said gently, “We were already aware that you used Billie’s services, or Billie herself, I guess I should say. And others.”
Smith glared at her. “You don’t know the pressure I’m under. The state of the world!”
“And, perhaps, the state of your own home,” she said softly. “I mean, trust me, I’m a woman. And I’ve seen a lot of women who...well, we call them ballbusters. They get their teeth into a man and then make life miserable for him. And sometimes, you know, a man just needs to feel that he’s in control of himself. He just needs to have a break. Sex that is fun and that is available with no headaches or problems or recriminations.”
“Yes, yes, exactly!” Colin Smith said. He eyed her skeptically. “Are you one of those?” he demanded. “Is that why you know the type so well?”
“No, no... I’m not even in a relationship, Congressman Smith. I’ve just seen it. My mother completely emasculated my father, and it broke my heart.”
Keenan saw that Jackson was grinning.
“What?”
“She’s a damned good liar. I know her family. Her parents are the best—still in love—and they love her.”
“I didn’t kill her—I didn’t kill Billie!” Smith said, his voice passionate. “I cared about her!”
“You were overheard saying that she was a problem and that something needed to be done about her,” Stacey said apologetically.
“Yes! I needed her to cool it—we’d been seen publicly.”
“So, who did you tell that to?”
Smith hesitated. “My secretary, Agnes. She’s been with me for ages.” He hesitated again. “She’s overpaid and gets all kinds of vacation days. She’s a battle-ax herself, but she watches out for me, and I make it up to her.”
“What did you want to happen?”
“Money!”
“Pardon?”
“I was going to figure out a way to pay her to be more discreet. Billie could never have enough money. She was amazing in bed. Sorry. But she could do things... Anyway, that’s how she made her start. And she trained her, uh, escorts well. But that woman... Wow! She loved money. I never quite got it. Jewelry meant everything to her. Clothing! That mansion of hers—all were costly. Billie could be bought. Well, obviously. She was a whore who ran a whorehouse. A high-class whorehouse, but a whorehouse, nonetheless.”
Keenan glanced at Jackson, who nodded.
It was time for him to go and join the conversation.
He entered and closed the door, finding another chair to drag over to the grouping. He straddled it backwards, leaning his arm on the back of the wooden folding chair.
“Congressman Smith, we appreciate your candor,” he said. “We have another problem. We have your car on video—your car and you—on a video-surveillance tape. And you were with a young woman named Jess Marlborough. The second victim in what they’re calling the Yankee Ripper Murders.”
Smith couldn’t stop the change that came over his face.
Alarm showed as he swallowed and turned white, and then red.
“I...uh...um, no, it can’t—”
“Congressman Smith, the video is quite clear.”
“My car... I mean, no, I mean, everyone in DC drives a car like mine!”
“Technology is amazing these days,” Keenan said.
Not that amazing, but Smith didn’t know that.
“It’s your car, Congressman Smith, and...” he added, deepening the lie “...your face.”
“I should call my lawyer,” Smith muttered.
Stacey and Keenan looked at one another.
“All right. Then we’re done here,” Keenan said, rising. “Every man gets his rights.”
Stacey whispered, “What will happen then? I mean, I think he’ll wind up held and possibly charged, and the publicity—”
“Wait!” Smith said.
“Yes?” Stacey said sweetly.
“I...uh... Look, I’m a man who loves women. Yes, I’ve frequented whores. And I was sorry, so damned sorry about Jess. I really did mean to set her up...help her. She was a beautiful person, heart of gold. She could listen, oh, Lord, could she listen. It wasn’t just wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am. Jess was...different. I wanted to help her. It was devastating to hear...but oh, God! I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill her. I picked her up that night. And I dropped her off. I swear—I dropped her off right at the end of the street. She was going to run into a convenience shop and buy some cigarettes. I tried to get her to quit smoking. I told her how bad it was for her health.” He stopped to laugh dryly, hysteria rising in his voice. “Bad for her health! Oh, God.”
Then the man burst into tears.
Keenan and Stacey looked at one another, realizing that they both believed what the man was saying.
Then again...
He was a politician. By nature of the beast, politicians could