Mac pulled into the parking lot of the Cleveland Grille. Lich had suggested an early breakfast. The Cleveland was a greasy spoon if there ever was one. Breakfasts were fattening and the coffee thick. It had classic seventies decor with vinyl booths, butt-ugly yellow-and-brown wallpaper, and a speckled tile floor. It was a total design disaster. It was also the best place in town to get breakfast. Mac loved the Cleveland Grille breakfast burrito. It was guaranteed to make lunch unnecessary.
When he walked in, Mac saw a couple of uniforms at the counter getting a cup of coffee to go. They nodded and smiled. Odd smiles?
Mac found Lich in a back corner booth, reading the Pioneer Press with a cup of coffee in front of him. “Mornin’, Dick.”
“Good morning to you.” Lich looked up and smiled, a shit-eating grin. “So… tell me… how’s Sally Kennedy?”
So that’s why the odd smiles when he walked in. Mac rolled his eyes. “Christ, that didn’t take long.” He looked back to find the uniform cops laughing. Cripes.
“Word is you two talked for quite a while last night.”
“Yeah, we talked, about the case.”
“Riiiiiight.”
“Whatever.”
“Hey, don’t get defensive.” Lich took a sip of coffee. “I was glad to hear it. Get back on the horse, son. You can’t sulk about your divorce forever. It’s over and done with. Your ex was a bitch anyway,” Lich reasoned. “I’m secure in my masculinity, so I can say this-you’re a good-looking guy, Mac. Get out there and get yourself a little. Sally Kennedy? She’s a damn fine lookin’ woman. Have at it.”
“I need to stop sulking? You bitch about your divorce all the time.”
“About the financial aspects, sure. The bitch cleaned me out. But I’m better off without her.”
Just then their waitress appeared. She was a late forty-something named Dot. She wasn’t the prettiest woman in the world, but her ample bosom flowed out of her top that was two sizes too small. She looked at Mac, and then gave a big smile to Lich. No wonder they were here.
“What can I get you, detectives?” Dot asked.
Lich went first, “Dot, honey, I’ll have my usual.”
“And you, detective?” Her smile remained but turned businesslike.
Dot, honey, I’ll have my usual? Mac gave a long look at Lich and smiled, and then looked up to Dot. “I’ll have a CG burrito, an orange juice, and a cup of coffee.”
“Coming right up.” Dot replied. She gave Lich another smile and walked away.
Mac didn’t say anything right away. Instead he grabbed the sports section, checking out the latest on the Vikings. Dot came right back with the coffee and juice. Mac looked over his paper and saw Dot refill Lich’s cup, giving him another very pointed smile and a, “Let me know if you need anything else?” It wasn’t directed at Mac.
Mac kept reading for about another minute, then said, “So, you seen her tits yet?”
Lich let out a rueful laugh, “Not yet, but rest assured, young man, I’m working on it.”
Mac cackled. Maybe Lich was right. If at fifty-two, or whatever his age was, he was getting back after it, maybe he needed to as well.
They talked about the case a little, deciding what they were going to be doing for the day. The autopsy report would be ready. Then they would canvass the neighborhood some more and try to catch up with some people they missed. And of course, they would find out what they were going to be doing about the senator.
Mac finished his breakfast and paid his tab. He left Lich behind so he could make some time with Dot.
Viper awoke at 8:00 a.m. refreshed. Eleven hours of sleep would do that for a person. The boss wanted him at his house by 10:00 a.m. to discuss the status of the Daniels matter as well as a few other things. He imagined the boss was working his contacts to see where the police were at with the case.
The drive out took forty minutes. Viper didn’t mind. He owned a Corvette, and he was running out of days to drive it. Soon snow would fall, and Viper would have to break out his Land Rover.
The boss lived on Lake Minnetonka, twenty miles west of Minneapolis. Lake Minnetonka, or “The Lake” as residents who lived out that way called it, was prime home land for Minnesota’s elite. The lakeshore held some of the most valuable real estate in the Twin Cities. The boss’s house was on a three-acre, pie-shaped lot with three hundred feet of shoreline. The house was an impressive three-story mansion overlooking a tennis court, pool, and, of course, the lake. There was a long, winding driveway from the main road, which circled in front of the house. To the side of the house was an area for guest parking. Viper pulled the Vette into a guest spot and headed inside. A housekeeper took his coat and directed him up to the third-floor study.
The boss was on the phone. He waved Viper in and pointed towards a table containing refreshments and rolls. Viper poured himself a cup of coffee, grabbed a croissant and walked over to the window. The office offered an impressive view, looking out over a large lawn to the lake. It was even more impressive in the summer when the boats were out. Now, everything was buttoned up for the coming winter.
He heard the phone hang up, and Viper turned to see the boss head towards the coffee table and pour himself a cup. “Come sit,” he directed.
They engaged in idle chitchat for a few minutes, and then got down to business.
“So, what does your contact have to say?” Viper asked.
“Well, I have several contacts.”
“Yes, sir, but you know what I mean.” The boss liked it when Viper had to drag information out of him.
“My source confirms that they have zeroed in on the senator. They have Hernandez and a statement with the senator leaving around 1:30 a.m.”
“Anything else?” Viper asked.
“Well, as luck would have it, a neighbor has also given a statement that a couple of nights before the murder he saw the senator leaving Ms. Daniels’ place at a similar time, so that’s a break for us, don’t you think?”
“I do,” said Viper, smiling. “Will the police be bringing in the senator?”
“Yes, but they want to keep it quiet.” the boss replied, taking a long sip of his coffee.
“When?” Viper asked.
The boss nodded. “That’s a good question. My source indicates they’ll be contacting the senator soon to request that he come sit down with the detectives investigating the matter.”
“Do we think he’ll come in voluntarily?”
“I suspect so.”
“Why?” Viper, not sure he agreed.
“He won’t want to draw unnecessary media attention,” the boss replied, buttering another croissant. “After all, he didn’t do it. He’s going to want to say that.” He poured himself another cup of coffee. “He looks better if he comes in on his own. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he contacts them first.”
Viper thought about that for a moment, seeing the boss’s point. “If we assume they’ll keep their interview with him quiet, they won’t bring him downtown.”
The boss agreed, “No, a meeting outside the Department of Public Safety Building would allow him to fly below the radar.”
“The senator definitely doesn’t want the media on this,” Viper agreed.
The boss paused for a moment, “So, it would be rather unfortunate for him if the media were to find out about his involvement now, wouldn’t it?”
Viper looked at the boss, catching his drift, “Yes, it would now, wouldn’t it?”
Mac and Lich met with Linda Morgan. The autopsy determined that Daniels was strangled as they already knew. She’d also had sex prior to death. They had semen, which had been sent out for DNA testing. Then they would have to match it up. Mac and Lich suspected it belonged to the senator. Time of death remained between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m.
Forensics had found no further evidence of forced entry, Morgan reported. The key under the front door mat had two good finger prints, a thumb and index finger. The prints were not Daniels’. Crime Scene had also found two sets of fingerprints in the bedroom. One set was Daniels’ and the other set matched those on the key. The D.A. was still working on getting the senator’s prints. Only Daniels’ prints were found on the backdoor.
Mac was most concerned with the time-of-death issue. He’d seen it picked apart in court on more than one occasion.
“How solid are we on the time of death?” Mac asked.
“It looks good,” Morgan answered. “We got to her fairly quickly after death. The conditions in her condo were good for preserving her body.” Linda considered her answer further, “Is exact time of death important?”
“Maybe,” Mac replied neutrally. They talked for a few more minutes, and then Lich and McRyan headed up for their meeting with the chief.
Chief Flanagan’s secretary saw them coming and said, “Go on in, but he’s on a call.” The chief saw them walk in and waved them towards the couch, the phone still pressed to his ear. The leather chairs from in front of the desk had been moved over to the other side of the coffee table and were across from the couch. There was a pot of coffee and some Styrofoam coffee cups waiting for them. Lich poured himself a cup and one for Mac. Mac took his cup and walked around the table and sat down on the end of the couch. He mixed in some cream and sugar and stirred it with a pink straw. Just then, Helen Anderson and Sally Kennedy came in.
Sally passed on coffee, having brought a bottle of Aquafina with her. She sat down on the other end of the couch and greeted Mac. “Good morning, detective.”
“Mornin’, counselor.”
It was Lich’s turn to stifle a laugh and a grin. He could just hear Lich asking, “Seen her tits yet?” Not that Mac had tried, he barely knew Kennedy, although Lich’s reprimand about getting back in the game had him suddenly thinking about her. Her red hair was up again, and she had the stylish glasses back. She looked good in a form-fitting gray-plaid skirt suit, white silk blouse, and heels.
The chief hung up the phone and sauntered on over to the group, grabbing one of the leather chairs. His coat was already off, sleeves rolled up. He quickly poured himself a cup of coffee. “Peters should be here in a minute. We’ll get started then.”
The group engaged in some brief discussion about the upcoming Vikes game. Packer week would do that. Anderson, a Packer fan, was predicting a tough day for the Purple at Lambeau.
After a couple of minutes, Peters came in and quickly grabbed the last chair and poured a cup of coffee.
The chief looked at Mac, “So what’s the scoop?”
Mac spent the next few minutes giving everyone the run down on the autopsy report and discussions with forensics. The last topic discussed was the lack of any evidence of forced entry. It had everyone focusing on the senator.
“Well that last phone call was with Lyman Hisle,” the chief stated. “Can anyone guess who his client might be?”
Mac smiled. He knew Lyman well, knew he didn’t represent just anybody, “A certain U.S. senator who just might be implicated in the death of a prominent local television reporter?”
“I see that U of M education didn’t go to waste,” Flanagan replied, smiling.
Sally jumped in, “So, what did he have to say?”
“Oh, that his client, the esteemed senior senator from the state of Minnesota is guilty. So, in an effort to avoid inconveniencing anyone and wasting hard-earned tax dollars he was elected to protect, what would be the best time for him to turn himself in and save us all the time and effort of a lengthy drawn out jury trial?” Lich replied wryly, causing everyone to have a good laugh.
“No, Dick, although, Lord knows, we could use it,” said the chief, still chuckling.
Anderson got everyone back on track. “So, what did he have to say?”
“He said his client had some information. That, since we might run across him as part of the investigation, he thought it’d be a good idea to get together,” the chief replied.
“When?” asked Mac.
“They’d like to do it tomorrow afternoon, 1:00 p.m., at Lyman’s house in Stillwater.”
“Why out there?” asked Anderson.
“My guess,” replied Sally, “is that he wants to keep a low profile. No media attention. If the senator shows down here at the Public Safety Building, the media’ll see him and wonder why he’s here.”
“Seems to make sense,” Peters piped in.
“Yeah, not to mention, if he’s trying to keep it from his wife, better if it’s not at a hotel, the airport, or even at this condo, where it might look odd if the police showed up to meet with him,” said Mac.
“Exactly,” said Flanagan.
“Will we grant their request?” Sally inquired.
“Yes,” replied the chief. “We play this one close to the vest for now.”
“Agreed,” replied Anderson, surprising everyone. “We keep it quiet. We don’t want to compromise the prosecution.”
“Good,” Flanagan replied. “We’re all on the same page. Mac and Dick, I want you guys to work with Ms. Kennedy to prep for tomorrow’s interview with the senator. She may give you some insight as to what Lyman will do. He’s apt to have a trick or two up his sleeve, and we may only get one shot at the senator before Lyman intercedes and says, ‘Prove it.’ So let’s be ready,” Flanagan said sternly. “And I want the prep work done outside the building, preferably after hours. I don’t want any attention drawn to this.” Chief Flanagan looked at Anderson, “Helen, I assume that’s okay with you?”
Anderson nodded her agreement. The chief continued, “You guys figure it out, but I don’t want you seen meeting around here. People’ll talk, think we have something solid. I told Hisle we’d keep the meeting quiet, at least for the time being. So, nobody in this room talks about this with the media or anyone else.” Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Mac? Green and Clark-do they know about the senator?” the chief asked Mac.
“Yes. They interviewed the neighbor John Chase first.”
“This comes from me-they don’t talk.”
“I’ll convey that message, sir.” Mac didn’t need to worry about those two, and the chief knew it, but he was covering all the bases.
“Dick?”
With his hands up, Lich replied, “I know, I know.”
“Okay then. You two and Ms. Kennedy here figure out what you’re going to do. And, Mac, you and Lich let me or Peters know if anything develops today.”
With that, the meeting ended. Mac, Lich, and Sally walked to the elevator.
“So, how do you guys want to do this?” Sally asked.
“My place is up on Summit, close to downtown,” Mac said. “Let’s all meet there at 7:00 p.m. I’ll order pizza.” Lich knew where Mac lived, but Kennedy needed directions.
“Sounds good,” replied Kennedy “I’ll see you guys then.”
Mac and Lich got off on the second floor, heading to their desks. Kennedy continued onto the main level. Her office at the Ramsey County Courthouse was a five-block walk away.
After they got off the elevator, Lich let out a disappointing sigh.
“What’s up?” asked Mac.
“Tonight.”
“What about it?”
“Well, I got a date with Dot. You know, that waitress with the majorleague cantaloupes.”
Mac smiled, “Dicky boy, Dicky boy, what time?”
“Seven.”
Mac thought for a moment. He wasn’t even sure they really needed to meet with Sally yet, although she likely would have some insight on dealing with a shark like Lyman. The interview wouldn’t be much different than any other, and Lich was actually pretty good on interviews. Lich didn’t need to be there. “Look, we’re going out to Hisle’s place tomorrow afternoon, so we’ll have time to talk in the morning, so go ahead.”
“You sure?” asked Lich.
“Yeah, but I reserve the right to ask for details, at least about Dot. I can do without details about you.”
Lich chuckled. “Thanks, man.”
Mac took another look at Lich. He was wearing a brown suit, beat-up black lace-ups, and a faded yellow shirt with a brown-and-tan striped tie. It was not an impressive ensemble. “What’re you wearing tonight?”
“Hell if I know.”
“Promise me it’s not what you have on now?”
“What’s wrong with this?” Lich said, looking down at himself nonplused.
Mac rolled his eyes, shook his head and kept walking, leaving Lich behind to examine his reflection in an office window.