She’d brought it back to her relationship with Justice Califano without them having to push her. Savich said, “What do you mean close?”

“Well, if she hadn’t come bursting in, I’m afraid that Stewart and I might have been tearing each other’s clothes off in the next five minutes. We liked arguing, it stimulated us, made us a little wild. We never made love in his office, but that time it would have been close, I’ll admit it.

“And Stewart could argue, believe me. He could execute a 360 on the head of a pin just for fun, and argue the opposite side. He was that good. He had this ability to see both sides of an issue very clearly, and he could argue either side so well, he could talk nearly anyone over. It was a gift he had. But he was willing to change his mind as well. The good Lord knows even I made him change it sometimes. Don’t get me wrong. He wouldn’t change his mind about an issue or a case because he loved me, it was always about his sense of justice and the best way to achieve it without stomping on the Constitution. He believed our Constitution should serve our world today, but he always tried to get into the Old Ones’ heads—that’s what he called them.

“He had weaknesses, too. He could take a lawyer into dislike—and I know at least a couple of times that it colored his decisions. But he helped me form my own ideas about how to balance justice and the law in each individual situation. We’d disagree, we’d fight.” Eliza stopped cold, looked down at her clenched hands. “And now he’s dead, and we don’t even know who killed him or why.”

She started sobbing, and Sherlock went to her and pulled her into her arms and gently rocked her back and forth. She whispered against her hair, “I know, Eliza. We’re so very sorry. We won’t be telling Mrs. Califano anything, only if it’s vital, which I can’t imagine right now that it would be. It’s all right, Eliza. Is there someone we can call for you?”

Eliza Vickers shook her head against Sherlock’s shoulder, and slowly straightened. “You’re so small, but you’re strong, aren’t you?”

Sherlock gave her face a gentle pat. “Yes, I am. But I can’t stand to see this pain. Listen to me now. It is right that you grieve, that you think of all you’ve lost, but you’re young and smart, and you will get over this. You will move on, and you will marry and you might be lucky enough to have a child. Agent Savich and I have Sean, and we would give our lives for him. So you see, things can change, and they will, for the better. We’ll be speaking to you again, Eliza.”

Before they left, Savich made an appointment to see Eliza Vickers on Monday afternoon at the Supreme Court Building.

“I wonder,” Savich said as he turned the ignition key, “if she expected to marry him.”

“I sure hope she’s too smart to have fallen into that trap.”

“Next time we see her, let’s be sure to ask. I want to hear what she has to say.”

CHAPTER 15

GEORGETOWN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING

LILYSAVICH SERVED homemade vegetable soup and polenta, an unlikely combination except that Sean adored it, and a warm baguette with strawberry preserves, which Sean also liked. Sean floated his polenta in the soup and hummed while he spooned most of it down his throat.

Sherlock said as she tucked Sean’s napkin more firmly around his neck and wiped bits of polenta off his chin, “When’s Simon coming, Lily?”

“Simon got hung up, and won’t be here until this evening. Some big art acquisition for the Met. He’s pretty impressed with himself. You guys got home sooner than expected.”

“Yeah, well,” Sherlock said as she spooned in a bit of soup, “Justice Alto-Thorpe blasted us out of the water for allowing murder to happen in the Supreme Court, wouldn’t even let us in her house.”

“She lambasted us all right,” Savich said. “It was quite an experience.”

“Somehow I can’t imagine anyone lambasting either of you,” Lily added, her voice wistful. “I wish I could have seen that. Okay, despite her, how’s the case going?”

“We’ve got some interesting twists going.” Savich’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the taste of the soup. “You made the soup, Lily? It’s wonderful.”

And Lily said without missing a beat, “Sure, Sean and I sliced the veggies.” She winked at Sherlock and mouthed “Balducci’s,” naming a high-end deli over on M Street. She continued, “After Justice Alto-Thorpe, you guys sure don’t want to turn on the TV, it’ll give you heartburn. Goodness, I had no idea there were so many experts on exactly what the FBI should be doing and isn’t doing, on what the President should be doing and isn’t doing. It shows no sign of stopping.”