Chapter 20
Frank Lonergan's living room looked as if it had been struck by a miniature hurricane. All the drawers and cabinets had been pulled open and their contents had been scattered over the floor.
Nick Reese watched Frank Lonergan's body being removed. He turned to Detective Steve Brown. "Any sign of the murder weapon?"
"No."
"Have you talked to the neighbors?"
"Yeah. The apartment building is a zoo, full of monkeys. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Nada. Mrs. Lonergan is on her way back here. She heard the news on the radio. There have been a couple other robberies here in the last six months, and - "
"I'm not so sure this was a robbery."
"What do you mean?"
"Lonergan was down at headquarters the other day to check on Paul Yerby's things. I'd like to know what story Lonergan was working on. No papers in the drawers?"
"Nope."
"No notes?"
"Nothing."
"So either he was very neat, or someone took the trouble to clean everything out." Reese walked over to the work table. There was a cable dangling off the table, connected to nothing. Reese held it up. "What's this?"
Detective Brown walked over. "It's a power cable for a computer. There must have been one here. That means there could be backups somewhere."
"They may have taken the computer, but Lonergan might have saved copies of his files. Let's check it out."
They found the backup disk in a briefcase in Lonergan's automobile. Reese handed it to Brown.
"I want you to take this down to headquarters. There's probably a password to get into it. Have Chris Colby look at it. He's an expert."
The front door of the apartment opened and Rita Lonergan walked in. She looked pale and distraught. She stopped when she saw the men.
"Mrs. Lonergan?"
"Who are - ?"
"Detective Nick Reese, Homicide. This is Detective Brown."
Rita Lonergan looked around. "Where is - ?"
"We had your husband's body taken away, Mrs. Lonergan. I'm terribly sorry. I know it's a bad time, but I'd like to ask you a few questions."
She looked at him, and her eyes suddenly filled with fear. The last reaction Reese had expected. What was she afraid of?
"Your husband was working on a story, wasn't he?"
His voice echoed in her mind. "I'm on to something that's going to blow everybody away - and I mean people in high places. It's the most exciting story I've ever been involved in."
"Mrs. Lonergan?"
"I - I don't know anything."
"You don't know what assignment he was working on?"
"No. Frank never discussed his work with me."
She was obviously lying.
"You have no idea who might have killed him?"
She looked around at the open drawers and cabinets. "It - it must have been a burglar."
Detective Reese and Detective Brown looked at each other.
"If you don't mind, I'd - I'd like to be alone. This has been a terrible shock."
"Of course. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"No. Just...just leave."
"We'll be back," Nick Reese promised.
When Detective Reese returned to police headquarters, he telephoned Matt Baker. "I'm investigating the Frank Lonergan murder," Reese said. "Can you tell me what he was working on?"
"Yes. Frank was investigating the Chloe Houston killing."
"I see. Did he file a story?"
"No. We were waiting for it, when - " He stopped.
"Right. Thank you, Mr. Baker."
"If you get any information, will you let me know?"
"You'll be the first," Reese assured him.
The following morning, Dana Evans went into Tom Hawkins's office. "I want to do a story on Frank's death. I'd like to go see his widow."
"Good idea. I'll arrange for a camera crew."
Late that afternoon, Dana and her camera crew pulled up in front of Frank Lonergan's apartment building. With the crew following her, Dana approached Lonergan's apartment door and rang the bell. This was the kind of interview Dana dreaded. It was bad enough to show on television the victims of horrible crimes, but to intrude on the grief of the stricken families seemed even worse to her.
The door opened and Rita Lonergan stood there. "What do you - ?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Lonergan. I'm Dana Evans, with WTE. We'd like to get your reaction to - "
Rita Lonergan froze for a moment, and then screamed, "You murderers!" She turned and ran inside the apartment.
Dana looked at the cameraman, shocked. "Wait here." She went inside and found Rita Lonergan in the bedroom. "Mrs. Lonergan - "
"Get out! You killed my husband!"
Dana was puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Your people gave him an assignment so dangerous that he made me leave town because he...he was afraid for my life."
Dana looked at her, appalled. "What - what story was he working on?"
"Frank wouldn't tell me." She was fighting hysteria. "He said it was too - too dangerous. It was something big. He talked about the Pulitzer Prize and the - " She started to cry.
Dana went over to her and put her arms around her. "I'm so sorry. Did he say anything else?"
"No. He said I should get out, and he drove me to the train station. He was on his way to see some - some hotel clerk."