“Thank you.” She wanted to say more but found her tongue to be uncharacteristically tied in knots. After a long, awkward pause, she glanced over at him. “I, um, I appreciate the help you’re giving me with background and insight into the senator’s relationships.”

“Have you spoken to Natalie yet?”

Sam’s brain raced through the various lists of friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. “I haven’t heard of a Natalie. Who is she?”

“Natalie Jordan. She was John’s girlfriend for a couple of years.”

“When?”

Nick thought about that. “I’d say for about two years before he ran for the Senate and maybe a year after he was sworn in.”

“Did it end badly?”

“It ended. I was never sure why. He wouldn’t talk about it.”

“Yet you saw fit to toss her name into a homicide investigation.”

He shrugged. “You were mad I didn’t tell you Chris was in love with him. Natalie was important to him for a long time. In fact, she was the only woman I ever knew of who was truly important to him. I just thought you should know about her.”

“Where is she now?”

“Married to the number-two guy at Justice. I think they live in Alexandria.”

“Did he ever see her?”

“Sometimes they’d run into each other at Democratic Party events in Virginia.”

“Would she still have a key to his apartment?”

“Possibly. They lived together there for the last year or so that they were together.”

“Did you like her?”

Nick rested his head against the back of the seat. “She wasn’t my type, but he seemed happy with her.”

“But did you like her?”

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

“She always struck me as a social climber. We rubbed each other the wrong way—probably because I couldn’t do anything to advance her agenda so she didn’t have much use for me.”

“Knowing he dated someone like that seems contrary to the picture you and others have painted of him. To me, he wouldn’t have had the patience for it.”

“He was dazzled by her. She’s quite…well, if you talk to her, you’ll see what I mean.”

“What do you think of his sister and brother-in-law?”

Nick appeared startled by the question. “Salt of the earth. Both of them.”

“What’s his story? Royce Hamilton?”

“He’s a horse trainer. One of the best there is from what I’ve heard. Lizbeth has been crazy about horses all her life. John always said she and Royce were a match made in heaven.”

“Any financial problems?”

“None that I ever heard of—not that I heard much about them. I saw them at holidays, occasional dinners in Leesburg, fund-raisers here and there, but we don’t travel in the same circles.”

“What circle do they travel in?”