Murder on the Potomac Read Online Free PDF Page A

conversation?”
    She put her head back and thought. “Money. Raising money, which I suspect always heads the agenda. They’re going after additional federal funding and—”
    “
They?
You’d better start thinking
we
.”
    “Yes, I suppose I should.
We
spent most of the evening talking about raising money. Sam Tankloff had some good ideas. At least I thought so. Joe Chester presented a proposal for a new exhibition on New Orleans architecture. I brought my copy home. You might want to read it.” Chester was the museum’s paid director.
    “I will.”
    Annabel laughed. “He’s a tightly wound little fellow,” she said. “There must have been a shortage of personality genes when he was born. The animosity between Wendell and Chester is thick enough to cut with an ax.”
    “Doesn’t sound like an especially productive atmosphere,” Smith said. “Why does Tierney put up with someone he dislikes?”
    “From what I gather, Chester does a terrific job. And Wendell is a shrewd enough businessman to go with a proven executive no matter what his personal feelings.” Smith finished his drink. “You aren’t going to leave me with the impression that the entire evening passed without Tierney mentioning the Scarlet Sin Society.” Annabel regarded him quizzically. “Mac, this was a museum board meeting. Why would Wendell bring up Tri-S?”
    “Because it’s his obsession. Same with Monty Jamison. Monty and I had breakfast this morning. He went into his usual pitch, why you and I should join Tri-S. I told him I dealt with enough real crime in my life as an attorney to last me for the rest of it, but you can’t dissuade him. He’s all excited about their next theatrical re-creation, Barton Key’s murder. Monty claims it’s going to be their biggest production yet. Something like six hundred tickets already sold for the dinner. I hope they have good weather. Doing the production outdoors seems dumb to me.”
    Annabel shifted position so that she directly faced him. “Why are you so critical of Wendell and Monty and the Scarlet Sin Society?” she asked.
    “Because it’s sophomoric, that’s why.”
    “Based upon your definition of sophomoric.”
    “My definition isn’t a bad one, Annabel. For grown men and women to—”
    She finished his thought. “For grown men and women to raise considerable money for worthwhile charitable causes. What’s wrong with that?”
    “There are other ways to raise money.” He realized his voice had taken on an edge.
    “I think you’re jealous,” Annabel said.
    He got up and splashed more cognac into his glass. “Jealous?” he said. “What could I possibly be jealous of?”
    “Maybe I used the wrong word. Frankly, I think it would be fun to get involved with Wendell’s group. After all, it’s only history. You love history.”
    “Yes, I do. The discovery of continents and the resulting oppression of the natives. Big wars. What Churchill said to Stalin, what Stalin said to his wife. That kind of history. Run-of-the-mill murders from the past have little appeal for me.”
    “I think they’re fun, if they’re far enough back. Apart from the human tragedies. Do you know there was a murder committed in the National Building Museum not many years ago?”
    “Uh-huh. A jealous lover pushed a young woman over a railing. Am I right?”
    “Of course. But doesn’t it pique your interest?”
    “Because it happened in the National Building Museum? Afraid not. Besides, that’s hardly history. Only a few years ago. Almost yesterday.”
    “Pity,” she said lightly, getting up and walking from the room. Smith started to follow but held back. Should he continue the debate with her over Tri-S? A silly argument at best. They almost never argued, and certainly never fought. Negotiated, perhaps, but then they were attorneys by training and experience. Their day-to-day relationship was, as far as he was concerned, perfection. Calm. Reasoned. Seeing both sides and bending.
    He