Capital Crimes

15

HELLER WENT INTO the president’s national security briefing with a confidence he had never before felt. He set his briefcase down beside his chair, sat back, and listened to the presentations of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the director of Central Intelligence, and the national security advisor.

“Jim?” the president said finally. “You’re awfully quiet this morning. Do you have anything for us?”

“Yes, I do, Mr. President,” Heller replied, setting his briefcase on his lap and opening it. He handed copies of the documents to the president and the others.

“What’s this?” the president asked.

“It’s a website run by the murderer of Senator Wallace and Van Vandervelt. As you can see, he’s marked off those two, but there are a lot of other candidates whose photographs are displayed.”

“Good God,” Will Lee said. “You think he plans to kill everybody whose picture is here?”

“I think that we have to consider that a possibility,” Heller replied.

“Can you trace this website back to its source?”

“I have a tech consultant working on that right now.” Heller replied. He had told his son he could stay home from school that day.

“I’ll get the NSA working on it, too,” Kate said. “They’ve got more computer firepower than any of US.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, Kate,” Heller said. “We’ll run this down.”

“I want everybody who can help with this working on it,” the president said, “and the NSA seems like a very good idea.”

Heller flushed a little. The president was obviously covering his ass with his wife. “As you wish, Mr. President.”

“Jim, I’m sure it has occurred to you that the existence of this website could benefit us.”

“How do you mean, Mr. President?”

“Well, first of all, it gives us a possible opportunity to locate the killer. You got that, didn’t you?”

“Yes, sir,” Heller said, reddening even more.

“And second, it gives us a list of possible targets, if he should strike again. I mean, the speaker of the House is on this list, for God’s sake!”

“Yes, sir, I understand that.”

“Well, you’re going to have to arrange some protection for these people, aren’t you?”

“Protection?”

“Jim, the killer has given you a list of people he wants to kill. If you fail to protect them and more are killed, well, the public is going to want your head. Not to mention the Congress.”

Heller gulped.

“I’ll speak to the head of the Secret Service about getting you some help. I want the two of you to coordinate personal protection for everyone on this list.”

“Yes, Mr. President. I’ll speak to him this morning.”

“And the next time you have new information about these killings, bring along that fellow you told me about-your deputy- what’s his name?”

Heller had to think for a moment. “Kinney, sir?”

“Yes, Robert Kinney. I want to meet the man.”

“Well, sir, he’s pretty busy right now.”

The president took off his reading glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. “I’ll try not to take up too much of his time, Jim.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Unless anyone else has something, we’ll adjourn,” the president said.

The group stood as one and walked toward the door.

“Oh, Jim,” the president said, “I think we’d better keep the existence of this website quiet for the moment-at least until we have protection for these people in place.”

Heller winced. “Ah, Mr. President, I’m afraid…” He stopped.

“Jim, have you already released this to the press?”

Heller whipped out his cell phone. “I’ll cancel the press release,” he said, and he kept walking, not waiting for the president’s response.

BOB KINNEY LOOKED at the material his secretary had just handed him.

“I got it from the director’s secretary,” Helen said. “It’s already gone out.”

Kinney groaned. The phone on his desk rang, and Helen picked it up.

“Deputy Director Kinney’s office,” she said. She listened then pressed the hold button. “It’s the director,” she said, handing Kinney the phone.

“Yes?” Kinney said into the phone.

“Good morning, Bob,” Heller said. He sounded as if he were on a cell phone.

“Good morning, Director.”

“I’ve got some great news.”

“I’ve just seen it. Did you really release this to the press?”

“I’ve put out word to cancel the release.”

“Good.”

“Now, Bob, I want you to call Ed Levy at the Secret Service and coordinate protection for all the people whose pictures are on that website.”

“I’m sorry, sir, but my function on this case is to supervise the investigation, not to guard bodies. I believe you want to speak to personnel about that. Good morning, sir.” He hung up.

Helen, who had been listening on an extension, hung up, too. “Are you trying to hurry along your retirement?” she asked Kinney.

“Helen, I don’t much care if he fires me or not, and I’ve already told him that. Until he does, I’m going to run this case as I see fit, and I’m not going to be sidetracked by having to round up two hundred agents to act as bodyguards for”-he ran his finger down the rows of photographs-“conservative columnists and TV preachers.”

“As you wish.”

“He said he’d canceled the press release.”

“He was too late. It had already been emailed to the whole media list.”

“Where the hell did he come up with this website?” Kinney asked. “Who told him about it?”

“His fifteen-year-old son,” Helen replied. “He’s apparently a computer whiz.”

Kinny began to laugh; he couldn’t help himself. Helen laughed, too.