“Do you think Natalie continued to see John after you were married?”

“We ran into him quite frequently. I’ve told you that.”

“I don’t mean in public.”

Sam watched as her meaning dawned on him.

“You’re not suggesting…”

“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just asking.”

“If she’d been seeing him, it’s certainly without my knowledge.” He took a long sip of whiskey, and Sam noticed a slight tremble in his hand.

“Do you think there’s any way she killed him?”

“I’d like to say no way, but I honestly don’t know anymore what she’s capable of. I used to think I knew her. All I can say is she’s been genuinely distraught since we heard he was dead. No doubt she’s more upset than she would’ve been if it had been me who’d been murdered. And I’m the one who actually married her.”

“Do you know about her ex-boyfriend who died in Hawaii?”

He nodded. “Brad. She’s had more than her share of heartbreak, that’s for sure.”

Sam stood up. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you, but I appreciate your candor. I’ll have someone contact you in the morning about the polygraph.”

At the door, Noel said, “I didn’t kill him, Sergeant. But it doesn’t break my heart that someone else did.”

“I know you’re dying to tell me what you think,” Sam said as they crossed the 14th Street Bridge on the way back to Capitol Hill.

“I was told to be quiet.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Nick. That’s the last thing I need right now.”

“I don’t want that, either. But you’re asking a lot expecting me not to worry about you. He tried to blow you up.”

“We’re both kind of raw today,” she said, reaching for his hand. “I really do want your impression of Noel.”

“So you value my opinion?”

“Yes!”

Laughing, he curled his fingers around hers.

Right away, Sam felt better.

“He didn’t do it,” Nick said, “but he’s not a hundred percent certain that she didn’t.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“I still say she’s the one. She wanted John, he rejected her and she’s never gotten over that.”

“So why now? What sent her over the edge?”

“Maybe she didn’t want to see him get the big win with the immigration bill.”

“Why would she care about that? I keep coming back to that, to the timing of it all on the eve of that vote. Why then?”

“I can’t see how the bill would have any impact whatsoever on Natalie,” Nick said.

“Maybe the bill has nothing at all to do with his murder.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Yeah,” Sam said, staring out the window. “Me, too.”

Chapter 28