“Welcome,” the shorter man said. “Congressman Walker is waiting for you. I’m Ellery Manheim, his personal assistant. Nathan Oliver here, to my right—” he indicated the large man “—is also with my office, and Joe Brighton—” he gestured at the man to his left “—is Congressman Walker’s campaign and media manager.”
Meg had heard about the three of them from Lara. As they shook hands all around, Meg thought of the things she’d heard Lara say about these men—many of which had made her laugh. Ellery Manheim was the one in charge of day-to-day matters, since Walker was usually absorbed with bigger concerns. “Ellery’s fine,” Lara had told her, “as long as it’s not raining. The man has more hair products than I’ve owned in my whole life!”
Lara had liked Joe Brighton and called him an interesting man. Brighton had been a marine before going into media. “He could spin it so that a polar explorer would buy an icebox, no word of a lie!” Lara had said.
And about the huge guy, Nathan Oliver, Lara’s comment had been, “He’s okay, too. Except if you were to crash into the guy, you’d probably have to be hospitalized. I think he’s made of steel—or maybe rock. He’d crumble if he cracked a smile. He’s called an assistant, but I suspect he’s really a bodyguard.”
Meg thought she recognized the men, at least vaguely. They hovered around the congressman whenever he spoke in public.
“Come in, come in, please,” Ellery Manheim told them. “Congressman Walker is waiting in the den. I understand you’ve come to see us about Lara Mayhew?”
“Yes,” Matt said. Meg realized he didn’t intend to say anything more until they were actually with the congressman.
If Manheim had hoped Matt was going to discuss why they were there, he didn’t reveal any sign of it. He just said, “Lara is a phenomenal young woman. Her work for Congressman Walker was exceptional.”
They were led through a mudroom to a grand foyer and, from there, to a large office off to the side; it seemed to stretch the length of the house, which must have been seven or eight thousand square feet in size.
Matt glanced at her as they moved along. To her surprise, he offered her a wry smile and whispered, “And this is just his Capitol home. Can you imagine his spread in Virginia?”
Her lips twitched slightly. He was already stepping forward to shake Congressman Walker’s hand.
“I understand there’s some concern about Lara Mayhew,” Walker said after introductions had gone around. Meg noticed that Matt referred to her as Agent Murray—and made no reference to her friendship with Lara.
“Yes, she left friends and family a few very cryptic messages, and no one’s been able to reach her,” Matt said.
Congressman Walker directed them to comfortable leather seating in the center of the long office. Meg saw that his men had followed them in, but didn’t sit. “Lara was with us at Capitol Hill until very late the night before last,” Walker said. “And normally, she’d be here now. She was wonderful! But I’m afraid she resigned her position that night. Maybe the hours of the job got to her,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t blame her. She was young and probably wanted more of a life than she had working with me.”
“You’re planning a run for the presidency?” Matt asked.
“Considering it,” Walker responded.
“Congressman,” Ellery Manheim said, clearing his throat.
Walker grinned. Meg observed that he was a handsome and dignified man, wearing his years very well for a man of sixty-plus. He had retained a full head of steel-gray hair; his eyes were a deep brown and set in a nicely sculpted face. He was extremely fit; Lara had told her he could run on his treadmill and dictate notes or discuss a promotional or communications issue at the same time. Today, he was casually dressed in a light blue pullover and jeans.
He had an easy smile that made him a man to trust.
“Why were you working so late?” Matt asked.
“The evening got away from us.” Walker let out a soft sigh. “You can’t imagine the volume of letters I receive, the needs of my constituents. Couple that with studying the quantity of bills that are always on the agenda—and sorting out what’s tacked onto what and whether the value of passing a particular bill outweighs the problems. Then, of course, there’s reelection—and deciding if I should throw my hat in the ring. Work never stops,” he said.
“No, it never does!” That pronouncement came from a woman who swept into the room. She was slim and tiny and kept her hair tinted blonde, and, like the congressman, she carried her age well. She didn’t appear to be the recipient of hours of cosmetic work, and the smile lines that crinkled around her mouth and eyes only enhanced her natural beauty.
“Work, work, work!” she said, grinning as she approached the newcomers.
Matt instantly rose; Meg did, too. “My wife, Kendra,” Congressman Walker said. “Kendra, special agents Bosworth and Murray, FBI.”
“FBI?” Kendra repeated, shaking their hands.
“They’re here about Lara,” Walker said.
“Lara? She’s an amazing girl,” Kendra said. “If she’s in any kind of trouble...”
“No trouble, my dear,” Walker said quickly. “She’s missing.”
“Missing? She was working with you all the other night!” Kendra said. She frowned, playing with a little silver pendant of the Washington Memorial she wore around her neck. “But didn’t you tell me she was moving on—that she felt she wasn’t really cut out for politics?”
“Yes, dear,” Walker murmured.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Kendra declared. “Ellery, could you ask Ginger to bring a coffee and tea service in here? You people are so consumed with work that you forget good manners!”
Ellery disappeared out the door as bidden.
Kendra sat, motioning for Matt and Meg and the congressman to do so again. “Born and raised in Virginia by old-school parents,” Kendra told them. “And while many aspects of Southern history might be regrettable, Southern hospitality is not one of them. Why didn’t you offer these hardworking agents some form of sustenance, Ian?”
“My dear, we hadn’t gotten that far!” Walker protested. He looked at her as if he still adored her and the gaze she gave him in return said the same thing. Meg knew they’d been married for nearly thirty years. Their devotion was admirable.
If it was real.
“We’re fine,” Matt assured her. “And I’m from Virginia myself.”
“I hope you voted for me,” Walker said.
“Yes, actually, I did,” Matt said.
“And you, Ms. Murray? I’m sorry, I mean Agent Murray?” Walker asked.
Meg saw that he was studying her closely.
She’d never met him. Between their schedules, she and Lara had only managed to get together for a few brief breakfasts and dinners. While Lara had talked about her job and the people she worked with, she’d never had a chance to bring Meg to a fund-raiser or any other event where she might’ve gotten to know Walker. Yet he seemed to know her. Or know about her.
She forced a smile. “West Virginia,” she told him. “But if I was registered in Virginia, I’m sure I would’ve voted for you.”
A young woman in a polo shirt and chinos walked in, bearing a silver tray laden with a teapot, an urn, finger sandwiches, cream and sugar and serving utensils.
“Thanks, Ginger,” Kendra Walker said.
“My pleasure, Mrs. Walker. The children are being dropped off soon. Shall I watch them in the playroom until you’re ready?”
“Yes, please.”
When Ginger left, Kendra asked, “Coffee, tea?”
“Coffee, please,” Matt said. “Just black.”
“Same for me, thanks,” Meg said.
“Congressman,” Matt began, “Lara Mayhew called a friend after she left you the night be
fore last. In her message she said she had to leave.”
Meg thought the congressman would appear baffled, that he would claim he had no idea why.
If he’d done something to her, he would know she hadn’t been found yet. Or would he? Had he left her body lying somewhere they wouldn’t easily find it?
But he shook his head sadly. “I was sorry, sorry because I knew I was losing one of my best employees. But there was an issue that I’ve determined to deal with in one way, and Lara was opposed to my position.”
“What was your position?” Meg asked.
“It had to do with a health issue, but you realize that committees manage to tack all kinds of add-ons to a bill to get other members to vote for it. Once a bill reaches a vote, it might contain a lot of extra provisions, many of which have nothing to do with the original bill,” Ian Walker explained. “Lara’s opinion was that we should nix the whole bill. After Hubbard died, I was trying to rework it on my own, but others became involved, too. Lara was an idealist. None of us want to admit it, but we aren’t capable of creating an ideal world. Or an ideal bill. Not when government requires compromise.”
He seemed earnest. And it was plausible.
“Garth Hubbard was a remarkable man. I believe he would have made an exceptional president,” Kendra said in a sorrowful voice. Her fingers tightened around her necklace as she added, “Such a tragic loss.”
“I thought there was some question about his death,” Matt said. “Weren’t there accusations flying around that either the far left or the far right had done him in?”
“When a political figure dies suddenly and unexpectedly, there’s always a conspiracy theory,” Walker said with a wave of his hand. “I loved Garth like a brother. But he had high blood pressure all his life. He told me once that his doctor had said he’d probably die of something heart-related sooner rather than later. He did. Massive heart attack. Better now, I suppose, than if he’d made the presidency.” Walker seemed to reflect for a minute, then said, “Lara was disheartened by his death. I suppose she just didn’t have enough faith in me.”
“Oh, darling, don’t say that!” Kendra slipped an arm around his shoulders. “Lara is such a lovely girl. I honestly believe she maintains complete faith in you. She was overwhelmed by all the bureaucracy and red tape that goes with government.”
She’d been so polite. Now she looked at Matt and Meg as if they were ogres who had come to threaten a loved one. “Is there anything else? I wish we could help you with Lara. She was a cherished member of our team. But she chose to leave. She said she was going home. But she didn’t let us know what her plans were. She wasn’t particularly happy when she left, and I have to admit, although I love the girl, she doesn’t belong here if she can’t be a team player.”
So much for Southern hospitality. Kendra was suddenly all but breathing fire.
“What I need to know is where and when you saw her last,” Matt said pleasantly, as if he hadn’t heard the venom and dismissal in her words.
“I saw her a few days ago,” Kendra replied.
“The night before last, we were all at my office,” Walker said. “My staff and me, not my family.” He smiled at his wife. “Our discussions went on for hours, and she left really late. Like two or three in the morning.” He looked sheepish for a moment. “I wasn’t aware of the time. She was determined to leave. There’s constant security around the Capitol all the time, though. I’m sure she’s fine—and that she did just what she said she was going to do. Go home.”
He spoke earnestly, and Meg couldn’t help believing that Walker genuinely cared about Lara—and that he’d been sorry to see her go.
But what exactly had upset her friend so much?
Matt Bosworth was getting to his feet, and she stood, too. She might have been a solid—even kick-ass—cadet, but he was the appointed agent and she was the new-grad tagalong. If he had risen, they were leaving. Both of them.
“What had been tacked onto the bill that upset Lara?” she asked.
“Oh, it had to do with equal rights in the health bill,” he said vaguely. “It’s all quite lengthy and complicated to explain, Agent Murray.”
She found that an unsatisfactory and, yes, condescending response, but it was time to go.
Matt took her arm. “Well, thank you for your assistance with this matter, and, Mrs. Walker, thank you for your hospitality. We may need to talk to you again. I’m grateful that you’re as concerned about Lara Mayhew as we are.”
“Of course!” Walker said, nodding solemnly. “We cared deeply about Lara. Call me anytime.”
“Yes, of course,” Kendra echoed, but her voice was a little more brittle. “If we can help in any way, call on us anytime.”
Ellery Manheim suddenly made a shocked noise.
They all turned to look at him. He quickly hid whatever emotion had accompanied his thought and resumed speaking.
“I heard they discovered a woman the other day... A woman who’d been murdered. Like the one they found about a month ago,” he said. “My God, you don’t think that could be Lara, do you?”
“It wasn’t Ms. Mayhew,” Matt informed him.
“No?” Kendra Walker asked. She seemed relieved.
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Matt said, giving no more information.
“Lara’s fingerprints would be in the system. She was bonded, of course,” Congressman Walker said.
“Thank God!” Ellery Manheim said, and he sounded sincere.
There was a rush of laughter and footsteps pounding toward the room. Two little girls dashed in. They were both blonde and thin and full of energy, one about five and the other perhaps eight.
“Grammy, Gramps!” they called.
The kids pushed past Nathan Oliver and Joe Brighton to reach the congressman and his wife.
Kendra scooped up the smaller one and Congressman Walker picked up the older girl, whirling her around. Ginger ran in after the girls.
“I’m sorry!” Ginger said, breathless. “They got past me. They wanted to see you right away.”
“It’s fine, Ginger,” Walker said. “My daughter brings the kids over and takes a shopping day now and then,” he told Matt and Meg. “I love to see them!”
“These people were just leaving,” Kendra said abruptly.
The child in her arms was staring at Meg. She had curly hair and huge blue eyes and was as cute as a child could be. She gave Meg a huge smile and reached out a hand. Meg reached back and the little girl squeezed her finger.
“Pretty!” she said.
Meg couldn’t help flushing. “Thank you. And you’re very pretty, too.”
“Ellery, will you see the agents out?” Kendra asked, a bit impatiently.
“Can you can play with us? Please!” the toddler in Kendra’s arms begged.
“Oh, now, Brittany, you know grown-ups have to work. And the agents are working now,” Kendra said.
“I’d love to stay, play,” Meg told the child, “but your grandma’s right. I do have to work.”
“This way, please,” Ellery said.
When they got to the door, Ellery offered them both cards. “I think the world of Lara. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call.”
Matt handed him a business card in return.
Meg didn’t have any yet.
“We appreciate that,” Matt said. “Now let me ask you this. Lara didn’t say anything to you that she didn’t say to Congressman Walker, did she?”
Ellery opened his mouth. For a moment, Meg was certain he was going to say something revealing, something unexpected, but he was looking toward the office.
She swung around; the door was just closing.
“She wasn’t happy that the congressman wanted to compromise on the
health bill and not remain true to his campaign promises. She really was...disillusioned. That happens around here. But you can’t win. If you stick to your guns, you create a stalemate, nothing gets done and people are angry. If you compromise, then the idealists are angry. It’s not easy,” Ellery said.
“No, I understand that. Did she say anything to you about home, or going anywhere, at any time?” Matt asked.
Ellery turned to Meg then. “Agent Murray, are you the Meg Murray who’s Lara’s good friend?”
Lara had evidently talked about her. It seemed pointless to lie.
But she didn’t have to answer, because Matt did.
“Yes, Agent Murray and Lara were good friends,” he said.
Ellery Manheim smiled awkwardly. “Then you know that she loved Richmond, where she was born, and the place she officially called home. But she talked to me about the past, and said she loved hanging around in Harpers Ferry with you and your grandfather the most. Lara said you and she loved to play at the national park, and that you crawled up to the heights and hung around when the ghost tours were going on. You reenacted John Brown’s raid and you actually had a job with the parks department for a while, right?”
Meg knew how to keep a straight face. But she still hadn’t managed to control her coloring and felt a flush rise to her face, along with the urge to cry.
Yes. Lara had talked about her to this man.
“That night she told us she’d had it with politics. She was going home,” Ellery said. “Ian tried to convince her to stay. I did, too. But she kept insisting that she was going home. When she left, Ian and Joe and Nathan and I kept up the conversation. Then, after she’d been gone ten or fifteen minutes, Ian suddenly stood up and said, ‘Lord, it’s almost three in the morning!’”
“What about Lara?” Meg asked. “So no one went looking for her, to make sure she got home okay?”
“Honestly, I figured she was fine, that she’d managed to hail a cab or, with the adrenaline she had going, she might even have walked to her place. You know where she lives, right?”
“Of course,” Meg said.
“And we’ve been there already,” Matt added.
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