Between them， Senator Cale Caldwell and his blue-blooded wife controlled as much power on Capitol Hill as the law would allow. Sadly， it wasn’t sufficient to protect him from a killer， even surrounded by his friends at a champagne reception in his honor.The senator’s murder wasn’t the family’s first brush with violence. Only two years ago， a niece had been murdered， her killer never found. But when attorney Lydia James， counsel to a senate committee investigating the tragedy， suggests there might be a connection between the two deaths， she’s voted down fast. Yet strange rumors persist. The senator’s death could benefit many people， among them a bitter political adversary， an ambitious talk show host， and a master of spin who makes even murder lookgood. . . .