ended up in your briefcase. I apologize. Without thinking, I opened it to check. I should never have done that without asking. I swear I didn't rearrange a single sheet of paper."
He appeared to be appropriately embarrassed at having been caught, but it left Holly feeling a little uneasy. Certain he was telling the truth, however, she could see no reason to make an issue of it. "Did you find the report?"
He laughed. "No. As soon as I opened that portable office of yours and saw how much work you have in there, I just closed it up again. If you get a chance, I'd appreciate your taking a look for it, though. Are you ready to go?"
She nodded and let him take the bag from her. Though she hadn't planned on
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