I dont have much time, Mr. Jansen, so I might as well get to the point. In the past has the Army been involved in PCP testing programs?

Jansens voice tensed. Why exactly are you asking that, Ms. Evans?

John thinks that Rufus Harms was involuntarily given PCP when he was in an Army stockade at Fort Plessy twenty-five years ago. He thinks the exposure to PCP caused Harms to go berserk and kill a little girl. Hes been in prison for the crime ever since.

Sara recounted all that she and Fiske had deduced, along with what they had learned from Rufus at Riders office. Sara continued, Rufus Harms recently received a letter from the Army asking him to participate in a follow-up test to determine the long-term effects of PCP. Thats what happened to Sergeant James Stanley, right? The Army sent him a letter. That was the only reason he knew the Army had given him LSD. Well, we think a group of Army personnel forcefully administered PCP to Harms in the stockade, but not as part of any program. We think they intended to use the drug to kill him. Instead he broke free and committed the murder.

Jansen said, Wait a minute. Why did the Army send him a letter saying Harms was in the program, if he wasnt?

We think whoever gave Harms the PCP enrolled him in the program.

And why would they do that?

If they killed him with the PCP and there was an autopsy, presumably the substance would have been found in his bloodstream.

Yes, it would, Jansen said slowly. So they enrolled him in the program to cover that up. The coroner would chalk it up to an unfortunate reaction to the drug. I cant believe this.

Right. So such a program existed?

Yes, Jansen conceded. Its public information now. All declassified. It was run jointly by the Army and CIA in the seventies. They wanted to determine if PCP could be used to build super soldiers. If Harms was listed in the programs records, he would have recently received a follow-up letter. Jansen paused for a moment. What are you and John going to do now?

I wish we knew. Sara thanked Jansen and hung up. She waited awhile longer and then left the plane and walked across the tarmac to the terminal. She was immediately stopped by the two FBI agents.

Wheres Fiske? one of them demanded.

John Fiske? she asked innocently.

Come on, Ms. Evans.

He left a while back.

The agents looked startled. Left. How?

I assume he drove. Now, if youll excuse me.

She smiled as the stunned men took off at a dead run toward the plane. They had no grounds to detain her. She took the opportunity to hop on the shuttle bus to the garage and got her car. She drove out of the airport and headed south. A sudden thought hit her and she pulled off the road and into a gas station. Keeping the motor running, she opened Fiskes briefcase and took out the packet of documents they had received from St. Louis. She wasnt sure how closely Fiske had examined them, but it had occurred to her that it was possible the Army might have put a copy of the letter they had sent to Rufus Harms in his official file although technically it had been closed upon the occasion of his court-martial. It was worth a look. A half hour later she sat back, disappointed. She started returning the papers to the briefcase when her hand closed around the personnel list from Fort Plessy. She leafed through the pages, noting the names of Victor Tremaine and Frank Rayfield. Then her eye sadly passed over the name of Rufus Harms. So many years of his life gone. As she was thinking this, she was continuing to turn pages, running her eye down the personnel list; as soon as she saw the name, she froze. When she finally broke out of her trance, she did so with such force that she bumped her head against the window. She threw the file down and slammed the car into gear, burning rubber on the slick pavement as she sped out of the gas station. She glanced down at the floorboard where the personnel list had landed, where the name Warren McKenna seemed to stare back at her, taunting her. She never looked back, so she didnt notice the car that had followed her from the airport. ["C58"]CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

Harold Ramsey leaned back in his chair, a grave look on his face. I never imagined that anything like this could have happened here.

McKenna and Chandler sat in Ramseys chambers. McKenna watched the chief justice closely. They seemed to make eye contact for a moment, and then McKenna looked away and glanced over at Chandler.

Well, we dont have any solid proof one way or another about whether Michael Fiske actually stole an appeal, or if there even was an appeal, Chandler said. Ramsey shook his head in disagreement. After the discussion with Sara Evans, can there be any doubt?

Discussion? Inquisition was more like it, Chandler thought. Its still speculation. And I would advise against going public with this information.

I agree, McKenna said. It could complicate the investigation.

I thought you were convinced that John Fiske was behind it all, Ramsey said. If youre changing your position now, I dont see how were any farther ahead than we were two days ago.

Murders dont just solve themselves. And this one is a little more complex than usual. And I never said I had changed my position, McKenna said. Fiskes gun was missing from his office. No big surprise there. Dont worry, things are falling into place.

Ramsey looked unconvinced.

I really dont see why waiting a bit will hurt, Chandler said. And if things turn out the way we hope, maybe the public never has to know.

I dont see how that is possible, Ramsey said angrily. But I suppose it wont make this disaster any more horrible by taking your advice. For now. What about Fiske and Evans? Where are they?

We have them under surveillance, McKenna answered.

So you know where they are right now? Ramsey asked. McKenna maintained his stone face. He wasnt about to admit that in fact both Sara and Fiske had managed to elude his FBI surveillance team. McKenna had just gotten that message a minute before he had stepped into this meeting.

Yes, McKenna answered.

Where are they? Ramsey asked.

Im afraid I cant give out that information, Mr. Chief Justice. He added quickly, As much as Id like to accommodate you. We really need to keep that confidential.

Ramsey looked sternly at him. Agent McKenna, you promised to keep the Court informed about the progress of this case.

I did. Thats why Im here right now.

The Court has its own police force. Chief Dellasandro and Ron Klaus are out right this very minute trying to solve this thing. We have our own investigation ongoing and its in the best interests of everybody that we have full disclosure. Now please answer my question. Where are they?

What you say makes a lot of sense, but Im afraid I still cant divulge that information, he said. FBI policy, you understand.

Ramsey arched his eyebrows. I think I should speak to someone else at the Bureau, then, he said. I dont like going over peoples heads, Agent McKenna, but this is a unique situation.

Id be glad to give you some names to call at the Bureau, starting with the director himself, McKenna offered pleasantly.

Do you have anything of actual importance to report, Ramsey said dryly, or is that it?

McKenna stood up. Were trying as hard as we can to get to the bottom of this. And Im convinced that, with a little luck, we will.

Ramsey stood up too, towering over them. A word of advice, Agent McKenna. Never leave anything to chance. Anyone who does that usually lives to regret it. *����*����* Sara unlocked the door to her cottage and hurried inside. From her car she had tried phoning Fiskes home and office; then had tried Ed Fiske too, but he had heard nothing from his son. She threw her purse down on the kitchen table, went upstairs and changed out of her wet clothes and into jeans and a T-shirt. She was nearing panic and she wasnt sure what to do. If Dellasandro was in on this, that was bad enough. He was privy to what was happening with the investigation. The fact that FBI Agent Warren McKenna was also involved was potentially catastrophic. He was practically running the damn investigation. She could now see the subtle manipulations of the FBI agent at every juncture in the case. Fiske implicated, herself forced to quit the Court; all of it building motive for Johns killing his brother. It was all untrue, and yet, for someone just looking at the bare facts, it would make sense. She tried Chandlers office. She wanted to know definitively if Agent McKenna had been stationed at Fort Plessy, or if it had been simply someone else with the same name. She couldnt believe two McKennas would be involved here, but she needed to be sure. Unfortunately, Chandler wasnt in. Who else could she call who would have that information? Jansen might be able to find out, but it would probably take him a while. She tried his number anyway, but there was no answer. Who else? It suddenly hit her. She dialed the number. After three rings a woman answered. It was the housekeeper.