Page 78 of Love Me Knot

I can barely breathe as Jackson and I watch the report about Harding.

Congressman Calvin Harding of Arizona has been found dead in his DC apartment. A concerned neighbor prompted a welfare check by the police after hearing shouting through the walls. Upon finding the congressman unresponsive, paramedics were called. Medics declared Calvin Harding dead at the scene.

The congressman’s death has been ruled a homicide. While police have yet to name a suspect, the murder happened the same day evidence emerged of Congressman Harding’s alleged affair with an unknown woman. Also reported yesterday was that the congressman’s wife filed for divorce. We’ll bring you more details as we uncover them.

My hand shakes as I turn off the TV. Harding’s dead. His wife is in Arizona filing for divorce. That has to mean Jackson and I would be first_or only_on any list of suspects, at least for a short time.

We were out of DC before noon yesterday and were on base at Fort Story last night until about nine. It would be a stretch to think we went back just for a murder, but not impossible.

“What do you think happened?” I ask Jackson.

“Hell, if I know.” He picks up his phone and makes a call. “Sorry to call on a Sunday. Have you seen the news?”

O’Reilly’s voice is silent for a moment, and then I hear him yelling through the speaker. Jackson ends the call seconds later, and he’s on his feet. “We need to move.”

I’m already up and pulling on clean clothes. “Yeah, I got that.”

Jackson races out the door, shirt in hand and phone to his ear. When I get downstairs, he says, “I have to get Captain to Caleb. I’ll meet you at Knot Corp.”

I step toward the kitchen to get my keys, but Jackson grabs my bicep, whirling me around. His lips crash against mine for just a second, and then he’s out the door. I follow when my knees are no longer wobbling.

Knot is pacing in the lobby of his building when I make it inside. Bash, Sadie, Aaron, and Birdie are already here waiting. Commander O’Reilly arrives seconds after I do, followed by Fish and Judge.

“Where’s Bennett?” the commander barks.

“On his way,” I answer.

We wait nervously in the lobby for a grim-faced Jackson. He rushes to my side but remains silent as we follow and then cram into Knot’s office. Aaron reads his boss’s face and slams the door shut a split second before Knot initiates lockdown procedures.

“We did not anticipate this, but we fucking should have. How did we not see this coming, Stone?”

The two leaders are angry at themselves. O’Reilly shakes his head. “We couldn’t have known. Nameless troops are one thing to this guy. We would have been crazy to expect him to take out a US congressman.”

“Well, he fucking did.”

Knot finally shares his focus, his dark eyes scanning the room for Jackson and me. “We submitted cropped footage to the press. No one who saw it could ID you or your location. With Harding dead, there will be an investigation. The Willard will produce security footage of the two of you.”

“Let’s work on your alibis,” O’Reilly orders. “We have proof you left DC and arrived here. What can we present for the time after that?”

“We checked onto Little Creek just after seven and left at nine-thirty,” Jackson says.

“After that, my security cameras will show us at my house until this morning.”

Commander O’Reilly nods and snaps, “Lockmore, what should we be doing?”

The former prosecutor for Judge Advocate General grasps his chin. “Given the high-profile nature of the case, the FBI, local police, and the district attorney will hold a press conference tomorrow at the latest. I would gather proof of their alibis and written statements from you two and Admiral Jameson about their connection to Harding before then. I’ll call my cousin Jasper, a JAG defender. He and the admiral can lay it all out for the investigators.”

“And that will work?” Knot asks him.

“I believe so.”

“Good. I’ll have one of my lawyers go with them as well. O’Reilly, you get the base security logs. Birdie, get the passenger manifests from the pilot. Chelsea, send me your security footage.”

I waste no time, pulling out my phone to send the logs and time-stamped video to Knot and Birdie. The message won’t go through until Knot ends the lockdown, but at least the information is queued up. “Done.”

Jackson’s brow hasn’t relaxed, though we have airtight alibis. “What do we do until Judge’s cousin meets with the investigators?”

Everyone turns to stare at Judge, who would be the only one with any clue. “Do what you normally do, but make sure it’s on camera. Guilty people hide. Make sure you’re seen acting like your normal selves.”

---