Ro, Gavin, Michael, and I agreed to meet at Ro’s condo at 7:00. I left Jerry in charge of Tyler, or maybe that should be the other way around. I got there a couple of minutes after the hour and found I was the last to arrive. Ro was very upbeat and gave me a hug. Crawford had just arrived, and Michael had driven over with Ro.
Michael had prepared an agenda. My world was so different from theirs. My agendas were ever-changing. The Carmaya attack was item one on Michael’s list. I had thought they would’ve put the Senate corruption first, but I was happy with the order.
Ro asked if I’d begin.
“FBI SAC Reed Davis gave me an update on the yacht, which I’ll get to. First, Sherman Rogers’s death: Captain Walsh said hospital security and NYPD scoured the hospital’s surveillance tapes and found the killer. An outside camera caught him entering the hospital through the rear service area. Another camera showed him inside the hospital, where he entered a room and emerged wearing a hospital orderly’s white outfit, pushing a laundry cart.
“He then used the service elevator and was next seen moving down a deserted corridor, then entering Sherman’s room, so identified by hospital security. He came out thirty-seven seconds later and retraced his steps back to where he had changed clothes. He reappeared in his street clothes, but went out through the front lobby. Police consider Sherman’s death a homicide.”
Crawford jumped in. “That’s good enough for me. What next?”
“Your attack scenario, senator,” Michael said.
“Good. I have something to add to what you just said, Laura. Along with the ambush theory, consider that Maloney had mentioned Sherman as a possible leak. It sounded absurd to me at the time.”
“Captain Walsh thinks the FBI are in a position to make some arrests.”
Ro wondered if it would happen before Kelly announced Pembroke’s resignation. Michael offered that Nancy Morris had not said anything about Pembroke when he had talked to her earlier. “Except to say it was very quiet with Senator Pembroke off on a surprise vacation.”
“Laura, with Fred away, would that delay the FBI?” Crawford asked.
“The FBI and MPD are concentrating on more than Horowitz and the conspiracy. They want to nail down the chain of evidence on Mort’s and Sherman’s murder before arresting anyone.”
Michael asked, “Wouldn’t an arrest or two spook Senator Pembroke?”
“Senator Pembroke is expecting to be arrested,” I said, looking to Crawford. “You agree?”
“I believe that’s why he’s taken Sally off alone. They have a very strong relationship. Once the tears, the anger, and the questions dry up, they’ll work together and jointly tell their children,” he said emotionally. “He won’t run.”
My great relationship with Jerry flashed through my mind. We were strong. We would be there for the other, no matter what. That thought caught me up. My heart was racing. “I have a brilliant idea,” I said enthusiastically, “but only if you all agree.” They laughed, and I got some fun-poking comments. I felt that relaxed everyone.
“This is very chancy. I bounce things around a lot with Jerry and Max. It may seem harebrained, but you sort of have to take it for what it is. Try not to reject it out of hand.”
Ro smiled. “Is this how you won your Pulitzer?”
“We did a lot of it then, because we had very few hard facts as we have here. Try not to have strong ownership of your ideas, okay? First, I won’t do anything with the tapes unless I have full permission from FBI SAC Davis and Captain Walsh. Okay?”
They nodded. I grabbed my water and took a large gulp, letting my preamble sink in. “I propose that the tapes be properly edited and played to Kelly privately.”
Ro was the first. “That is a brilliant idea, Laura. I’m just not sure that it’s a good one.”
I laughed. The men followed, but Michael jumped in.
“I’d love for that to happen. But who’d play it?”
“Instinctively I have problems with it,” Crawford said. “Ro and I couldn’t do it. Tom would kill the messengers, deny everything, and probably threaten our careers, just for starters.”
I grinned at him. “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play? I’m thinking our publisher or managing editor would do it. There is precedence. They could call Kelly and advise him of an impending story. And remember, the FBI and MPD would be fully informed. This would allow them to have their people in place ready to pounce on Horowitz and the others when Kelly arrives at the Star. After the tape is played, the FBI would track Kelly, then wait.”
“And this would be done without arresting Fred?” Crawford asked.
“At first, yes. If he has agreed to cooperate fully and will testify, the Justice Department might very well plead him out.”
“He hasn’t called me today,” Crawford said. “I guess I should call his cell. When do you think all of this might take place, Laura?”
“Maybe tomorrow. Protection for Senator Pembroke and his family needs to be in place before Kelly has a chance to contact Horowitz. We’re dealing with some very nasty people. My hope is that when we cut off the serpent’s head, the rest of the snake will die.”
“Being the bully he is, Tom may give up everyone to save himself,” Ro said disdainfully.
I laughed. “Why, Mrs. Dalton, I am surprised.”
We all laughed because of Ro’s uncharacteristic statement. The tension-breaker felt good. Crawford agreed that Kelly would go belly-up. That set off a buzz of consequences and ramifications, until Crawford refocused our attention.
“Fred told me Friday that the whip and chairman of Appropriations were two others he knew of firsthand that had taken money. He knew there were others, but didn’t give up their names.”
“How will all of this affect your party’s leadership?”
Ro answered, “Anticipating that imminent problem, Laura, a small group of us has met. We are prepared to nominate Harold Raines for majority leader. We’ll work out the rest after that.”
Crawford liked the idea of playing the tape to Kelly and not arresting Pembroke. Michael was all for it. Knowing Reed and Max, I felt we were on firm enough ground in their evidence-gathering to allow the paper to play our Mort/Pembroke edited tape to Kelly.
“Max already has one of Mort’s killers in custody,” I said, “and should have the second one soon. I don’t know how the arrests of the senators will take place. After that stink in the House of Representatives about raiding a congressman’s office, those of us on the outside feel many in Congress think themselves above the law, present company excepted, of course.”
“I’m afraid, Laura, you are more right than you may know,” Ro said somberly.