rank slowly as if they felt peculiar in his mouth. “I know I speak for my fellow committee members when I say we appreciate your traveling all the way across the country while you are, ah, recovering from an injury. You’ve been here about a week, I understand.”
“Yes, sir. Six days.”
“You came here with your, ah, fiancé.” He leaned heavily on the first syllable and mangled the last one: FEE-ansee. “Rule Turner.”
“Yes, sir. He testified, at your request, before another committee.”
“I do recall that,” he said dryly. “Now, you appear to have been wholly cooperative, answerin’ our questions most patiently. But it is true, is it not, that you were coached by your superior in Unit 12 prior to speakin’ with us?”
“No, sir.”
The bushy eyebrows flew up. “No? You were at Ruben Brooks’s home on Saturday night.”
“With about fifty others, yes, sir. It was a social occasion.”
“A social occasion. Yes, I believe it was, until the other forty-eight people left around eleven. You and Mr. Turner stayed on, however. Are you telling this committee that Mr. Brooks did not take advantage of that to suggest to you anything about how to approach your testimony today?”
“Yes, sir, I am. We did not discuss my testimony or this committee at all.”
“What did you discuss? For, ah . . .” He made a show of hunting through his papers before finding the one he sought. “For an hour and fifty-seven minutes.”
Lily’s heart began to pound. “That’s a remarkably precise figure . . . sir. I’m afraid I can’t confirm or deny the time frame you suggest. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“But I believe you can answer my question.” The drawl was getting thicker, making that more like Ah b’lieve you kin . . .
“Yes, sir. We talked about Ruben’s—ah, about Mr. Brooks’s health—”
“For two hours?” Astonished eyebrows flew up.
“—and his plans. Also some personnel matters.”
“Personnel matters? Would you care to clarify that for the committee?”
No, she really wouldn’t. “You are aware that the investigation into the attack on Mr. Brooks suggests the perp was someone connected to the Bureau, possibly to the Unit itself.”
“I am. I was not aware that you were part of that investigation.”
“No, sir, I’m not. Nor did Mr. Brooks make me privy to any details.” Stay on track , she told herself sternly. He wants you to keep talking in the hope he’ll get another hook he can tug on. “More to the point, neither Mr. Brooks nor I mentioned this committee or my testimony before it.”
“I see.” He hung enough doubt on those two words to convict her of any number of unnamed crimes and proceeded to ask a series of questions about the investigation, to all of which she answered that she didn’t know. “So you know nothing about this, ah, investigation, yet your superior wanted to discuss it with you. For two hours.”
Lily allowed herself a very small smile. “Sir, when I’m interviewing a witness or other source, it’s not necessary for the person I question to know anything about my investigation. Often it’s preferable if they don’t.”
“Hmm. So your Mr. Brooks questioned you about, ah . . . personnel matters.” The eyebrows sketched skepticism. “For two hours. It seems a most roundabout way of attempting to find this, ah, criminal.”
“It was more informal than that, sir, and it’s possible my interpretation of his intent is faulty.”
The senator on Bixton’s right leaned closer to him and murmured something Lily couldn’t hear. Bixton chuckled. “Well, Frank, if you want to make that motion out loud . . . no? I thought not. But you do have a point.” He went on to thank Lily for her time and tell her to please remain in Washington, as he anticipated that the committee would have more questions for her.
Lily left the senators and their stuffy, wainscoted room with her palms damp and her stomach churning. What had just
“Yes, sir. Six days.”
“You came here with your, ah, fiancé.” He leaned heavily on the first syllable and mangled the last one: FEE-ansee. “Rule Turner.”
“Yes, sir. He testified, at your request, before another committee.”
“I do recall that,” he said dryly. “Now, you appear to have been wholly cooperative, answerin’ our questions most patiently. But it is true, is it not, that you were coached by your superior in Unit 12 prior to speakin’ with us?”
“No, sir.”
The bushy eyebrows flew up. “No? You were at Ruben Brooks’s home on Saturday night.”
“With about fifty others, yes, sir. It was a social occasion.”
“A social occasion. Yes, I believe it was, until the other forty-eight people left around eleven. You and Mr. Turner stayed on, however. Are you telling this committee that Mr. Brooks did not take advantage of that to suggest to you anything about how to approach your testimony today?”
“Yes, sir, I am. We did not discuss my testimony or this committee at all.”
“What did you discuss? For, ah . . .” He made a show of hunting through his papers before finding the one he sought. “For an hour and fifty-seven minutes.”
Lily’s heart began to pound. “That’s a remarkably precise figure . . . sir. I’m afraid I can’t confirm or deny the time frame you suggest. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“But I believe you can answer my question.” The drawl was getting thicker, making that more like Ah b’lieve you kin . . .
“Yes, sir. We talked about Ruben’s—ah, about Mr. Brooks’s health—”
“For two hours?” Astonished eyebrows flew up.
“—and his plans. Also some personnel matters.”
“Personnel matters? Would you care to clarify that for the committee?”
No, she really wouldn’t. “You are aware that the investigation into the attack on Mr. Brooks suggests the perp was someone connected to the Bureau, possibly to the Unit itself.”
“I am. I was not aware that you were part of that investigation.”
“No, sir, I’m not. Nor did Mr. Brooks make me privy to any details.” Stay on track , she told herself sternly. He wants you to keep talking in the hope he’ll get another hook he can tug on. “More to the point, neither Mr. Brooks nor I mentioned this committee or my testimony before it.”
“I see.” He hung enough doubt on those two words to convict her of any number of unnamed crimes and proceeded to ask a series of questions about the investigation, to all of which she answered that she didn’t know. “So you know nothing about this, ah, investigation, yet your superior wanted to discuss it with you. For two hours.”
Lily allowed herself a very small smile. “Sir, when I’m interviewing a witness or other source, it’s not necessary for the person I question to know anything about my investigation. Often it’s preferable if they don’t.”
“Hmm. So your Mr. Brooks questioned you about, ah . . . personnel matters.” The eyebrows sketched skepticism. “For two hours. It seems a most roundabout way of attempting to find this, ah, criminal.”
“It was more informal than that, sir, and it’s possible my interpretation of his intent is faulty.”
The senator on Bixton’s right leaned closer to him and murmured something Lily couldn’t hear. Bixton chuckled. “Well, Frank, if you want to make that motion out loud . . . no? I thought not. But you do have a point.” He went on to thank Lily for her time and tell her to please remain in Washington, as he anticipated that the committee would have more questions for her.
Lily left the senators and their stuffy, wainscoted room with her palms damp and her stomach churning. What had just
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