the details

Fine, understood. We were talking theories."

"One side has him kidnapped to throw the election their way. From what I can gather, Bruno's constituency might have been enough to swing the vote if he either withheld his support from or threw it to another party."

"Look, I really don't buy that a major political party kidnapped Bruno. Maybe in another country, but not here."

"Agreed. It's pretty far–fetched."

King sipped his tea and said, "So let's get back to more conventional malfeasance, shall we?"

"They kidnapped him for money, and the ransom demand will be forthcoming."

"Or a gang he wreaked havoc on when he was a prosecutor took him."

"If so, we'll probably never find the body."

"Any likely suspects on that?"

Joan shook her head. "I thought there would be, but actually no. The three worst organizations he helped break up have no active members on the outside. He did prosecute some local gangs in Philly after he left D.C., but they tended to operate within a two–block radius with little sophistication beyond guns, knives and cell phones. They wouldn't have had the brains or resources to snatch Bruno right out from under the Secret Service."

"Okay, we rule out enemies from when he was a prosecutor and those for political gain, and we have left pure financial motivation. Was he worth enough to take that risk?"

"By himself, no. As I said before, his wife's family has money, but they're not Rockefellers either.

They could pay a million dollars but not more than that."

"Well, it sounds like a lot, but a million bucks just doesn't go as far as it used to."

"Oh, how I'd love to find out," said Joan. She glanced at her file. "Bruno's political party has funds, but still, there are lots of other targets with far bigger payoffs."

"And ones that don't have the Secret Service guarding them."

"Exactly. It's like whoever took Bruno did it for —"

King broke in. "For the challenge? To show they could beat the Secret Service?"

"Yes."

"They must have had inside info. Somebody on Bruno's staff."

"I've got some possibilities. We'll have to check them out."

"Great. But right now I'm going to grab a quick shower."

"I guess exploring your past is a dirty business," she said dryly.

"Boy, it sure can be," he shot back as he walked up the stairs.

She called after him. "Are you sure you want to leave me alone? I might hide a nuclear bomb in your sock drawer and get you into real trouble."

King went to his bedroom, flipped on the bathroom light, turned on the shower and started brushing his teeth. He turned to close the door, lest Joan get any weird ideas.

As he put his hand on the door and gave it a push, he sensed it was heavier than it should be.

Far heavier, as though it had been weighted down with something. His adrenaline instantly surging, he eased it open with his hand and as it swung by, peered around curiously. The door's momentum, together with its increased weight, caused it to come around and close firmly. He didn't even hear the smack of the door against the jamb. His focus was entirely on the source of the extra weight.

He'd seen a lot of unsettling things in his life. Yet the sight of the Wrightsburg socialite and his former client Susan Whitehead hanging on the back of his bathroom door, her dead eyes staring at him, a large knife plunged right through her chest, almost dropped him to the floor.