The Simple Truth

She hung up the phone. Her whole body was tingling with rage from what she had just heard. But then, how many blacks had she known growing up in Carolina? The generations of squatters down the road? Or during harvest time when her father would bring in the part-timers to help? She had watched these men from the porch, sweat soaking the thin fabric of their shirts, their skin growing ever darker under the bite of the sun. She and her mother would bring them lemonade, food. They would mumble their thanks, never making eye contact, eat their meal and toil on into the darkness. Saras school had been all white, despite the string of Supreme Court cases demanding otherwise. These cases were the twentieth century battlefields of racial equality, replacing the Antietams, Gettysburgs and Chickamaugas of the last century. And some would argue with equal futility. And here at the Court there was one black justice, who occupied the so-called Thurgood Marshall seat, and currently one black clerk, out of thirty-six. Many of the justices had never had a minority person clerk for them. What sort of message did that send? At the highest court of justice in the land? As she hurried down the hallway in search of Fiske, Sara wondered if they would ever really find out the truth. If the Army caught up to the Harms brothers before anyone else, the truth might very well die with them. ["C38"]CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Fiske was standing outside his brothers office while Chandler was overseeing the progress of his evidence-collection team under close supervision of the Courts staff counsel. However, with now two dead clerks, concerns over confidentiality had taken a back seat to finding the killer or killers. When they finished with Michael Fiskes office, they would go down the hallway and start on Steven Wrights. Fiske looked over at his brothers office door and then back at Wrights. He did so a couple more times as an idea began to percolate through his head. He went over to Chandler.

Exactly where was Wrights body found?

Chandler flipped open his notebook and started looking through his notes. By the way, I got your car out of impound. Its at my office in a nice, legal parking space.

Thanks for doing that for me.

Dont thank me. With the tow and fine and all, its go

Two hundred bucks? I dont have that kind of money for a lousy parking ticket.

Is that right? Well, maybe I can pull a few strings, you know, do you a favor. But youll have to work it off. I got some painting that needs to be done at my house. Chandler cracked a smile and then stopped leafing through his notes. Okay, here we are. Wright lived about a block from the Eastern Market metro station. His body was found in Garfield Park. Thats at F and Second Streets. Its about a half dozen blocks from the Court.

How did Wright usually get to and from work?

According to several people here, he either walked, took a cab or occasionally the metro.

Was this Garfield Park on his way home?

Chandler tilted his head as he studied his notes. Not really. Normally he wouldve hung a left from Second onto E to go home. He wouldnt have continued on down to the park.

Did he have a dog or anything? Maybe he went home and then took it for a walk in the park.

He did have a dog, but he hadnt been home. At least we dont think he had. And if he was going to walk his dog, Marion Park is a lot closer to his home.

That is strange.

Chandlers eyes narrowed as he thought of something.

But Marion Park has something that Garfield doesnt.

Whats that?

A police substation right across the street.

Whoever killed him might have known that.

The substations not exactly a big secret. We want our presence known there as a deterrent to crime.

Does it look like he was killed at the park, or maybe somewhere else and dumped there?

The grass had blood on it. No shell casings that we found yet, anyway. Shooter probably wouldve used a silencer, unless it was some random robbery. A silencer on a revolver is too tricky. If he used a semiautomatic, then we should find a shell casing unless it was picked up.

Bullet still in the body?

Chandler nodded. Hope we lay our hands on a gun to match it against.

Considering what happened at Mikes apartment, you should probably have someone posted at Wrights.

Gee, now, why didnt I think of that.

Sorry. Any idea when Wright left the Court last night?

Were still checking on that. After regular hours theres only one door open for entering and exiting. That door is constantly guarded and it closes up at 2A.M.After that you need a guard to let you out. You can leave via the garage too, but its also secured. However, Wright didnt drive, so the garage is irrelevant.

Then someone must have seen him leave.

My people are checking with the guards on duty last night.

Doesnt this place have surveillance cameras?

You mean in the courtroom? Chandler asked with a smile. The answer is yes, but not everywhere and unfortunately not along this part of the hallway. But were checking the tapes right now to see if theres anything relevant on them. Chandler sca

Anything in Wrights background helpful?

Chandler shook his head. No skeletons that we found so far. Motive is going to be tough on this one.

But his wallet was missing.

Yeah, I thought about that. A little too convenient.

Like somebody wants to make us think both murders are co

You know, it actually could be some nut with a grudge against the Court.

I believe the murders are co

How do you mean?

If Mike was killed for a reason someone doesnt want us to find out about, then killing another clerk and making it look related would be a great way to divert our attention.

Chandler looked intrigued. So whats therealreason someone killed your brother and is trying to cover it up?

Fiske hesitated again. Keeping the stolen appeal a secret was begi

Other than as a red herring?

Lets say his death might have served a dual purpose.

At that moment Sara joined them, trying very hard to conceal her excitement.

John, can we talk for a minute?

Ms. Evans, Chandler said with a broad smile, I hope your drive to Richmond was pleasant and uneventful.

Lets just say it was different, she said quickly. John, I really need to talk to you.

Can I catch up with you later, Buford?

And you can tell me your theory.

As they walked off together, Chandlers smile faded. He was wondering if he had just lost his unofficial partner to Sara Evans. *����*����* Minutes after Sara had left her office, Justice Knight had stopped by to see her. She started to leave a written message when she saw theChancebench memo with Wrights attached note. She sat down in Saras chair and read the note. After she finished, it suddenly dawned on Knight what she had done. She had instructed Wright to work late, all night if necessary. He had done so, left the building late and someone had killed him. Her precious bench memo. She had never really focused on this chain of events before. A gush of air came out of her lungs so hard it almost choked her. She put the memo down and rushed from the room. A minute later she raced past her astonished staff and locked the door to her office. She looked around the spacious, beautiful room, with even its own fireplace. Here she had sat and contemplated her little strategies, her philosophies of life. And it had cost a young man his life. She threw off her pumps, collapsed in a corner, covered her face and wept. ["C39"]CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE