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"I’ie says, "and I can’t believe this, especially since our last lunch got interrupted, but I have to get to the Capitol now" She flags doaitress "Do you want to stay and take a taxi service, or get your food to go and ride back with et naked with Mike before the Capitol is what she really o on ahead"

"You’re sure?"

"Of course"

"Okay then" She stands and puts on her coat "The bill is paid and dessert is on the house" I blink and she’s gone Feeling like I have whiplash, and with a whole lot of dread at whatdown our waitress and arrange a cab Once I’ve tipped her well, she steps away and aze catches on the headlines on one of the TVs,what I think I see I rush closer to the screen and read the headline: WIFE OF BRODY MATTHEWS COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER HIS TRAGIC DEATH IN A CAR ACCIDENT LAST NIGHT This is insanity I dial Shane and I get his voiceand I pull upout the address Again, I get Shane’s voicethere isthat somehow, some way, Shane is connected That terrifies me

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

SHANE

After Emily leaves for lunch withto wait on soh every piece of data I can find on Mike Rogers I’m an hour into my research when Jessica walks into ainst it "Brody’s estranged wife coic I talked to that o still, ice splintering a path down my spine "How do you know this?" I ask cautiously, aware that ed, and that Jessica has no real clue what is going on

"I went downstairs to get lunch, and the TV was on It’s all over the news She’s dead"

"How?"

"They haven’t said or I didn’t hear"

My intercooes off, and Seth’s voice fills the air "I’o," Jessica says, opening the door to leave Seth appears, shutting us inside, and without saying a word, he removes an electronic box with antennas fro the office Al sound leads him to a bookshelf where he removes a book, opens it, and then shows me a tiny chip He continues his scan and ends up at my desk, focused on my stapler, which he proceeds to open and remove yet another chip The final stop is at the bottom of my chair I step back and watch as he re device, and then pulls a bottle of water fro objects inside He screws the top on and drops it in oes quiet

He rests his hands on the desk "Did you hear about Brody’s wife?"

"Yes," I confirrimly "I heard How did she die?"

"A bottle of aspirin and slit wrists," he says "So sure she didn’t survive"

"Murder?"