Series: Drink the tea, Julian, you look exhausted after the campaign rally, my father-in-law, Senator Arthur Montgomery, said softly as he patted my shoulder.

Part 1 I raised the steaming cup to my lips, completely unaware that the faint almond scent rising from the steam was a lethal organophosphate [more…]

My hands tightened on Martha’s frail shoulders, the silk of her uniform cool beneath my fingers. Lily stood clutching my leg, her small body trembling [more…]

Marcus Webb gestured awkwardly towards the teacup on the desk. “You look like you could use that, Julian. Long day. Senator Montgomery just finished a [more…]

The air in the Capitol sub-basement hung heavy, thick with the scent of damp concrete and forgotten paper. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting long, dancing [more…]

The Montgomery family estate stood like a sentinel over the sprawling grounds, its brick façade softened by centuries of ivy. Entering the grand foyer, I [more…]

The municipal records office was a maze of gray filing cabinets and hushed whispers. I hunched over microfiche readers, the ghostly images of old documents [more…]

Back in the relative safety of my apartment, the city lights blurred outside the window. Lily sat curled on the sofa beside me, a small [more…]

Senator Montgomery’s political instinct was sharp, ruthless. He must have realized I was digging. The questions, the sudden interest in old PAC records—it would have [more…]

The sudden blare of sirens outside my Capitol office window was jarring. It was a sound usually reserved for motorcades or emergencies on the streets [more…]

The cool metal of the handcuff brushed against my wrist, a chilling promise of what was to come. Agent Danforth nodded to his partner, who [more…]