“I found it strange Rogers didn’t ask us any questions about the senator,” I said to Michael, as the Metroliner train to Washington was pulling out of Newark station.
“Why?”
“Because we were representing her. I did think he overreacted when I walked toward what appeared to be another lab.”
“Maybe some secret . . .”
“Maybe. He sure rushed us through the rest of the tour.”
I took out my notepad.
“It could be another miracle drug,” he said offhandedly.
I didn’t care for his aloofness. “I’m no threat. I don’t know a bacterium from a virus.”
Michael uncharacteristically slouched. “Where do we go from here?”
“How ‘bout neither Rogers appearing traumatized by their drug being turned down.”
“What? How can you say that?” he said intensely, sitting up and turning to me. “They certainly have no love for the FDA.”
Finally, he was out of his lethargy.
“I’m talking about attitude,” I explained. “Harley Rogers talked angry, but didn’t act angry.”
“So?” Michael snapped at me, clearly irritated.
“What? You think I’m being skeptical? I’m looking for ideas here. Give and take. I do it with my husband and Max Walsh all the time.”
Michael turned sharply to me. “Walsh? The homicide captain? You are friends with a homicide cop?”
“Very much so.” It dawned on me that Michael knew little or nothing about me.
He went on. “After I was mugged, I was interviewed by a homicide detective.”
“That was probably Hayes. But Max knows all about your case.”
Michael was on the edge of his seat. “He told you?”
“When you were found, no one knew your exact condition. You were lucky that a neighbor saw the mugging and called it in. Max answered the call along with the Capitol Hill police. He saw that you worked for Senator Dalton, whom he didn’t know. He looked up both of your bios.”
Michael frowned. “Is that good or bad?”
“Not bad. He’s just very thorough. If you had been killed, you would have been his case. He followed up anyway. He found it odd that you’d been mugged at your front door. It’s rare there’s a homicide or vandalism in that neighborhood.”
“That’s amazing. I wouldn’t have—”
“Little things are important. They sometimes create big things,” I said easily.
“Like with Rogers. I’m impressed with your observations. I saw and heard the same things you did, but you came away with a very different picture than I did.”
“I look at people’s attitudes, their reactions and body language, and their eyes. They all tell a story.”
“Did you learn that in journalism school or just pick it up?”
“I wish they had taught it. I learned it on my own. I’m always learning.”
The train slowed for Trenton. Michael said he was going to the dining car and asked if I wanted anything.
“A Diet Pepsi and a bag of peanuts would be great.” I reached for my bag.
“That won’t be necessary; it’s on me.” He went up the aisle.
I took out my cell and called Jerry’s private line. He didn’t answer. I called Anna’s cell. She told me, “Tyler, he nap, not too hungry, some, eh fussy.” Anna had picked up fussy from me. She said she liked the word because “it say much.”
A guy who had gotten on the train wanted Michael’s seat. He acted as though he didn’t believe me when I said it was occupied. Maybe his disbelief was because I was passing the wonderful opportunity of his company. His ego sealed it when he asked me whose seat it was. I gave him my sternest look. “Believe me, it’s occupied.” He reluctantly moved on.
Michael returned. The Diet Pepsi and peanuts hit the spot. “You know, Michael, there’s nothing like a bag of salted nuts . . . and a soda,” I quickly added. “I was up in your neighborhood yesterday,” I said, wanting to get back to business.
“Oh? For anything in particular?”
“Yes and no. I wanted to familiarize myself with the Senate office buildings. I was also curious about what Senate committee had oversight of the FDA.”
He looked put out. “I could have helped with that.”
“I know, but I’m used to nosing around, ferreting out my own information. Plus I wanted to browse.”
“Not much to see,” he said flatly.
“For you, but for me the meeting rooms like SD430—”
“That’s in Dirksen, our building.”
“I know. I walked past your office. I discovered that different committees include Health, but it was in the committee office of Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions that I got my first good lead.”
“Senator Pembroke’s committee.”
“They sent me over to Hart—”
“Health Policy.”
“Right. A pleasant woman there—”
“Nancy Morris.”
“Mid-thirties, long, light-brown hair?”
“That’s her. We’re good friends.”
I must have blanched at his remark.
“What, I can’t have women friends?”
“Of course not.” Then realizing he might not catch on to my wry sense of humor. “What do you take me for? Of course.”
Nancy Morris. I had recognized her as the same woman I’d seen in the Clarendon restaurant with Kelly. That put her in both camps.
“Where is Pembroke on the Tutoxtamen thing?”
“Right in the middle. Being chairman of HELP, he’s been Kelly’s point man on locking down FDA’s not approvable of the drug.”
“And Nancy?” I wanted to learn more about this woman.
“She’s the top aide to the committee’s chief of staff.”
“Should I know him?”
“You wouldn’t want to. He’s a real asshole.”
His frankness startled me. “Will Senator Pembroke chair meetings concerning Rogers Pharmaceuticals?”
“No, that’s all FDA. That reminds me, I need to call in.”
His abruptness puzzled me. I shrugged it off and began looking at my Rogers notes. Michael stayed in his seat talking quietly on the phone. The train slowed for north Philadelphia. I wondered about Nancy’s role in all of this.
Michael finished his calls.
“Michael, how good a friend is Nancy?”
“A good one. We get together after work a couple of times a week. She also uses my shoulder to cry on after one of her romances goes sour.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Only a couple of times a year,” he said with a wry smile.
I chuckled. “That doesn’t sound very stable.”
“That’s not unusual on the Hill. It’s like we want it, but after a while it becomes a drag. Some become partners, but most move on. Also people come and go a lot.”
I looked at him questioningly without asking.
He read my look. “I’m between right now. He wasn’t from the Hill and I’m not looking. Being an AA is a lot of work. A new relationship would be too much of a distraction.”
“I hear you. I had a couple of serious relationships. Both ended poorly. One guy wanted me to quit reporting and get an office job.”
He laughed. “I bet that slammed the door.”
“In his face. Tell me about Nancy. By the way, she doesn’t know I’m a reporter, just a writer doing research on Senate oversight committees. She referred me to their press office.”
“Right. Because her office does investigations, she’s not permitted to talk with writers.”
“The guy there was busy and must stay busy. The woman I talked with suggested I leave him a voice mail and gave me his direct dial. He never called back. The next day I sent him an email with four questions on it.”
“You’ll get used to busy on the Hill. I think people are more intent on out-busying each other than doing a good job. I can talk to Nancy . . .”
“No. I think it best she not know that you and I know each other. Besides, I got a very nice reply, each question answered.”
He grunted. “You did better than most.”
We sat quietly as the train rolled on toward Washington.
“Did the senator tell you about Senator Crawford?” Michael asked, breaking the momentary silence.
“About him giving her advice?”
“Yeah, but what we needed to know was if it is safe to confide in him, so I asked Nancy to help. She’s currently between loves. A year ago, Gordon, who is Senator Crawford’s AA, showed some interest in her, but she was otherwise involved. Anyway, she sounded Gordon out about his senator, making it appear as if she was asking for Senator Pembroke.” He leaned back, looking very self-satisfied.
“And . . . ?”
“Yeah. First, Crawford and Pembroke are friendly. They both have homes in McLean, and their wives socialize. Pembroke’s kids are out of high school. Crawford’s five are preschool into high school.”
This concerned me. “Doesn’t that preclude any help for Senator Dalton?”
“You would think so, but things on the Hill are never as they appear. Nancy is committee staff, so it’s not her senator against mine.”
I laid my head back on the comfortable seat’s headrest. “I think it best she not run into us together.”
“That is a good idea. Nancy remembers everybody. She’d most likely ask you how you were coming on your research of Senate oversight committees.”
“That kind of memory makes her a good spy.” I suddenly felt a wave of fatigue. “I’m going to catch a few winks. I enjoyed the conversation.”
“Me too.”