Chapter Fifty-Six

“We want our client released immediately. You know as well as I do you have no reason to hold him.”

Felton Chambers had been waiting in Jacoby’s office when he arrived. Now he was in the next room seated across a table from Jaffe’s attorneys listening, but not responding, to their demands. Jacoby was impressed to find the young Assistant U.S. Attorney waiting for him but frustrated that Jaffe’s attorneys had been there too. Chambers had instructed him to wait in his office while he talked to the two attorneys. “You’ve done your job. Now let me do mine. And, Jacoby, under no circumstances are you to have any contact with Jaffe. Is that understood?”

“Understood.”

“Okay. Looks like you’re going to have a real shiner there. The Senator really got you good, didn’t he? Don’t look so gloomy, Jacoby. We’ve got him just where we want him. Why don’t you go grab yourself a sandwich?”

Jacoby sat at his desk for a while pushing papers around. When he tired of going that he decided to take Chambers advice. He grabbed his coat and headed across the street for a sandwich. When he got back forty-five minutes later Bonnie Jaffe was waiting for him.
“I brought some things for Stuart. Toothbrush and a change of clothes. Is that okay?” Mrs. Jaffe had changed clothes herself. She was wearing an expensive looking knit pantsuit and comfortable looking shoes. The kind of clothes a woman chose when she was going to be traveling.

“Are you heading back to Oregon, Mrs. Jaffe?”

“Yes I am. And I asked you to call me Bonnie. Is it alright if I smoke in here?”

“Be my guest. I just quit a few days ago. After tonight, I may start again.”

Bonnie lit a cigarette and leaned back comfortably in her chair. She didn’t seem to be in any hurry.

“Is there something you want to know, Bonnie? You didn’t come all the way down here to bring your husband a change of clothes and a toothbrush.” She looked like she had recovered from the confrontation at the fundraiser and didn’t appear to be showing the effects of the drinks she had consumed earlier. “You didn’t drive yourself here did you, Bonnie?”

“I hope you’re not planning on arresting me for driving under the influence, Detective. I needed to ask you about the woman you suspect my husband was involved with. What did she look like?”

“She was blonde. In her mid-twenties. Pretty.”

“She took a photograph out of her purse. “Is this the girl?” She handed the picture to him. “The girl in the picture is a friend of my oldest daughter. Her name is Victoria Sherwood – or it was when I knew her. The picture is pretty old. It was taken about six years ago but it’s the only one I could find. Victoria and my daughter were inseparable when they were growing up. Shortly after the girls graduated from high school Victoria’s family moved away. I haven’t seen her since. Is that the girl, Detective Jacoby? Is that the girl that they found?”

“Yes, Bonnie. It’s her. How did you know?”

“I always suspected that my husband had a thing for Victoria. Stuart has a weakness for young girls. When I got home this evening I went through his desk and I found letters from this girl to my husband.”

“Bonnie, is it alright if I keep the picture?”

She nodded sadly. She looked nothing like the animated woman who had flirted with him a few hours earlier.

“I’m sorry to have to put you through this, Bonnie, but I need to have someone come in and take a statement from you. Would that be okay?”

Again, she nodded.

“I’ll be right back.

Jacoby walked next door to where Felton Chambers was still listening to Jaffe’s attorneys express their indignation. “Mr. Chambers, may I have a word with you please? It’s important.”

When he’d closed the door behind himself, Chambers gave Jacoby a wry smile. “Thanks. I needed a break from those two. What’s up?”

“We have an ID on the Virginia murder victim.” He handed the photo to Chambers. “Her name is Victoria Sherwood. I just learned from Mrs. Jaffe that she was an acquaintance of the Senator.”