Free Star Chamber Brotherhood by Preston Fleming

boarded the train after a short walk from the FEMA Building. It was located conveniently on his way back to Carol Dodge’s apartment in Brookline.
    Werner entered the building and settled into the first-floor newspaper room for fifteen minutes before browsing the new fiction titles and then the travel section. When he was confident that no one had followed him or took the least interest in his presence, he ascended the stairs to the second floor government documents department.  
    Though one could not expect to find the Department of State Security’s deepest secrets at a public library, Werner was surprised what he was able to learn about Frederick Rocco and his government career. Without mentioning his own name or leaving any trail to connect himself to Rocco, Werner solicited the help of the library’s reference librarians and collected a sheaf of notes from unclassified sources that documented Rocco’s early career in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the political intrigues that drove him to join the DSS, as well as background on the formation of the Corrective Labor Administration that shed light on Rocco’s later, more secretive assignments within the camp system.
    His trail picked up again in the government record shortly after Rocco’s return to Washington and became more robust with his reassignment from the DSS to FEMA. Though much of his career advancement had occurred during his years in State Security, Rocco was now a member of the Senior Executive Service eligible for high-level management positions with substantial compensation and perquisites. Should he distinguish himself in a position as politically sensitive as FEMA Regional Director, he might even catch the eye of the White House and land an appointment that could serve as a stepping stone to bigger money as a government contractor.  
    From the official record, it appeared that, despite any reversals Fred Rocco’s career may have suffered along the way, he was now fully rehabilitated. And it also appeared beyond dispute that Rocco’s greatest career recognition had come shortly after he had quelled the Kamas Revolt. Werner wondered whether Dave Lewis and the other members of the Star Committee had taken this into account when they issued the death sentence against Rocco.  
    Werner’s last task at the library was the most important but also the easiest. Within minutes he had Rocco’s residential address, phone number and the names of his wife and children. It seemed that Rocco, having left the strict secrecy of the FBI, DSS, and Corrective Labor Administration, had done a total reversal and permitted his name to be listed in the Boston telephone directory.

    ****

    After another seven stops along the Green Line, Werner stepped off the subway at Coolidge Corner in nearby Brookline and made his way south along Harvard Street to Carol Dodge’s apartment. It was shortly after eleven o’clock, a time when nearly all the neighbors were away at work, and he looked forward to having some time alone. Yet no sooner had he unlocked the front door and stepped into the lobby than he noticed the door opening to Harriet Waterman’s ground-floor apartment. Instantly Werner quickened his step toward the stairway.
    “Oh, Frank, do you have a moment?” she pressed.
    “Certainly, Harriet,” he answered, caught in her snare. “What is it?”
    “Carol came home fifteen minutes ago and she seemed really upset. She never comes home for lunch. Is everything all right?”
    “If it were, that would be a first,” he responded. “But don’t worry, Harriet, it’ll work out.”
    “I hope so. Like I said, she didn’t look well at all.”
    When Werner entered the apartment, he found Carol sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her and a yellow pad and pen in her lap. She appeared lost in thought.
    “It’s a bit early for lunch, eh?” he observed en route to the kitchen. “I’m going to brew some tea. Would you like some?”
    “No, thank you,”