She may have been defensive, but she definitely wasn’t stupid. This case could easily turn into a PR nightmare, for exactly the reasons she was describing. Still, I wasn’t here to debate. I had my own agenda.

“I’m going to need a list of all your vendors, advertisers, donors, and staff,” I told her.

“That’s not going to happen,” she said right away.

“I’m afraid so. We can wait for the U.S. attorney to process the affidavit, and then for the judge to sign off on a subpoena, and the officer to get it over here. Or I can be out of your hair in about five minutes. Didn’t you say something about having a full plate?”

She gave me a glare as she twisted the last of her cigarette ash out the window and pocketed the butt. “It’s not like most of these people have regular addresses,” she said. “You’re never going to find them all.”

I shrugged. “All the more reason I have to get started right away.”

Chapter 43

I STEPPED OUTSIDE of the churchyard about fifteen minutes later and saw a whole throng of press parked up and down the block.

Then I saw Max Siegel. His back anyway.

He was talking to a dozen or more reporters, blocking the sidewalk and running his mouth.

“Our Cyber Unit’s tracking every possible channel,” he was saying as I came up closer, “but we’re inclined to believe what this appears to be, which is a case of a stolen laptop.”

“Excuse me, Agent Siegel?” He and everyone else turned, until I had a face full of microphones and cameras. “Could I have a word, please?”

Siegel grinned from ear to ear. “Of course,” he said. “Excuse me, everyone.”

I walked back into the churchyard and waited for him to follow. It was at least a little more private.

“What is it, Cross?” he said, coming over.

I turned my back to the press and kept my voice down. “You need to be more careful about who you’re talking to.”

“Meaning what, exactly?” he said. “I don’t follow.”

“Meaning, I know Washington better than you do, and I know half of those people out on the curb. Stu Collins? He wants to be the next Woodward and Bernstein, and he’s got everything but the talent to do it. He will misquote you. And Shelly What’shername, with the big red mike? Slams the Bureau every chance she gets. We’ve had one leak we can’t afford already. I don’t want to run the risk of another, do you?”

He looked at me as if I’d been speaking Swahili. And then I realized something else.

“Oh Jesus. Please tell me you’re not the one who talked to the press about those vehicles in Woodley Park.” I stared at him. “Tell me I’m wrong, Siegel.”