“We had lunch with him the day he got to town. He was so excited about the nomination—nervous about the hearings, of course, but mostly excited. We said later that he seemed truly happy for the first time in a long time.”

“Did either of your parents know you had seen him?”

“We told our dad,” Austin said.

“Did you know Julian’s friend, Duncan Quick?” Sam asked.

“Yes, we knew him quite well. Julian had been really down since they broke up, but the nomination seemed to have lifted his spirits.”

“I understand from talking to your parents that your father and uncle had been estranged for a number of years,” Sam said.

“Since we were young,” Austin said. “We’d always been very close with him, spent a lot of time at his house, went on trips. But that all ended after my mother saw him with Duncan.”

“She totally freaked,” Devon added. “We didn’t see him again for years—until we were adults and could make our own decisions.”

“Did you know the reason for the estrangement?” Jeannie asked.

Austin glanced at his brother. “We had our suspicions. We knew Julian was gay and that our mother didn’t approve. It’s not that she’s a bad person.”

“She has strong views,” Devon said. “She’s worked really hard for the career she has.”

“And an openly gay brother-in-law on the Supreme Court might not help her ambitions,” Sam said.

“While we don’t necessarily agree with her, we admire her tenacity,” Devon said, sounding more like a sound bite than a son.

“Was your mother ambitious enough to kill your uncle to keep the family’s dirty little secret in the closet?” she asked.

Both men blanched.

“Kill him?” Austin asked, his eyes wide. “She’s a deeply spiritual person. She could never harm anyone.”

“Were her ambitions more important than the two of you or your father?”

“Of course not,” Devon said, but Sam detected a note of hesitation. “She’s very devoted to her family.”

“How would you describe your parents’ marriage?” Sam asked.

“Loving,” Austin said. “They’re the best of friends.”

“Would you say that your mother is in charge, though?”

“What does this have to do with Julian?” Devon asked.

“We’re trying to determine what role, if any, the estrangement with your parents might’ve played in your uncle’s death,” Jeannie said. “This information helps us to paint a picture.”

After a long pause, Austin said, “My mom was in charge when we were at home. I can’t really say how it is between them now. She’s pursued the goal of writing her book and having her own show for many years. It’s taken a lot of her time.”

“Is she a conservative Christian?” Jeannie asked.