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choice but to settle the lawsuit with Nevel. That, in turn, ensured that the documents will never see the light of day."
    "That seems pretty speculative," said Randolph Wolcott, one of two senators appointed to the commission, and a staunch supporter of the president.
    "You're right, Senator. And this is a good chance to emphasize a key point: everything my office identified is speculative. We don't know that any case is connected to the assassination of the justices. Again, my office's assignment was to identify the top cases of interest. That, as you know, is one small piece of the investigation. The law enforcement officials will report on what are likely to be the most promising leads."
    "So are you saying that everything we just heard was a waste of time?" the senator challenged.
    "No, that's not what I'm saying," McKenna replied. "What I'm saying is that my office was assigned a narrow task: to identify those cases pending at the court where parties connected to the litigation may have benefited from Black Wednesday, or cases with anything else about them that might warrant a closer look. With that in mind, Hassan and Nevel Industries should be considered the best of the worst, since we found nothing beyond conjecture in any of the cases. Let me add, though, that Nevel was included not only because the company might benefit from delay-it also happened to be the very case about to be argued right before the gunman started his rampage."
    After answering another round of questions, McKenna said, "And finally, there is a new development." The automatic blinds opened with a hum and everyone's eyes began adjusting to the light. "It may turn out irrelevant, but while we're all here, I think it's worth mentioning. I learned early this morning that one of Second Circuit Judge Ivan Petrov's law clerks was murdered last night."
    A low rumble filled the room. "Right now the murder appears to be just random street violence, but because of the clerk's connection to a high-profile judge, one rumored to be on the short list to fill the current vacancies on the high court, the media will undoubtedly try to make more of it. Plan on it."
    "Did you get the contact information for the detectives handling the case?" said FBI Deputy Director Frank Pacini, head of the commission's multi-agency federal law enforcement arm.
    "Yes. I'll give you all a written report as soon as I return to the office. For the law enforcement officials here, however, I'd be happy to discuss what little I know on the break. Any other questions?"
    The room was silent. His presentation had provided no solid leads just more speculation. On the lunch break, the law enforcement types, desperate from their own lack of leads, were anxious to talk to McKenna about Parker Sinclair. McKenna didn't mind, since Parker's murder would draw interest away from the two cases he had identified, especially Nevel Industries.
     

Noon Brooklyn, New York
    etectives Milstein and Assad drove by the concrete barricades lining the street in front of the courthouse at Foley Square and onto the Manhattan Bridge.
    "Want to do dinner tonight?"Assad asked, scanning traffic on the massive suspension bridge.
    Milstein stared silently out the window at the East River. "Maybe. Where?"
    "Oh, you know, anywhere's fine."
    "Maybe," she said absently.
    Assad knew that "Where?" meant what part of the city, lest they risk their jobs by being seen together. Rumors of their relationship at the station had only heightened her paranoia. Behind their backs, some of the detectives referred to them as whatever Hollywood couple was hot at the moment: Brangelina, Bennifer, TomKat. Some of their more racist brothers in blue were less playful, once leaving an Osama bin Laden doll posed in a sexual position with a bent-over Barbie on Milstein's desk.
    They arrived at the Greenpoint neighborhood in Brooklyn and double-parked in front of a poorly maintained four-story walk-up on Driggs Avenue. Dakota Cameron, law clerk