Murder at the Opera - Margaret Truman [76]
Pawkins had asked his Canadian friend to dig into the background of Charise Lee. He’d learned over his years as a Homicide detective that it was usually the victim who gave up the most useful clues. Know the victim and you know why someone would want him—or in this case, her—killed.
“Ms. Lee was an interesting young lady,” his friend reported on the phone. “Little girl, big talent—and a fiery disposition
“Fiery? How so?”
“Big on causes. Hung around with a group of like-minded wackos. Attended protests, carried signs, wants world hunger ended, protested your government’s invasion of Iraq. By the way, Ray, I agree with that.”
“Go on
“Had her share of boyfriends, none of whom she was likely to bring home to meet Daddy. Had a thing going with a piano player who, I’ve learned, went with her to Washington to study in this opera program you’ve got down there
“Christopher Warren
“Right. Anyway, after she played footsie with this Warren guy, she hooked up with an Iranian student at McGill U. He’s been linked to some organization that our government considers a possible terrorist sympathizer, fundraiser—feed the children but make sure there’s a little left over for belts that blow up. Of course, our government still hasn’t figured out what to do with mad cow disease, so its so-called war on terror is suspect
Pawkins was silent.
“Ray? You there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m trying to process all this. What the hell is a beautiful, young future opera star doing with that bunch of losers?”
“Hey, I don’t analyze. I just report. Just the facts, ma’am, like your TV guy Webb used to say on Dragnet. I loved that show
“So did I. What about the agents I told you about, Melincamp and Baltsa?”
“I’m working on that. I only have two hands, you know
“Was Christopher Warren involved with these wackos, too?”
“Evidently. By the way, you made this Charise Lee out to be a young kid. Young, hell. She was twenty-eight
“That’s young from my vantage point,” Pawkins said.
“I mean,” said his friend, “it’s a little old to still be marching for old left-wing causes
“No it’s not,” Pawkins said. “Lots of domeheads and guys with artificial knees marching these days. Gives them something to do, I suppose, makes them forget they have one foot in the grave. Thanks, buddy. Get back to me when you check out the agents.”
• • •
“They’re both coming!”
“Who?”
“The president and first lady
“We already knew that
“No, no, no, I don’t mean opening night for Tosca. They’re both coming to the ball.”
Annabel was one of a dozen women that morning attending a meeting of the Opera Ball committee, at which the announcement was made by chairwoman Nicki Frolich.
Frolich’s enthusiasm wasn’t shared by everyone else in the room. One spoilsport was the chair of the executive committee, Camile Worthington. “I’m not sure I’d be so excited about it,” she said. “Do you realize what it will mean having the president there? It was enough of a security nightmare with the first lady making an appearance. The president? It will be chaos, sheer chaos
“We can handle it,” Frolich said.
“We’d better handle it,” Laurie Webster, the opera company’s PR director, chimed in. “This is great. No president has ever attended the ball. We’ll get tremendous press out of it
“And have Secret Service people tasting all the food,” Camile said. “Look, I know this represents a coup of sorts, and we don’t have any choice but to make it work. But I’m an old hand at these things. I’ve been involved before in events at which the president showed up. You have no idea what it entails
“I’ve had my share of those experiences, too,” Nicki said, not about to be trumped. Camile Worthington wasn’t the only woman in the room to have partaken in affairs important enough for the president to lend his name and presence. “It just involves more planning, that’s all, and coordination with the White House. Let’s not put blinders on. Laurie is right. We’ll have wonderful press coverage
“Sell lots of tickets, too,” someone offered.
“We’re already sold out,” said another.
“What do you think,