D.C. Dead (Stone Barrington 22)

“I see.”

“And Charlotte inherited her sister’s share of her father’s estate, which amounted to a couple of million bucks.”

“She gets more and more interesting, doesn’t she?”

“I was interested before, remember?”

“This time, let’s not make an appointment. Let’s just show up.”

37

THEY ARRIVED AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND STONE TOLD THE receptionist that they were there to see Fair Sutherlin. Two minutes later, as he had hoped, Charlotte Kirby appeared.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “but Ms. Sutherlin wasn’t expecting you. She just left for a meeting at the State Department.”

“Then we’ll settle for speaking with you, Ms. Kirby,” Stone said. “Since Fair’s office is not in use, we can talk in there.”

“I’m not sure—”

“Ms. Kirby, you should know by now that we have the run of the White House.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Oh, all right. Follow me.”

Stone and Dino fell in behind her, and as they walked down the hall, Stone said quietly to Dino, “Do you think she’s Brix Kendrick’s type?”

“I don’t think Brix had a type,” Dino replied. “Or if he did, it included most of the female gender.”

Kirby ushered them into Fair’s office and closed the door behind them. “Now,” she said, “what can I do for you?”

“You can have a seat,” Stone said, indicating the sofa. He and Dino took chairs opposite.

“What is this about?”

“The same thing it was about the last time we talked,” Stone said, “except we did most of the talking, and you were reluctant to answer.”

“I don’t know anything you want to know,” she said.

“On the contrary,” Stone replied, “you know just about everything we want to know, but don’t want to tell us.”

“You knew about each and every one of Brix Kendrick’s affairs, didn’t you?” Dino said.

She looked alarmed, but said nothing.

“Ms. Kirby,” Dino said, “if you continue to obstruct our investigation, the president is going to hear about it, then Ms. Sutherlin is going to hear about it, and then you’re going to find yourself working in a government basement somewhere, if you’re still employed at all.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Dino handed her a box of tissues from Fair’s desk. “Let’s start at the beginning,” he said. “When did you first meet Brix Kendrick?”

“Two years ago,” she said. “At a White House staff party. I was working for the director of the General Services Administration, and Mr. Kendrick needed someone with my experience in government.”

“And when did you come to work for him?”

“A few weeks after meeting him.”

“And when did the two of you first have sex?”

The tears came again. “The night we met,” she said.