Chapter Six

The power came on immediately after the arrival of the first group of policemen. Rather than having been caused by the storm, a tripped circuit proved to be the problem. The control box would be fingerprinted when the forensics team arrived. Instead of a crime of opportunity, the murder now seemed premeditated, and the power outage contrived to hide the actions of the criminal.

A quiet, somber crowd talked in small groups scattered about the ballroom as the detectives inspected the body and the study. No one would be allowed to leave before being questioned, they'd been told. Uniformed officers waited at the front and rear doors while others watched the parked cars to be sure no one slipped away without permission.

Lieutenant Governor Samuel Stevenson, Gray, Maribeth, Erica, Ally, and the group of five men who entered the study waited together in the front parlor. Tears flowed freely from the women while Gray appeared to be in shock. He sat still and quiet, neither speaking nor responding. The other men stood about, talking in hushed voices, several chain-smoking.

An officer waited outside the door, allegedly to prevent anyone from entering. Sam knew his actual purpose was to keep them in one place, separated from the other guests. They were the primary suspects. Relatives, lovers, and the first to discover the body always provided the best suspects in a premeditated murder. Sam hoped he would be questioned soon about his brief part in the drama and allowed to leave. His mission finished here, he needed to catch a plane.