Murder on Capitol Hill by Margaret Truman Read Free Book Online Page A

Cale used to say that the best way to handle the press was to come out quickly, candidly and with strength before they had a chance to go off on the deep end by themselves. I’ll do Quentin’s program, answer all his questions truthfully and that will, I hope, be that.”
    Veronica’s thinking made a certain sense to Lydia, even mirrored her own. What bothered her was choosing Quentin Hughes as her forum, giving him what amounted to an exclusive. Such a move would only anger the rest of the press and move them on to extremes to compete with Hughes. She tried to tell Veronica this.
    “I don’t want to talk about it, Lydia. Please. Jason is experienced in these matters and is handling everything where the press is concerned.”
    Lydia subsided, changed the subject. “Cale told me when he called that you wanted to see me. I’m pleased you feel you can reach out to me. I want you to know that I’ve admired, and liked, both you and Cale for a very long time. I’ll do anything I possibly can to help. Just name it.”
    Veronica took a deep breath. “Then be special counsel to a Senate committee being formed to investigate Cale’s murder.”
    Before Lydia had a chance to answer, Joanne Marshall from the next room came into the den and said, “Mrs. Caldwell, Senator MacLoon is on the phone—”
    Veronica waved her hand. “Not now, Joanne. Tell him I’m resting and will return his call this afternoon… By the way, Miss Marshall, this is Lydia James, a very dear and old friend.”
    “It’s good of you to be helping like this, Miss Marshall,” Lydia said.
    “I’m pleased to do anything I can. I didn’t know the senator, but I have great respect for his son.”
    Lydia watched her sashay into the living room, a tall, willowy girl with a splendid figure she was obviously well aware of.
    Lydia turned back to Veronica. “Before she came in you said something to me that I don’t understand—”
    “About the Senate committee? Yes, I’m pushing for it through some of Cale’s colleagues. I don’t think the American public will stand still for anything but an open examination of the facts. You know how the police are, Lydia, they’ll bungle about, get into all sorts of irrelevant things about family and never even get to the root of things. Lord knows, it happened with Jimmye, and I won’t stand for it again…”
    “Well, Veronica, I can understand your concern, but it really is a police matter. I’m not sure that Congress has any business investigating a murder—”
    “What about Jack Kennedy?”
    “I’d say that was sort of different, Veronica. The Warren Commission was appointed by Lyndon Johnson and staffed from every branch of government—executive, legislative and judicial.”
    “No matter. Congress can appoint a committee to investigate anything it wants. I’ve spoken with people who assure me that it can, and that it
will
be done. As you know, the special counsel to any committee holds the key to its success or failure, to the way, in particular, that it conducts its business. I want someone in that job who
cares
, not only about justice but about human decency, feelings… I can’t think of anyone I’d trust more with that responsibility than you, Lydia.”
    “I… I don’t know what to say—”
    “Just say that you’ll do it.”
    “I can’t say that right now. It’s something I’d need to think about…”
    Cale, Jr., entered the den and motioned for his mother to accompany him back into the living room. When she didn’t move, he said, “Mother, please, it’s important.”
    “Will you excuse me, Lydia?”
    “Of course.”
    While Veronica was gone, Lydia wandered about the den, warming her hands by the fire, scrutinizing a cracked oil of Veronica’s father and photographs of Cale Caldwell with President Kennedy and actress Helen Hayes, and of Veronica laughing at something the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein had said.
    Abruptly she felt terribly sad. She thought of the many