Discretion Read Online Free PDF Page A

activity. It’s about separation of powers between the branches of government. In Jefferson, the FBI walled off the prosecution team from the search team, but the Court of Appeals still held the search to be illegal. If we search his office and disturb his legislative papers, anything we find could be suppressed.”
    “What if there’s blood or fingerprints on his papers?” Samantha demanded.
    Anna turned to McGee. “Will blood or fingerprints degrade overnight?”
    “No.”
    “Let’s call the judge in chambers,” Anna said. “We can apply for a warrant tonight. Even if the judge wants to hold a hearing, we could probably be in court before seven tomorrow morning.”
    McGee frowned but nodded. He wasn’t happy about the delay, but he’d defer to Anna on the legal issue.
    But Samantha looked furious. “There’s no reason to wait. Throwing someone from a balcony is not a legislative act. Any judge will let us go in there and process the crime scene.”
    The strength of the agent’s reaction made Anna pause. Was she being too cautious because of the scandal she’d gone through last year? She hoped not. “I think you’re right,” she said. “But it’s worth waiting a few hours to make sure we can keep the evidence we find.”
    “The killer could be gone in eight hours,” Samantha snapped.
    Anna narrowed her eyes. This agent was getting on her nerves.
    “All right.” Jack stepped between the two women and held up his hands. “We’ll do this with a warrant and a judge’s signature. I’ll call the judge in chambers. She’ll probably let Davenport file something and hold a hearing in the morning. Meanwhile, we’ll post MPD officers outside the office.”
    Anna nodded. “I can brief the Speech or Debate Clause for the warrant application.”
    “Don’t work all night,” Jack said. “You need some sleep if you’re going to argue this tomorrow.”
    “You’re letting her argue the motion?” Samantha asked Jack.
    “I don’t know the Speech or Debate Clause,” Jack said, “and Anna does. She’ll get the warrant, and the police will be back in there to do a search by midmorning.”
    “If not”—Samantha glared at Anna—“we’ll know who to blame.”

4
    N icole laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. It allowed her to tip back her head, exposing the curve of her neck and pushing her breasts farther out of her little black dress. She squirmed as if in uncontrollable delight on Tom’s lap—or was it Tim? Oh well, it hardly mattered. What mattered was that she could feel his erection straining desperately through his pants. He was ready to go.
    She glanced toward the doors leading to the bedrooms. Both were closed, so she’d have to wait her turn. Not exactly a hardship. She lifted two champagne flutes from the coffee table and handed one to Tom (or Tim), who took it with a wondrous smile. He looked like a kid who’d received a pony and a shiny red bicycle for his birthday. She clinked her glass against his. “Cheers.”
    She savored the Cristal, letting the tiny bubbles linger on her tongue. She didn’t get to party like this much nowadays. They sat on a couch in an opulent suite at the Willard. More Cristal cooled in buckets on the sideboard. The men were well dressed, well groomed, and well behaved. Auto execs from Detroit or something like that. So what if they were a little bland and round in the middle? This was the best gig she’d had in a while.
    Belinda danced between two men by the bar as Sinatra crooned from the speakers. The women would’ve preferred Jay-Z, but they knew their audience. The middle-aged men weren’t natural dancers but were happy for an excuse to run their hands over the beautiful woman. Belinda was a gorgeous Chinese-American woman with dark hair floating past her shoulder blades. She wore a dress that shimmered like it was made of liquid mercury. One guy held Belinda’s hips; the other stroked her ass. Nicole caught Belinda’s eyes and