The Jefferson Key

CASSIOPEIA STROLLED OFF THE ELEVATOR AND INTO THE JEFFERSON’S

lobby. She’d already called down and asked that her motorcycle be brought to the front entrance. She’d valet-parked it on arrival.

Four policeman waited to her left, near the marble statue of Thomas Jefferson that dominated the lobby’s center.

Apparently, this was not to be a subtle encounter.

She casually drifted their way, the click of her boots announcing her presence. Outside, past the glass doors, she spotted three Richmond city police cars. Whoever had attacked Cotton last night had apparently decided to stay in the shadows today and allow the locals to take the heat. She caught a few concerned looks on the faces of guests who milled back and forth, carrying their morning paper, or a briefcase, or navigating a roller bag.

But she ignored them all and assessed the geography.

The lobby was L-shaped and huge. To her left a grand staircase swept down into an atrium lined with what appeared to be marble columns-which she discovered, on closer inspection, were faux-painted. The ceiling reached twenty-plus meters to a stained-glass skylight. Tapestries and Victorian-era furniture added to an Old World feel. At the far side of the two-story atrium she spotted another set of glass exit doors, adjacent to a restaurant.

Her mind worked out a plan.

Could she do it?

Sure.

Plenty of room to maneuver.

HALE ENTERED THE PRISON THAT HAD ONCE ACTED AS A STABLE for the estate’s horses. Stephanie Nelle was confined on the second floor, the traitor on the ground. He’d specifically ordered that they not see each other, much less have an opportunity to speak. He’d initially resisted the urge to come, but he wanted to hear what this man had to say.

The accused sat on a cot and remained seated when Hale appeared. He opted to stand outside the cell and speak through the bars. He’d ordered that the upstairs door be closed and a radio played on the next floor so nothing of their conversation could leak upward.

“What do you want?” he quietly asked.

“There are things you need to know.”

No hint of fear laced the words. This man seemed to be facing his fate with courage. He liked that. His crew was tough. He always laughed at the image of a sailor being conscripted by a pirate ship, forced, kicking and screaming, into unwilling service. In reality, when a captain dropped the word that his ship was “going on the account,” every tavern, brothel, and alleyway buzzed with anticipation. If that captain had been successful on previous voyages, former shipmates were usually first to sign on. Others wanting to join in success came next. Pirating paid well, and men of that time were interested in the most return for their risky investment. None of them wanted to die. All wanted to return to port and enjoy their share of the spoils. Still, a captain had to be cautious in his choices-once the articles were agreed upon and the ship sailed, he could be removed by that crew. Of course, that was no longer the case. Heredity now determined a captain. But there remained risks, and this man was a perfect example.

“I’m here. Talk.”

“I told the NIA about the murder on Adventure. I admit that. They offered me money, so I took it.”

Hale already knew that, but wanted to know, “Are you proud of what you did?”

“I realize this whole company thing is important to you. All for one, one for all, and all that. But let’s face it, you get the cake and we get the crumbs.”

“Those crumbs are far more than anyone else was giving you.”

“They are. But I never really bought into all this.”

Recruitment had always been accomplished by the quartermaster, usually from proven families who’d worked for the Commonwealth. Just as in former times, modern crews were generally ill educated and came from poor to modest backgrounds. But still-

“Is your word not good for anything?” he asked. “You signed the Articles and swore an oath. That means nothing?”

The man shrugged. “I did it for the money. Also, Knox got me out of some bad trouble. I appreciated that. I’m good with metal. So when he offered me a job, I took it.”

“You apparently did not appreciate things enough to keep your word and be loyal.”

“You’re the one who killed that guy on the boat. He was a threat to you. Not me, or any of the others. I betrayed you, not them.”

“Is this what you wanted to say to me?”

He caught the hard look of disgust on the man’s face. “I wanted you to know that I didn’t know a damn thing about any assassination attempt. The first I heard about it was on television, after it happened. Yeah, I worked on the gun in the metal shop and recognized it when I saw it on the news. But we weren’t told a thing about when, or where, it was going to be used. I had no clue, and I didn’t say a word about it to the NIA.”

“You’re a liar and a traitor. Not to be believed.”

The man shrugged. “Suit yourself. But just know that there are two traitors in your precious company, and one of them is still out there.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Two reasons. One, like I said, I never betrayed my friends and they need to know that there’s a spy among them. And two, since there’s no way I’m going to get of here, when it comes time for me to die, I hope you’ll at least be merciful.”