"Mr Squier is going to present evidence this morning, we believe," asserted Senator Joseph Haden of Rhode Island, "that will prove R.J. Reynolds, and possibly, others were involved in 'Nicospiking."

Behind a large crowd of twenty or so reporters and microphone booms, I jumped up and screamed at the Senator, "Why Squier man? What's Squier getting paid to talk!!!?!! Who paid Bill?!! Who paid Bill?!!" I couldn't exactly hear his answer, as I believe it was under his breath, but still I kept up the chant until the well suited Senator lashed out an answer, "He's a rock refuge!" The stage was set.

Aides and pages hustled about in stockings and gray blouses, passing cell phones back and forth and slipping notes to the Senators. Everyone was hustled into the hearings room at nine sharp, and I slipped past the burly guard again and found a seat closely behind where Squier would testify. The blue sweater that was lying on my seat, I gave to the usher and told her to put it in the lost and found. I grabbed my little radio shack cassette deck, plopped in a tape and got ready. Next to me, some Post guy typed away on his computer. "You gonna tape this?" I asked. "The laptop tapes it, I'm playing Doom II."

Suddenly everyone rose, photographers were snapping and in walked Billy Squier, King of the Rock and Roll show. Mr. Stroke, My Kind of Lover, Everybody Wants You. At least, it looked like Squier. Or something. Tangled black and grey hair hung in torn wisps around his head. His face was sunken in and he was pale and walked slowly. "We love you Billy," someone yelled and was instantly identified and removed.

"Mr Squier, we thank you for coming in today," Senator Haden sat at the center of the committee table and leaned into his microphone. Squier took a chair, sat and leaned his cane against his leg obviously annoyed at the stream of flashes going off around him.

"Could you tell us what you told the Grand Jury in Sioux Falls?" "Not all of it sir," Squier answered. "Under my attorney's advice I'm told I only have to answer questions relating to this case." "That is correct Mr. Squier," Senator Warren from North Carolina breaks in. "You do not have to answer any questions about any supposed sodomy charges you may or not be facing in Iowa." "Thank you your honor." Squier says and shifts in his seat. There is a moment of pause and then slowly Squier begins to unravel his testimony.

"When I was still young, and "Emotions in Motion" was still just a dream in my head, I was approached one day at the studio by a couple guys."

"A couple of guys?"

"Yes, your honor. Guys in suits, and black shoes and saying they represented R.J."

"That would be Mr. Reynolds?" asked Haden.

"Yeah, yeah...we all just knew him as R.J. you know? He backed some of our tours, sent us free Kools. Anyway...I went to see him and he asked me how I felt about spiking. Now, I used to rock and roll you know? Someone says spiking around me and I'm thinking we're gonna bang some smack or I'm gonna bang a chick. And R.J. has the chicks, you know?"

"Well no, I don't know." Senator Warren of North Carolina gruffles hastenly, adjusting his tie. "We're doing everything to keep the kids off crack and..."

"So's R.J. and me got together and that's when he told me what their plan was," Squier explains cutting off the Senator. "They we're gonna do some Nicospiking. There wasn't no heroin, no girls, just gonna spike a few cigarettes with nicotine and stuff."

The room fell into a quick hush, as the bullet had been shot. Squier looked around the room, not knowing what he had said that had elicited the crowd's silence.

"He said they we're gonna spike the cigarettes, see?" Squier said again looking up at the Senator. "Didn't you hear me? We weren't using heroin? Just cigarettes. No chicks even."

"I heard you sir," Senator Haden breaks back in and tries to quiet the crowd. "Sir? Mr Squier? When did you start smoking cigarettes?"

"Oh, I was young. Eight or nine."

"That young?"

"Oh yeah, but it was cool. I looked older, and could go see the jazz players down the street at the black bar. Smoking got me into heroin eventually."

"It did?"

"Yeah see, I'm cleaned up now. I can talk about it, cigarettes were...see, how do I say it? They were a "gateway" to me using heroin. Cigarettes to pot, to booze, to coke, to meth, to downers, to smack. And it all started with that first cigarette." Squier smiles briefly, perhaps reflecting on that very first drag.

"Do you feel the cigarette companies owe you something Mr. Squier?" asks Senator Warren from North Carolina.

"Hell yeah, they owe me something!" Squier screams back at the Senator. "I was on drugs man! Cigarettes led me to this horribly riddled body I am today! I want it back!" Squier sat back down, shaken but being comforted by his attorney of ten years, Philip Woolcott.

Minutes later, Mr. Squier was excused with no further questioning. Both sides doubted if his testimony would affect little if any of the outcome of this exhaustive case.

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