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Authors: Anthony Franze
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guitar leaned in one of the corners next to a small vintage tube amp.
The pounding in his head continued, but the medicine was beginning to dull the edge. Focus, he told himself. He reached for his BlackBerry to call Kate. The e-mail and cell phone no longer worked. They had already cut him off from the network.
Finding a cable news channel on the television, he winced to see himself as the lead story. The station's Supreme Court correspondent was standing in front of the Justice Department building.
"I thought the assassination of the justices would be the most bizarre story I've ever covered about the high court, but this one may take the cake," the heavyset reporter said into the camera. "McKenna was generally well regarded as solicitor general-a surprise given that he was a virtual unknown when appointed by the president. As the Washington Post first reported on its Web site, his former law clerk apparently was the source for a story that was to break tomorrow, claiming that McKenna took a bribe when he was a federal judge in Ohio. That law clerk, who reportedly was seen with McKenna last night, turned up stabbed to death on a Manhattan street, and my sources say blood found in McKenna's hotel room connects him to the crime. And today we learn that Griffin Nash, the CEO of Nevel Industries and former White House chief of staff, was stabbed and killed on a downtown D.C. street just a short time ago. A man fitting McKenna's description was witnessed running from the scene. What's startling here is that Mr. Nash allegedly paid McKenna the bribe."
The screen switched to an anchorwoman sitting behind a desk. "Arthur, do we know of any connection with Black Wednesday and the assassination of the justices?"
"That's the real mystery here, Pamela. Nash's company, Nevel Industries, had a case pending at the court that was about to be argued that very day, just before the justices were massacred. My sources tell me that the Nevel matter is a case of interest being investigated by the Supreme Court Commission. How all this fits together is not yet known. We'll keep you posted as new developments emerge."
McKenna was startled at the sound of a key in the door. Kate came in, wearing jeans and a ball cap, with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She looked like a college kid.
"Jefferson," she said, hugging him and holding him for an extra second. The reporter was right-in a few short hours the situation had gone from unbelievable to flat-out bizarre.
Noticing the blood on his shirt, she said, "My God! Are you okay?"
"It's not my blood."
McKenna told her about the man in the camouflage jacket who stabbed Nash and screamed that McKenna had done it.
"Had you ever seen him before?"
"No, I don't think so."
She took his hands in hers. "I think we need to contact the authorities. We have friends on the commission, people who know you'd never be capable of hurting anyone. The truth will come out."
"You don't know that," he said. "Someone has gone to great lengths to make it look like I killed Parker Sinclair and Nash, and there's obviously a leak on the commission."
"If you run, you just look like you have something to hide."
"I'm not running. I'm not aware of any arrest warrant."
"Jefferson, you know-"
"I just need a little time to try and figure this out for myself." He placed his fingertips on his temples and massaged them in circular motions. He caught Kate's glimpse and subtle frown at his wedding ring.
"Who would have a reason to do this?" Kate asked.
"If I knew..."
"Who, Jefferson?" she said. "Is there something that happened with you and Nash? I won't be able to help unless I know everything."
"Tell me you're kidding. You believe what they're saying about the bribe?"
"Of course not. But I can't help unless you start thinking of what it could be-and you trust me." She pulled the Supreme Court Commission briefing book from the duffel bag and threw it on the table. "You need to go through this again, and think. Is
The pounding in his head continued, but the medicine was beginning to dull the edge. Focus, he told himself. He reached for his BlackBerry to call Kate. The e-mail and cell phone no longer worked. They had already cut him off from the network.
Finding a cable news channel on the television, he winced to see himself as the lead story. The station's Supreme Court correspondent was standing in front of the Justice Department building.
"I thought the assassination of the justices would be the most bizarre story I've ever covered about the high court, but this one may take the cake," the heavyset reporter said into the camera. "McKenna was generally well regarded as solicitor general-a surprise given that he was a virtual unknown when appointed by the president. As the Washington Post first reported on its Web site, his former law clerk apparently was the source for a story that was to break tomorrow, claiming that McKenna took a bribe when he was a federal judge in Ohio. That law clerk, who reportedly was seen with McKenna last night, turned up stabbed to death on a Manhattan street, and my sources say blood found in McKenna's hotel room connects him to the crime. And today we learn that Griffin Nash, the CEO of Nevel Industries and former White House chief of staff, was stabbed and killed on a downtown D.C. street just a short time ago. A man fitting McKenna's description was witnessed running from the scene. What's startling here is that Mr. Nash allegedly paid McKenna the bribe."
The screen switched to an anchorwoman sitting behind a desk. "Arthur, do we know of any connection with Black Wednesday and the assassination of the justices?"
"That's the real mystery here, Pamela. Nash's company, Nevel Industries, had a case pending at the court that was about to be argued that very day, just before the justices were massacred. My sources tell me that the Nevel matter is a case of interest being investigated by the Supreme Court Commission. How all this fits together is not yet known. We'll keep you posted as new developments emerge."
McKenna was startled at the sound of a key in the door. Kate came in, wearing jeans and a ball cap, with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She looked like a college kid.
"Jefferson," she said, hugging him and holding him for an extra second. The reporter was right-in a few short hours the situation had gone from unbelievable to flat-out bizarre.
Noticing the blood on his shirt, she said, "My God! Are you okay?"
"It's not my blood."
McKenna told her about the man in the camouflage jacket who stabbed Nash and screamed that McKenna had done it.
"Had you ever seen him before?"
"No, I don't think so."
She took his hands in hers. "I think we need to contact the authorities. We have friends on the commission, people who know you'd never be capable of hurting anyone. The truth will come out."
"You don't know that," he said. "Someone has gone to great lengths to make it look like I killed Parker Sinclair and Nash, and there's obviously a leak on the commission."
"If you run, you just look like you have something to hide."
"I'm not running. I'm not aware of any arrest warrant."
"Jefferson, you know-"
"I just need a little time to try and figure this out for myself." He placed his fingertips on his temples and massaged them in circular motions. He caught Kate's glimpse and subtle frown at his wedding ring.
"Who would have a reason to do this?" Kate asked.
"If I knew..."
"Who, Jefferson?" she said. "Is there something that happened with you and Nash? I won't be able to help unless I know everything."
"Tell me you're kidding. You believe what they're saying about the bribe?"
"Of course not. But I can't help unless you start thinking of what it could be-and you trust me." She pulled the Supreme Court Commission briefing book from the duffel bag and threw it on the table. "You need to go through this again, and think. Is
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