“It’s slow going.”
As he put away the food, she turned back to her computer in search of Rose Aurora’s date of death. She logged in to an online database containing vital stats.
Rose Aurora had died on December thirty-first. Carly returned to the archived newspaper website and narrowed the dates to coincide with Rose’s death. Up popped the January second article Mrs. Murphy had clipped about her sister’s murder.
Above it, and emblazoned across the front page, was a photo of George Internado on the steps of the Virginia state capitol building. The headline read:
Virginia’s Senator-Elect George Internado to Take Oath of Office in Washington, D.C.
Promises to be a “Senator of the People”
The photo captured Internado waving at the crowd. Standing beside him was his wife, Kathy. Something wasn’t right about Internado’s face and Carly zoomed in. Internado was sporting what appeared to be the remnants of a black eye. She skimmed the article. When asked about his shiner, Internado was quoted as saying, “My youngest daughter is energetic. My face just got in the way of her fun.”
The hairs on the back of Carly’s neck prickled while a chill streaked down her spine. Rose Aurora had died three days before Internado’s inauguration. Coincidence? In her line of work, Carly followed the evidence. Is Erin Murphy his child?
She reread her grandfather’s notes, this time focusing on his handwritten appointment the night before he died.
11:30 PM: WS w/I — bring RA photo
“Babe.” Ashton crashed in on her thoughts. “I’m going for an easy run. Take a break and join me. I’d love your company.”
She stood and stretched. “I’ve been sitting for so long, my butt hurts.”
“I promise a Hott rub later.”
“No argument from me. You have the best hands.”
As she ambled past, he caught her in his arms and touched the spot between her brows. “Relax, babe.”
But the gnawing in her gut wouldn’t go away. After changing into running clothes, they drove toward a familiar destination. Riverwalk Trail offered a twenty-mile pathway bordering both sides of the Anacostia River. The lovely October afternoon attracted everyone from athletes to parents pushing their baby carriages and owners with their dogs.
They eased into their workout with a brisk walk. Ten minutes into it, he suggested a slow jog. “This feels great.”
Halfway through, he increased his speed and Carly pushed harder to keep pace.
“It’s pretty busy this afternoon,” he said. “I wonder if we’d have had less foot traffic on my Ironman route.”
“That’s a great route, except for the Watergate Steps. I’m always worried I’ll lose my footing and tumble to the bottom.”
“I didn’t know those were an issue for you. Going forward, I’ll reroute us.”
She flashed him a smile. “You are so good to me.”
“Right back atcha. I’m glad I listened to you and didn’t meet Internado there. What a cluster fuck that would have been.”
Pierce’s mysterious calendar entry popped into her head.
11:30 PM: WS w/I — bring RA photo
Oh, my God. She stopped short. “WS” stood for Watergate Steps. The “I” was Internado. “RA” was Rose Aurora. The night before her grandfather died, he’d showed Internado a photo of Rose Aurora at the Watergate Steps.
Nausea clouded her thoughts. Bending over, she gripped her thighs and tried to suck air into her lungs. But she couldn’t breathe at all.
In an instant, Ashton was by her side. “What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t speak.
Kneeling in front of her, he gripped her arms and stared into her eyes. “Talk to me, Carly. Are you hyperventilating? Cramping?”