The Washington Lawyer by Allan Topol

solution to the problem, Liu might shoot the messenger, particularly a subordinate who knew about his failing.
    Xiang had a knack of always cutting to the bottom line quickly. Here, he realized that his only chance of saving Operation Trojan Horse and his own life was by getting his hands on that CD.
    â€œWhere’s the CD?” Xiang asked.
    Jasper looked chagrin. “I don’t know. Vanessa only told me about it Sunday. She didn’t have it with her in Anguilla. I looked through all of her things after she drowned.”
    â€œHave you searched her apartment since you’ve been back?”
    Jasper shook his head.
    No, of course not, Xiang thought. US Senators don’t do stuff like that. They only fuck subordinates and then call for help, letting others do their dirty work.
    Jasper provided Xiang with the address of Vanessa’s apartment near DuPont Circle. Then he said, “When you look for the CD, remove her diary, calendar, and anything else that mentions me. I don’t want to leave any evidence showing we were involved or that she went away for the weekend with me.”
    â€œDid you and Vanessa ever send e-mails to each other?”
    Jasper shook his head vigorously. “Never. I made her promise when we began seeing each other that there would be no personal e-mails. Those are what usually nail men who …”
    â€œAre fucking around.”
    â€œYou don’t have to put it that way.”
    Xiang was pleased he wouldn’t have to deal with Vanessa’s computer. “Anyone know she was going to Anguilla with you?”
    â€œI asked her not to tell anyone. To my knowledge she didn’t.”
    Jasper raised his right arm and pointed a thick finger at Xiang. His hand was shaking. “You have to find that CD. My whole life depends on it not falling into the wrong hands.”
    Your life means nothing to me, Xiang thought. But he did have to find that CD, not merely for Operation Trojan Horse, but because his own life depended on it.
    â€œDid Vanessa live alone?” Xiang asked.
    Jasper nodded.
    â€œGood. I’ll break in, search for the CD, and sanitize the apartment to eliminate any mention of you. But you’ll have to find a way to do the same for Vanessa’s office. I can’t break into a Senate office building.”
    While frowning, Jasper thought about it for a minute, then said. “I’ll do it myself. I’ll get in this morning before the staff arrives. It’s my committee. If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m looking for a report.
    â€œOh and one other thing. If you don’t find the CD but you find what looks like a bank vault key, then take it and give it to me. She may have locked the CD in a bank vault.”
    â€œWill do.”
    â€œIf you find the CD or the bank vault key, call me on the cell and say ‘positive,’ If you don’t say, ‘negative.’”
    They split. Xiang raced home, changed into a suit and tie, and put on a large, brimmed hat to conceal his face. He grabbed some tools and loaded them into a briefcase.
    At 6:30, he left his car on New Hampshire Avenue and walked two blocks to Vanessa’s apartment building, a modern tan brick ten story. Vanessa had an apartment on the penthouse floor, number 10K, Jasper had told him.
    The sidewalk was deserted except for a young man walking a dog while looking at his iPhone. He didn’t seem to notice Xiang.
    As he approached the building, Xiang wondered if there was a guard on the desk in the lobby. If so, this could be dicey.
    He opened the front door and looked around. There was a guard. A large black man, but his shaved head was down on the desk, asleep. As he passed the desk, Xiang noticed that the guard’s face covered a civil engineering text book. Must be a student from Africa, he decided.
    Xiang walked softly to the elevator. The guard never even looked up. Xiang took it to the tenth floor.
    The corridor was deserted. En route