Stabbing in the Senate

by Colleen J. Shogan

  Chapter 6

  I tucked the memo under my suit coat sleeve and walked quietly back to my desk. Opening the file cabinet drawer, I slipped it inside a side pocket of my oversized handbag. I zipped my purse and locked the drawer. Only Kara knew about the memo, but she was busy. No one else had seen me with it. For now, it would be safe in my cabinet.

  I turned on my computer to see if anything pressing required my attention. Since my job was to make sure the senator was prepared at hearings and for votes on legislation, I didn’t expect much. My email inbox was flooded. Besides a ton of messages from other Hill staffers offering their condolences, there were several emails from enterprising Washington reporters trying to get the scoop from the one person who knew something about the crime.

  Mandy’s voice startled me as her face appeared on my screen. Most days when the Senate was in session, Mandy did a live video blog first thing in the morning about the weekly legislative calendar, the senator’s schedule, and press opportunities that day. A link to the blog was delivered automatically to our computers to keep us informed. Her annoying voice rambled on and on, “Senator Langsford will attend the bipartisan senators’ luncheon today, 11:45 to 12:50. He’ll meet with constituents in his office to talk about preserving green space in western Massachusetts, 1 to 1:30. Also this afternoon, Senator Langsford plans to ask questions at an Appropriations Committee hearing about subsidies for ethanol, 2 to 4. He will be available for press comment afterward, 4 to 4:15.”

  I clicked to close the video so I wouldn’t have to hear more details of what my deceased boss was not going to do today.

  I was wondering where Meg had gone when an IM from her popped up on my computer screen. Instant Message was the preferred method of interoffice communication. On our closed communication network, staffers could send an “instant message” to another Langsford coworker. The message appeared immediately on the screen, enabling a virtual chat. Although we liked to think IM made us more efficient, it was usually used to transmit office gossip.

  Meg’s message blinked at me. “Come over here!”

  I typed back, “What’s up?”

  She immediately responded, “Regan is here. Mandy has her claws in him.”

  I sighed and keyed, “Job hunting.”

  It didn’t take Mandy too long to work her magic. Senator Jonas Regan, Democrat from California, was a close acquaintance of Langsford’s. He might be inclined to hire some of Langsford’s staff as a favor to Lucinda and Matt. He could also benefit from the experience and seniority of Langsford’s staffers. Mandy wasted no time sidling up to him.

  I was the Langsford staffer who knew Senator Regan best. Langsford and Regan were buddies because they served on the powerful Appropriations Committee together in the Senate, and I staffed Langsford for that committee. In the past, there had been numerous pictures in newspapers across the country of the two sitting next to each other at hearings, fundraisers, and rallies, usually deep in discussion and sometimes even laughing. More recently, the relationship had become strained due to Langford’s new independent streak, which involved asking tough questions about the federal budget and occasionally voting differently from Regan and other members of his party.

  More than anything, the controversy over Carter Power had driven a wedge between the two senators. In fact, the memo I’d tried to deliver to Senator Langsford earlier this morning was about the Carter Power decision. Carter Power was a big defense company in Senator Regan’s home state that had supplied batteries, generators, and power supplies to the military for decades. Most people assume the companies who supply planes, fighter jets, and tanks are the big defense contractors. Yes, they’re major players, but almost everything the modern military consumes runs on batteries or some other power source. Carter Power was a multi-billion-dollar company and employed thousands of people, mostly in Senator Regan’s state.

  The problem? Carter Power had rested on its laurels while other companies had developed more energy-efficient batteries and power supplies, incorporating solar and other renewable energy sources. Carter hadn’t kept up with the innovations. I wasn’t a scientist and neither was Senator Langsford, yet we had done our homework and concluded that Carter Power, with its antiquated technology, was living on borrowed time. More efficient batteries that reduced the military’s carbon footprint were needed. Better performing batteries meant soldiers could carry fewer power supplies with them, lightening their load. It wasn’t only about saving money. The lives of our soldiers depended on the military acquiring state of the art technology.

  The Pentagon wanted to switch contractors, but Congress wrote the appropriations bills. The jury was still out in the Senate about the future of Carter Power. From a policy perspective, it was time to explore other power supply options. From a political perspective, Carter Power still had die-hard supporters in the Senate who wanted to protect lucrative jobs in their states.

  The troubled economy and budget stresses made the job of the Appropriations Committee difficult. Instead of awarding Carter Power another long contract with the military, several senators on the committee wanted to diversify and fund other suppliers that offered less expensive and better power sources. There had been several high profile hearings, and the debate had been contentious. Senator Regan supported full renewal of the contract for Carter Power and had asked Senator Langsford to support him. Regan was up for reelection soon. If the Carter Power contract failed, he would be saying sayonara to his political career.

  Much to Regan’s chagrin, Senator Langsford did not jump to support Carter Power. In a time of considerable economic troubles complicated by a ballooning national debt, Langsford couldn’t rush to support a contract that might waste taxpayer money. Spending over $20 billion a year on power, the Pentagon was the largest single consumer of energy in the world. My boss believed those costs could be reduced. Langsford had participated in hush-hush discussions over the controversy, and Matt and I had met several times with Jeff Prentice, a lobbyist representing Carter Power.

  The committee was moving toward a vote on Carter Power later this week. My final memo to Senator Langsford, the one in the recycling bin, outlined the competing arguments and offered a comprehensive set of facts and figures. Matt and I felt comfortable recommending a vote against contract renewal. In our private conversations, Senator Langsford agreed with our recommendation. And with the committee deadlocked on the matter, his vote would have tipped the scales against Carter.

  Matt and I had been careful to keep his decision quiet. We didn’t need an enterprising reporter finding out which way Senator Langsford was leaning. Also, Langsford had told us he wanted to tell Senator Regan privately about his decision not to support Carter Power before the public vote in committee. We didn’t want Regan reading about Langsford’s decision in the National Journal.

  I had kept my lips sealed, even with Meg and Doug. It was easy to keep Doug in the dark. He barely followed Capitol Hill news; he was more concerned about what happened three hundred years ago. Meg had been hurt by my unwillingness to dish.

  Matt and I did inform Lucinda. She usually stayed out of Langsford’s policy decisions, but at a certain point, as his top aide, she needed to know. Matt and I had briefed her last week and informed her about Senator Langsford’s strong leanings. To put it mildly, Lucinda wasn’t thrilled with the decision.

  As chief of staff, Lucinda managed most of Langsford’s political relationships. She met with lobbyists, helped the senator with contacts to raise campaign money, and tried to cultivate friendships within the Senate among senior staff. Voting against Carter Power and Senator Regan was going to cause her a lot of problems. Carter Power had been a generous donor to Senator Langsford during his last election cycle. If he voted against the contract renewal, that money would dry up.

  Lucinda also counted on Langsford’s good relationship with Regan. The population of California was six times that of Massachusetts. A solid friendship with a senator from a big state meant increased opportun
ities for political networking and fundraising. The alliance with Regan was beneficial for Langsford. If he voted against Carter Power, that relationship would suffer.

  In the end, Lucinda accepted our recommendation and allowed the memo to move forward. She had no choice. The chief of staff worked for Langsford like the rest of us and knew that when he made a decision about an issue, it was a done deal.

  I walked over to Meg’s cubicle on the other side of the office. My neighbor Trevor appeared to be hard at work on something, his hands furiously typing away on his keyboard. What could possibly have him so occupied when our boss was dead? A cover letter for his next job?

  Normally, we would all be working on the background information and support materials needed for Langsford to attend the events Mandy had outlined for the week. None of that mattered now. Maybe Meg was right and Trevor had some less than admirable explanation for his strange behavior.

  Meg was sitting at her desk, shooting daggers with her eyes in the direction of Mandy and Senator Regan. Unlike Senator Langsford, Regan was a slimy politician. He kept a fake smile plastered on his face. His teeth were brilliant, several shades too white to occur in nature. He was a good actor, intensely interested in what his interlocutor had to say. You might well be taken in, unless you followed his eyes closely. I had picked up on his annoying trick of casting furtive glances, checking out the room for anyone more important to meet. Like many politicians, he was a predatory shark personified, and the resemblance grew more striking as his reelection date loomed.

  I followed Meg’s gaze. Mandy, as usual, was hamming it up. Batting her long eyelashes and twirling a finger around a strand of her luxurious locks, she stared adoringly at Regan. Mandy was no dummy. Her job for Langsford had a short shelf life. Although I disdained her tactics, I admired the strategy. She let nothing, including a murder, get in her way.

  Meg nudged me. “Come on, Kit. Interrupt her and say something to Regan. You’re not just going to let her monopolize him, are you?”

  Meg was right. I had the closer relationship with Regan. If anyone was going to get a job with him after this horrible tragedy, it should be me. Sometimes I thought I just wasn’t cut out for Washington. My boss had been dead for less than five hours and I already had to jockey for position. I didn’t relish the idea of working for Regan, but a paying job was better than the unemployment line.

  I strode over to Regan and Mandy, who shot me a glance as if I were a cockroach she wanted to squash.

  Senator Regan made it easy for me. “Kit, I’m so glad to see you. How are you holding up? I heard from Lucinda and Kara you were unfortunate enough to …” he trailed off.

  I saved Senator Regan from having to say the uncomfortable words. “I’m afraid so, sir. Yes.”

  Senator Regan reached out and gave me a polite hug before I could finish my sentence. Mandy could see where this was headed. The conversation had nothing to do with her, and her time could be spent elsewhere. She said, “Senator Regan, it was so nice speaking with you. You truly provided me with the most comforting words at exactly the right time. I must get back to answering the thousands of press inquiries flooding in.”

  She batted her eyelashes one last time, and Senator Regan took her outstretched hand and gave it a polite shake. “Mandy, do take care. We’ll pick up our discussion in the next several days.” He bowed his head politely and gave Mandy a restrained smile.

  She nodded, took his hand, and gave him one more seductive look before tossing her red hair and walking away.

  Regan returned his gaze to me. He was grave. “Kit, thank goodness you didn’t come upon the killer. You must be thankful you’re safe.”

  I couldn’t tell if Regan was dramatizing or if he was truly concerned about me. I had lost my appetite for politics this morning. I was upset, and I wasn’t going to hide it. “I never really thought about that, Senator Regan. I can’t believe he’s gone.” I wiped a tear from my cheek.

  He nodded in agreement. “I understand. You were such a valuable asset to Lyndon. I know he appreciated all the work you did. Try to remember him in life and not death.”

  He took a sip from a red plastic cup he was holding. I wondered what was in it. Water? Doubtful. I bet he and Lucinda had raided the stash of scotch in Langsford’s office. Nothing gets you through tough times better than alcohol. That was especially true in our nation’s capital.

  I mechanically nodded in polite agreement. What should I say? When I didn’t reply, Regan, like most politicians, couldn’t stand the uncomfortable silence and filled the void.

  “I imagine, Kit, now that Senator Langsford is gone, we will proceed to our work as he wanted, funding the Defense Department and giving our soldiers the finest products and support possible. Senator Langsford was a big fan of Carter Power, and I’m sure he would have been happy to see a continuation of Carter’s relationship with the military.”

  I studied Regan’s face. Was this guy for real? In every meeting we’d had about Carter Power, Senator Langsford had voiced his doubts, never support.

  I should have just agreed politely, but I couldn’t. The last thing I had done for my boss was draft the decision memo to defund Carter Power, not serve as the lifeguard for big business. It seemed wrong, almost unethical, to allow Regan’s words to stand without repudiation. A wave of anger erupted within my body, and self-interested concerns about finding my next job disappeared. After all, Senator Langsford couldn’t speak for himself anymore. It was up to me to set the record straight.

  Either Regan really counted on Langsford to have an abrupt change of heart, or he was a darn good bluffer. It was impossible to tell. Impressive politicians had the ability to make their followers believe what they wanted them to believe. His expression was inscrutable.

  I cleared my throat and stood tall, glad I had worn heels so I could almost look him in the eyes. “Well, eh … Senator Regan ….” I stumbled, my mouth giving my brain one last chance to let sleeping dogs lie. Frustration at his blatantly ridiculous statement overcame my hesitancy.

  He looked at me expectantly. He had made the statement about Carter Power to rewrite history and provide me with the opportunity to do the same. He wanted me to “play ball” and probably work with Mandy to write some hokey press release that stated how much Senator Langsford had loved Carter Power. If we did that, Langsford’s temporary replacement would have little choice but to follow in step and vote with Regan. A senator who succeeded deceased or vacating senators usually received the same committee assignments as his or her predecessor. Out of respect, they didn’t deviate much from stated positions. Langsford was dead. That meant Mandy and I could help him out with the vote he needed in committee.

  This revelation made me more irate and a little confused. I had always thought of Senator Regan, despite the Carter Power imbroglio, as a close ally and friend of my former boss. Now, he seemed more like a desperate politician, clinging to the hope his meal ticket to reelection wouldn’t evaporate at the hands of a lowly Senate aide. If he had truly been Senator Langsford’s friend, he wouldn’t be so worried about self-preservation.

  I looked directly into Senator Regan’s eyes. I wanted to see his reaction. My voice quavered at first, then grew stronger. “Senator, with all due respect to Senator Langsford’s memory, you and I both know he wasn’t going to support the decision to continue to fund Carter Power in the committee hearing this week.”

  A dark cloud came over his face. He frowned. “Kit, I’m not sure you knew the full extent of Senator Langsford’s opinion on this matter. There were conversations about Carter Power that did not include you.”

  That was a load of bull. Senator Langsford held his cards close to his vest, but he would never tell me to prepare a lengthy memo to support his decision not to fund Carter Power if he had decided to support the company. He wasn’t the kind of senator who kept his staff second-guessing or chasing down fruitless leads. He valued our time almost as much as he valued his own. Now that his life had been cut short, it wa
s up to me to make sure his last wishes were honored.

  “You should know that Senator Langsford already had me prepare a decision memo on the matter.”

  Regan’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he recovered immediately. “Kit, that’s certainly water under the bridge now. We will never know how Lyndon would have voted.”

  His last comment caught me off guard. What was he implying? It seemed Regan was happy Langsford wouldn’t be around for the committee vote this week. No doubt Carter Power would be overjoyed, too. Could that be the reason for Langsford’s death? Silencing him before he had a chance to cast the definitive vote against Carter Power? Senator Regan’s demeanor didn’t seem like that of a grieving friend.

  Time to end an uncomfortable conversation. I had clearly maneuvered myself out of a job with Senator Regan. “Senator Regan, I need to get back to my desk. I’ll see you in the coming days, I’m sure.” He gave a curt nod, and I retreated to my carrel.

  I wasn’t back at my desk for thirty seconds before Meg raced over. “What happened with Senator Regan? That didn’t look like your usual chummy chat.”

  Meg always told me I lacked political savvy. I could have played the conversation better with Senator Regan, keeping Langsford’s decision a secret. I could have tried to pump more information out of him and find out if he had any suspects in mind.

  “He was under the false impression that Senator Langsford was going to support Carter Power fully in this week’s hearing. I had to set the record straight.”

  Meg’s eyes widened. I had never told her about Langsford’s decision to put national security and the growing deficit ahead of the wishes of his friend from California. Most of the Senate worked on the premise of “I scratch your back; you scratch mine.” Langsford’s choice to ditch Regan in the name of the country’s best interests was a shock.

  “How many people knew Senator Langsford planned to vote that way?” Meg asked.

  I shrugged. “Not many. He wanted to keep it quiet. He’d already had his share of grief from lobbyists, mostly Jeff Prentice, and he didn’t want his phone ringing before the vote, trying to change his mind.”