An hour later, when Carla picked up her office phone, it was an extremely excited Leighton who was on the other end.

“You won’t believe what’s been going on back here in Washington!” he bubbled. “I want you to get Kay and Viktor, and the three of you go into my office where I can talk to you all at once on the speaker. I’ll call back in ten minutes.”

“I’ve been trying to reach you, Frank. Kay, uh—she isn’t here any more. She’s... dead.”