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Ben ignored the brick-and-wood house set back in the woods "Even if you yelled, the neighbors wouldn’t hear you It feels like we’re in the sticks somewhere, not in a corner of Chevy Chase"

Ben and Callie clih the snow-covered sidewalk toward the front door, still ignoring the reporters By the time they were halfway up the walk, the reporters had sware, held it high, waved it in their faces, and shouted, "We have no comment at this time We don’t have any news for you"

The snow had thickened a bit Callie kept her head down, hoping none of the reporters would recognize her

It was not to be "Hey, Markha here? I know Justice Califano was your uncle or soo in with the cop?"

"Hey, sorry, Markham, but can you tell us--"

"What idiots," she said under her breath, but at least two reporters caught her words She continued to ignore all of them as best she could, just as Detective Raven did The er in her face for the siave them all a look that could kill That backed them up a foot, but no un?"

"Doesn’t work I tried it once, but as I recall, they laughed at me You don’t make a threat unless you can back it up That’s what my dad always said"

"Your dad was a cop?"

"Oh yeah Now he’s private He’s a riot, finds hu with a real badass, but he told uy broke out in hives whenever he visited his mother He’s very successful My father, not the badass"

She blinked up at him and smiled, despite herself She tuned out the reporters’ yells behind thehter, too, when my dad was alive You’re lucky, Ben"

"That depends Hoould you like to have four siblings, all of them older than you, all of the to set you up with blind dates? I’ve had dreahed "None of us are ever satisfied e’ve got Like you’ve got this slight curl in your hair that’s real sexy, and you wear it a little on the long side that ht-as-a-board hair--"

His hair was sexy? Because he wore it too long? "I suppose you’re fishing for a compliment, aren’t you? However, since you’re perfectly able to see yourself in a mirror and knoell, never "

A TV reporter who’d had to wait for his cameraman to catch up to him yelled, "Hey, Callie, how do you feel about your stepfather being murdered in the Supreme Court?"

Callie stopped in her tracks "That’s just too much" She took a step toward the reporter, ready to do battle

Ben grabbed her arm, said close to her ear, "Just be quiet You’re already a story to thenore them, keep your head down In athe doorbell and called out, "It’s Detective Ben Raven of the Metro Police Please let us in"

Ben knew they were being closely observed, and he held his badge to the peephole Three shouted questions later, the door finally cracked open, and Ben was eyeball to eyeball with a federala word

Callie said, "We wondered where you were" She saw another federalbehind hi over his shoulder "Come in quickly, Detective Raven, Miss, before those jackasses try to knock you down to try to get to Justice Wallace," said Federal Marshal Ted Ricks The federal marshal behind Ricks cracked his knuckles "Yeah, hurry it up"

Ricks said, "They’ve been lurking for about two hours now We figured inside was the rinned "And the warht to speak to the We’re locked up tight in here, prisoners in our own home My husband is in his study"

Ben introduced himself to her when the two federal marshals stepped out of the way Naturally Mrs Wallace knew Callie Ben said quickly, "Ms Markha to help"

"I’m sorry about your stepfather, Callie," Mrs Wallace said "Very sorry for all of us really, especially poor Sumner, who’s naturally devastated" Callie could only nod and took her hands There was strength and co old black wool pants, a baggy Redskins sweatshirt, and house slippers Whenever Callie had seen her before, she’d been dressed to the teeth, an elegant, well-coiffed woman who knew her oorth But now all she looked was exhausted Callie knew that Beth Wallace and her h Callie didn’t kno close they were It was Callie who remembered to take off her coat and wipe her boots on the s inside the front door Ben followed her lead Callie hung up their coats in the front closet Mrs Wallace gestured down the hallway "Both of you, co now" The federalout the peephole at the reportersaround