“Until we determine otherwise, everyone is. Your whereabouts?”

“I was here,” she stammered. “With my husband.”

“His name?”

“Noel Jordan.”

“And where might we find him to confirm this?”

“He’s the special assistant attorney general at Justice.” She rattled off an address in the city. “He’s at work right now.”

With the wave of her hand to encompass the room, Sam said, “Swanky digs for a guy on a government salary.”

“His family has…they’re wealthy.”

“Can you tell me the nature of your relationship with Senator O’Connor?”

Hands twisting in her lap, Natalie said, “We were involved, romantically, for just over three years.”

“And it ended when?”

“About four years ago,” she sighed. “A year or so after he was elected.”

“Were you in love with him?”

“Very much so,” she said with a wistful expression that had Sam speculating that Natalie’s feelings for the senator remained intact.

“Why did the relationship end?”

“I wanted to get married. He didn’t.” She shrugged. “We argued about it. Several times. After one particularly nasty disagreement, he said our relationship had run its course and we should think about seeing other people.”

“And how did you feel about that?”

“Devastated and shocked. I loved him. I wanted to spend my life with him. I had no idea he was that unhappy.”

“Did he love you?”

“He said he did, but there was always something…off, I guess you could say. I was never entirely convinced he loved me the same way I loved him.”

“Must’ve pissed you off to get dumped by the guy you’d planned to marry.”

Raw blue eyes flashed with emotion. “I was too crushed to be pissed, Sergeant. And if you’re wondering if I killed him, I can assure you I didn’t. In fact, I was quite certain I was over him until I heard he was dead.” Tears suddenly spilled down her porcelain cheeks. She wiped at them with a practiced gesture that indicated she’d done a lot of crying in the last few days. “Since then, I can’t seem to turn off the waterworks.” Pausing for a moment, she added, “I have a nice life now with a man I adore, a man who’s good to me. I’d have nothing to gain by harming John.”

“Do you still have a key to the senator’s apartment at the Watergate?”

“I, um, I don’t know.” She appeared genuinely perplexed. “I might.”

“So you had one when you were dating?”

“I lived with him there for the last year or so of our relationship.” Red blotches formed on her cheeks. “I don’t recall giving the key back to him when I moved out.”

“I need to ask you something of a personal nature, and I apologize in advance if it offends you.”