Electing To Murder by Roger Stelljes Page A

been working on for a client of mine. Do you know what happened?”
    “I had a chat with a Detective McRyan from St. Paul. He said Stroudt was found dead in a motel room. His throat was slashed and he bled out.”
    “When?”
    “Yesterday afternoon.”
    Wire wanted to get inside Stroudt’s place for a look. “Listen, Alex, I know this is unusual, but could you arrange for me to get into Stroudt’s place and have a look around?”
    “What are you looking for, Dara?” Esposito asked seriously.
    “I don’t really know,” was her honest reply. “I’ll know it when I see it.”
    “Who’s your client?” Esposito pushed.
    “I can’t tell you that, at least not right now, Alex. I can tell you that it is someone who would really appreciate the assist and could prove helpful somewhere down the road for you if you ever needed a political favor.” That is, if you considered the possible next president of the United States or his most important political advisor good people to be indebted to you, Wire thought. “You know me, Alex, I don’t bullshit and I only work for legitimate people.”
    There was a few moments of silence and then Esposito exhaled. “Okay, Dara. Let me call my detective on scene. Give me ten minutes.” Esposito hung up.
    “What in the hell did those two see?” Wire muttered to herself. Connolly was no holds barred politically, but she had never envisioned him as a murderer, but it sure was starting to look like he’d graduated to it. She placed a call to the Judge. It took several rings for him to answer.
    “Sorry it took me a while, I needed to get away from the dais where the governor is speaking. What’s up?”
    “Stroudt is dead. He was killed in a St. Paul hotel yesterday.” Wire relayed her conversation with Esposito. “I’m awaiting the green light to get into Stroudt’s place and look around.”
    “Did this Esposito have any information on how Stroudt was killed?”
    “Alex said all he knew was that Stroudt’s throat was slashed. Beyond that I didn’t get much.” Wire had another thought. “Judge, your gut on this, do you think Connolly is capable of murder?”
    The Judge paused on the other end of the line and then exhaled. “Pulling the trigger? No, I don’t think he could do that,” the Judge answered. “However, could he sanction it? Go along with it? Turn a blind eye to it? Tell somebody, do what you have to do but I don’t want to know about it? I think he’s enough of a sociopath to do that, I really do. As long as he didn’t have to get his own hands dirty, I put nothing by him.”
    “Well, if he had Stroudt killed, then Montgomery, if he isn’t already dead, is sure to be next. And Judge, I have one other thought.”
    “Which is?”
    “If St. Paul does their work on this, they’re likely going to want to talk to the campaign at some point. A Washington DC political blogger ends up dead in St. Paul days before the election. I would think the police would make their way to the political campaigns to see if anyone knows why he was in St. Paul. Your campaign is the biggest game in town and you are the biggest political operator. The police will want to talk to you and Sebastian.”
    “Let me guess, the St. Paul Cop who called your friend was named McRyan.”
    “How did you know that, Judge?” The man always was one step ahead.
    “You know Sally Kennedy, right?”
    “Isn’t she the one helping Kate Shelby out?”
    “Yes. She also happens to be the girlfriend of one Mac McRyan. Sebastian just called to let me know that Mac McRyan wants to meet with him. Sally is serving as an intermediary so that Mac didn’t come in all cop like and cause people to start asking questions. I am going to be on a call with Sebastian and McRyan within the hour.”
    “Do you know McRyan at all?”
    “I do. Charlie Flanagan, the chief in St. Paul, has his best on the case,” the Judge replied with a tone of respect she didn’t often hear. “I knew his late father well