Free Blowout by Catherine Coulter

He was sixty-four years old, and that means a long professional life, more than long enough to make enemies. Please think, Mrs. Califano.”
    “He did have a long professional life, Agent Savich. Do you think an enemy would wait that long before exacting revenge? I can’t think that’s very likely.”
    Ben said, “When I was a rookie, ma’am, my trainer was shot by a man he’d put away twenty years before. There’s no statute of limitations on revenge.”
    “No, I suppose you’re right. But it’s rather frightening to think that decisions you made years ago could come back and kill you. No, I really can’t think of anyone, at least he never mentioned anyone he was worried about.”
    “What was your husband’s relationship with his senior law clerk?”
    “That would be Eliza Vickers, graduated the top of her class at Harvard Law School. I’ve met her, of course, spoken to her at social functions and occasionally on the phone. Stewart said she’s an emotional liberal, from a social welfare point of view, but a firm legal conservative, is horrified at the thought of social engineering. He liked that. She’s smart, well organized, and the other two law clerks are under her control. He has three clerks, not four like most of the Justices. Stewart admired her and trusted her, I believe. I liked her too. Unlike most law clerks who spend only a year working for a Justice, she was in her second year with him.”
    Ben said, “I wonder what will happen to the three of them now?”
    Margaret shrugged.
    “Three more lawyers will be turned loose on society a little early,” Sherlock said. “That’s a thought to curl your toes.”
    Margaret smiled, just for a brief moment.
    Sherlock said, “With your permission, Mrs. Califano, we would like to go through your address book as well as Justice Califano’s to compile a list of your friends and anyone with whom your husband had ongoing contact.”
    “Certainly.” She looked down at the delicate Rolex on her right wrist. “Janette, Bitsy, and Juliette should be here soon. Anna, you did call them, didn’t you?”
    Anna nodded, and went with Margaret to get her address book.
    Thirty minutes later, Callie walked agents Sherlock and Savich and Detective Raven to the front door. “Are you going to see the other Justices now?”
    “Yes, they knew Justice Califano best. And the law clerks, naturally. We need all the information on him they can provide us. We need to form a clear picture of your stepfather, what he was really like—his likes, dislikes, people who rubbed him the wrong way and vice versa, and especially, if his behavior was different in any way on Friday.”
    When they reached the door, Callie looked straight at Ben Raven and said, “You’re going to split up, right?” At their nods, Callie said, “I’ve known the Justices since I was sixteen years old, and I know more about the law clerks than my mom. For example, Eliza is a major league ballbuster. She ruled my stepfather’s chambers with an iron fist. Why don’t I go with Detective Raven? I can fill him in, maybe give him an introduction that will help you guys.”
    Savich shook his head. “No, Ms. Markham, that isn’t possible. We would certainly like to hear everything you know about any of them, but you cannot be a part of the official investigation.”
    She dug in her heels. “Look, Agent Savich, I want to help. I’m not about to go running to the
Post
with a big inside story. Stewart was prissy, he was rather rigid, and he could never tell a joke right, but he was a good man, and he had a brilliant legal mind. The thought that someone murdered him enrages me.”
    “Forget it, Ms. Markham,” Ben said. “Go home and have a cup of tea. Write your gossip columns.”
    “I don’t write gossip columns, you jerk.” She paused, pointed a teacher’s finger at him. “Let me put it this way, Detective, agents, either you let me help or I might go back to work, all the way back. I already have