Free Fatal Affair by Marie Force Page A

attacking her, they moved on to more specific questions about the investigation.
    “Do you have any suspects?”
    The chief nodded at Sam to take the question. “We’re considering a number of possible suspects but haven’t narrowed it down to one yet.”
    “What’s taking so long?”
    “The senator led a complex, complicated life. It’s going to take some time to put all the pieces together, but I’m confident that we’ll bring the investigation to a satisfactory conclusion.”
    “Any word on funeral plans?”
    “You’ll have to ask his office about that.”
    “Can you tell us how the senator was murdered?”
    “No.”
    “Was his apartment broken into?”
    “No comment.”
    “Was there a struggle?”
    “No comment.”
    The chief stepped in. “That’s it for now, folks. As soon as we have more to tell you, we’ll let you know.” He ushered Sam off the stage and into his office. “You did a good job out there. I know that wasn’t easy.” Studying her for a long moment, he said, “You’re not sleeping well.”
    She shrugged. “Got a lot on my mind.”
    “Maybe you should talk to Dr. Trulo about a prescription—”
    Sam held up a hand to stop him. “I haven’t reached that point yet.”
    “I need you at the top of your game right now.”
    “Don’t worry. I am.”
    “I like this Christina Billings for a person of interest.”
    “I don’t know,” Sam said, shaking her head. “The people in the office said the food was hot when she returned with it, so it seems like she went straight back. The records at the parking garage show she returned twenty-eight minutes after she left.”
    “Could she have gone to his place before the restaurant?”
    “She’d have had to drive across the District to the Watergate, kill him and get back with Chinese in half an hour. Not enough time. Plus, the knife severed his jugular. The blow would’ve sprayed blood all over her. Cappuano, the chief of staff, said she had on the same suit the next morning that she’d worn the day before because they pulled an all-nighter at the office to get ready for the vote the next day. Based on that, I’m on the verge of ruling her out.”
    The chief rubbed at his chin as he thought it over. “Do some digging into her. She had motive, opportunity and a key. Don’t rule her out too quickly.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Same thing with his brother. Again, we have motive, opportunity and no alibi if he can’t produce the woman he says he was with.”
    “Right. We’re going to talk to him more formally. Another thought that’s been running around in my head is the sister and brother-in-law, Lizbeth and Royce Hamilton.”
    “Why?”
    “Their kids are most likely the senator’s heirs. The O’Connor parents will be here at six to view the body. I’ll ask Graham O’Connor about his son’s will, and I’ve got Cruz digging into their finances. Then there’s Stenhouse, the O’Connors’s bitter political rival. He went home to Missouri for a long-planned fund-raiser today, but we’ve got an appointment with him in the morning.”
    “What do you think of that angle?”
    “Not much, which is why I didn’t stop him from going to Missouri. There’s no way he had a key to the place, and I’m convinced that whoever did this was someone John O’Connor was close to.”
    “Girlfriends?”
    “Billings is getting us a list of women he’s seen socially in the last six months and anyone who had a key. I’m also going to ask the senior Senator O’Connor if there might be keys still floating around from when he lived there.”
    “The surveillance videos were no help?”
    “We couldn’t I.D. anyone and neither could Cappuano. The video captures activity in the lobby and elevator areas but not at individual doors, so that didn’t help much. It was a cold night, and everyone was bundled up pretty tight with hats and scarves. We had trouble making out faces.”
    Startled, the chief looked up at her.
    “What?”
    “People