“What does your own family think of that?”

They hadn’t taken the time to compare life stories the first time they met. They’d been too busy tearing each other’s clothes off. “I don’t have much of a family. I was born to parents who were still in high school and was raised by my grandmother. She passed away a few years ago.”

“What about your parents?”

“They breezed in and out of my life when I was a kid.”

“And now?”

“Let’s see, my mother is married for the third time and was living in Cleveland the last time I heard from her, which was a couple of years ago. My father is married to a woman who’s younger than me, and they have three-year-old twins. He lives in Baltimore. I see them once in a while, but he’s hardly a father to me. He’s only fifteen years older than me.”

Her silence made him realize she was waiting for him to say more.

“I remember the first weekend I spent with the O’Connors. I thought families like theirs only existed on TV.”

“They always seemed almost too good to be true.”

“They’re not, though. They’re real people with real faults and problems, but they have such a strong belief in giving back and in public service that it’s impossible to be around them for any length of time and not be sucked in. They changed my whole career plan.”

“What were you going to do?”

“I’d considered accounting or finance, but after a few meals at Graham O’Connor’s table, I was bitten by the political bug.”

“What’s he like? Graham?”

“He’s complicated and thoughtful and demanding. He loves his family and his country. He’s fiercely patriotic and loyal.”

“You love him.”

“More than any man I’ve ever known—except his son.”

“Tell me about John.”

Nick thought for a moment before he answered. “If his father is complicated, thoughtful and demanding, John was simple, forgetful and lackadaisical. But like his father, he loved his family and his country and was proud to serve the people of Virginia. He took those responsibilities seriously but didn’t take himself too seriously.”

“Did you like working for him?”

“I liked being around him and helping him to succeed. But from a political staff perspective, he could be a bit of a handful.”

“How so?”

Nick paused, considered and decided. “Right now, my chief goal is to protect his legacy and ensure he’s afforded the dignity and stature he deserves as a deceased United States senator.”

“And my goal is to figure out who killed him. If I’m going to do that, I’ll need you and the rest of your staff to be forthcoming. I can do it faster and more efficiently with your help than without it. I need to know who he was.”