depository.”
“Ahh, the Hudson.”
“He was beaten to death.”
“You were upset,” Mac said, leading her along. He saw the darkness slowly float into her eyes as she told the story. He wanted to know it all now.
“You have no idea,” she replied darkly. “I didn’t know who from Jersey told the Giordano’s but I found out it was Wellesley Jr. who let word slip at the party.”
“So what did you do?”
“I followed him for three days until he went to a small out of the way bar in DC. When I approached, I didn’t look like I presented a danger. The Secret Service didn’t even bat an eye when I walked in the bar. I went in the front door, locked it behind me and walked right up to Wellesley and told him Franchesca was a friend of mine. I one punched Wellesley’s friend out of the way and then proceeded to beat the living daylights out of Donald Jr. For a minute or maybe longer, Mac, I just beat him about the face with my fists, feet and elbows. I just kept going and going and going.”
“You lost control, right?”
She nodded, “I was in a rage, completely out of control. I almost killed him. I might have killed him had the Secret Service not finally got inside. His face looked like hamburger when I was done with him.”
Mac smiled, “That fits.”
“What?”
“I remember something about the vice president’s son dropping out of sight for a number of months and nobody knew where he’d been. When he resurfaced people commented that he looked a little different. Now I know why,” Mac looked her in the eye, nodded and grinned. “Good for you.”
Wire rubbed her face. This wasn’t a story she often told. “I guess he had to go through several surgeries on his face to get things back in position, so to speak. Whatever,” she added dismissively. “He got off easy compared to Giovanni.”
“So you left the bureau.”
“Well, I wasn’t really given a choice. I was looking at more trouble than that but the Judge stepped in and looked after me and brokered a deal.”
“Judge Dixon is a good man to have in a storm.”
“Absolutely. My deal was I walk away and the Wellesley Jr. story stays quiet. Had that come out, it would have been a severe black mark for the vice president, who certainly was looking to run for the top spot in the next go around. You can only imagine how hard it was for the Judge to sit on that during the campaign, but the Judge is a man of his word.”
“Remind me,” Mac said, sitting back in his booth with a broad grin on his face, “to never cross you.”
“You do and I will kick your ass.”
“I do believe you would.”
As Wire drove them back into DC and the Hoover Building, they moved back to talking about the case. “You ever think we’ll find out who this mysterious Bishop is?”
“We need to find some leverage to use on Connolly to get him to tell us,” Mac answered. “He has to be given a reason to talk.” He changed topics. “How’s your relationship with Director Mitchell?”
Wire stared straight ahead, “Okay, I think. He wasn’t the director when I was forced to leave. But I knew him, respected him. I always thought he was a pretty straight shooter. What do you think of him?”
Mac squinted and tilted his head, “I have limited experience with him obviously, but I agree, straight shooter. Gates, I don’t know about him yet.”
“Lawyer,” Wire answered. “They never shoot straight. They hedge and play the angles.”
“I live with one, don’t I know it.”
They both laughed.
Wire pulled in underneath and found a parking space. They made their way in, through security and up to the director’s office, where they were let in to find the director and attorney general. Director Mitchell went immediately to Wire. “Former Special Agent Wire, it is good to see you,” he welcomed, extending his hand.
“Thank you, Director.”
“This is Attorney General Gates.” Wire and Gates shook hands.
“Feel odd to be back in the building?” Mitchell asked with a smile.
Wire smiled shyly. “A bit.”
“Where are we at on Bishop?” Mac asked, getting right to it as he usually did.
“We don’t have anything new on that,” Gates replied, “at least not yet. I have people still looking into the case Ms. Wire mentioned to you this morning. The moniker or name of Bishop shows up, but as you reported, it was never determined who that