Page 104 of Return of the Spider

“Tell us about Brenda Miles,” I said when they sat down.

“Never heard of her,” Diggs growled.

“She was a real estate agent here in Alexandria.”

“Still never heard of her.”

“How about Bunny Maddox?”

“Nope.”

“What is this all about?” Conlon demanded.

Sampson said, “Your client’s blood was all over the rope that strangled Brenda Miles. Bunny Maddox, who is missing and presumed dead, left hair in your client’s van, and hair and bloodfrom known murder victim Alice Ways was found there as well. Mr. Diggs is looking to go down for at least two murders and maybe as many as six. And since it looks like he will be tried here in Virginia, he will face the death penalty.”

Diggs turned beet red and furious. “I don’t know anything about any of these women! I’m being framed! You guys are all either too stupid to see it or too corrupt to want to.”

CHAPTER

86

Around nine in themorning at Washington Day School, Gary Soneji was walking around his classroom, cup of coffee in hand. It had been a long day already for him as he tried to make up for yesterday’s snow day.

His seventh- and eighth-grade students were tackling a simple coding sequence he’d introduced that morning, and he actually found himself happy with their progress. Most of them were getting the concept rapidly. Even dear Cheryl Lynn Wise, ordinarily not the sharpest of tacks, had completed the task on her second try.

A knock came at the door, and the headmaster, Charles Pendleton Little, poked his head inside. “Mr. Soneji, might I have a word, please?”

“Absolutely,” he said. He put his coffee on his desk and told theclass to try to reverse the coding sequence. “You should be able to get out of anything you get into, right?” he asked.

He hurried out into the hall to find Little and U.S. Secret Service agent Jezzie Flanagan looking stricken. When the door shut behind Soneji, the headmaster spoke in slow, whispered, and choking words.

“Agent Flanagan just heard that Washington Day has suffered a terrible tragedy, Mr. Soneji,” Little said, and then he stopped, unable to go on.

Flanagan jumped in. “There was a ten-car pileup on the Beltway yesterday morning. Among the casualties were Sandy Ravisky, her husband, Peter, and their new baby, Irene.”

“Wait, what?” Soneji gasped, his trembling hands going to his lips. “No. No, that’s… oh my God.”

The truth was, Soneji felt gutted.

He had prepared for everything but the baby’s death. His reconnaissance had clearly shown Sandy’s mother coming over daily to care for the baby while Sandy took Peter to work and then again in the evening when Sandy picked him up. Every time.

“Are they sure?” he asked, the sickening sensation growing.

“I confirmed with the state troopers,” Flanagan said. “And the family.”

Soneji took a step back and put his hand against the lockers to steady himself. “You’re right, Mr. Little. This is terrible.”

The headmaster said, “We’re going to tell the rest of the faculty in person and then call an assembly for sixth period to inform the students.”

“You okay with keeping this quiet until then, Mr. Soneji?” Flanagan asked.

Soneji smiled weakly. “I don’t have much of a choice, but yes, I am okay.”

“Then go back to her students,” the headmaster said. “Though I guess they are your students now if you want the job.”

“They’re still Mrs. Ravisky’s students for the moment,” Soneji said, feeling acid churn his stomach. He glanced at Flanagan, then returned his gaze to Little. “Today, I’m still a stand-in for her, Mr. Little.”

CHAPTER