William Bernhardt - Capitol Murder

“So you want us to believe you would never, ever do that, right?”

“Right.” Glancy allowed himself a small smile. “Hell, if I really were stupid enough to kill someone at the U.S. Senate, I wouldn’t leave the corpse in my hideaway.” He paused. “I’d take it to some Republican’s hideaway.”

Grim as the subject was, that actually got a few chuckles. More important, Christina thought, he’d made his point.

“This all assumes that the murder was carefully planned in advance. But I think it’s more likely that you got angry when your attempt to charm her out of her blackmail money failed, lost control, killed her, didn’t know what to do with the body, and left her there till you had time to come up with something better.”

“Wrong. All of it. And just for the record, Mr. Padolino, I never lose control.”

Wrong thing to say. “Yes, we’ve heard all about how you like to stay in control. How you like to dominate. Especially when you’re with your many, many women.”

Aw, swell, Christina thought, priming herself to object. Here we go.

“There were two,” Glancy said emphatically. “I told you that. No one has proven anything different.”

“And what about the handcuffs? Ropes? Is that part of how you like to stay in control?”

Christina rose to object, but Glancy literally waved her down. “Let me say once and for all that I am sick and tired of your use of this courtroom to engage in slanderous statements that don’t relate to the murder in any way, shape, or form.” He was becoming a little heated, but Christina thought-hoped-that he was okay. “I have admitted that I made mistakes, that I had affairs with two women. What possible business of yours is it how we like to go about it? I know it has been fashionable in the press to pry into politicians’ sex lives under the veil of a ‘character issue.’ Are we now going to start doing that in the courtroom? If you made these statements anywhere else, I could sue you for slander, and I for one do not see why courtroom immunity should extend to a prosecutor making gratuitous sexual innuendos that don’t relate to the case at bar.”

“Lovely little speech,” Padolino said, clapping. “Very dramatic. Move to strike.”

To everyone’s surprise, Judge Herndon hesitated. “No,” he said finally, “I think I’m going to let that stand. It was irrelevant, but then so was your question. I think I’d like to see that remain in the record. Maybe, with luck, one of the reporters in the room will print it. Or perhaps even give it some thought.”

Padolino was furious. Christina could see him scanning his outline, looking for another dramatic topic. “Exactly how many times have you lied to the public now, Senator?”

“I’m not aware of any.”

“You lied about your affair.”

“At no time did I lie about any affair. I was silent on the matter. There’s a big difference.”

“I believe that’s what, in my church, we call a sin of omission.”

“Call it what you like. It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t lie before and I’m not lying now.” He turned to face the jury. “You have my word on that. I will not lie to you.”

“You expect us to trust you?” Padolino said indignantly. “Your own wife, the woman who knows you best in all the world, doesn’t trust you.”

“I beg to differ.”

“She hired a private detective to follow your floozies around, Senator. Trusting wives don’t do that.”

For the first time, Glancy was silent for several moments. “When the issue arose between us, I admitted what I had done immediately. I did not lie to her about it.”

“Really. And did you tell her about the other girl as well?”

Christina’s ears pricked up. Not because of the accusation, but because savvy Mr. Padolino had used the word girl. Not the more politically correct woman.

“What girl?”

“The other one. The Senate employee with whom you’ve admitted having an affair.”

Glancy thought a long time before answering. “No.”

Padolino smiled, triumphant at last. He returned to his table, picked up a small manila folder, then returned to the podium.

“I’m worried,” Christina whispered to Ben.

“Why? What’s in the folder?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m worried.”

“Senator Glancy,” Padolino said, breaking the silence, “what was the name of the other woman with whom you had a sexual liaison?”

He exhaled heavily. “I said before, I see no purpose in dragging someone else through-”

“I’m afraid you have no choice, sir. You must answer my question.”

“I won’t.”

“You’re under oath.”

“To tell the truth. And I have. But that doesn’t extend to the unnecessary tarnishing of the reputation of an innocent person.”

Padolino pressed his hand against his heart. “Once again, Senator, I am moved by your breathtaking nobility. But in fact, you have another reason for wanting to keep her identity unknown, don’t you?”

“This is despicable,” Glancy said, increasingly angry. “You’re using my silence to imply things that aren’t there.”

“Who’s your other lover, Senator Glancy?”

“I’ve told you, I refuse to answer the question.”

“Are you pleading the Fifth?”

“No. This isn’t about self-incrimination. This is about protecting others.”

“Let’s all remember that he said that.”

Judge Herndon cut in. “Mr. Prosecutor, if you so request, the court can order the witness to answer or be held in contempt of court.”

“Thank you, your honor, but that won’t be necessary.” He reached inside his folder and withdrew one sheet of paper. “Senator Glancy, would your lover’s name by any chance be Tiffany Dell?”

Glancy didn’t answer, but even he couldn’t prevent his eyes from widening, his lips from parting.

Where have I heard that name before? Christina asked herself. Somewhere around here…

And then she remembered. And realized how bad this really was.

“Thank you for that visual confirmation, sir. Not that I had any doubt. You see, I’ve spoken to Miss Dell. And she told me all about it.”

“Objection!” Christina said, rising to her feet. She didn’t care what Glancy thought; it was time to intervene. “We’ve had no notice of this witness. She is not on the prosecution’s list.”

“We do not plan to call her,” Padolino replied. “She only came to us late last night, after she read an account in the Post of Mr. Capshaw’s testimony about the senator’s other lovers.”

“Whether she’s taking the stand or not, he’s using her testimony. We should’ve been told.”

“Certainly, if she had anything exculpatory to say, we would’ve notified the defense immediately. But that wasn’t the case. Far from it.”

“Your honor,” Christina insisted, “this is inexcusable. It’s trial by ambush!”

Judge Herndon leaned across the bench, gavel pointed, a somber expression on his face. “Mr. Padolino, do you give me your word as an officer of the court that you knew nothing of this informant before last night?”

“Absolutely, your honor.”

“And will you make her and any of her records or documents available to the defense should they wish it?”

“We will. She’s in the building now, sir.”

He fell back into his chair. “Very well. I’ll allow it. But you’re on a short leash, Mr. Prosecutor.”

“Understood, sir.”

Christina cut in. “Your honor, I must-”

“I said I’d allow it, counsel!” He slammed his gavel. “The cross-examination will continue.”

Padolino turned his gaze back to Glancy, the expression on his face so smug Christina wanted to scrape it off with a pizza knife. “Senator, knowing your strong feelings about truth telling, you’re not going to deny that you know Miss Dell, are you?”