Follow the Money

The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.

August 22, 1976

The campaign office looked more like a dance hall, people rushing around, moving papers and answering phones. It was all the young man could do not to trip over anyone as he made his way to the secretary's desk. A light-haired, unassuming young man of twenty-six, he only hoped he wasn't as out of his league as he felt.

The secretary, an attractive blonde woman about his age, looked up at him as he stood over his desk and gave her a polite smile.

"Uhhh... I'm Henry Milton. I'm supposed to be starting today." He said.

Before the secretary could say a word, a tall, middle-aged man emerged from one of the offices in the back. Despite the traces of gray creeping into his hair, he seemed to have the energy of a man half his age. "It's all right, Donna. I know this young man." The older man extended a hand to Henry when he reached him. "Jack Evans. Glad to have you on the team, Henry."

Henry smiled and shook Councilman Evans' hand firmly. "Thank you, sir. I just want to say what an honor this is and I think you're going to make a great mayor."

Evans' chuckled and held up his other hand. "Well, the election's still a couple of months away, but with people like you behind me, it'll happen." The Councilman gestured to a balding thirty-something man across the room to come over. "Henry, I'd like you to meet Barry Logan, my chief of staff." Henry shook Barry's hand warmly. "Barry, this is the young man I was telling you about: Henry Milton."

Barry nodded, returning Henry's handshake. "Good to meet you, Henry. You had quite an impressive resume for someone your age."

Henry shrugged. "Well, when I get into something, I like to think I give a hundred and ten percent."

Barry smiled and looked a his watch before turning to the Councilman. "Oh, sir, your meeting with the steel workers at ten thirty."

Evans glanced at his own watch. "Right, I'd better get going." He gave Henry a pat on the arm as an aide opened the door for him. "Barry'll take good care of you. I'll talk you again soon, Henry."

Henry smiled as Evans walked out. "Yes, sir!"

Barry started to say something to Henry before a young staffer across the room spoke up. "Mr. Logan, I have Fire Chief for you."

Barry nodded in acknowledgment and turned back to Henry. "Sorry, I have to take this. The Councilman's really trying to get his endorsement. I'll be with you in a minute."

Barry walked over to the phone, leaving Henry standing in front of Donna's desk, not sure what to do.

Donna gave Henry a smile. "Well, welcome to the campaign."

Henry, still a little lost, could only shrug and smile back. He looked around the busy campaign office with a trace of satisfaction. He was working for the next mayor of Philly.

Remember this day, Henry he thought, proudly, looking up at the Councilman's picture on one of his campaign posters. It's the day you became part of something great.

In the parking lot, Henry lay sprawled on the ground next to his car, blood pooling around his head. Golf clubs that had spilled out from case in the open trunk were littered at his feet, including the nine iron that had cracked his skull, right were the killer had dropped it...
The detective sighed as he stacked the case file in with the others in storage. He didn't like letting ones like this go. By all accounts, the victim had been a good kid with a bright future. Unfortunately there just weren't any leads on this one. The detective gave the name on the box one last look. 'MILTON, H. NOV. 76' it said. He shook his head and walked off, depressed as usual about the ones that would probably never be solved...
Detective Lily Rush looked around the office of the Philadelphia Post until she saw her friend Dana Hunter, a reporter at the Post, wave her over.

"Hey, Lil." Dana said. "How've you been?"

The two friends hadn't seen much of each other in the past year, not since they worked together looking into the death of Dana's great aunt Alice, a riveter back in 1943. They case had taken a surprising and sad turn when evidence led to Alice's husband Nelson, now in his eighties, who confessed soon after. Dana didn't hold a grudge against Lily for that, though the two hadn't seen much of each other since then. Lily wasn't sure why Dana had asked her to come now.

"I was a little surprised you asked me down here. Is everything all right?" Lily asked.

Dana nodded in acknowledgment. "Everything's fine. Actually, I was talking about you with my editor and he asked to meet you."

"Meet me?" Lily asked, trying to decide if she should be flattered.

Dana nodded as the two started walking toward the chief editor's office. "He was pretty intrigued by that case with my aunt. Anyway, yesterday he called me into his office and told me about a story the paper was going to be publishing soon and I suggested he might want to talk to you about it."

"What's the story about?"

Dana tone grew more serious. "I think he really should be the one to tell you about it."

What little hair he had left was white and gray and he wasn't quite as thin he was in his youth but Lily could see in his eyes that Ray Atkins, editor-in-chief of the Post, was as sharp as ever as he stood up from his desk to shake her hand.

"I'm sure Dana's told you how I went on about that case with her aunt." Ray said, as his smile faded to a more serious look. "And I'm sure she also told you how I asked you to come here. I'm planning to publish a story soon and given your work on that case, Dana and I thought it might concern you."

Lily nodded and Ray continued. "First, let me ask you, are you familiar with Jack Evans?"

"The name sounds familiar." She said, frowning, as she tried to place it.

"He was a city councilman in the seventies. He ran for mayor in the 1976 election and was highly favored to win, until the Post printed an article exposing numerous examples of corruption in his office, many involving the Councilman himself. Bribery, embezzlement, and several affairs with young women who'd worked under him."

"The scandal cost Evans the election," Dana said, "his wife left him, and his political career was basically destroyed."

"Remember this wasn't long after Watergate." Ray said. "If people weren't going to tolerate that kind of corruption from Nixon, they certainly weren't going to put up with it from a mayor."

Lily nodded, remembering the man clearly now.

"I was the one who wrote that article." Ray said. "It was probably the biggest story of my career. What I never revealed publically at the time was that the bulk of my information came from a source in Evans' campaign office. A young man named Henry Milton. Everything he gave me on Evans' activities was under the condition of anonymity. I guess he didn't want a reputation as a whistle-blower."

"Sort of a 'Deep Throat' type?" Lily asked.

"Sort of. I noted the similarities myself over the years." Ray sighed. "The night before the story was printed, Henry was found dead in the parking lot outside his apartment. Someone had bashed his head in with one of the golf clubs he had with him in his car. Since the killer apparently took his wallet and no one knew about his connection to me, they assumed it was just a robbery and the case was never solved. But..."

"But you wonder if someone in Evans' office might have figured out Henry was leaking information and decided to shut him up?" Lily finished.

"Exactly."

Lily leaned in closer, a look of disapproval on her face. "So you knew of a possible motive for his murder and you waited thirty years to tell anyone?"

Ray lowered his head and sighed again. "I know that doesn't make me look very good, but there's something you need to understand. Henry was adamant about keeping his name out of the papers. He made me swear I'd never tell anyone. His exact words were 'I don't care if they pull my body out of the river'. He did not want people to know he was doing this."

Lily looked at him, still not smiling. "So why say anything now?"

Ray shook his head. "A number of reasons. I started thinking about it after the real Deep Throat went public last year. But also... I'm retiring in a few months. I think I've had a pretty good career, and a lot of it I owe to that story. And frankly, it's been nearly thirty years. I think Henry's well overdue for some recognition."

Lily nodded solemnly. "And some justice."

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