Dreaming Death (Krewe of Hunters #32) - Heather Graham Page 0,57
know that’s what they call you. Even your own agency makes fun of you.”
Stacey gritted her teeth. She was not going to engage. She knew that Adam Harrison’s unit had one of the highest resolve records in law enforcement—which was one of the reasons they’d been brought in on this case.
Keenan exited the car; she did the same quickly herself, opening the rear door for Congressman Smith.
Glaring at her, he emerged. “Is Adam Harrison here?” he asked. “I’ll bet not. He just buys himself people, right?”
“Jackson Crow is the acting field director here, sir,” Keenan told him.
“And he’s on the premises?”
“I’m sure he is—along with many agents. And our crime-scene investigators. They’ve found some disparaging discrepancies.”
“Whatever it is, I’ve been framed!” the man proclaimed.
“Well, we’ll do our best to see how that’s been done,” Stacey said.
He glared at her. “A woman agent. Right...yeah, you’re going to help me. So, Mr. Special Agent Man, they stuck you with a woman.”
Keenan stopped and turned to stare at him, smiling.
“Well, you did see just how fast she was able to block you, Congressman Smith. I rather like the way she has my back.”
“I’ll just bet you do!” Smith said.
He walked ahead, but he was further irritated to be stopped at the door by security; Keenan said that Smith was with them, and they went to the elevators and the office level.
“I’ll get Director Crow,” Keenan said, “if you’ll escort Congressman Smith into the conference room.”
He didn’t mean the conference room. She knew he meant one of the two interrogation rooms they had on the office level.
She brought Smith to the first, indicating that he should take a seat.
There were several wooden chairs and a small table that resembled a little TV dinner table.
Adam and Jackson were both big believers in watching for body language. Body language was important.
“What the hell is this?” Smith demanded.
“We’ll be right with you, sir.”
“This is an interrogation room.”
“Have you been interrogated before, sir?” she asked.
He drew himself up with great dignity. “No! However, I do watch TV!”
She smiled. “We’ll be back. I know that you wanted to speak with Director Crow. Agent Wallace is just seeing to his availability.”
She stepped out of the room. As she had figured, Keenan and Jackson were around the corner in the little space where—as on TV—they could observe Smith through their side of the one-way mirror.
“How much time do we give him?” Keenan asked Jackson.
“Let’s see what he does now,” Jackson said and then asked, “He came in willingly?”
“Not really willingly—but he didn’t want us talking in front of his wife,” Keenan said.
The three of them watched in silence. First, Smith sat. Then, he rose and paced. He sat again, then paced. He paused in front of the mirror, but it wasn’t as if he could see them behind it.
He studied himself. He checked his face and touched it, as if he could erase signs of aging.
He winced, gritting his teeth and shaking his head.
Then he started pacing again until he sat once more, as if exhausted.
Then he suddenly yelled out. “Yes, I knew her. I knew her. I slept with the bitch! But I swear I didn’t kill her. I slept with her—but I didn’t kill her. I didn’t kill her! Oh, God, you have to believe me!”
Ten
That was faster than expected, Keenan thought. He looked at Jackson. “How do you want us to play it from here?”
“Time to go in,” Jackson said. “Stacey, you first. Tell him that I’m out of the office, and you’re trying to reach me. See what he says to you—it may work for us or against us that you’re a woman. I’m not being a sexist—but that man is, I’m willing to bet.”
“I think it’s a safe bet,” Stacey said. “We spoke to a staff member who was glad he didn’t find her sexually attractive and just treated her like dirt. And with everything that has gone around... I don’t believe in skewering anyone without proof, but there’s so much chatter about him—if any of it is true, and if any of the behavior I’ve witnessed counts, yeah—he’s a sexist.”
“You okay with this?” Jackson asked her.
She nodded.
“We’ll watch from here, and I’ll send Keenan on in when it’s time.”
Keenan stood next to Jackson and watched as Stacey went on in. She smiled at Colin Smith, taking a chair across from him.
“I’m so sorry—Assistant Director Crow is out of the building. He’s going to come back as soon as he can.” Her smile deepened, and she