CHAPTER 22

“A prostitute?” Wade Omphrey said.

“To be perfectly honest, Governor, I’m not inclined to believe that you didn’t know.”

“I don’t give a damn what you believe, Mr. Corvelli. The fact is I had no idea, and even as I sit here, I still have my doubts.”

“So you never paid her a dime?”

“Of course not.”

“And if the feds trace all of her assets, they won’t find a link to you or Mr. Yi or any of your people.”

“Certainly not.”

My private office grew silent as the governor and I stared each other down across my desk.

Finally he said, “Where do we go from here?”

I leaned back in my chair. “Special Agent Slauson has been tight-lipped about the FBI’s investigation since our meeting with him. We have to assume the FBI knows everything we know at this point. Which means they’re undoubtedly looking into her johns and her handlers.”

“That is, if Oksana was what you say she was.”

I ignored the insinuation. “Lok Sun is presumably still atlarge. Or else his arrest would be all over the news. Which leaves us pretty much where we started. If you think Oksana’s murder is going to haunt you politically these next two months, my office will continue its independent investigation.”

“I don’t think it’s going to haunt me, I know it is. You’ve seen my opponent. He’s eleven points behind in the polls and growing more desperate by the hour.”

The part of me that handled my practice’s finances had hoped the governor would ask me to continue my investigation. The other part of me—the part that desired to live a long, full life—had wanted Omphrey to call the whole thing off and walk out of my office for good.

“This prostitution thing,” Omphrey said, “this isn’t going to wind up in the papers, is it?”

“I can’t predict the future, Governor. And I can’t control what other people do. If the issue arises, we’ll exercise damage control. Remember, no one’s yet exposed any concrete evidence of your affair.”

The governor sighed. “Of course not, Counselor. This is politics. Timing’s everything. If the other side has anything, they’ll hold onto it and use it as their October surprise.”

“I’ve requested a copy of Ms. Sutin’s autopsy report, but since you’re not officially a suspect, they’ve ignored my request.”

“We already know how she died, don’t we? What can the autopsy report tell us?”

“You’d be surprised.”

My cell began vibrating somewhere beneath the clutter on my desk. I moved around a few file folders, legal pads, and bills before I finally found it. The caller ID read A.

“Excuse me, Governor,” I said, opening the phone. “I need to take this.”

Slowly he rose from his seat.

“Hold on,” I said into the phone. To Omphrey I said, “Please have Mr. Yi drop off another check by the end of the day.”

The closer we got to finding out who Oksana Sutin really was, the more dangerous this was becoming. At the very least I was going to be paid.

“Very well,” Omphrey said. “Jason will also be dropping off a pair of invitations. I’d like you and Mr. Harper to be my guests at a fundraiser next weekend.”

“Thank you. We’d be delighted.”

I waited until he’d left my office and the door closed behind him before I raised the phone to my ear again. “Sorry for the delay.”

“It’s all right,” Audra replied. “I’ve arranged the meeting for tonight at eleven p.m. at Chinaman’s Hat.”

I was about to thank her when the reality of what she’d just told me finally sank in. “Chinaman’s Hat? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Audra wasn’t kidding. “Come on, Kevin. You’ve lived in Hawaii a few years now. Don’t tell me you can’t swim.”