Lydia and Clarence, sitting on a couch in his apartment, stared at the television screen as the anchorman came on and said, “The top story tonight is a confession in the Senator Caldwell murder. Back with details after this.”
Rousing, dissonant march music, the newscast’s title and subtitle, commercials for antifreeze and a feminine deodorant. Then:
“Good evening, I’m Richard Bourne. A confession today in the ice pick murder of Senate Majority Leader Cale Caldwell. In an announcement at MPD headquarters this morning, Deputy Chief of Police Horace Jenkins had this to say…”
Jenkins was seen seated behind his desk, surrounded by reporters, reading from a piece of paper in front of him: “Mark Adam Caldwell, the older son of slain Senate Majority Leader Cale Caldwell, has confessed to his father’s murder. He is in custody here…”
A rush of questions. Jenkins held up his hand. “There’s nothing more I can say at this moment, ladies and gentlemen. The resolution of this murder has resulted from a painstaking and thorough investigation by this department. It’s a sensitive case, and everyone concerned with it is determined to protect the integrity of the investigation and the rights of the accused.”
The anchorman took over. “Sources close to the investigation have informed us that the younger Caldwell’s confession was detailed and complete, and that the motive for having murdered his father derived from a long-standing personal problem within the Caldwell family.”
Followed by a commercial.
“Clarence, it just can’t be—”
“Why not?”
“It’s too… it’s just too simple, too pat. And if Mark Adam did kill his father, why confess to it? Or why wait until now? No, I can’t buy it.”
“Well, I do. Murder will out, it’s over, and now you can go back to making more time for me… for us. As you know, I’m a very selfish person.”
She managed a smile, put her arms around him—and the phone rang.
Clarence answered, shrugged and held out the receiver for Lydia.
“Hello,” she said.
“What about Jimmye McNab?” A female voice.
“Who is this?”
“Don’t believe what you hear.”
The line went dead.
Lydia told Clarence of the call.
“You didn’t recognize her voice?”
“No. But it sounded like she was trying to disguise it, make it sound deeper.”
Clarence gave her a sidewise look and put on a recording of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska playing Bach’s dance suites. “Landowska to the rescue. Stop thinking and listen.”
Lydia sighed, leaned back and closed her eyes as the slightly twangy, mandolin quality of the harpsichord filled her ears and touched down to her soul.
After a while she said, “Clarence, I’m exhausted, drained, like somebody pulled a plug. I want to go home, hit the old sack. I’m sorry…”
She didn’t immediately move to leave the comfort of the couch, and he reached over and stroked her hair, her forehead. “Such deep, dark thoughts,” he said softly. “Your forehead is a mess of furrows.”
“I suspect it will be for quite a long time.” She turned to face him. “Remember the night of Cale’s murder, Clarence, when we talked about crime in terms of the cycle of fifths?”
“Sure. Like a piece of music, murder has resolved itself, too. It started in the key of C and has returned there, to the tonic chord.”
She smiled and stood up. “Unless we’ve reached a C-seventh.”
“Don’t get smart.”
“A C-seventh, instead of just C. Once you add the seventh to a chord, it stays up in the air, suspended, looking for its own tonic.”
He stood up too and put his hands on her shoulders. “If it is a C-seventh instead of the tonic C, that means it goes into another key.”
“Exactly. It could resolve to F and the piece will be over. Then again the C-seventh might only be the second chord in a new key we’re playing in.”
“And if that’s true, the ‘Caldwell Sonata’ could have a long way to go before it’s over.”
“That’s what frightens me, Clarence. I was listening to one of the cassettes you bought me. The tune was ‘Mack the Knife,’ and the group took twelve choruses on it, playing each one in a different key. They started in C, went up a half step each time until they eventually returned to C.”
“And?”
“And I think Mark Adam’s confession is only one half step toward a long series of key changes.”
“I won’t argue with you,” he said as he helped her on with her coat. “I’d rather make love, but you do look exhausted. Sure you don’t want to stay?”
“Thanks, yes… but also no. I’ll call you in the morning.”
All the way home she thought of the phone call and the unidentified woman’s reference to Jimmye McNab. The thoughts stayed with her as she sat in the tub and enjoyed the warm, sensuous feeling of muscles relaxing. She dried herself vigorously, slipped into a chocolate brown monk’s robe that reached the floor and turned on the television. She fell asleep, waking as the eleven o’clock news came on. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the screen. The first words out of the anchorman’s mouth jolted her upright and to the edge of the couch.
“Extraordinary developments this day, ladies and gentlemen, in the Cale Caldwell ice pick murder. Not only has the deceased senator’s elder son, Mark Adam Caldwell, confessed to his father’s death, but we have just been informed that he has also confessed to the murder of journalist Jimmye McNab. McNab, you might recall, was not only one of Washington’s most respected television reporters, she had also been brought up by the Caldwell family from infancy. I’ll be back with more details in a moment.”
The phone rang. It was Rick Petrone, aide to Senator Wilfred MacLoon.
“You’ve heard?”
“Yes. I’m shocked.”
“Everybody is, I guess. Anyway, Senator MacLoon would like a meeting of the Caldwell committee at nine. Can you make it?”
“Yes, of course. By the way, have you heard from Ginger?”
“She called, says she’s feeling fine. She’ll be in in the morning.”
“I think she should take more time to rest.”
“There’ll be plenty of time for that now.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Caldwell murder has been solved by the MPD, there’s no need for a committee.”
“I’m not so sure…”
“Okay, Lady Hawkshaw, have it your way. See you at nine.”
***
The meeting was held in a large committee room a few doors down from Wilfred MacLoon’s offices. Lydia was surprised that in addition to the regular members of the committee and selected staff members, Veronica Caldwell and Deputy Chief of Police Horace Jenkins were there. She told Veronica that she hadn’t expected to see her.
“Why not, Lydia? You should be very pleased with yourself. It seems you were right, that there was a connection between Cale’s and Jimmye’s…” And then she turned away, to hide her upset, Lydia assumed, at this awful news about her firstborn son.
Lydia hesitated, then caught up with her just inside the committee room door. “Look, Veronica, I apologize for some of the things I’ve said and thought, but I’d like to say something else that you may welcome hearing—”
“Then for God’s sake say it. Say it and go back to your comfortable little law practice and leave me and my family alone.”
“I don’t believe Mark Adam did what he’s confessed to.”
“I wish it were true—”
“I know you do.” She touched Veronica’s arm. “Don’t just accept this, Veronica, for your sake and for your son’s. You demanded a committee to get to the bottom of things. Don’t let that committee dissolve because Mark Adam has said things that might not be true. He’s not a well person, Veronica, not responsible. At least you could…”
“That’s enough, Lydia. On top of everything I don’t need your amateur analysis of my son.” She turned and walked off to where some committee members stood, leaving Lydia feeling very much alone.
When she returned to the site of the meeting, Wilfred MacLoon had just arrived and had taken his place at the head of the conference table. Others settled into chairs. Lydia sat at the far end of the table, between Senator Jack Markowski and Horace Jenkins.
MacLoon lit a fresh cigar, opened a file folder, glanced around the table. “Glad everyone could make it this morning. I’d especially like to welcome Senator Caldwell and Deputy Chief Jenkins. I’m sure we all share the grief our colleague, Senator Caldwell, has suffered. The only bright spot is that finally the pain of all this will be alleviated by putting to rest the public speculation that has turned this tragedy into a media circus.” He looked down the length of the table at Lydia. “Now, let’s get down to business and do what we all agree must be done. Because the MPD has done its job, two murders have been solved. I congratulate the MPD and you personally, Chief Jenkins, for an exemplary piece of law enforcement.”
“Thank you,” Jenkins said.
Nuts to you, Lydia thought.
MacLoon continued. “Chief Jenkins and I conferred last night, and the upshot is we’re convinced—I know how this must pain you, Veronica—that the confessions will hold up. Is that correct, Chief?”
Jenkins cleared his throat, rubbed his eyes. “That’s correct, Senator.” He looked unhappily at Veronica Caldwell. “I hate to even talk about this thing with Mrs. Caldwell sitting here, but I suppose the fact that she is here shows what kind of woman carries the Caldwell name. You’ve got more guts than any ten other women I know,” he said, his voice faltering as he wondered whether he was putting it in the right words.
“Thank you,” Veronica said. “You are right, this is very painful and distasteful, but I’ve assured Senator MacLoon that it is my job not to let personal feelings interfere with… justice. I’ll overcome the personal impact of it in the interest of seeing that I do my job… I love my son very deeply and I tell you now I will do all I can to help him, defend him… He’s a troubled young man, and regardless of what he has done… my love for him remains. I’m sure you understand that.”
Jenkins cleared his throat. “Like I said, this woman is incredible.” He turned to MacLoon. “The young man’s confession is complete for both homicides, and his rights were protected every inch of the way, so there’s no chance of—”
“Does he have an attorney?” Lydia asked.
Her question caused everyone to turn and to look at her. Jenkins answered her question in a voice that unmistakably reflected his annoyance. “Of course,” he said.
“Who?”
“His brother.”
“Cale, Jr.?”
“That’s right. He plans to retain other counsel for his brother in due time, but he was there the minute we went down to the cult and picked up his brother. Like I said, the accused’s rights were protected every inch of the way, not only by a qualified attorney but by his own brother.”
Jenkins concluded his statement with an assurance that not only had Mark Adam confessed, he’d given every detail of both murders that had not, in any way, conflicted with known facts. Rather, they’d confirmed them.
MacLoon said, “It’s my suggestion that we immediately conclude this committee’s business and issue a public statement to that effect.”
Silence, until Senator Markowski put in, “Isn’t that a little premature, Will? After all, the suspect hasn’t even been indicted yet, let alone tried and convicted.” He looked at Chief Jenkins. “With all due respect, Chief, simply having someone from the MPD proclaim that the murder we’ve been charged with investigating is solved isn’t, it seems to me, sufficient reason for a Senate committee to fold up and go home.”
“I disagree, this isn’t a court of law—”
“Senator MacLoon,” Markowski pressed on, “the Dallas police solved the murder of Jack Kennedy, didn’t they? But that hasn’t precluded Congress from conducting continuing investigations into it.”
MacLoon chewed on his cigar, glared at his younger colleague. “If somebody else wants to come along later and make up another committee, that’s their business. As far as I’m concerned, this committee’s business is finished.”
“As special counsel to this committee I must agree with Senator Markowski,” Lydia said. “It seems to me that the least we can do for the American people we’re supposed to represent is to continue our work until there is a conviction. At that time, after listening to the complete report of the MPD and examining the trial record, we can determine that no branch of government was involved, nor any member of government.”
“Miss James, it should make you feel better to know that your insistence that there was a connection between Senator Caldwell’s murder and Jimmye McNab’s has been proven right. With that victory in your portfolio, perhaps we can all get on with more pressing matters.”
“I resent that, Senator. Not your manner, which is irrelevant, but your implication that I’ve been after victories, personal vindication. That is inaccurate and I think you know it. So, as you say, let’s get on with more pressing matters than sarcasm and cheap shots.”
“A pretty speech, Miss James. Too bad there’s no jury.” He shifted his attention from her to others at the table. “The advice of counsel aside, I advise that we begin to close down this committee’s activities. Naturally, a report must be written to satisfy the charter under which we’ve been operating. That report can be written in conjunction with Chief Jenkins and his people.”
“I do think,” Jack Markowski said, “that we at least should move slowly enough to keep pace with the MPD’s and the court’s prosecution of the case. I agree with you that there seems little value in having the entire committee continue to function, but the staff, under Lydia’s direction, should stay in place for a while.”
Another senator who’d remained impartial throughout the countless internal debates within the committee said, “I think Jack is right. I’m all for folding up, but if we do it too quickly we’ll end up with the same second-guessing and sniping as happened with the Kennedy assassination. Let Miss James and her staff begin to prepare a report based on progress in the case. I’m sure Chief Jenkins will cooperate with her.”
His comment took Jenkins by surprise. He looked around, checked Lydia for a reaction, then said, “That’s right. Always happy to cooperate with the Congress.” Lydia raised her eyebrows and slipped her notes into her briefcase.
Jenkins intercepted her outside the conference room and offered to buy her a cuppa.
“Thanks, no,” she said, looking at her watch.
“Come on, I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”
He drove to a nearby coffee shop and they settled into a booth.
“All right, Chief, what?”
“I meant what I said in the meeting.”
“Okay. And…?”
Jenkins shrugged, drank his coffee and said into the cup, “I just wanted you to know, Lydia, that there are no hard feelings. Now that I’ve cleaned this thing up, you’re free to do the job you were supposed to be doing in the first place. I mean, come up with a report to the American people.”
A tinge of sarcasm in his voice? “Which is what I intend to do.”
Jenkins finished the contents of his cup, sat back. “There’s going to be things come out of the indictment that probably should stay between friends, if you get my drift. I’m talking about personal things, family matters. The point is that you’ll hear about some of them and be tempted to put them in your report.”
“And you’re telling me that I shouldn’t?”
“Suggesting it. I don’t think anything is to be gained by dragging out family dirt, even for the American people.”
Lydia dabbed at her mouth with a paper napkin and grabbed the handle of her briefcase.
“Calm down,” Jenkins said as she slid to the edge of the booth, reached across the table and took her wrist. “What are you so sore at? You act as though you expected a different ending to all of this and are mad at the world it didn’t come out like you wanted…” He glanced around the coffee shop, then leaned over the table. “If you want some juicy gossip, Lydia, I’ll give it to you. Frankly, I didn’t figure you got off on that kind of thing.”
Don’t, she told herself, rise to the bait. Stay in the game. She took a breath, affected a smile and returned to the center of her seat. “All right, I’ve calmed down.” She expanded the smile, which brought one from him.
“This,” he said, “has nothing to do with your report, although I suppose it wouldn’t hurt anybody to add it. Caldwell was going to die anyway.”
She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you know that the autopsy on him was sealed at the family’s request. He had cancer.”
“How bad?”
“Terminal. The doc who did it figured he had maybe six months.”
“Did Senator Caldwell know he had cancer?” she asked, not so much of Jenkins but of herself.
He shrugged. “Could be. It really doesn’t matter, does it?”
“I suppose not.” She spent a few moments lost in her own thoughts. Finally, she said, “It’s interesting how the Caldwell family tends to pull strings where autopsies are concerned.”
“Why say that? I don’t blame the family for not wanting details played out in the scandal sheets.”
“I wasn’t referring to the senator’s autopsy, Horace. I was talking about the Jimmye McNab autopsy that never was.” She glanced up. He didn’t respond, so she pushed further. “Why wasn’t an autopsy done on Jimmye?”
Jenkins motioned for a waitress to bring their check.
“Why did Cale Caldwell prevent an autopsy on Jimmye McNab?”
“Who says he did?” Jenkins asked as the waitress handed him the bill.
“I do, and so do some other people. Why?”
He shook his head. “Yeah, Caldwell brought some pressure on the department to skip an autopsy. Why, you ask? The way the story goes, the esteemed Senator Caldwell was, as they say, having his way with Miss McNab for quite a while. Who knows, maybe he even made her pregnant. But so what? They’re both dead. If which elected officials were cheating on the side was important after he died or left office, there wouldn’t be space in the newspapers for much of anything else…”
He dropped her off in front of the Senate Building. “Forget the McNab thing, Lydia. That’s really over now. Do your report nice and neat, take the bows and get back to making money. If there’s anything I can do, give me a call. As I said, I’m always happy to cooperate with the U.S. Congress.”