Senate Cloakroom Cabal (16 page)

“Monday afternoon ought to work.” He paused. “Eh, she might prefer you go light on her brother and sister. They get along, but there are lingering bad times from her pageant days. She was always the star in her father's eye.”

“How about you get me the details: who they are, years married, kids, occupations, where they live. If the editor uses it, it will only be as generic background.”

“I'll put together a chronology of her life with dates and places. Same with the family.”

“I'd like to use her office for my interview of her. Remember, this is all overt. Maybe it'll quiet the suspicious voices in that wary castle you call Capitol Hill.”

He chuckled. “You're catching on.”

36

I
busied myself with packing for our five-mile drive to the Washington marina where
Scalawag
awaited us. The day and weekend were going to be hot and sunny. Ralph and Elaine Morgan were joining us around one in the afternoon on Saturday. Max said he'd be by on Sunday.

I felt things were getting back to normal. My mind flicked to Sarah Metzger, who had not sent me that list of watchdog authors. It wasn't critical right now, but it could give me a little better insight into the pharmas and maybe even the FDA.

Jerry and Tyler interrupted my thoughts as they came in from the deck.

“Hey, slowpoke, we'll never get on the water at this rate.”

“And who says I'm the one who's causing this alleged delay? What do you think all this is?” I asked, pointing at two coolers and a large shopping bag filled to the brim.

Tyler squirmed and squealed, reaching for me. “Okay, but only for a moment.”

Jerry handed me our wiggling bundle of joy. “Eh, while you're not doing anything, would you fetch Tyler's and my bag from the bedroom?”

He went upstairs. I put Tyler in his high chair and cut up a banana for him to mush around. He squealed with delight as he whacked a slice off the tray. He grabbed a second piece and pushed it into his mouth by sliding it across his cheek first. I wondered what process he used to make the selection . . . which slice went where.

Jerry came down with a travel bag in each hand. “I'll put these in the car.”

“I'll get Tyler clean. Both coolers are ready.”

To lighten our transition from house to boat, we used a collapsible two-wheel dolly to ferry stuff from the SUV onto
Scalawag
. On an earlier day trip, we had put duplicate stuff like a port-a-crib, toys, and sundries on board.

The short trip was smooth. Tyler nodded right off and slept the whole way.

Once on board and with Tyler happily in his crib, Jerry set about readying the boat for our sail. I went below and cleaned the head and galley, made a food list, and walked to the fish market adjacent to the marina.

After I stowed my purchases, I put Tyler in his onboard car seat and took him and my computer aft by the helm. Jerry had installed onboard Wi-Fi after we were married. I didn't need the enticement to spend time on
Scalawag
, but it did allow me to stay current with my work.

I found an email with several attachments from Michael and pulled it up. They were all about Rufus McAllister and the life and times of the McAllister family.

Jerry was in the salon of our thirty-five-foot sloop when Ralph and Elaine arrived. I had met her before but didn't really know her. Our visitors fussed over Tyler, who was curious and quiet with these new people. After a little socializing, Jerry took Elaine on a tour. She went without question, most likely prepared for my wanting to talk with her husband. Tyler was content, so he stayed with me.

Ralph and I hadn't spoken privately since our lunch a year earlier at the Powtomack Restaurant, downstream of Reagan National Airport. Ralph was about the same age as Jerry, but looked older—more facial lines and considerably heavier.

“Jerry told you Senator Roanne Dalton brought me into the Tutoxtamen thing, right?”

He nodded.

I kept my scenario superficial, while giving him the chronology of events.

“So Dalton believes Kelly put the heat on his caucus to support something only he and Pembroke knew about in advance—the FDA's
non-approval
of the drug?” Ralph asked.

“According to Dalton's AA, Michael Horne, the pharmas are tight with Kelly and some senior senators. Kelly made the party's unanimous support of the FDA's decision obligatory. Horne insists some senators are engaged in illegal and unethical activity.”

“Horne. I remember him. He worked for H.T., right?”

“Yes, H.T.'s AA at the time had died in that same crash. Had you ever dealt with Senator Pembroke?”

“I knew him. He and Grayson sat on a couple of committees together.”

“Would one have been the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension?”

“Yeah, it was.”

“Pembroke is now that committee's chair. What were your impressions of him?”

He looked at me strangely. “You going after him for something?”

I was a bit taken aback by that. “Should I?”

He shrugged. “He's a likable guy. Has a grown-up family. He was in his second term when I knew him. He hung with Kelly, something I found strange. Kelly's a cutthroat politician. Fred's always . . .” He let it go with a
you know
expression.

“Do you know Senator Gavin Crawford?”

“I've heard the name but never met him. He new?”

“Beginning his second term. He and Pembroke are friends, neighbors in McLean.”

“Is he another one you're worried about?” he asked flippantly.

Ralph's potshots were getting tiresome. Maybe he thought he was being witty, but he was rubbing me the wrong way. “No, he has befriended Dalton professionally.” I added that to stop another remark. I needed to move on. “How do senators interact with the FDA?”

He reacted as though I'd thrown him a fastball, when he expected a slider. He took a long pull on his beer. “Officially, they don't, except in hearings. The pharma lobbyists use their considerable influence over both the Senate and the FDA. They manage things.”

That piqued my interest. “How so?”

“The pharmas finance a lot of research and quietly dictate. I'm not referring to the thousands of scientists and associates who do their work very well. Besides, the pharmas only need to target a few key people, influence the hiring of special government employees . . .”

“Special . . . who are they?”

“They're called an Advisory Committee. It's something that was established in 1972 throughout the federal government.”

I felt we were getting close to something new and important. “Could the pharmas influence who's hired?”

“I would say they do. The committee members are paid a fee.”

“Could such a committee advise the FDA to turn down a drug that they might under other circumstances have approved?”

“There is not a doubt in my mind they could,” Ralph said firmly.

37

A
s I entered the newsroom, I had a feeling that this Monday would be full of good opportunities. I found Mary busy on the phone and went directly to my desk where I found a message slip indicating Michael Horne had called earlier. I called him.

“Good morning,” he said enthusiastically. “Senator Dalton flew in last night. How's 1:30?”

“Great.”

“The senator is thinking of asking for a hearing on Tutoxtamen.

Unfortunately, Senator Pembroke would have to pass on that. I was just about to call Nancy for some guidance.”

“Could Senator Dalton talk to the minority party's ranking member?”

“That would only add to the alienation our party members have for her. I'd rather see her get turned down by Pembroke than do that.”

“Okay,” I said unperturbed. “I'll see you at 1:30.”

I called Lori Chow and brought her up-to-date. She had a photographer in Dalton's hometown on standby, and the McAllisters were available Wednesday and Thursday. I suggested I fly out Wednesday morning, meet them, and scope out the house.

That met Chow's approval. Because I had already asked to be part of the shoot in the Capitol, Chow would set that up for next week. I called Sarah Metzger to ask if someone could sort through the watchdog authors' interviews and pull out some quotes . . . or give me the whole story if they liked.

“I have some interns around who can be put on that,” the Health editor said.

“Having the luxury of others doing the sifting will save me a lot of time.”

“You're easy to work with,” she said cheerily.

“Maybe you could tell that to my editor.”

“Lassiter? I'd rather walk the plank,” she said bluntly.

I had to stifle a laugh. Lassiter's stern reputation was certainly widespread. The truth was they had no idea how fair and loyal my editor was. I guessed that part never got out. “Her darts don't always hit live targets.”

“You seem to have survived, even thrived, if I may say so.”

“I run fast and am a better dart player.”

Metzger laughed. “It's all in what you're used to, I guess.”

We hung up, and I read for a while.

Michael called. “Nancy said flat out it would be political suicide to make a request of Pembroke, shutting that door. Switching to good news, Tyrell, by pure luck, fell in with a group Friday night at The Goose that included a male aide on the majority leader's staff.”

“Oh?”

“He turned out to be one of the Hill's shit-for-brains people. He's married but chases the skirts and talks too much. He became interested in a couple of women at a far table and wanted to hit on one, but needed a buddy to take the other. Tyrell went along.”

“What a guy. I hope the other one wasn't a dog.” I laughed. I couldn't help myself. It sounded so funny. “Did they score?”

“Why, Ms. Wolfe, you surprise me.”

“I'm just one of the guys,” I quipped.

“Somehow I doubt that. Anyway, this guy's big into impressing the women, boasting he had an important job on Senator Kelly's staff. Ty thought we might like to talk to him.”

“And the punch line?” I never cared for shaggy-dog stories.

“The guy hangs out with heavy-hitters from the pharmas, who all praise him and Kelly for going the extra mile to help out their industry.”

I was experiencing the Capitol Hill underground at work for the first time.

“Tyrell fanned the guy's ego, but even in his fog, he talked mostly fluff. Tyrell thinks he's ripe for expert plucking. The two couples are meeting tomorrow night. Ty once worked for a federal prosecutor and is going to play detective. He looked up the guy and found that he had actually done some interesting work.”

This might lead to something sometime, but I needed to switch subjects.

“Are you sitting in on my interview?”

There was a slight pause. I must have caught him off guard.

“Of course, I always protect my senator from prying reporters,” he bantered.

“Keep that thought; I'm a bad one. Very devious.”

That prompted a good laugh. We wrapped things up, and my journalistic mind wondered if I could be getting too chummy with people I might have to report on. Did I need to be more circumspect? As much as I liked the senator and Michael, they were also part of the story. I would have to keep my guard up and my senses clear.

38

M
y interview with Dalton went smoothly. It reminded me of our first meeting in her condo. She exhibited strong confidence, with warmth and congeniality, and spoke in full sentences. Many people jump around, don't finish sentences, or interrupt themselves. The exact thing I do when I'm pumped up.

“I refrained from telling you homespun stories because you'll get an earful of those from my father.”

“I consider myself forewarned.”

“How do you think the interview went?” the senator asked.

“Swimmingly. Do you have time to discuss Rogers?”

“I mentioned Tyrell to the senator,” Michael interjected.

Dalton showed concern. “That's a ticklish one.”

“And best left up to Tyrell and me, not involving you, ma'am.”

“I have something you both should know,” the senator said. “My father knows Harley Rogers. He served under him in the Rangers during WWII.”

I shook my head. “My, what a small world.”

“That was a total surprise to me. Dad also knows a lot more about what's going on here than I thought. Our state's senior senator, Harold Raines, and two congressmen have each worked for my father at one time or another.”

“This is going to make my meeting with him even more interesting.”

“A word of advice. Let my father take the lead. Knowing you as I do, you should find it very easy to go with the flow. He loves company, showing off the ranch and telling stories. It's his way of sizing up a person. Let the Rogers thing come out naturally. If, as I suspect, he becomes impressed with you, he will open up.”

I felt my face flush and my adrenaline surge.

“I must have commented to him during one of our phone conversations that you two were going to New Jersey to meet Rogers, because he called Harley to pave the way, telling him that the current Senator Dalton was his daughter.”

I looked at Michael. “That accounts for Harley's demeanor when we were there.”

39

I
flew to Dalton's hometown on Wednesday morning, as planned. As I cleared the gangway, a large man dressed in a black suit and a starched white shirt was holding up a small sign with “Wolfe” on it. I introduced myself.

He did the same. “I'm Johnny. Governor sent me.” He took my carry-on. “Do you have luggage?”

“No.” I wondered how he had gotten all the way to the gate with security being so stringent. We went down an escalator and out through the automatic sliding glass doors to a highly polished black sedan.